[98_Martin]

I'll start by saying this is a thread I've been wanting to start for awhile after seeing others do the same for their cars and feel I can add my share of knowledge and experience to the forum through the work I've done to my own car. I will be predominately posting fixes and modifications that I have made to the car throughout my ownership.

For background I've owned my 2005 X-Type estate for over 4 months now and have covered almost 2000 miles which have been largely trouble free for a now 16 year old car. This is actually my second X-Type, the first being a 2002 2.5 manual SE saloon in Topaz. This previous car taught me a few things, the first being I wanted the larger more powerful 3.0 litre engine to show up the occasional hot hatch when I'm not in my summer runner, secondly I wanted in my opinion the sportier shape and added room that the estate gives and lastly I wanted a colour more fitting for a 23 year old. Hence for all of these reasons I went on to buy the 3.0 automatic estate in Sport Premium trim with Midnight metallic black paintwork. This is actually my first automatic car after giving up waiting for the perfect manual spec to come up for sale as I needed a winter runner/daily driver to replace my previously sold X-Type so I could keep my summer car tucked up in the garage away from the salt. I will say that I haven't regretted the change to automatic and actually find it a much more comfortable and pleasing drive for long distances and while in start stop traffic. Being a Sport Premium it is sitting on 18" alloys and sport suspension that is certainly getting noticeably worn in it's age and would benefit from a full refresh at some point in the coming future. It is also entirely dechromed except for the boot plinth that I might look at getting painted body colour in the future to complete the look. It is a totally standard car which I only intend to do minor OEM+ modifications to further improve the look and feel of the car without decreasing it's appeal.

As I said before the car has been mostly trouble free but certainly required a fair few things looked at when I first took ownership that I knew I wouldn't be happy living with. Many of these were common issues with the X-Type so this forum gave me a wealth of knowledge to help me diagnose the issues and rectify them relatively cheaply and easily.

Below I'll attach a picture of the car when I first bought it at the South of England before driving it all the way home to the Highlands of Scotland, which was a trip of around 600 miles, a great test for a car I knew nothing about. The second picture is how the car currently sits after the work I've done to it so far which I hope many will see as an improvement minor though it is.

 

[98_Martin]

The first job that I attempted was fixing the rear wiper that refused to move and the glass hatch that wouldn't open. Both of these jobs being common on the X-Type estate and therefore making it an easier fix for me as I read plenty of posts before starting the job. It ended up being a result of a weak motor, corroded wiper mechanism through moisture ingress likewise the same cause for the damaged glass hatch switch. Removing these parts turned into a teeth chattering challenge of hammering the mechanism free of the glass without cracking it from the force. For that reason it was no surprise that it wasn't fixed sooner. Upon removal the extent of the corrosion was obvious:

After sandblasting and painting it all looked and functioned a lot better, the shaft turning freely through the bracket lubricated by some silicone grease and a good used second hand switch was was liberally filled with non-conductive battery terminal grease to avoid water ingress happening a second time and to prolong it's life. Of course while it was off the rear wiper arm was reconditioned and a new blade was fitted. I also fitted a used motor as I presumed mine was burnt out after failing to turn the corroded wiper for some time prior. After assembly everything worked as it should and I had a functioning glass hatch which I've rarely used since and more importantly a clear rear window.

 

[Jag-Black]

Nice car. Perfect colour too. Good camera as well, those shots are great. Thanks for sharing.

 

[JimboV8]

Excellent work Martin.

 

[98_Martin]

Nice car. Perfect colour too. Good camera as well, those shots are great. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks, completely agree about the colour but perhaps we might be slightly biased The pictures are taken with my iPhone 12, it is incredible how good the cameras on phones are now. Those pictures are compressed also to allow me to attach them to the post, the raw images are even clearer.

Excellent work Martin.

Thanks Jimbo, always happy to give something back to the forum as it's helped me massively since I got the car.

 

[John Wilko]

Great work 👍 and nice looking x type

 

[Snk Vlad]

I'll start by saying this is a thread I've been wanting to start for awhile after seeing others do the same for their cars and feel I can add my share of knowledge and experience to the forum through the work I've done to my own car. I will be predominately posting fixes and modifications that I have made to the car throughout my ownership.

