Stunning 165mph Jaguar given homemade makeover with foam and fibreglass – and the one-off sports car is worth £120,000
Talented cabinet maker Graham Slater, 43, has completely changed the shape of the 2003 Jaguar XKR which he bought for just £7,000
A 15-YEAR-OLD Jaguar sports car has been given a stunning homemade makeover - and it's now worth £120,000.
Talented cabinet maker Graham Slater transformed the 2003 Jaguar XKR with foam, fibreglass and a healthy dose of elbow grease.
The 45-year-old bought the car for just £7,000 before turning it into a 1930s coupe.
The one-off creation, which cost £50,000 to build, retains the original 4.2-litre V8 engine that can hit top speeds of 165mph.
The father-of-three spent 36 weeks working on it over three-years and chose an eye-catching pearl blood-red colour to make it stand out.
It's still just about distinguishable as a Jag but adds aspects of a Lincoln Zephyr, Porsche and boat-tailed Bugattis from the 30s.
While Graham has no immediate plans to cash in, he hopes that one day he'll be able to use the money to support his three-year-old son Cody who has Down's Syndrome.
He said: "My youngest child Cody was born with Downs Syndrome and I don't want him to struggle in life.
"When he came along I decided I had to make this as good as it could be.
"I thought if I can create something which has that 'wow' factor someone may take an interest and that could help Cody financially in the future.
"I'm not thinking about selling it at the moment but if someone wanted to make an offer they would have to be generous."
Graham, who builds church organs, enlisted the help of close pal Steve Cook to measure the car's shape using string lines - creating a cardboard template.
They then shaped its remarkable lines using 54 cans of expanding foam before bolting six layers of fibreglass panelling to the car's steel shell.
For the bonnet, Graham imported a brass swallow ornament from the USA in homage to Jaguar's origins as Swallow Motor Body Company.
It's interior is in cream leather with a new central console and body-coloured instruments.
The car has been sprayed a Red Pearl Paint courtesy of a friend at nearby Colourcube Automotive in nearby Huddersfield.
Graham said: "Every time I see the car I can't believe it - it feels like such an achievement.
"It's a lovely feeling when people react to it the way they do.
"Individuality is something money cannot buy."
Graham started building the car after seeing a video of Australian manufacturer Holden's celebrated 2005 concept car - the Efijy.
However, the proud father-of-three, of Wakefield, West Yorks, insists his home-built supercar is only ever driven at speeds which allow people to admire it.
He added: "Because it attracts so much attention you don't want to go too fast.
"It's like that Will Smith song where he says 'two miles an hour so everybody sees you'.
"It really does put a smile on your face - people are just blown away by it.
"I exhibited it at a car show recently and there must have been 30 people looking at it at all times minimum.
"I must have told at least 500 people the story of how I created it."
Ingenious car crafter Graham has been modifying cars since the age of 16 when he started with a Morris Minor.
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He estimates to have altered more than 15 cars during his life.
However, his two daughters Emmie, 12, Charlotte, ten, have mixed feelings.
He said: "Emmie's getting to be a teenager now so she's a bit like "whatever dad".
"But Charlotte's into princessy things and when we were at a car show with it recently she was like 'dad I feel like a celebrity'."