Hi all,

I am the proud owner of the above car, green with a cream interior. I like to keep the car nice and so far have completed the following;

Replaced the fading rear Shock Absorbers - british parts £138 for the pair.

Replaced the water header tank as someone decided to cut the very top layer of thread off it - don't know why but the seal was rubbish - ebay £22.50

Replaced the Radio Cassette as the lcd screen was rubbish and you couldn't read it - incidentally i have a working stereo minus the front if anyone needs it - ebay £40.00

Replaced the Discs and pads all the way around - local motor factors circa circa £140 give or take a bit

Replaced the ceased handbrake cable - british parts £25 - for one side

Replaced the rear anti roll bar bushes and rop links as there was excessive wear and a knock. - british parts £50

Replaced the water pump as it was leaking - british parts £55 including the jaguar metal gaskett

Twice now I have had to free up the driverside handbrake return mechanism on the caliper as it has ceased - I am thinking I am probably going to have to replace the caliper if it precists.

I have replace the bars with a mesh grill - ebay £30

I have also refurbished the alloys - I used simonize 5 wheel silver, now this colour is darker than the standard hyper silver but when all wheels are done they do look good - a real bargain of £40 for 3 cans of top coat, 2 laquer, 4 cans of filler primer and some metal filler I did haggle though. I did one wheel per night and masked back the tyre with no paint on the rubber.

Alloy wheel Centre Caps - £25 from ebay.

Passenger side front wheel bearing - Local garage replaced for circa £100

I am very happy with the car and the problems I have had I have had great pleasure in fixing.

K&N air filter - £40 from ebay, I noticed a big increase in the MPG after fitting this but my old filter was very clogged, I was getting 320 miles before the red light, last tank i got 360 but my handbrake was ceased on for some of that so i am optimistic of more(i have that millage constantly over the past 4 tankfulls). - what are others getting on their 2 litre v6 sports?

I replaced the gearbox and handbrake gaiters with leather ones combined price of a tenner from ebay, they make the car look so much better.

I also had a problem with the visors where the spring clip that holds them open / shut broke free from its housing, i opened them up superglued them in place, the mechanism works again - i predict it will eventuallyfail again but at least they are not flapping around.

I do have a creak from the rear suspension so there is probably another bush that is on its way out, or maybe the controll arms? has anyone had anything like that in the past? it is noticable when pulling away, that seems to be the only time.


The car is pretty spotless, it is regularily polished and waxed, a few stone chips and the previous owner had scrached the body work a couple of places but I will get them professionally repaired one day, but for an 7 and half year old car it is very tidy.


I would like to add premium sound and think i am going to have to go third party with a hi / lo converter to get an rca, decent amp (rockford fosgate) two subs and then uprated component speakers. but that will be one day in the furture.
Has anyone swapped the stereo out for a double dinn unit? I'm not sure if it may spoil the dash of the x-type.