Hi everyone, this is my first post here after recently acquiring a 2011 XJL. I've never been so much in love with the interior of any car but I find there's room for improvement for the exterior.


Speaking of which, I particularly like the new honeycomb grille of the facelifted models, and how the Jaguar badge is now fixed squarely on the grille instead of being recessed into the grille as in the pre-facelift. Looks more prominent. The lower corner vents are also wider and the chrome "J" accents, nicer. Overall, a sportier look.


I've searched the forum but could not find a similar post - does anyone know if the entire front end of the pre-facelift model can be swapped for the facelifted one, without any modifications? I'm wondering if both versions share the same shape and size of the bumper assembly, and also whether the fixing points are the same. I'm keeping my headlights btw.


Anyone who has done this? Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

 

They can 100% be swaped and fixing points are the same. I originally researched the prices of buying a new bumper, grille etc and quickly realized that there are lots of little pieces that add up. And I wasn't sure if my old "little pieces" were interchangeable or not so I would have to order everything and then see what old parts I could use and then return the new parts that didn't need replaced. That seemed like a hassle. My advice to you is to find a "complete" bumper assembly on eBay that has the grille, emblems etc. Pick one that is in the best shape cosmeticly as possible to save having to do body work prior to painting. That will help with the price as well. I have done this to my 2014 and would be happy to answer any questions you have.

 

Awesome, that is excellent news, thanks Zack for making my day! Now it excites me so much just knowing that someone has done it successfully, and I can't wait to do the same.

Reading the threads again, I realized that the UK contact for the headlights actually came from you (sorry, I wasn't paying attention to the nickname then) in the thread on the 2016 headlight retrofit. Using the email that you shared, I contacted Waleed and he told me that he could get me a 2016 XJL complete front bumper, but that was where my concerns regarding the compatibility arose and hence my starting this thread.

I've a couple of questions:

1. How did you get to choose the bumpers? Did Waleed send you pictures of his available stock? Even then, it could be difficult to ascertain the cosmetic condition. I'm prepared to have the bumper touched up and resprayed to match my lunar grey at my local workshop, although it will be a bonus if Waleed could source for one that is already in that color.

2. Do you mind sharing the cost of the XJR front bumper, sideskirts and trunk spoiler? You could PM me if its not convenient to share it here.

3. How is the physical condition of the parts that you got from Waleed? Which are new and which are used? I'm more particular about the bumper in this case, but I'm not ruling out getting other parts from him, such as sideskirts and spoiler). I'm just curious how he could source for these parts, given that 2016 is barely a year ago and owners would not have taken them off so soon.

4. Finally, could you post some pics of the front end and the entire car?

Appreciate so much!

PS: I visited Scottsdale once in 2012, really nice!

 

1. I contacted Waleed and he sent me several pics of bumpers he had. I was looking to purchase a "R" type bumper and I think he had 5 or 6 at the time. I originally picked one from the pic based on the grille and emblems but after talking to Waleed he said he had another bumper in better shape cosmetically so that's what I went with. When it arrived I was super happy with the condition as it needed very very little prep work. Only a few scuffs on the very bottom. So you can pick by color and/or condition and he will be honest with you about the condition.
2. I believe that I purchased the complete bumper and spoiler for around $800. At the time he didn't have any side skirts so I purchased them from the closest dealer to Waleed for $500. They delivered them to Waleed and he kindly shipped everything together. I even had another dealer send him lighted sills that he sent as well.
3.The physical condition of the bumper was 9.5/10. The spoiler was also 9.5/10, don't think spoilers take much punishment, lol. The sideskirts were new and arrived as such. I was very impressed with the care and protection Waleed used in shipping me everything. There was zero chance of any of my items being damaged in shipping. I was most concerned about the headlights but after seeing how everything was prepared realized all my concern was for nothing.
As I understand it the new body style was considered a 2015 in the UK and XJ's are way more common there than other parts of the world. Because of this it is much easier and cheaper to source new and used or salvage parts from the UK. As long as the part isn't needed the next day one can save a considerable amount of money buying Jag parts from there.
Please let me know if you have any more questions I can help with.

 

That was the car on Monday, and the below pics are how I picked it up on Thursday.
And I already know that many people are not a fan of the big wheels. But because I have a business that deals with cars and 90% of my clients are athletes it benefits me to have vehicles that are a unique and get attention. You'd be amazed at the amount of business I get just from parking at the valet or pumping gas.

 

Very very nice, looks fantastic. Excellent job with the mods including the Forgiatos! Did you get the spinning centre cap too? And are those 22" or 24"? I think it looks good and tastefully done. I know what you mean - just last evening I was watching Youtube and figured that big rims and bling probably appeal to some more than others. But ain't the ride harsh?


