Got tired of holding hot coffee or cold soda between my knees on long trips, so researched cup holder options for my '91 XJS coupe.

Was seriously considering swapping out the original ski slope console for one modded with metal cup holders, but they start at $200 and frankly I'm cheap. Found something interesting from this company on eBay for $8.50, and ordered one to try:

S C O T T L A N D Y A R D S P A R E S

Plan to install it behind the center console/armrest, where the rear ashtray is mounted. Will remove the ashtray and its retaining frame, then secure a woodblock to the console using the existing screw hole. Mount the cup holder to the block and its all done.

Will post photos and impressions once installed.

 

kind of a reach for an open lid drink. lol, i would be worried about doing the twist with my wrist and spilling it everywhere.

 

Seeing as I usually am the only one in the car, I was considering making one that hung off the passenger side of the center console and had a bracket that just slipped inside the ashtray. That way no holes were drilled and it would be easily removable.

 

while the car is auto is does have a big steering wheel and a pretty poor turning radius so i dont really like holding cups either.

the previous owner put there on the ski slope and ruined the wood so ill end up with a ski slope with cup holders one day.

if you drive careful enough you can sit larger cups on the floor since its so broad and flat.


or you can always just have the lady hold it

 

be a darling and hold my refreshment while i operate the Jyyaaaagg.

 

I had those cup holder on my boat, they were ok and will probably last longer in a car.

I have seen the later model flip down XJ armrest cup holders installed in an XJS - just a thought

 

I'm the only driver and as I often have my 10-month old daughter's car seat installed in the rear, the passenger front seat is moved forward leaving little room for a normal sized adult passenger. So no carbon-based life form to hold my drink... %^)

I only travel with twist top soda bottles or coffee in travel mugs (or with tightly fitting covers), so I'm not too worried about spillage when I do the "twist and grab".

If it gets really awkward I'll just velcro the cup holder to the door panel or similar.

 

Someone in the other forum fitted a X300 center cubby lid with cup holders, which is what I would like. As useless as they are, I like my ashtrays, plus the thicker X300 lid will give my elbow better support.

 

Like the simplicity of the plywood with holes cut out placed into the center console storage bin, may have to try that...

 

... or go all the way out:
Check out British Autowood | Dashboard and Woodwork Restoration. They replace the center console with one that has cup holders.
They charge $495.00 plus S/H for a new center console and refinishing all other wood trims. I am not sure if they would only sell the center console. Super friendly service; I will send mine in within a could of months and will post the results.
This might be a bit costlier than the $9.00 plastic cup holder, but did we all not know that owning the XJS does not come free? Besides, I like to keep my Jagmeister as original as I can - call me purist.

----------------
Proud owner of the Jagmeister (1995 XJS)

 

Hello,
FYI the cup holder spec consoles can also be supplied as just the bare (alloy) panel for you to veneer and finish in the shade you want

 

I've visited the British AutoWood site and drooled over the photos of their work. I used to restore furniture, do guitars and amps now, so I know what is involved. If I had the time and confidence to safely remove all the wood trim from my car I would be sorely tempted to send it all over to them as well...

And newguy - technically, if you change out your console, my Jag remains more original than yours. %^)

 

Got my cupholders in today, looks like they're gonna work out great. If I could ever figure out how to post a picture I'd give you a look. They are very easy in and easy out, can use one or both, fit in glove box. They are little crowdy around the knee area on the drivers side, but, when I'm alone I'll just use one on the passenger side. Don't know about you guys, but, I like my coffee so I really didn't spare any expense on these. I also spent some time altering them from the original design, but, it was all well worth it.
I would be happy to send a couple pics via e-mail to anyone interested. Believe it or not, I can actually do that.

Oh yeah, the cost! Not for the sqeamish, all total $428. Oops forgot the decimal point, $4.28 and about ten minutes to modify. That's the total time and $$ investment for both of them if you don't factor in the cost of gas for a 24 mile round trip to AutoZone. It's only about two miles away, but, I took the Jag and the long way home.

Terry

 

Terry - interested in what you did, please send photos to me at enginears@hotmail.com. I can post them for you if you like.

