As a new owner, I've got that itch to make the car better, to improve the driving experience, and really make the car mine. However, I don't have the experience with the F-Type to truly know either the car or what I want from it. I've got a MY19, so it's pretty much a fully modern car and one in good condition at that, so I'm really torn over how to approach this; do I look towards preventative and preservative measures, first towards performance, or do I attack "quality of life" improvements?

I'm curious to know: what do you think are the top 3 mods or "must-dos" (gawd that looks weird!) for every F-Type? Are there any model-year or model type specific mods you'd say are musts?

At the top of my list, rather unfortunately, is a remote radar detector/laser shifter system. I say unfortunately because, at $5k, that's gonna tap me out for awhile, so any mods #2 and #3 will be somewhere off in the future! Still, a boy can dream, right?

 

What I had on my list when I was looking at a used car:

1. Updated cooling pipes / hoses prone to problems / new belts
2. Updated supercharger solid coupler isolator
3. Good set of tires

In my case, I wanted peace of mind first…

 

Hands down winner is tyres, at least for earlier F-Types fitted with the older version of the Pirelli P-Zero which includes your MY 2019.
Those older P-Zeros have average grip when new and really really crappy (read almost zero) grip when worn a bit.
Apparently the later P-Zeros as per OEM fitment on 23 and 24 MY F-Types are much improved.
Lots of threads and posts about "best" tyre choices but IMHO the winner is the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S.
Not cheap but worth the extra cost I reckon.
Next would be the oil change interval, ignore the factory recommendation of 12 months or 16,000 miles whichever comes first, 16,000 miles is waaaaay too long.
12 months is OK if you do very low mileage i.e. 4,000 per annum or less, but if you do 10,000 miles per annum or more then you MUST change the oil at least every 5,000 miles or 6 months if you want the engine to last more than 50,000 miles.
Next would be the crappy plastic coolant system pipes and tubes, especially the older (2013-2017/8) seam-welded versions.
The later "smooth" versions are much less prone to splitting/cracking/leaking but are still plastic and still not immune. Your 2019 will have the later version but many here recommend upgrading to metal versions anyway. Not overly expensive but the labour cost can add up as the SC needs to come off and then more for the metal rear heater manifold.

 

I've got threads going for the work I'm doing on my car, but I wouldn't put most of it on a "must do" mod list. Were I buying another:

1) tires -- don't skimp. Pilot Sport 4S or something equivalent from another manufacturer. Note that if you are going to be driving in areas that get heavy rain and have standing water on the road -- don't. Or at least more over to Piliot Sport All Season. The 4S get pretty floaty in the rear, in standing water. Makes for an... exciting ... drive.
2) brakes -- car had less that 30k on the odo when I bought it and was in desperate need of brakes. Everybody has there opinion on pads, but Porterfield R4-S are a common recommendation. I have those with R1 Concepts drilled and slotted rotors.
3) cooling pipe updates -- confirm it at least has the seamless JLR cooling pipes. If not, this would be #1.

Beyond that, its all personal preference things.

4) 15mm spacers on all four corners. Whether you want lowering springs is up to you, but the extra offset looks soooo much better.
5) If you don't have an SVR, figure out how to get your hands on an SVR spoiler. This is obviously a personal opinion thing, but most "mods" are.

In reality though, most of it's going to really be personal taste.

 

MY19 cars have the seamless plastic pipes. JLR began installing them on later builds of the MY18 cars.

 

For the newest F-types fitted with a GPF filter a valve controller to be able to keep the back exhaust valves open all the time is a good addition. It makes a big difference, and depending on your exhaust tastes possibly even more measures (upgrade with axel back exhaust etc).

That said, I guess for a 2019 this would be less of an issue.

 

Most of you have coupes, but convertible owners need the easy-to-install SmartTop module, for opening/closing the roof via the key fob.
https://www.mods4cars.com/sms/db/sma...vZ2xlLmNvbS8=&

 

IMO, a Must-Do:

Take your F onto the track for an HPDE. (High Performance Drivers Education). Get a 'feel' for the capabilities of the car.

^^ This advice is for coupe owners only, the 'vert's roll bars will NOT pass the Broomstick Test.

 

Thanks for all the tips, folks!

We’re a practical bunch so far, with a focus on preventative maintenance. Nothing surprising in there, which is good, because it means my pre-purchase research was pretty good!

Glad for more if you’ve got ‘em!

 

YMMV, but in my opinion 5k oil changes is overdoing it. I do my oil changes at about 8-10k intervals and just hit 50k miles with 0 issues whatsoever *knock on wood*. I drive at least that amount annually so if you don't hit that number I would definitely recommend changing the oil annually, but I don't see the value in 5k oil changes other than spending more money than is necessary to properly care for the car.