For background I've owned my 2005 X-Type estate for over 4 months now and have covered almost 2000 miles which have been largely trouble free for a now 16 year old car. This is actually my second X-Type, the first being a 2002 2.5 manual SE saloon in Topaz. This previous car taught me a few things, the first being I wanted the larger more powerful 3.0 litre engine to show up the occasional hot hatch when I'm not in my summer runner, secondly I wanted in my opinion the sportier shape and added room that the estate gives and lastly I wanted a colour more fitting for a 23 year old. Hence for all of these reasons I went on to buy the 3.0 automatic estate in Sport Premium trim with Midnight metallic black paintwork. This is actually my first automatic car after giving up waiting for the perfect manual spec to come up for sale as I needed a winter runner/daily driver to replace my previously sold X-Type so I could keep my summer car tucked up in the garage away from the salt. I will say that I haven't regretted the change to automatic and actually find it a much more comfortable and pleasing drive for long distances and while in start stop traffic. Being a Sport Premium it is sitting on 18" alloys and sport suspension that is certainly getting noticeably worn in it's age and would benefit from a full refresh at some point in the coming future. It is also entirely dechromed except for the boot plinth that I might look at getting painted body colour in the future to complete the look. It is a totally standard car which I only intend to do minor OEM+ modifications to further improve the look and feel of the car without decreasing it's appeal.

As I said before the car has been mostly trouble free but certainly required a fair few things looked at when I first took ownership that I knew I wouldn't be happy living with. Many of these were common issues with the X-Type so this forum gave me a wealth of knowledge to help me diagnose the issues and rectify them relatively cheaply and easily.

Below I'll attach a picture of the car when I first bought it at the South of England before driving it all the way home to the Highlands of Scotland, which was a trip of around 600 miles, a great test for a car I knew nothing about. The second picture is how the car currently sits after the work I've done to it so far which I hope many will see as an improvement minor though it is.

View attachment 42665
View attachment 42668

Very nice maintained !
I hope to make mine look like that by the time summer comes, will handle mechanical side first.
If people would share their experiences, with good and bad sides, then everyone would benefit, having a pool of information. No matter if passionate or just searching for it out of need, the information would be there for everyone who wish to find it. Nice to have a good quality bridge through so many things that separate people, at least in my opinion.
It's why I've also started an initiative in this direction, as I described in my thread. With good intentions, still quite at the beginning of the road, no matter how well informed, might be a recipe for disaster in some cases, without some experienced guidance and information. In a nutshell, keep it up please, and hopefully more and more will do the same.

 

[98_Martin]

Clean pipes

After the 600 mile trip up the motorways the car was absolutely plastered in bugs and road grime so deserved a full clay bar, polish and wax ahead of the winter months which has made it much easier to keep clean as the dirt never gets a chance to stick. Certainly a worthwhile way to treat the paintwork, a few hours twice a year waxing the paint before and after the winter months. Perhaps more old school than the modern ceramic coatings or paint protection film (PPF) but at a fraction of the price. The exhaust tips in particular needed additional attention as they were heavily neglected and let the appearance of the back of the car down:

Nothing some scotch-brite and tar remover wouldn't fix. Finished with a final polish of Autosol and of course plenty of elbow grease.

While on the topic of the exhaust I did snag a couple of second hand Borla backboxes from eBay that I'm still swithering about fitting. I don't want to deface the car to much and realise that to fit them I will need to cut off the original backboxes that although isn't irreversible will make more work if I ever want to reattach them as they are in good condition currently. I don't mind the thought of some extra noise as it is certainly quite at the moment with the stock setup but on the same breath don't want additional attention from you know who.

 

[JimboV8]

What......you neglected the inside.

 

[98_Martin]

What......you neglected the inside.

😂 I did try but the carbon was too cooked on and I didn't feel like wire wheeling it

 

[Ashanti]

Keep it up Martin,

This looks like the beginnings of a great showthread and we like them, no matter the model of Jag.

As for the back boxes, let the V6 breathe, they have a nice sound all their own, get em swapped.

Plod won't give you a second glance and if they do as your passing, they'll clock your face and comment amongst themselves,

That Jag drivers looking well for his age

Rich

 

[GRTD]

Great looking car. I had similar and it’s one car that I genuinely miss : bought my black 3.0 Sport Premium estate as an ex-demonstrator back at launch using my employers allowance. Was perfect.
Forced to give it up when it was five years old as part of the scheme - then, about ten days after it had gone they (work) abandoned the “vehicle must be less than 5-yrs old” policy. Gutted.

