My new to me 2010 XKR has gone into the shop for the next couple of weeks to have some updates done, some cosmetic, some performance.

During these couple of weeks those planned updates will include:

Installation of Mina Galleries' RS side skirts and front splitter
Installation of F/X Designs' Rear bumper/diffuser
Installation of Mina Galleries' performance exhaust
Refinishing of all four 20" Kalimnos wheels (to be painted body color)
Repainting of front bumper, hood, passenger door
New rotors, brakes, and tires
Repair or re-upholstery of the dash
ECG tune and pulley

Here are some "before" photos; "after" photos should be available in about 2 weeks.

 

Looks great! Are the calipers painted or powder coated? Mine are grey powder coat but I was thinking of painting or powder coating them red (or yellow, heh heh heh).

 

thats a big list tberg, did you get the car as a project to work on, good few for sale with work already done, good luck with it, looking forward to see changes.

 

What aren't you doing to it?

 

That is one extreme diffuser

 

Mike V,
I think that bumper/diffuser is just great looking and gives the rear end a customized look. I don't like the exhaust tips because they don't fit the opening well, so I am keeping the round tips that come with the Mina exhaust kit.

Two things that were unexpected when we pulled the bumper out of its crate were 1) no holes cut for the parking sensors and 2) the mesh inserts are not silver metal material similar to the front grill, it's black plastic honeycomb, which I don't like. I found some polished aluminum mesh online for $40, that at least from the pictures looks much more similar to front grill. I ordered it and should receive Friday or Monday.

 

BruceTheQuail,
I would assume that calipers are powder coated and were a factory option. I bought the car with them already done, and they appear to be original equipment.

 

Can't wait to see how it turns out! I can only imagin how you must feel waiting :O!

 

bigreda357,
Because the car had all sorts of small paint issues, horrible curb rash on all 4 wheels, and a leather dash with ripples, bubbles and separations, I really didn't enjoy being in the car. The Hankook tires also were so noisy on the freeway that it was impossible to hear yourself think, let alone enjoy it. So for me, if I didn't do all of these improvements and repairs, I would have had to turn around and sell the car. I bought the car because it was priced well and had a new engine installed as part of the deal (by my own mechanic). I didn't really pay attention to the smaller issues, but they really bugged me once I had the car.

The repairs/modifications are being done by the mechanic that takes care of all of my cars and who rents a property from me. We'll work out a deal so that both of us are okay, so it shouldn't cost me too much to do it. The fact that I was able to do the dash repair for essentially nothing, saved me at least the $1300 that I budgeted for custom re-upholstery.

I am excited now that all of this will soon result in me having the car I really wanted, not one that I resented buying. My gorgeous 2002 XKR brings a smile to my face every time I get into it, and I want to feel the same way about the 2010.

The anticipation is rising....

 

Very much looking forward to seeing the finished product!

 

What a bumper with a diffuser ? Who is the manufacturer ?

 

Brayen,

See: FXDESIGNCARS

Buyer Beware until we hear from tberg about the quality of the body kit components he purchased.

Stuart

 

Yea I got sign off on the caveat emptor relating to the seller of the diffuser. I contacted the guy and was not impressed. D=He did a lot of double talking and came across as very shifty. When i told him i was referred from this forum and its members he totally discounted and made it clear that he gave no stock to forums.

He also talked about discounting price by several hundreds of dollars were I be willing to purchase via bank transfer. But in doing my homework came to find that after he receives your money you catch heck getting the parts and he is almost impossible to get a hold of as he stops answering his phone and he only communicates via text messages (that is after he gets your money). The problem is after you send the money by bank transfer you loose your paypal and credit card protection.

My entire focus is to do my backend like berg's which is the best I have seen. But after talking to the seller of the rear end I came away with such a bad taste in my mouth that I am hesitant to even go that route. Tberg has been helping me try to find alternative rear ends, that is how much turned off I was with FXDESIGN.

One last point. the rear end bumper that FXDesign sells is an unfinished product that before being primed for paint has to be gone over with a lot of finishing glaze and a lot of sanding. It is going to cost anywhere from $500 to $800 extra just to have a body shop get the unfinished piece to the point where it can even be primed. Trust me I went to three body shops and that is the range of pricing I got. I challenge you to test FX about the finish and after you cut thru all of the double talk he will admit that the bumpers with their resin coating will have to be refinished with filler and heavy sanding and blocking.

In short, stay away from FXDesign and look for more reputable designers and manufacturers

 

I purchased the bumper/diffuser from F/X Designs several months ago having been told that it was primed and ready to paint. It was not, and my body shop probably spent a day and a half filling, sanding, and molding it to fit. Holes had to be drilled for rear parking sensors as well. However, once done, it is certainly an attractive, aggressive looking rear end. The mesh inserts that are shipped with it are black plastic honeycomb which I didn't care for and replaced with Mina Galleries' chrome mesh front grills.

As SrWilliams said, responsiveness and friendliness is not their strongest virtue, so just use caution when ordering.

 

Damn, that really sucks. I'm liking the exotic look of the bad *** FXDesign.

 

Yea I got to admit DGL Tberg got the nicest looking rear on the forum or on any jag I have ever seen===Absolutely vicious!!!

 

Hey Charlester,
My wife doesn't even like my "rear end" that much.
Hope you are having a very Merry Christmas, and I'll give you a call tomorrow after I run that report.
Ted

 

I'm glad that I raised the red flag on FX Design Cars.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recall reading some time ago negative comments about them (I think it was on the MBZ Forum) and that their body kits are manufactured in eastern Europe. Their quality makes me suspect that they employ former Yugo factory workers

 

Stuart,
While I would say that they weren't the most responsive vendor I've ever dealt with, and supposedly the first bumper they shipped to me got lost so that I didn't receive the bumper for about a month after ordering and wiring the money, eventually I did get it, and with a bit of extra effort, it turned out the way I wanted it to be. So I can't completely dismiss them as unreliable. Although I believe they claim the bumper is made in Germany, I wouldn't be surprised if they were actually manufactured in Poland where there is a thriving aftermarket auto industry.

My advice would be that anyone desiring this bumper/diffuser from them, be very diligent in following up (pestering is probably more accurate) and getting exact shipping dates and shipping bill of lading information so that there are no surprises.

Or pick it up, in person, in Chicago.