 

Yeah, and without devolving into an oil change interval thread, with my seasonal driving here in Michigan, including a fair number of cold-start days during those 8 months or so during which I'll probably not do much more than 4k miles, I'll be on an annual schedule, not a mileage-based one.

What about transmission tuning for the auto? Is anyone kinda disappointed in it? I have a ZF8HP in my Giulia and it seems much snappier and crisper than the one in the F. I've been wondering can that be tuned out, particularly in Dynamic mode.

 

Chaad,

Hmmm..my practical side wonders how much in speeding ticket fee$ I'd offset with a $5K radar system. But only you could answer that.

That being said, I'd probably put that money to different priorities.

First off, making the car safe for YOU. That includes tires, brakes, and alignment. You haven't said anything about mileage or condition of your new car, so IMHO, assume the worst. After all, it IS used... and... stuff happens. Don't skimp. And if you're planning on winter driving, consider sets of both summer and winter tires.

Second priority is keeping the car running well. IMHO, the top of this list is a battery maintainer, which is easy to obtain, but requires developing different habits before and after you use your car. Newer cars like this have lots of interfacing electronic systems. And this car needs a battery at top capacity. For a MY19 F-Type, you'll probably need a new battery anyway. After that, oil, filters, etc. That's when you'll discover that these cars have no dipstick.

If you have an iPhone, download a copy of Jaguar's iGuide, which is basically a portable owner's manual. The iGuide doesn't really replace an owner's guide... but it's only as far away as your phone. Pick your model and MY, and plan on spending a LOT of time going through many, many pages in order to get familiar with features (and caveats) of your new car. Check out the "Maintenance & Service" section to see what tasks are to be completed based on mileage. Use that as a checklist of "ToDo's" to help see the actual condition of your car.

Assuming (true or not) you're a maintenance novice, some of these could easily be done by yourself - and that's good practice. Whatever you're not comfortable with, get professional help. If you can't find a good indy shop, be prepared to bite the bullet and take it to whatever dealer you can find that will work on it.

I'll certainly mention the cooling pipes. There's no question that the real possibility of failure of the original seamed pipes would cause catastrophic damage. But I believe the MY19 cars have the new seamless pipe (check yours) which should not have that same type of failure. I've not actually heard of any of the seamless pipes failing. And, until I do, I'm including this in the 'Jaguar fallacies' myths like "They always break down" or "F-types have Ford engines".

After that, it's a toss up between performance and creature comforts. Top of MY list is a navigation system - whether the OEM or google maps, etc. I find I use this far more than the radio - and certainly more that I'd use a radar detector. Damit, there's far more traffic these days than when I needed my own detector decades ago. There's just not nearly as many opportunities to really open up as there use to be. Maybe... it might just be wiser to find the local ones??

BTW, Congratulations on your choice of rides!!

 

Purchase the DIY oil change tools. This would be your choice of oil extractor and the filter cap wrench. That’s it. Takes 6 minutes and saves at least $350 over the dealership.

Swap out the brake pads for Porterfield R4-S street pads. Very low dust and easy on the rotors. The most benefit is you can pad slap the car, these pads won’t squeal installed on used rotors. Perhaps the only downside, although I prefer this, is the brake feel. They are NOT grabby like a BMW. Much easier to modulate the braking. Does tend to get 1 second of cold brake in the cold rain on the highway but as long as you know it’s there, not a big deal.

By a second set of wheels. Most on the forum will tell you to get a set of light weight forged wheels, unsprung weight and all that. Knowing you live in pothole USA I will say stick with the heavy JLR factory wheels. You can source most of the OE styles on Car-Part.com or eBay. I always ran summer rubber May-October and switched to Pirelli Winter tires for the rest of the year on my S6, Coupe Quattro, A6 2.7t. I don’t think I could live with my 20’s if I drove downtown a lot.

 

1) metal pipes
2) project 7 mask
3) detailing + coating

 

Thanks.

Here in MI, doing even 100mph could land you a Reckless Driving charge, which is a misdemeanor criminal charge. In addition to getting you arrested, your car impounded, and earning you a criminal record, it could get you jail time and a suspended license. Having a criminal record also can complicate travel to other countries. Do I need to mention insurance premium increases? I don't need any of that junk, so yeah, "threat detection" is a big deal IMO, especially since MI traffic generally moves at 10mph over anyway, meaning even slight accelerations to get away from jerks, idiots, and any other unsavories get you into the big trouble zone really quick. In any case, I've been using radar and laser detection jamming for more than 10 years and don't like driving without it. I've got no desire to talk to the cops in any case.