 

[JimC64]

Nice looking car Martin, looks like you'll make it better again still....

Gotta love an X type, we've had several, the last one only going around 6 months or so ago

Look forward to seeing what you get up to with her

Jim

 

[98_Martin]

Keep it up Martin,

This looks like the beginnings of a great showthread and we like them, no matter the model of Jag.

As for the back boxes, let the V6 breathe, they have a nice sound all their own, get em swapped.

Plod won't give you a second glance and if they do as your passing, they'll clock your face and comment amongst themselves,

That Jag drivers looking well for his age

Rich

Thanks Rich, I think I'll take your advice and refurb the Borla's ready to fit to the car in the summer when I take it off the road for some maintenance. That last line certainly gave me a chuckle

Great looking car. I had similar and it's one car that I genuinely miss : bought my black 3.0 Sport Premium estate as an ex-demonstrator back at launch using my employers allowance. Was perfect.
Forced to give it up when it was five years old as part of the scheme - then, about ten days after it had gone they (work) abandoned the "vehicle must be less than 5-yrs old" policy. Gutted.

Thanks Graeme. I know exactly what you mean when you say you miss it, I don't think I'll be upgrading it for at least a few years so long as it keeps being semi reliable. I considered a few cars before I decided to stick with the X-Type's, just to name a few - Volvos, Saabs, Subaru's as I needed something AWD for the winter weather as we are often blessed with snow and icy roads while also being reasonably quick with good handling to itch my fast driving every now and again.

Nice looking car Martin, looks like you'll make it better again still....

Gotta love an X type, we've had several, the last one only going around 6 months or so ago

Look forward to seeing what you get up to with her

Jim

Thanks Jim, I hope so. I've been doing a bit of research into the Jaguar SVO X-Type R prototype a lot recently to take inspiration in modifications that Jaguar seemed fit while still remaining subtle and in keeping with the cars purpose. Don't expect a supercharger dropped on this car though, my pockets aren't deep enough for that! 😅

I can't deny it though that Jaguars seem to be a car that you stick to once you own one so I think once I out grow the X-Type it will most likely be another Jag for my daily driver. To early to look yet but I always look twice at an XF Sportbrake when I see one out on the road...

 

[JimC64]

Thanks Jim, I hope so. I've been doing a bit of research into the Jaguar SVO X-Type R prototype a lot recently to take inspiration in modifications that Jaguar seemed fit while still remaining subtle and in keeping with the cars purpose. Don't expect a supercharger dropped on this car though, my pockets aren't deep enough for that! 😅

I can't deny it though that Jaguars seem to be a car that you stick to once you own one so I think once I out grow the X-Type it will most likely be another Jag for my daily driver. To early to look yet but I always look twice at an XF Sportbrake when I see one out on the road...

Martin, you've picked a pretty good car in terms of AWD, they're pretty awesome in bad weather and handle it well.

You don't say where in the Highlands, but from experience I know how bad it can get up there in the winter time.

Curious though, being so young, any reason for the estate?

That said it is one of the better looking estate cars to be fair.

The XF is really nice, this is what we gave up the X type for, 2017 XF R-Sport. My son who still has his X type is aspiring to be in one himself soon, just getting his house in order ( literally - lol )

Jim

 

[98_Martin]

Martin, you've picked a pretty good car in terms of AWD, they're pretty awesome in bad weather and handle it well.

You don't say where in the Highlands, but from experience I know how bad it can get up there in the winter time.

Curious though, being so young, any reason for the estate?

That said it is one of the better looking estate cars to be fair.

The XF is really nice, this is what we gave up the X type for, 2017 XF R-Sport. My son who still has his X type is aspiring to be in one himself soon, just getting his house in order ( literally - lol )

Jim

I'm on the outskirts of Inverness at the top of a hill so it's often the case that we don't see a snowplough early in the morning or late in the evening when I'm on my commute. I've used a Mk2 MX5 in the past through the winter which although is cable being a lightweight RWD car with a LSD unfortunately for reliable transport it constituted to something with AWD.

Honestly my biggest draw to the estate was the immense luggage capacity over the saloon, my summer car is a Lotus Elise 111R which has a luggage capacity for a couple of carrier bags so if I ever have some stuff to move it's good to have the overhead. Plus like you say in estate body style it is still a great looking car, certainly pulls some punches with the European estates of it's time.

