My wife noticed it first... When I bought a second S-Type and they were parked nose to nose, she looked at the collection of cheap plastic parts in the lower front bumper section of the S-Type I just bought on that morning in QLD, about 550km away, after driving there via train and bus all night long. She felt that this is not Jaguar-like, and looked promptly at the S-Type, which we had already, only to realize that there is just another collection of plastics to be seen - she just did never notice before.
I got the message: That can't stay like that, and I modified everything - and I would like to think that this is, how Geoff Lawson and Ian Callum would have designed it, if Ford would not have been standing next to them with the red cost-cutting pen... So here we go: "That's not a knife! THAT'S a knife!":


That's the result... And I just love the Jag-emblem in the middle. My inspiration for that was the Ferrari horse at the same spot on a Ferrari.


0.4mm stainless steel. First I used cardboard to make a template over the 2 plastic parts (2 attempts), then I transferred the shape onto the stainless steel.


I am not sure if anybody ever attempted before to cut out a tiny circle with an angel-grinder - but it is possible - obviously wear a full face-mask.


And whenever doing straight cuts add this "special feature" to reduce vibration. Always move this contraption close to the section to be cut.


Double-sided 3M-like clear sticky tape...


And here we go


Again: Stainless steel - this time in woven-mesh-shape. I cut out a bit in the required size with overlapping ends, which I then had to bend over by hand (pliers) - Result: A massive blister from all that work on my finger.


That is it.


Fixed onto the bumper from the rear. And on top and bottom: Added 10mm stainless steel strips. (Cut professionally by a shop just like the 5mm strips below)


Back again to those parts: When attempting to remove the cut out circle to early I accidentally have bent the edge of the stainless steel sheet - and like a fold in paper, this cannot be removed anymore. That is not perfect enough for me anymore...


Thus, I cut "eyes" to go over the first stainless steel sheet.


And I could not let that stand...: black plastic ribs? No way! I went to the first steel place here in town - they told me that they cannot cut 5mm strips. When I asked why, they looked at me funny. Obviously, they were not too bright. So off the the second steel place: No problem. 5mm means only that they cannot use their automatic stop of their cutter, but have to mark the 5mm by hand. That's all. "Marking up sheet metal by hand? No way!'' - says the first steel shop...


Again double sided clear 3M-like sticky tape.


And I cut those 5mm strips longer, so that I can wedge them in on top and bottom, too. Perfect.


Noteworthy: To disconnect the connector ends (for the fog lights) in the bumper, remove (pull out completely) that red wedge, then do not loose it, and later (to re-assemble) put it back in.


S-Type front view. Actually, when I first re-attached the modified bumper I could not continue putting all those bolts back into position. I was so in awe. In full grip of the beauty in front of me. I just had to keep staring at it...


I hope you noticed the chrome bezels around those 4 headlights - they are a must in my opinion. Here you see the other stuff I had to have: side-indicator chrome bezels, B-pillar and C-Pillar Chrome covers, tail-light chrome bezels....


And here one more picture for the road... PS: That very interesting reflection on the right half of the bonnet /hood (when you look at the picture), which looks like boomerangs, is the reflection of a Hills Hoist (google it).


...and another one...

PS: I know, those 2 strips on each side (of the front bumper are a bit much... I have a bit of damage there due to stone-hits (from previous owner). One day I will respray the bumper and then I will not put those back on...

 

Nice craftsmanship/fabrication. You would find more resistance from the purists on the other boards but maybe not so much from us S Type brothers. I personally love shiny stuff.

I added the chrome headlamp/tail light bezels the day we purchased Joyces Jag. I always wanted to shine up the lack luster fog lamp and lower grill. I was just not as creative as you. I also added the color match rear spoiler.


Joycesjag chrome headlight bezels

Joycesjag with spoiler and chrome tailight bezels

 

@ Rick: Frt. bezels, and you got the rear bezels around the taillights as well. Nice.
I call my S-Type "Surfer" or "Green Surfer", as I bought it in Surfer's Paradise, QLD. Your chariot is silver, so you could call it Silver Surfer...

 

Great one, Peter. Your posts are awesome, and they keep confusing me. Stay original or modified. I need to decide. Anyway, on your shiny cam cover, did you clean, paint and clear coat? Or grinded it and clear coated? Thanks

 

Hi Roberto, thanks. Regarding those other pictures from another threat: The "cam covers" are the "lids" covering the camshafts. Those were brand new and they came in black (like Tin Lizzie: You can have it in all colours as long as it is black... ). What you probably meant, is: How did I get the air-intake to shine like the morning star...?
I had to take it off anyway, and then I used all kinds of wire brushes on it: Those though ones on an angle grinder, and then for spots which I could not reach that way with tiny wire-brushes on a drill. Then I applied clear coat. Obviously I was always very careful not to damage those plastic parts, which just could not be removed without damaging them. Thus, no paint, just clear coat. There is no paint, which shines like stainless steel or Chrome. (i.e., yes, there is some kind of Chrome spray, but it will get dull very quickly - and you cannot stop that with clearcoat over the Chrome spray either - it will be dull immediately.)

Btw.: I got inspired to add this stainless steel woven wire into the front facia, as I spotted a similar aftermarket part for another model of S-Type (not the '4 or '5), thus I could not buy it...

 

Looks great and your workmanship is outstanding. Nice to see some personalization being done.

 

thanks, mate, I am trying to do it as it sits on the engine. it will take time and patience, but ...

 

Hi Roberto, can't you find reason as to why to remove the air intake anyway and clean it while it's off?
There should be lots of reasons.
Don't you want to swap your spark plugs? To do so, you need to take the air intake off...

Btw.: For anyone, who wonders, what we are talking about: About my pictures way down in that thread of mine:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...dation-263509/
Where the shine air intake is shown way down on that thread...

So, your spark plugs: I have bought real good spark plugs for all my S & X-Type - They use the same kind:
Denso Iridium IT20TT. TT stands for Twin Tip. Google that! And Iridium is the best anyway.

You could also swap the upper and lower seals of the injector unit (as shown in my thread, that I mentioned above).
And after having taken all that off, I am sure you will spot something, which needs urgent attention anyway...

 

Not my style but I think it would look better to change the grill to a mesh insert to match your lower grill?
Looks a bit out of place to have vertical bars above the mesh?
.
.
.

 

I thought about it (before I started), but decided against it, because it would be very drastic to cut out the vertical plastic ribs from the grill to be able to put the mesh it. But those 5mm stainless steel strips look just great on there. To make it match as much as possible I orientated the mesh below also in horizontal/vertical direction rather than in 45 degree tilted orientation. My other S-Type does already have the 45 degree orientation of mesh on the grill (original), I will orient the mesh below also in 45 degree tilted orientation, when I get to that car...

My opinion is that it is way better to have stainless steel mesh and stainless steel surfaces below (like older Jags and other old cars), instead of plastic and nothingness.

Maybe you like this handywork of mine better - that is what I did in the last 2 days:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...mobile-264867/

 

I have been with the Jag on the river (without plates, as this was the trip to the garage, which is legal). Thus, here are 2 more pics from the new front facia:

 

I just posted a new thread, where I show how to add this missed design opportunity to the X-Type as well:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...3/#post2682073