Hello, I'm Nicolas, just 40 and French owner since 11 months of a 2003 (built December 2012) X Type 2.5 petrol, manual, exterior Quartz Grey and interior Heritage Tan, without ESP and SatNav but well equipped to my taste (speed regulator, great leather, electric seats, wood and leather steering wheel, electric exterior mirrors, etc). The only thing that I miss but wasn't probably avalaible back then would be retractable exterior mirrors.

It's a great car and it has the best motor I've ever drove. This V6 is such a pleasure, especially for us French people where diesel cars still rule. They're great for people who drive a lot on long distances, for the fuel economy, but I hopefully am in a situation where I can use a petrol car. The manual gearbox isn't great, though, being too sticky for my habits.

I already made some repairs and a few improvements : ashtray cover with wood from an automatic one, gear shaft gaiter from Redline Goods. And I have more in view : improving the audio, maybe some Powerflex silentblocs, maybe a few esthetic tweaks from Adamesh but nothing major. I like the ride and it learned me to appreciate its great comfort over cornering speed. One can drive 1 000 km in a weekend and still has a back in good condition.

The stereo system is quite good IMO but I'm no audiophile. For what I'm listening to in the car, mostly Heavy Metal and the likes along with some Folk and the radio). I want an improvement mostly for the GPS apps and maybe a HDD or SD card full of Flac files.

But, while the interior and motor seem solid, the steering and suspension system seem somewhat fragile. I already replaced some pieces, but now it's a steering rod, one the one the nearest to the drive column, that needs replacement.
I've contacted SNG Barrat France and it looks Jaguar furnishes only a full rack.
Is it possible to find the single piece. Let's say I'd prefer of course a € 120 part and not so much work hours from the repair shop than a € 1,200 one and 8 hours of work! The repair shop is a Ford Dealer, too, and they have this part for all of their cars. Maybe a Mondeo one will fit but the workshop chief isn't sure, especially about the length.

Thanks for any tip!

I'll try to put some photos, they're on my external HDD for the moment.

And sorry for my english! I may miss some technical terms but I'll try my best to find the right ones.

 

Did you try eBay?

 

Well, I tried but they mostly sell the external steering rods. I guess I can make a favorite search, too. I want a new piece. Thanks anyway!