Getting off my ass and finally writing a build thread for the Jaguar

[exexpat]

Now on to the most fun project of the car yet, bags. I used to build IASCA competition car audio systems (for sound

quality, not SPL) and I saw the air suspension basically as a car stereo project - I even combined the rear trunk to both

house the air stuff and the stereo amplifiers and wiring distribution and fuse blocks.





Engine bay wiring and a crappy pic (sorry)


I discovered without twisting and creativity, there is no way to get a fitting facia board into the trunk. I had two

options, cut down the middle and have a seam or carpet hinge going top to bottom, or make the piece u-shaped so I could

bend it a bit to get it in place. I chose the latter.

I won't do a middle layer with vinyl covering. I will actually just use 1/4" grey lexan and paint a 2" black horizontal

stripe across at the shelf line. This will allow me to use industrial strength self-adhesive velcro around the perimeter of

the shelfing. Here are some early pics. Sorry about quality and poor lighting/camera...

Main u-shaped facia board hanging on my wall:


Cover (fits into U cutout perfectly - almost where you don't see the seams):


Dark pic showing an installed corner:

[exexpat]

Then the parts started to arrive.

Front struts - stainless. mmm




Plug n Play unit (pump, valves, etc.)



Tank (I ended up swapping this for a 3-gallon one)



Autoloc digital gauges and pressure controller with presets (the brain)



Rear bag and brackets


Hoses and fittings

[exexpat]

My amplifiers and 3 gallon tank...




Mounted and wired-up pumps and valves. Up to the hoses now...


^view from back seat

[exexpat]

My friend Jim shot the next set of pics and couldn't resist in-photo commentary. I ended up installing the rear bags in his

parking lot.






Early shot after everything was installed and a few tweaks were made to get the front lower.


I soon learned that if I wanted to keep the rear sway bar, it needed to be mounted upside down. Works fine that way, but I

can't air up beyond factory ride height without it banging into other metal - but who needs to go beyond factory ride height in the back?

[exexpat]

Couple of early trunk shots. I did change the Windows 7 skin on the left side to a piece of black mar-proof lexan (the

material used on microwave doors, so it is highly scratch-resistant). This is what it normally looks like (closed up).



And with the facia plate removed




Here is a pic from Stancewars - you can kind of see the updated piece on the left with the RIMTUCK sticker on it


I think it turned out decent, and everything is serviceable when I fold the rear seat down.

[exexpat]

Here is where the true wheel whoring began - I had these sitting under my house from my old Volvo C70 with 5x108-to-5x130 adapters.




Ended up needing to change out the 40mm rear adapters for some 30mm ones to go lower, but you get the idea.

[exexpat]

People often ask me if I want the 2007/2008 X-Type facelift parts. If I'm honest, I have to say I'm not fond of the new style bumpers and I don't like the wide mesh grille, but I do like the new rear "boot plinth" and the Mina Gallery 2008-style grille. They are rare and subtle changes to the car and I always thought the original black grille looked a little cheap.




Then I decided to delete the leaper from the hood. Only X-Types sold in North America get these and those sold in every other country get hoods without a leaper. I think they look a bit like chromed male body parts from a distance, so I was happy to remove it. Boy, the US Jaguar fanboys ***** this mod, too.

The base is a 2" self-adhesive wheel center cap roundel painted platinum silver and cleared to match the car. I removed the little growler from my old grille and ground off the two positioning pins leaving just the screw peg for secure mounting. Then I flattened it as much as possible. Drilled a 1/4" hole in the roundel and added 3M molding tape to the bottom of the mini growler. Once finished, I mounted everything up on the hood. The mod is still reversible. The result is something closer to body color than the other xmas ornament options. This is another mod that looks better than pics taken at 2am in my garage can do justice:

[exexpat]

More wheel whoring was up next, but these were for practical reasons when the snow hit. My old winter set also from the C70 with snow tires:



Once the sun came back and the snow was gone, I went on a little quest for more lows and decided to go under diameter. I had the factory BBS from when I bought the car and procured some Kumho 215/35/18s to know 1.2" off the overall diameter and get me 6/10" closer to the ground. I never liked these wheels too much, but some of the Jaguar guys just loved these ones.

[Spados.]

outstanding!

[exexpat]

Then I found a good deal on my first set of factory wheels intended for the Jaguar XF - Cygnus 18x8.5. I swapped the 215/35/18s from the factory BBS to these and they worked for a while:



Then I bought some Coventry Whitley wheels in 18x9.5", had the backpads machined 3mm on the fronts and bought another four 215/35/18s:



I quite liked those and ended up keeping them with no intention of selling.

[exexpat]

Coming from a Volkswagen background, I've always liked Porsche twists. I remember when they were still new on Porsches and many of the better show Golfs had them. For me, these are "my" BBS RS, Rotiform BLQ, Work Equip or whatever the 99% who occupy Stanceworks have to have. Since I got 18x9.5" Coventry wheels to work, I figured it wasn't too far-fetched to get 18x10 on all four corners with 215/35's and so it was done...







Those are probably my favorite for under diameter wide fitments I've done on this car so far. That said, I ended up selling my Porsche winter wheels and needed something new for winter. So I bought some 17x9 Privat Remembers with a native 5x120 bolt circle and had Adaptec/Inland Wheel redrill them to 5x108 and used some 25mm spacers I had lying around. Looks ok and these are what I am using to get through winter this year. With 205/40/17 Blizzaks:

[exexpat]

That catches me up to the present and my new set of 20s. These replace the 20" Porsche Sport Technos and reuse those tires even. Four rear 20x9.5 ET66 from a 2010 Jaguar XF-R +25mm spacers. There is about a credit card's clearance between the front strut and inner rim.










I don't care what people think, I prefer these over the Porsche Sport Technos in many ways. I think I'll make it through next year by swapping to these, the 18x10 Twists and the Coventry wheels. Of all the wheels I own now I think the BBS RS looking ones are my least favorite, but like I've said before, they are like a bucket list wheel and every car enthusiast needs a set (real or fake) at some point in their car modding career. I see the appeal, but I still prefer a one-piece OEM-looking wheel most of the time.

[Fuzzy Bunny]

Uuuummm...Yes. This is excellent. Your Jag is with out a doubt the best late model jag ever, and those new wheels, Ooooooh. Yes! My god! Not fair. not fair at all. amazing... mm, mm, mmmm. Yes.

[TheArkitekt]

I really dislike x-type jags. I really like your x-type jag. Subscribed.

[HEcreated487]

Subscribed. Continue to really like this car. The air/stereo install is well executed and VERY clean. Last set of 20" XF-R wheels. Wow. I think I need a set now...