Booked new wheel install & alignment for tomm. Likely get a quote for new rotors,pads & springs while it's there. I mean it's the holiday season why not ?! lol

 

Had the same experience with my e46, that they were to be avoided at all cost. And when it came to certain things like sway links, I wholly agree. I have the same upper bushings though, on some pretty rough roads, and they're still holding up 50k later. Might need to swap them soon if I keep the car going after winter but for the price, they worked out for me.

 

Mine's been fine for the last 6 months or so, and $18.00 sure beats $396.00 for genuine Jaguar OEMs!


.

 

Never had an issue w/ URO on several vehicles including 2 X308s.

 

 

New Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 & Pentas , I must say I was anticipating a rougher ride w/ the bigger(18 inch) wheel but the build quality of these Michelins has actually improved the ride over the OEM 16's, very pleased thus far. Really nasty day here today weather-wise w/ violent thunderstorms torrential downpours etc., the tires performed awesomely but the erratic power outages rendered the shop w/ no alignment machine so I will have to go back for that. Can't wait for the weather to break & get her all cleaned up lol !

 

 

This is a wonderful, wonderful picture........................when I purchased my 2001 Xj8 VDP approx 11 months ago, the seller, a dealer, assured me there were two sets of original black keys and remotes, and the green valet key. I inspected the car, drove it agreed to buy it, but the second set of keys/remote couldn't be found. They searched everywhere, but couldn't find them. They assured me they existed, and that they would find them and send them on to me. I bought the car.

After a week or so I pestered them about the spare set of keys, they said they had looked high and low but couldn't find them. I was more than disappointed, and felt a little let down, I wondered just how hard they were searching, and even began to wonder if they existed in the first place.

As many on the forum know, it is a nervous thing to own a Jag, and only have one black key. I tried all of the locksmiths in Redding CA but none of them either could or would make a new key, my only option was to drive the 320mile round trip to the nearest Jag dealership (Sacramento) and pay through the nose for the issue and programming of a spare key and remote. I had put this off, and put it off, but reading the woes of others with keys locked in the trunk, or lost key, or warnings about the risk of just one main key I told myself I needed to make the effort, drive to the dealership, bend over, and get a spare key set.

Then out of the blue the other evening I got a phone call from the car dealership I bought the car from, the salesman said, that as the weather is beginning to cool off as we enter Fall, he went to his closet and took out a jacket he hadn't worn since last winter. He put the jacket on, put his hands in the pockets, and there to his surprise was a set of Jaguar keys! And he immediately knew where these belonged!

I was over the moon, he mailed them to me and they arrived today. I tried them of course, and they are the missing key set. A great relief to me, a saved 320 mile journey, a saved $xxxx dollar expense, and great service from the selling dealer.



.

 

That is great indeed, cudos to the sales man, he could have just dumped them in the garbage bin ...
I have a set of 3 as well, probably never going to use them, but heh, besides of the safety it provides, it is just one of the things which makes my car special, with all the bells and and whistles its got in 1998.

 

For the time being my unsightly calipers will be addressed w/ custom MGP covers. Thanks to EJ for the info.

 

Upon the request of KC, as I can not add pictures to a PM (at least I did not figure out how...), here a kind of re-post of the MGP caliper covers, and the modification I made on the rather stupid etched bolt heads.
I cut them to length, then used a locking washer and some Locktite for security.

 

CK's post just prompted me to order 2 key blanks as I'm living dangerously w/ only 1 key.

 

Had the mufflers off while doing some work under the car, so I decided to hear what it sounds like.

1999 XJR with no mufflers: https://drive.google.com/open?id=141...OtVLghsPnDZqoz

 

That King Charles' green xjr is about the best looking jaguar, perhaps minus e-type roadster, that's been built in the last 50 years, I reckon. BRG, some chrome trim, 18'' pentas. Looks suffered from then on.

 

Fully detailed w/ the new set-up, I'm very pleased, many thanks to Eric Jansen for the tire advice, it's actually a much better ride than the OEM configuration.

