As some probably already know I recently got a 04 X type 3.0 AWD. I had set my self a budjet of 2k car included to get it on the road and then another 1k for basic maintenance.
As things are going I am well under budget on both accounts. I found all the service records in the glove box done by a local Jag Dealer. Thus I have some play money.
I have been thinking that I can now go after some upgrades. Things like improved handling.
So my thaughts are.
- Shocks (Konie) ???
- Bars Not sure what I can put on it or from what car or if there are upgrades out there.
- Coolers front mounted Mocal coolers for both oil and the transmission.
- Brakes? Probably just a pad upgrade. I am not sure if there really is a need to go any further.
Rust proofing: The car has virtually no rust of any kind. Just a little surface rust on some of the pieces under neeth. the car looks like it was never put on a lift. All the pinch welds and the sub frames are imaculate. I suspect it was not driven in bad weather and garage kept. I was wanting to keep it this way. Any recommendations of how to keep it this way?
The only cosmetic thing I was thinking a progressive silver tint on the windows (the car is silver with a black interior)We do have a tint law here in MA so I will have to compromise on that I am sure.
Maybe wheels and tires but the car has new conti's on the OE lightweight alu rims. I am not sure I can improve on this. I had them off the other day and they are one of the lightest tire and wheel combos I have ever run in to so. They look ok. I can not complain but there is definitely room for improvement. They are the one thing in my mind that when you look at the car they scream ford escort not mid size euro sedan.
What else? Anyone have any idea's?
The intent is to go with a euro sport sedan theme. I am more interested in performance and reliability. I don't think the car really need's anything in the looks department other than what is noted above with the tint and the wheels.
Good tires, good brakes, good shocks, in that order. How do those 3.0s sound with a cat-back system? It's okay to let your kitty growl you know.
I wouldn't want to sacrifice that nice ride, so I'd go tires, sway bars and brake pads.
Its a jaguar, just put a nice double din "infotainment" unit or whatever they call them these days, tint and drive it. Save the money for the repairs that eventually will crop up. That said maybe theres a couple x R components you could put on to spruce it up a bit? I dont feel like jag performance parts are very cheap or easy to come across. Post pictures im interested to see what a couple grand can get in terms of a newer jag (11 years old is new to me haha)
Seems to me a slight lowering would really help in the looks department. Sports alignment. I agree on the exhaust.
Intake modifications really wake that engine up. I'm not familiar with that engine in the Jag in particular, but it Tauruses and 6es it was a huge gain. The Jag should be even moreso because I imagine they made it whisper quiet.
It sounds awesome with exhaust and does raise peak HP if you basically put straight pipes after the Y, but you do feel the loss of low end torque. I would replace the mufflers and if there is a resonator, delete that. Headers and a high-flow Y-pipe can do huge things for top end power but unfortunately are likely no longer a reality unless you have the capability to do high quality welds and mandrel bends yourself.
Ya a little lower would help. Wonder if I can get some progressive springs for it to keep the nice ride but drop it a little
IMO, the wheels and tires fill the wheel wheels, so it doesn't need to be lowered. For performance, I would do performance brake pads. For looks, I would tint the windows and wax the paint, probably get it buffed so it looks new. I would wait for nice wheels when the tires are worn out.
I am hoping (and I know this is a big hope) that repairs will be similar to a Ford not a Jag. This really is a Ford Mondeo / Contour. It is not a British jag of previous generations. The driveline and chaise of this car was built by ford and then sent to Jaguar and they were told to only put the sheet metal on it. The rest is all Ford. The brake components in it look interchangeable with my mustang.
The two week points I know of are the transmission and the transfer case. I am dealing with those as we speak with upgraded cooling and I am looking at adding additional support to the transfer case as well as running full synthetic in both. I am also going to scan the trans and transfer case assembly so I can put it in AutoCAD and see about designing a bracket to add additional support to the case at both output shafts. This really may not be needed as the problem transfer cases were up to 2003. They had a viscous type transfer case in them. Mine is a 04 so it has the direct drive unit that is much less prone to problems. The biggest problem I have seen with these is the lack of maintenance. Failure to detect leaks and running the transfer case dry is the biggest issue. The other thing that has given these a bad rap is that there is a sever duty maintenance schedule that calls for fluid replacement in the driveline components every 30,000 miles. To me this is "normal" maintenance. The "normal" factory service interval is "lifetime". Meaning that there is no replacement of the lubricants in the driveline. To me this really means you drive it until it brakes and then pay a huge bill to replace the trans and the transfer case. At that point people that got them new have a 10 year old car and or 100K on it. Original owners of them will just trade it in and get a new one.
What I have concluded is that the lifetime maintenance schedule only does one thing and that is drastically shorten the lifetime of these cars and gives them a really bad reputation.
Mr_Clutch42 wrote:
IMO, the wheels and tires fill the wheel wheels, so it doesn't need to be lowered. For performance, I would do performance brake pads. For looks, I would tint the windows and wax the paint, probably get it buffed so it looks new. I would wait for nice wheels when the tires are worn out.
The car is dirty. Just a wash would make it shine. What you see in the photos is a car that has sat for almost 9 months. I am waiting to get the new trans in it then I will wash it and if needed a once over with the buffer.
Anyone know what the oval "CH" sticker is on the back? That is the first thing I am going to remove.
HappyAndy wrote:
Good tires, good brakes, good shocks, in that order. How do those 3.0s sound with a cat-back system? It's okay to let your kitty growl you know.
No clue. .. . . Wonder what is out there. the exaust in it looks like it is stainless steel from the factory. Dam thing looks like new.
The CH sticker is an old-school international marker for a car from Switzerland. I was going to mention it earlier, when you were talking about the meticulous maintenance etc. I can certainly believe that the PO was Swiss.
Is there one for American? It would be fun to put that on it. 
Yeah but its morphed in america to more tourist cities instead of the entire country. Ie mv for marthas Vinyard, lame
84FSP
Reader
3/27/15 3:37 p.m.
Bump for a safer approach to dark Jaguar desires. My weakness is the ear;y 2000's XJR. Which are a less Ford than yours but far less Jaguar than previous generations...
The best mod is always a driver mod.
G_Body_Man wrote:
The best mod is always a driver mod.
And your point is????? Oh. I am sorry. You can not even get a drivers license yet can you.
I think a slight lowering is in order. Nothing crazy, maybe 3/4" or so. I'd also look into sways and a performance alignment as mentioned earlier.
I'm assuming that if it's available you have already purchased an xtype on GT6 and played around with wheels and lowering? If not I suggest doing that and work on your virtual driving mod too lol.
In reply to Nick_Comstock:
Now comes the big choice. Do I go quote Mr G_Body_Man in his own thread about the car he is upgrading and modifying. That he can't even legally drive. That can be found here. http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/1984-oldsmobile-cutlass-supreme/95726/page1/ Hummmmmmm.
G_Body_Man. You better learn to not poke the sleeping bear. Just not a wise thing to do.
Another interesting thing I just realized is I have been driving real race cars on real race tracks in real races for more than twice as long as G_Body_Man has been alive. Freekin kids. WTF. 
Creepers my kids were driving when he was in kindergarden.
Calm down big man!
I'm sure he wasn't questioning your driving abilities.
Just do some youtube searching for xtype exhaust upgrades for a couple hours to get your mind off of it
