First off, sorry about the length of this post, and sorry it's a double-post in another forum...

So i’ve had the car for a few weeks now, spent hours pouring over hundreds of posts in this and other forums, and I’ve come up with a to-do list for upgrades and improvements.

The only fruit it’s got at the moment is the Touchscreen & Satnav, with single CD player up front, and heated seats. Everything else is simply not there…Bear in mind this is a LHD car.

Here’s the list to-do:

+ Retrofit powerfold mirrors, along with the double-locking kit that folds them away when you lock.

+ Retrofit front passenger seat electric adjustment (taken from a RHD drivers seat)

+ Retrofit phone and bluetooth module, also Jaguar Voice, should be fun since this car falls into the “E37149 - E 46479, due to deletion of phone / voice pre-wire” period.

+ Retrofit Premium sound amp, upgrade speakers, add subs under the parcel shelf

+ Retrofit CD changer, and Audio Connection Module

+ Fit OEM rear seat entertainment (US version, with mem. card) already ordered it, but I’ll want to change over the passenger seat base first.

Cosmetically I’ve already changed the grille for the 2009 Growler from Adamesh, de-badged the boot lid, changed over the bulbs to white ones. I don’t want to go much further than that externally. Also gonna do a few small things like add the treadplates to the rear doorjams, replace all the interior bulbs for white LED’s, add individual map lights for the rear seats. Just the small details.

I want the car to look and feel original or at most “factory improved” despite any modifications.

And speaking of modifications:

Upgrade the front brakes to the Focus ST discs & callipers, not sure what to do about the rears yet. Actually the brakes are a priority from my side, the car sat around outside for about a year before I bought it, and the discs completely rusted over. They’ve been cleaned up, but honestly they are no good for the German Autobahn…

Add a video-splitter for a reversing camera, and hopefully I can hack into the rear entertainment module to bring the picture onto the Satnav screen, ditto for the soundtrack through the ACM.

And last of all, heated rear seats. This really depends on finding a suitable switch assembly that looks OEM. Maybe I can do something with a set of front seat switches and one of X-Daves modules.

Maintenance wise, i’ll definitely be changing the oil in the TC, even though it’s only done 55000km / 34000Mi, after reading all the posts about the TC’s being bone-dry inside, what can I say, I’m a bit paranoid…

So this blows my weekends for the summer of 2011…

I’ve already bookmarked all the posts (in this, and several other forums) that cover these retrofits and modifications, so I think I know how it should be done, but frankly my biggest problem is actually sourcing the parts I need, specifically the wiring looms, or at least the plugs from the looms.

If anyone has bit’s & pieces lying around that’ll help with the list of jobs, please PM me & we can make a deal.

As things progress I’ll be sure to post updates and how to’s, with pics of course!

Cheers,
Cameron.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11575086/7026733.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11575086/7026733-2.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11575086/7026733-3.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11575086/7026733-6.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11575086/11012011405.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11575086/11012011407.jpg

 

Nice car!

I considered the rear entertainment set up, but ended up realizing that a couple of iPads with wireless headphones work much better!

My x type came with the optional power socket in the glove box. So I connect my mi fi device there and have wireless Internet in my car for up to 5 devices. Works great! I am streaming XM or Pandora up front via the ACM and people in the back could be streaming 2 different movies from Netflix!

Not sure what the equivalent service in Switzerland would be.

I also have the chrome mirror caps (came with the car) and I recently installed the jaguar metal pedal covers. Looks good

I have removable mounting brackets for the iPads at the back. They look good and are easy to use. If you want to play a game, it works better to hold it.

Just to be clear. The rear entertainment system is rarely used. When it is, it is nifty

Have fun.

 

Thanks!

I thought about the iPad thing, but over here the basic 16GB WiFi iPad is $650, top shelf 64GB with 3G is $1050. So take 2x, plus the headphones, plus the MiFi...

I got the genuine Jag rear entertainment kit from Nalley's for $130...

Thought about the chrome mirrors, but frankly this car already had too much chrome on board, one of the reasons why I de-badged it and changed the grille...

Interior-wise i want to keep it low-key, in fact the machined alloy gear-shift has to go, apart from the fact that it's painful to select gear when it's -15ºC / 5ºF, i don't like the look of it...it's gotta be black leather...

Had a quick search through your posts, could find any pictures of your car at all?

Cheers.

 

Hmmm. Impressive list.

Not sure why you would add heated rear seats, there is no leg room if the people in the front are over 6' tall. Pretty sure there is no way to hack into the nav screen for the rear camera too.

From what I gather although it might be different in Europe, the flip mirror option is hard to find used so you're paying dealer costs which are huge here. And it's not plug and play. There is some switches you need to change and wire.

But more power to you, keep us posted as you check off the list.

 

I saw that you wanted the premium entertainment system sub shelf, I took it out of my car and it has been sitting in the garage for a while. If you'd like I could sell it to you.

 

That's the combined amp and subwoofer in a big box? If so it's not the one i'm looking for...

Subs look like this, is that what you have?

 

Your just looking for the two little subs?

 

Subs are only 2x 6.5" woofers, pick them up anywhere....

No i'm looking for the separate OEM amp and full wiring loom, which are a little harder to find...

 

Yeah you can get them at any store these days, but yeah that is harder to find. Why are you going OEM versus aftermarket?

 

When you add the OEM amp the controls for subwoofer & DSP are included in the touchscreen menü. I like that.

The problem is the speaker wiring is completely different to the basic unit, so it's not exactly a small job.

BTW here are some pics with the new grille and de-badged...

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11575086/29012011455.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11575086/29012011447-1.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11575086/29012011446-1.jpg

 

I got a confirmation from my insurance company that they have no objections to the brake upgrade, so i'd better get cracking on that one.

On a side not, i've just found something very cool to add to the list...

Spent the weekend in St. Moritz, we took my mates 2010 Range Rover Sport, and it's got LED lights in the door handles.
I didn't take a picture myself, but here is one out of the RR brochure. It's a pair of white LED's, one in the lower section of the leather-clad handle, facing in towards the door card, and one up inside the locking mechanism facing down. Gives a very gentle, soft white glow within the cabin, as they come on when the headlights are turned on.

I must have these...

 

Finally got round to installing the OEM Rear Entertainment.



And the ACM...



Gotta say this was a total b*stard of a job, had the car in pieces & took me the best part of 5-1/2 hours from start to finish. In the end I had to unbolt the seats to feed the wires up to the center console. But it looks 100% OEM, which is what I wanted...

Also been occupied with cosmetics; changed all the interior lights to LED's, fitted up the luggage net & umbrella holder in the trunk, chrome treadplates in the rear doorjams, had the front bumper re-fitted so panel gaps are even.

To be honest i'll never use the umbrella, but it get's a laugh from everyone who see's it. The Swiss & Germans think it's so typically British...Ha!

Had a bit of a setback regarding the Focus ST brake upgrade; the local Jag dealer doesn't want to touch it, the local Ford dealer doesn't want to touch it...i'll have to find an independant garage to do the job...

Still on the hunt for the Premium Sound & phone wiring, might make a road trip to the UK later in the year, visit a few wreckers...

Cheers!