 

What u have with the XJS is a world class automobile. I highly suggest NOT cheapening it by using $10 cup holders. U R driving a Jaguar, not a Chevy. So if u must drink and drive, go ahead and get the ski slope veneer with built-in cup holders that replaces the ash trays. If you smoke and drink while driving, perhaps a pick-up truck would be better suited for the task than a $60 luxury car with beautiful leather and veneer? I believe any changes to the car should improve it, not cheapen it. I dont mean to sound trite. I drink coffee in mine too. I bought the ski slope. U will be glad u did too.

 

My first choice is definitely to get the ski slope with built in cupholders, and eventually I plan to do that. Probably redo all the wood in the car at the same time. But right now I have other priorities, so can't justify that spend. I will probably just velcro the folding cupholder to the driver door by the handle, the color match is just about perfect and it has better functionality than mounting behind the center console. I don't believe in making permanent modifications to classic cars (or guitars or amps), so I wont do it here either.

 

treboR,

I had some spare time this week end to ponder your comments. I was sitting in a Costco parking lot in Palm Springs, embarrassed, in 100+ degrees, with the hood up, waiting for my car to cool off enough to start after the electric aux. fan took a dump. Maybe you are right, this might, in fact be a $60 car.

I sat there thinking about the 71 big block SS El Camino, kind of like a Chevy pick up, I had for 23 years and never once did it let me down. Never ever overheated, heater worked and the air blew ice cold. I also fondly remembered my 69 small block Corvette that I had for 8 or so years, same thing never once let me down. My Infiniti with 206k miles has never once let me down and I would drive it anywhere. My 91 XJS, 53k miles, not so much! The only component of the car I truly trust at the moment is the GM transmission.

World class? Matter of opinion. My Fiance's '08 Bentley GTC is world class. My Brother in Law's '07 Arnage is world class. The '08 or '09 XKR convertible I will be buying before the end of summer is world class. My XJS is an old high end English car, no more, no less.

For now, I will use my $4 cup holders that I can hang or remove in less than 5 seconds, keep in the glove box and work perfectly for bottles and small or large hot or cold drink cups. I will use the Lexus SC430 windscreen that I adapted, and, I might add, fits and works like it was made for the Jag. I will use the money I save on the ski slope to buy the Japanese, German and American parts needed to address the problems and improvements outlined in Kirby Palm's 700+ pages of XJS issues. Once things are updated hopefully I will develop a love/like relationship with this car, which you apparently have with yours, instead of the like/hate relationship I have with it now.

As for trite, try pretentious!!

Terry

 

I couldn't get that Scotland Yard Spares link to open, and google turned up nothing?

 

As far as cupholders go, as soon as I decide whether I'm actually going to keep my XJ-S or not, I plan on making a new ski slope since the cup-holder ski slopes aren't available for my '85. It'll be a little bit of a pain, though, because it will involve moving the shifter slightly closer to the driver (or further away, doesn't matter). This can be done pretty easily, I've just had bigger fish to fry lately trying to get the car out for paint.

As it is, I did end up getting a full Leatherique kit for my car and I'm almost done with the driver's seat, which should be the last of it. I started out by "practice" re-dying a seat back from my parts car, and it came out great. I then spray-adhesived it over an extra ski slope I had lying around and I'm very happy with the results. Looks much classier than the black plastic lump in the middle. I know it's not plastic but it looks it.

While I was doing that I experimented with some 2 1/2" and 3" PVC male adapters. These would work great as cupholders (suitably covered in matching leather of course) but are too large a diameter to fit within the ski slope. But, if you shift the shifter (pun intended) over about an inch you have plenty of room. The PVC male adapter works great because you have a threaded end, and you can go and get a lockring from a 2 1/2" or 3" EMT metal conduit adapter and basically screw it right to the ski slope after cutting the hole out with a hole saw.

Plan is to make a replacement ski slope out of plywood (making my own plies from 1/8" to get the curve) with the shifter shifted and the leather-trimmed PVC cupholder. It'll be a while before I get around to this, though. If anyone wants to beat me to it, feel free.

D

 

Obviously, I meant $60k car. Not $60. Anyway, The ski slope option doesnt cheapen the look of the car. I dont see replacing cigarette trays with cup holders affecting the look or value. But just keep the old ash tray ski slope if thats a perceived problem. Its easy to unstall in about 30 minutes. BTW I have a 1968 El Camino for sale in Long Beach