What color is your car? Liquid silver?


I would be as pleased as you are, given that the total cost of these parts did not cost you anything more than the cost of purchasing a 2016 headlight alone from where you live. Thanks for the pics!

 

Now I'm very much clearer, thanks for sharing the details. An email just went out to Waleed asking for availability and prices of XJL/XJR complete bumper, front splitter, spoiler etc.


Zack, if you had to do this all over again but can only choose one of the two options below, which would you go with? And why?


1. Front "R" bumper conversion (and keeping the 2011 headlights)


OR


2. Retrofitting the 2016 headlights (and keeping the 2011 bumper)


I'm working within a budget, likes both mods but wants to be a responsible husband (wife means well).

 

Thank you, and no on the spinning center caps. A good friend of mine owns Forgiato and we sell lots of them so the price was right. And they are 24's, the roads are pretty good here and there isn't any snow or ice so they have been zero problem. But I do worry a little when my gf takes that car to run errands, lol. And they ride great especially on the highway but bumps and road imperfections are amplified for sure. I think the quality of the Jag suspension makes the ride better than the same size wheel/tires would be on a different car.
I'm not even sure the official name Jaguar calls this silver.
I was super excited when I saw xdave post that the new headlights would fit and work properly and then super sad when I found out local dealer cost. But after some research and talking to Waleed about everything it became feasible.
And having to choose between one or the other is a tough decision. I think I was most happy with the headlights both because they look amazing and my previous headlights were so bad it was dangerous to drive over 12 mph at night. So the headlights made me happy cosmetically to look at while out of the car as well as happy with the functionality while inside the car.

 

Good point regarding your preference (aesthetic and functional value) for the headlights. My 2011 headlights, although not as cool-looking nor intelligent as the 2016 ones, are bright enough for me. Was it just your headlights that are so bad or you felt this way for all the pre-facelift headlights?


I took a closer look at your pictures last evening:


1. Did you spray the main grille in black? In other words, does this mean that if I wanted a "R" bumper, I have to accept the main grille in black. And conversely, if I wanted the main grille in chrome, the only option is the XJL bumper. Am I correct?


2. Did you spray the chrome surround of the lower right/left vents in body color? I thought these come originally in chrome finish.


I like the front bumper as shown in the pic below (main grille in chrome, lower right/left surround in chrome). But I've seen several variations of these (some in chrome, some blacked out, some in body color) hence I'm wondering which is the original "R" look.

 

As long as your lights are good then go for the bumper. And I have to assume that my lights we an exception but since I knew I was replacing them I didn't worry about it very much.
My bumper arrived with the mesh painted black, the lower surrounds were also black and it didn't look right on the silver car so we painted them silver.
This was the original bumper I wanted but it had some imperfections so I went with my second choice.

 

this was my 3rd choice





So you will have some opitions

 

Just wanted to thank you both for the treasure trove of information in these threads. Don't have the cash to do this now but later this year I may be joining you. The swap really does make a huge difference!

 

That's helpful, Zack. Seems like an interesting armchair shopping experience, although it really requires plenty of patience waiting for one response after another. As I speak, I'm still waiting for a reply from Waleed. I'll update again when there's news.

 

You can always call him. He was very good about answering and that way I was able to ask several questions. It can test your patience to ask a question and then get an answer 2 days later that only leads to another question. Sometimes I felt like a carrier pigeon would've been a quicker.

 

That was a nice upgrade! What is Waleed's email and phone number?

 

 

Here is my conversion, bumper is from Waleed, headlights from other seller. And new 20" mataiva wheels. Sideskirts, tail lights and rear bumper are next.

 

Keep in mind that you have to use your old front bumper wiring, because the "pedestrian protection system" error will show up. At least it was for me.

 

Serlock, that looks great! And it will look even better once you get the rest of your mods completed. Please post more pics as you modify.

SovietKitsch, the best thing about you having to wait a little bit is you can learn some extra do's & dont"s from people that have done it before you. Plus the longer you wait then the more choices of bumpers. Also should be a little cheaper as well.

reyesfam, this is the contact info I have for Waleed.
Tel: +447770777780
Email: jaguarpartsuk@hotmail.com

 

Serlock, thanks for sharing, exactly the same configuration that I am after (chrome grille and chrome surrounds). Looking great. I don't know about others but I find the conversion mods give the XJ a quantum leap in the looks department. OK I maybe biased as looks matter a lot to me. Having seen real photos of the successful conversion from Zack and yourself is enough to convince myself that this mod is the way to go, if the budget allows.

Pardon me but what exactly is the pedestrian protection system? Is this bumper wiring something that I manage on my end or is that for Waleed to take note?