When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hi everyone. I am new to this forum and don't actually own an XKR but my son in law does and its a thing of beauty except...!!
I put it in for a pre-MoT knowing that there had been some advisories last year and suspected some of this needed fixing but also to establish if there was anything else that may need doing. I feel it was money well spent but sadly the news was not good. The 'advisories' would now be 'fails' which was sort of expected but the big issue was that for the first time a front subframe corrosion issue was identified. I took to the various Jag forums to research the issue and found this not to be uncommon and that if it is caught in time they can potentially be welded. I checked this with a close friend who does MoTs and his view was that as long as the welding repair didn't undermine the structural strength of the component then it should pass the MoT. Look closely...there are two holes and the rust split to the end indicates in my opinion that there no secure metal to weld to
I have attached pictures of the rust damage and it is not insignificant and my view is that he should be going down the route of a replacement part. Sadly as most XKR owners will probably know the version for the 2007 Convertible model is no longer in production so I have been trying to search out a used one and it is here that my problem lies. Virtu Jag in Leeds were very helpful in providing the latest and previous subframe part number for this model; these being C2P24494, C2P2391 and C2P22894. To be absolutely sure I checked with Jaguar in York and they confirm the latest part number to be C2P 24494. I have scoured the net looking for any of these part numbers and have tried various on-line Jag breakers/suppliers including Eurojag and Cotswold Autoparts without success. That said Steve One and Cotswold did have one which was promised elsewhere but was confident of getting another. I wanted confirmation that part number would be one of the 3 I have quoted and Steve advised that they are all the same...something I had been told by Jag Specialist in Doncaster was not the case.
So I am looking for definitive guidance from the knowledgeable whether the frame I need is definitely one of the above mentioned and that various other subframes purported to have come from a 2007 XKR Supercharged but with different part numbers to those I quote, would or would not be suitable. A solution would be to remove the subframe and check but unfortunately I don't feel a Jag independent would be prepared to take it off and then have the car hanging about indefinitely until we locate the right item. So, a big quandary for which any guidance would be apprecieated.
Search the forum and you will learn that a few have replaced the subframes. Some sourcing the X152 subframe (aluminium) as a replacement to the x150 subframe (steel).
The X150 steel sub frames were poorly painted at the factory, sadly and prone to rust in short time. I had my rear one powder coated and the front "A" frame powder coated and intended to replace the front with the alloy version from the X152.
My job this week is lying on my back painting the rear subframe on my wife's X150 with Aquasteel, trying not to get too much in what hair I have left, so I sympathise. My own X350 had as badly holed front subframe as yours and on MOT fail I opted for a second hand one from the US - sourced via Ebay from a Texas based supplier (didn't think Texas was that dry, not like Arizona, but there we are). By the time it landed here with customs etc (only 5 days by air freight) it was about £450, but I couldn't be more pleased. I had a specialist fit it - not cheap. Before that I repainted it with two part epoxy paint (which I would recommend over powder coating given our climate) having lightly abraded the almost flawless original surface paint and degreased with ethanol. I then delivered it to the specialist. NB I didn't opt to change the bushes as they looked fine. in terms of DIY, removal of corroded in place subframe bolts was something I was aware could go horribly wrong plus, as I don't have a 2/4 post lift in my garage, I didn't fancy it. Cost-wise in the UK its a toss-up between the other option of selling your car to a breaker and buying a better one. You do have the satisfaction of knowing it's fully sorted by taking this route though.
Yes Texas and Arizona are both well know for rust free parts. No salt used in those parts of the US along with much milder weather and the lack of snow and ice.
.
.
.
The X150 steel sub frames were poorly painted at the factory, sadly and prone to rust in short time. I had my rear one powder coated and the front "A" frame powder coated and intended to replace the front with the alloy version from the X152.
My job this week is lying on my back painting the rear subframe on my wife's X150 with Aquasteel, trying not to get too much in what hair I have left, so I sympathise. My own X350 had as badly holed front subframe as yours and on MOT fail I opted for a second hand one from the US - sourced via Ebay from a Texas based supplier (didn't think Texas was that dry, not like Arizona, but there we are). By the time it landed here with customs etc (only 5 days by air freight) it was about £450, but I couldn't be more pleased. I had a specialist fit it - not cheap. Before that I repainted it with two part epoxy paint (which I would recommend over powder coating given our climate) having lightly abraded the almost flawless original surface paint and degreased with ethanol. I then delivered it to the specialist. NB I didn't opt to change the bushes as they looked fine. in terms of DIY, removal of corroded in place subframe bolts was something I was aware could go horribly wrong plus, as I don't have a 2/4 post lift in my garage, I didn't fancy it. Cost-wise in the UK its a toss-up between the other option of selling your car to a breaker and buying a better one. You do have the satisfaction of knowing it's fully sorted by taking this route though.
Many thanks for this info. I did find one in the States and the price was good but I was worried about shipping costs and it not being the right item. Also we have two Jag specilists nearby (Doncaster and Leeds) and both are not interested in fitting one that we source ourselves and without a ramp, skills and time we are a bit stuck still. I can see one currently on ebay from Texas and again the price is good but until we have someone to fit...does anyone know any one in our area who they think would fit it.
