I believe Jaguar is on backorder on the top plate. We sell them as assemblies used with the shock and spring. I would need to know if adaptive control (electrical connection on the shock) and which side to check the salvage yard.

 

Are we discussing the two metal braces which connect the firewall bulkhead to each shock tower? Because when I heard the term "strut tower brace" (STB), I think of a bar intalled between the two strut [shock] towers, the function of which is to diminish deflection under load between the tops of the shock towers.These are unusally aftermarket items. Does Jaguar have an OEM one?

 

I do not think there is an aftermarket STB for our XK8/R. If you examine the close tolerances between the inner hood panel and the intake runners, you'll notice the accoustic padding on the underside of the the inner hood panel is imprinted by contact with the intake runners. I can't see where you could add an STB w/o somehow modifying one or both of these aforementioned parts. In other words, simply not enough room for one.

I think Jag engineers designed the two existing bulkhead braces in an attempt to triangulate some of the loads between the shock towers back into the chassis components.

gordo