The car has 42k miles and is in excellent condition, one owner and all dealer serviced. No winter driving; fair weather only.

I have a battery charger and ran into low SOC issues, probably from code reading during PPI, which I addressed successfully via charging.

I do have the iGuide.

I've seen one claim, with a pic, that the seamless coolant Y pipe can still get brittle at the insert, but I think they discovered that by pulling it for metal replacement rather than experiencing a leak. It's on my radar, but I don't see the point-- for me-- in incurring the cost as a preventative measure and will just fix if/when it comes to that.

I have factory CarPlay, so that suffices. The sound system, 770w Meridian isn't great, however, with a particularly weak sub. Sound system mods are on my long list.

 

Depending on the year of the car, but I base everything off of mines, so some things won't apply to everyone.

1) Tires (applies to all models and years). It's not as much that good tires will make the car better, it's bad tires will make the car so bad. The OEM Pirellis were some of the worst tires I have had on any car in my life, and I'm a huge Pirelli guy. Likewise, I got a great deal on Sport Cup 2s and while they are great track tires and do well when warnmed up, they are downright scary when cold or if it's even a little damp, especially as they age.
2) Disable Stop/Start (applies to all models and years). The Eco Stop/Start is just so darn annoying. The good news is it is very easy to defeat. On all but the first couple of years, you just disconnect one wire.
3) Cooling pipes (2018 and earlier required, but recommended even for new years). It's a know weak point of the car. The plastic cooling lines were prone to leak. They improved them in later 2018, but even the better ones could use improvement. Alluminum is the way to go.

Not required but nice to have:
Android Auto. I added an aftermarket unit to mine and it works better than the facotry unit in my wife's Range Rover. I like the music and Google maps is far superior to the factory Nav. Live police updates, maps that are updated regularily, etc.
Smart Top. I never like the way the top worked. You have to hold the switch the entire time and in my mind, down is up and up is down. I programmed my smart top to invert the controls and be true on touch. As an added benefit, it lets you do other things, like defear the stop/start if you haven't pulled the wire.

 

Lots of good maintenance tips here. I wouldn't worry about the coolant pipes. When it comes to initial basic mods there are too many to mention so the top three will depend on your preferences. The car comes with a bunch of 20+ year old pieces which have been carried over from older Jags, which are easy to replace if you want to update the looks a bit. Some suggestions:

- Disable the symposer. Kills the weird howling drone that the symposer feeds into the cabin and lets you hear more of the exhaust noise. Not relevant for the last model years which had some software based thingy which you couldn't disable but yours should still have the old physical symposer
- Install magnetic paddle shifters which greatly improve the shift feel if you like using the paddles
- As mentioned - tires. MPS4S is simply the best you can get
- Sound deaden the doors to get more out of the stereo
- Add a wireless adapter to make the OEM CarPlay/AA wireless

Then some basic cosmetic stuff depending on taste
- Replace the weird old weak incandescent bulbs in the foot wells and door puddle lights with proper LED lights
- Replace the kind of old school indicator lights in the rear view mirrors with stronger swiping LEDs
- Debadge the rear. I personally prefer the style that Jaguar finally implemented in the very last model year. Leaper and Jaguar lettering on the trunk hatch but nothing on the bumper
- Mod the R-Dynamic badges. I for one never liked the whole R-Dynamic badging concept which is just a Jag version of the kind of lame M Sport / S-Line / AMG Line concepts from the Germans. Mine doesn't have any R-Dynamic badges on the sidevents and only one in the grille and I painted that badge matte black

 

Not to digress too much, but a lot of talk about seamless vs seamed pipes. Seamed plastic pipes do have another point of failure but the main things to consider: 1) age and 2) environment. Don't get caught up in the belief seamless pipes are invulnerable, most of the pipe cracks happen at the flange where it meets the block. The seamless plastic pipes will eventually fail there too, they are just newer. Anecdotally, the original 11 year old seamed pipes just came off my 2015 R, in good shape, no cracking at the flange or the seam, go figure at 8-10 years I would start considering replacement as PM. Younger cars I wouldn't worry too much.

 

Oh and after replacing my rims, I have to say lighter rims gets my vote. Expensive, but significantly improves the dynamics of the car in a real tangible way. Very close to 50lbs total unsprung weight savings.

 

All good advice here. I’d add all fluids changed/flushed unless you are confident it’s been done per maintenance schedule:
-oil/filter
-coolant
-brake fluid
-diff oil

transmission is supposedly good for 100k miles. If you do the coolant pipes, serpentine belt, supercharger coupler and oil are almost freebies. Enjoy the new ride!