That's very useful to know regarding the early F-type 2WD front subframe -
I have now completed the treatment of the rear subframe and cross/brace on my wife's x150. This has been mentioned in MOT tests as an advisory since 2023 under the heading, familiar to UK Jaguar owners, of "Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))". Having done the job, I was pleased to confirm that analysis - no pinholes or areas of concern, but I'm glad not to have left it any longer. A job that required probably a total of ten hours of preparation, largely mm by mm digging-off, by screwdriver, the platelets of scaly rust/loose paint to get to a solid surface. I am very pleased with my choice of Aquasteel. It turns the orange rust, i.e unstable Fe-(III)-oxides, into stable Fe-(II)-oxides which are chelated into metallo-organic complexes which, in strong contrast, are blue/black. In operation Its basically like painting a water-soluble latex. Having tried Hammerite and similar before, which are essentially highly adherent solvent-based physical coatings to exclude oxygen, this is less messy and more flexible. It's probably not super-robust to abrasion but I can't see it cracking. I don't intend to overpaint it - although you can. I also hoovered-out the interior of the frame (using a thin tube pushed up the various accessible openings) and sloshed some "waxoyl", thinned 50% with white spirit, into the cavities using a chunky medical syringe.
Attached a few photos to shock our friends who live in dry climates: tools, before, after ( note the latex isn't quite dry - hence the white on black appearance) and the heap on the floor is the rust scraped off between the two:
Like you I really didn't fancy fitting one. I persuaded Jagutek of Ely (against their initial instincts and probably against their better judgement because it's a chunky job) to do my x350 engine AND subframe replacement. I a) wasn't in any rush, b) in conversation demonstrated that I realised the scale of the job and the fact that there might/would be some "whilst we are there" extras arise like brake pipe replacements etc and c) was fully aware it would guzzle a lot of man hours and hence £k, all of which I think were appreciated. Kev is the business owner and ultimately will decide if he takes the job on. I also volunteered a payment schedule on an "as as you go" basis, which underlined my faith. I have to say I liked their work, thoroughness and approach and would recommend.
I too ordered via Ebay. I bought a frame taken from a x350 supercharged (although mine is only a n/a 4.2) but I figured the bottom of the engine would be the same shape - and so it proved. The item itself was $250 - I think from memory that was a mild discount as I went for a "make an offer" using the Ebay facility. As you see the freight cost ($300) was more than the part, but it was very well packed and arrived in about 5 working days. Actually the tracking showed it arrived at Stansted within 2 days! I subsequently received a DHL customs bill for £108 so a total of £550. The part however was astonishingly good in terms of its quality and was undamaged - effectively new. I was delighted.
Hi Guys
Just a quick update. Having searched the net and telephoned all known UK jag breakers all of whom wanted a grand for something equally rusty but not yet holed, we decided to follow Cobalteers lead and bought one from a USA breaker. It arrived today via Fedex and was very well packaged. I attach a picture of the new one and you can see it is absolutely immaculate. I paid a total including shipping of £402 and as yet have not been advised of any import duty to be paid. We have identified a Jag specialist who is happy to fit it although 2 were not prepared to fit something we supplied. Sort of understood this as they couldn't source one it put us at an impasse. So, thanks all for the feedback and giving us the guts
to throw 400 quid at an unknown US company. Much appreciated.
Super news! Glad that you had the same very positive experience that I had. In terms of what next, I looked at powder coating the existing paint but the (very honest) supplier I contacted suggested I didn't. Given the harsh environment that a UK subframe will encounter his recommendation was instead to paint-on armaguard epoxy mastic from www.rust.co.uk. I did exactly that and found it to be amazing stuff. It's a two part paint and sets to a bombproof finish. Not for a show queen with a mirror underneath it, due to the inevitable brush marks, but ideal for car you intend to keep and use. I supplied the frame to the workshop with that paint having been applied. I thought about, but didn't, rinsing the voids through with dilute waxoyl 70:30 with white spirit as that would have rendered the part messy and drippy to fit.
Final thing: I asked my workshop to simply swap everything across. Perhaps in hindsight I should perhaps have chosen to buy a full set of lemforder arms etc and (if agreeable to the workshop) have had them fit those instead or even supply the frame with them loose fitted. Depends very much on how your chosen workshop feels about things of course and your wallet. It might be a stitch in time though. Anyway fantastic to hear of your finding a solution path. Pictures please for us all when its gots its fresh MOT.
Yes, indeed.
I was ages doing the front subframe on mine - I think it was last summer - forget! I need to go back to the rear as it needs more attention but was thinking the same about a swap.
What about the rear subframe? Would one off a F-Type work? They generally seem to be in better condition.
The f-type rear cradle will not accommodate the Gen 2 diffs (different mounting points), although what would work is if you obtained a fully loaded f-type rear cradle from a v6 s (RWD) as it has mechanical LSD and then bolt the entire unit up.
You would also need a xk n/a 5l tailshaft/prop shaft to complete the swap
Last edited by steve_k_xk; Oct 9, 2025 at 07:34 PM.
XKR Front Subframe
