Happen to notice this on only one car while scrolling the 420 section on saloon.collectordata.com (like one does).
Love how it follows the curve of the lower valence pnl.
Has anyone sean this before or is this a one-off custom job?

 

You can buy stainless steel shiny tail pipes and my guess is that is what these are. My stainless steel exhaust came with tail pipes which just slide on but not like those. They are basically straight. You would need to be careful with upward facing tail pipes as when the car is stationary and it rains the rain is likely to fill the tail pipes and if the system (as all were from new) were still mild steel you will get the tail section rusting out very quickly. Drilling a small holes at the bottom of the curve might help to let the rain water out.

 

The photos have made me realise how nicely shaped the rear valence and lower rear quarter panels are on the S and the 420. The Mk2 looks unfinished in comparison. It's something to consider as a minor body mod.

Sone of the upswept E type tail pipes had a reputation for rusting through prematurely. Whether that was due to them collecting rain or condensation, I don't know.

 

I use 1986 XJ-S tailpipes in my 1965 S type but sideways, not upwards like that.

 

Pete you just have to make sure the inside is cleaned though other wise it is a mud trap which leads to rust. The first (Blue car) is already suffering on the close up shot. The colour of the paint below the bumper line is a different colour blue and looks like it is filled with body filler. The lower wing valance rusts out as the fuel tank is tight up against the inner wing and the mud accumulates there and you get rust coming through the inner wing and the fuel tank is also a target of the rust worm. I think the XJ6 had a similar design but on the XJ6 they were detachable if you wanted to get to the fuel tanks. Still a rust trap though.

 

All those sections are mud traps on the Mk2 as well. I left the rear centre valence off my Mk2 back in the 1980s, making it more like a Mk1. 'Left off' is a slight over statement in that I broke off the crumbling lacework of rust and didn't put anything in its place. I repaired the sections at the bottom of the rear wing at the same time. It's a square flange at the lower edge instead of the curve of the S type. In spite of that, I didn't get it to blend into the rest of wing very well, so there's no great loss in doing it again. The great benefit of abandoning originality is the possibility for making minor mods, either for a nicer appearance or to close in the rust traps.

You are correct on the series XJ. Those pieces detach (with a little difficulty). We replaced the ones on my Daimler in the 1990s and cleaned and restored them last year.

 

Yes ~ you need to get the tailpipes nicely lined up with the cut outs and all looks sweet. Excuse the original pink protective sticker & compound on the plinth but I decided it could stay there until the car had got all the way down to Cape Town. The plinth was NOS in it's original box. On the way to the big hauler to CT.

 

Cass's S Type look quite delectable, I must say!

Wish I had one to keep my Mk2 from feeling lonely

Peter

 

Yes! It's beautiful under there (of course). Mine's slightly dented, It might have factory undercoat on that area?
Anyway, it's got some sort of undercoat on it, but I'm going to fix the dent & have some paint mixed up to paint it body color.
It's as nicely shaped as the rest of the car & deserves paint imo.

 

For sure. I love the way the tailpipes look when looking down from above. They taper inward slightly as if to mimic the taper of the rear clip.