Thanks ! I'm really fond of it as well, oddly enough I wasn't really smitten w/ the BRG @ first, as in the past I'd had white onyx & loved it. Over time w/ laborious affection, it's now the green apple of my eye lol.

 

Those wheels/tires look super cool!

Like you I thought that you would be sacrificing some comfort with the 45 profile tires, so it's good to hear that you are still getting a smooth ride.


.

 

Yes I think it's a testament to Michelin's engineering, but it's truly a better ride on all accords than the OEM set up. We have some rough roads around here & I made sure I tackled them today lol.

 

Finally got the replacement rear hub assembly delivered, and a day off work to swap it out. Thwarted for the day, not by the snow falling, but rather the stuck rotor. It was definitely hanging up, and couldn't for the life of me get it. It was "loose" but I had a sneaking suspicion the parking brake shoes were jamming. No easy way around it, a 6" 3-jaw puller became the backup plan, which has confirmed my suspicions. Definitely was stuck "on" which wasn't helping matters. I don't know if the bad wheel bearing caused any of that, but I'll have to address that tomorrow when it's light out and I can start swapping parts over. I'd never pulled the rear rotors, so I have no idea if the overall looseness of the parking brake assembly as it sits right now is actually normal (they're basically just floating around the outside of the hub atm) or if it might have been buggered before, or if I buggered it yanking the rotor off. I do know there was an adjustment spinner, but I found myself in a pickle where I had no way to rotate anything to try to line up to try for that. Had to be done, has been done. I just have to find a diagram to assist me in the removal and re-installation of it. Not that I ever use it, but I should probably put it back the way I found it. On the plus side, the u-joint is still solid, so I don't have to replace that again. But tomorrow will tell if my whole plan will come to fruition, or if I'm destined to find a Plan C.

 

Put a low mileage (40k) new to this car supercharger off an XKR in with a new coupler and new oil. Put in a rebuilt alternator. Put in a low mileage used shift cable as well.

 

So, as I am kind of finished for now with my Vanden Plas, I made up the list of almost 5 year ownership of my car.

Financially, we bought the car for some USD. 12.000 at the end of 2013, and I (not we ) have spend about the same amount on modifications over the years.
For that, I have my absolute dream-car in real life, exactly as I always wanted it to be, and it still leaves me below the price of a very general, mid size sedan or SUV, the kind of car my parking basement is filled with.
And yes, cars are expensive here ...

Modification wise, besides of the usual replacements, the list is quite long, and I can see why I have been busy from time to time:

Engine bay
- Upgraded chain tensioners
- Alloy thermostat tower
- Upgraded water pump
- Tailor made toolbox
- Engine bay lights + switch

Trunk
- 8J Double Five spare
- XJR recessed trunk floor
- Fire extinguisher
- Emergency triangle
- Umbrella holder
- USB charger

Interior
- Miles to KM conversion
- Chrome gauge rings
- 3-gen interior clock
- Parrot Bluetooth player
- Leather shift surround
- Momo / Jaguar Shift knob
- USB charger
- Front and rear seat heaters
- Front & rear foot well lighting
- Set of Lambswool floor mats
- Set of winter floor mats
- LED door courtesy lights
- Vanden Plas tailor made sill plates
- Executive 2 seat rear interior
- Champagne / Glass holder
- Leather padded parcel shelf
- Rear window sun blind

Exterior
- XJR grill inserts
- HID 6000K for low beam- and fog lights
- Halogen 6000K for high beams
- LED 6000K Daytime Running Lights
- Tinted glass
- Tinted rear lights
- Double rear lights (X300 style)
- GLANZ full body kit
- Resonanz exhaust tips
- XKR Double Five staggered rims (F18x8J, R18x9J)
- Toyo Proxes Sport F245/45, R275/40
- Refurbished center caps
- Chrome wheel bolts
- MGP brake covers
- Union Jack tire valve caps
- Hilex electric exhaust cutouts
- Chrome license plate holders
- Union Jack license plate bolts

Now I hope my list remains empty for a while, as the XJ-S is waiting too long already.