Hi Guys

This is really a 'Marmite' type of question (which you either love or hate!)

My 1989 XJS is absolutely pristine as the previous owner and myself have really looked after it.

Except for the fact that the previous owner put a 'Growler Mascot' on the bonnet (I think that's what its called?) and it really does annoy the hell out of me for a number of reasons.

First of all it shouldn't be there in the first place! as it didn't roll off the production line with the Mascot on.

In fact in order to put it on the car the bonnet had to be drilled!

Sacrilege! What on earth was he thinking!!!!

It not only looks 'blinking awful' IMO but does absolutely nothing to enhance the look of the car.

It also always catches the car cover, so I have to take a long walk round the bonnet to sort it out (not so easy in the confines of a garage)

It may look a bit patriotic but it still looks Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!

I want to take it off (its bolted on) but any ideas for filling in the holes?

I thought about using filler and a bit of touch up paint but maybe there is a plastic something or other I could push into the hole to seal it up.

Anyone ever removed one?

Anyone thinking of fitting one? Think it over carefully and don't rush into it or better still just leave the bonnet alone.

Mascot or No Mascot? Where do you stand on this one?

 

You must be referring to a "leaper"?

The leaper is the leaping jaguar.

The growler is the round ring with a Jaguars growling face on it.

There should be two holes for the growler or leaper. Neither requires any additional holes. There should be a center hole and a smaller one just above it to keep either mascot from spinning around.

Are you sure you've got the right one? All XJS models in every year came off the line with growlers, not leapers. All leapers are "aftermarket" which may or may not have been installed by dealers.

 

I think the OP means he has another hole where the leaper has been fitted. The growler is still there. The extra hole has to be plated from behind, filled, buffed level and the bonnet touched up or repainted, sad to say.

This will work, though will give real bodyshop experts a fit: Get a small bit 1.5mm steel plate, say 1 inch bigger then the hole all round, rough up one side for a 'key', remove the leaper, rough up the inside round the leaper hole, then carefully araldite the steel patch to the inside of the bonnet to cover the hole. Then when set, fill the hole from the outside with body filler, sand level carefully and repaint/touch up.

Greg

 

Hi Vee@Greg

Yes guys you are right! I'm referring to the 'Leaper' Mascot not the 'Growler' Badge which comes with the Car.

IMO anyone who drills holes in the bonnet to fit one of these, is really messing up a gorgeous car.

When I was looking for a V12 I walked away from quite a few just because of the leaper mascot but the one that I eventually bought had been so well looked after that with or without the 'Leaper' I just had to buy it.

I'm trying to find a better way of filling up the bolt holes than filling and painting, because if you are not careful you could make it look even worse.

The ideal thing could be some sort of push in domed rubber plug that hopefully would not look too out of place.

But one way or another that 'Leaper' will be heading for the bin.

 

The patch would be un-noticable if the filler was carefully flatted and the entire bonnet were resprayed, but better still, buy another bonnet and respray that. Bonnets are cheap to buy from breakers and Ebay, and there are loads of them.

100% agree about the leapper on an XJS though!

Greg

 

Agree. The leaper messes up the lines. It looks good on other jags, just not the XJS.

 

I had always had an inner battle with myself on whether or not to install a leaper on my old XJS. I LOVE the leaper, but didnt know if I liked or hated it on an xjs. Your best bet would be to use body filler on it. You can get a fiberglass mesh and put it on the underside of the hole. Then carefully fill in the bolt hole from the top. It shouldnt be noticeable if done correctly.

 

Hi Guys

Thanks for replying and yes! that Leaper annoys me so much that I did think about a new bonnet but even for me that could be a little extreme.

It just looks so wrong on an XJS and spoils the line of the bonnet, its only use being to help you line up on the curb but if you need something like that then you shouldn't be driving.

If anyone's thinking of fitting a 'Leaper' my advice is don't! because like getting a Tattoo it is something that with the passing of time you are going to regret.

 

One other possible solution would to be to fabricate a teardrop shaped "spacer" that would fit under the growler and yet extend far enough to cover the offending hole. This could then be painted/polished. Not exactly stock looking but it wouldn't look too bad until funds are available to properly weld up the hole(the only proper way to repair) and repaint.

 

Hi Oddrods

I don't quite get what you mean? I'm quite ok with the Growler, its the Leaper that's the problem, especially if its set too far back which makes it look even worse.

Maybe if I put Sellotape over the holes (to keep the filler level and avoid the need for sanding off) and then applied some touch up that might do it.

But get it wrong and it will look a pigs ear!

 

Without seeing a picture of your bonnet it's hard to say exactly what might work. I am assuming that the leaper is mounted behind the growler? My idea would be to:
1.remove the growler
2.make an aluminum shim about .0625" thick just slightly larger than the growler but instead of making it a perfect circle, make it "teardrop" shaped to cover the leapers hole. Paint or polish the shim.
3.re-install the growler with the new shim between the growler and the bonnet.

If you want to just "fill" the hole then you will have to either weld it shut or bond a disk of metal to the back side of the bonnet. At this time you can either fill the depression left by the hole with plastic body filler or you could even use a piece of steel the correct thickness and shape to then bond into the hole. If the filler metal is cot to the correct size with minimal gap, and the correct bonding agent is used this would be a permanent repair. You can not just tape the back side and fill because the filler will for sure just pop out in very short order.

Good luck!

 

My leaper fits on the holes designed for the growler. I can go back to the growler badge if I chose to, no holes. It's also designed to leap instead of dive since it sits on a base. IMO, the XK150 and the XJS are the only two jaguar sports where the leaper fits, but that's just me.

 

have had the same problem with people fitted after market "Leaper" and I removed it and fitted the "Growler" badge over the hole where the Leaper was fitted. That solved the look problem and appeared to look "factory" to all but the purists...worth a thought??

 

Hi Spikepaga

That is not a bad idea but with respect your bonnet would look so much better without the leaper on there (only my opinion) as after all its your car.

 

Hi Gippsland

Do you mean you fitted a second Growler badge?

One day someone will hopefully produce a plastic/nylon or metal plate that fits underneath the bonnet, with protrusions poking through to fill up the holes, so you can paint it before you glue it under the bonnet.

 

Even a 'pop rivet' would look better than that leaper!

 

Love my XJS leaper. Love the leaper on my grandfathers XK150. Would never do it on my E type. Strangely enough I am a purist, except for that one detail, but I figure if people are shoehorning Chevy V8'S in these cars and painting racing stripes across the bonnet a-la-camaro, then why not my leaper? lol. At least I can always go back to the badge with no holes to cover up!

 

My first XJS came with a leaper. I thought it looked great. Then over the course of a year or two, it just began to look to phallic. I ended up buying a growler and replacing the leaper. No extra holes to cover up, nor any body or paintwork to touch up. It was a direct swap.

It's all up to preferences. I don't think it's for anyone to say what looks good on someone else's car. If you like pinstriping, have at it. If you like camaro stripes over your hood line, be my guest. Want to slap on some 20" chrome wheels with a lowered suspension, eh....well....

Personally, I love seeing what other people have done to their XJS'. It at least gives me an idea on what I might consider doing to my own car.

 

When some childish dick stole the leaper off my '95 XJ6 (while it was in my driveway!) I took it to a recommended body shop (there was an E-Type in for a strip/paint). They removed the leaper mount, welded up the hole (adding a 2" dia piece of body steel under the bonnet) and repainted the entire bonnet for $400. Perfect match of the titanium grey, I mean really perfect.

 

Oops, I mean titanium blue. Good lord.