My old college lecturer has an older XF and I have to say they are great looking cars, aging a lot better than the similar Germans which seem to look out of date each time a new facelift comes out. The love for Jags must certainly run in the family!

 

[JimC64]

I'm on the outskirts of Inverness at the top of a hill so it's often the case that we don't see a snowplough early in the morning or late in the evening when I'm on my commute. I've used a Mk2 MX5 in the past through the winter which although is cable being a lightweight RWD car with a LSD unfortunately for reliable transport it constituted to something with AWD.

Honestly my biggest draw to the estate was the immense luggage capacity over the saloon, my summer car is a Lotus Elise 111R which has a luggage capacity for a couple of carrier bags so if I ever have some stuff to move it's good to have the overhead. Plus like you say in estate body style it is still a great looking car, certainly pulls some punches with the European estates of it's time.

My old college lecturer has an older XF and I have to say they are great looking cars, aging a lot better than the similar Germans which seem to look out of date each time a new facelift comes out. The love for Jags must certainly run in the family!

I know where you are and when its bad, its bad. It won't be far of as it is in Aboyne, Banchory etc with some pretty mad weather when its bad.

I used to get up that way a lot, favourite place to stay was the Chieftan hotel, great night it was too. Then travel up to Mid Lairgs, past Alness and into the country.

We've had a few in the family since around 2004

7 X types incl one bought for a friend of mine, an XJ X358, an XJ X351 and an XF R-Sport.

Now I know its got AWD but have you thought about a second set of smaller rims and snow tyres, or do you think you'll be good to go no matter how bad it is?

Jim

 

[98_Martin]

I know where you are and when its bad, its bad. It won't be far of as it is in Aboyne, Banchory etc with some pretty mad weather when its bad.

I used to get up that way a lot, favourite place to stay was the Chieftan hotel, great night it was too. Then travel up to Mid Lairgs, past Alness and into the country.

We've had a few in the family since around 2004

7 X types incl one bought for a friend of mine, an XJ X358, an XJ X351 and an XF R-Sport.

Now I know its got AWD but have you thought about a second set of smaller rims and snow tyres, or do you think you'll be good to go no matwer how bad it is?

Jim

It's quite funny actually, we had about 5 inches of snow fall last night after going weeks without any with more on the way for this afternoon so it's certainly living up to it. The Chieftain hotel is a great spot, right on the edge of town centre. Had a big refresh a couple of years back and looks great inside now with the cosy little bar and some pool tables that I've used on a few occasions.

You've certainly had a fair few X-Types, were they a mix of all the engine options or did you come across a favourite?

You know the wheels and tyres were something I considered when I first got the car as 18" wheels in the widest factory option aren't ideal for winter weather. Since then I've done a brake upgrade to the front that limits my smallest wheel size to 17" to fit over the calipers. I've used snow tyres on cars in the past and it's true that they are money well spent if spending any time on snow covered roads as no matter how good your AWD is the tyres are still the limiting factor in grip. I think I'll probably carry on for what's left of this winter and decide for next year if a second set of wheels with snow tyres is the right thing to do for longevity.

 

[JimC64]

It's quite funny actually, we had about 5 inches of snow fall last night after going weeks without any with more on the way for this afternoon so it's certainly living up to it. The Chieftain hotel is a great spot, right on the edge of town centre. Had a big refresh a couple of years back and looks great inside now with the cosy little bar and some pool tables that I've used on a few occasions.

You've certainly had a fair few X-Types, were they a mix of all the engine options or did you come across a favourite?

You know the wheels and tyres were something I considered when I first got the car as 18" wheels in the widest factory option aren't ideal for winter weather. Since then I've done a brake upgrade to the front that limits my smallest wheel size to 17" to fit over the calipers. I've used snow tyres on cars in the past and it's true that they are money well spent if spending any time on snow covered roads as no matter how good your AWD is the tyres are still the limiting factor in grip. I think I'll probably carry on for what's left of this winter and decide for next year if a second set of wheels with snow tyres is the right thing to do for longevity.

Had some good nights at the Chieftan and in Inverness in general, some very decent pool players there. I used to play in a team many years ago and was fairly decent myself, always got a good game up there.

Our X types have all been the various diesel variants, a mix of the 2.0d and 2.2d in various trim levels, mostly Sport Premium, they served us well.

Great car with AWD, Simply outstanding with snow tyres, couldn't be anything less. Always remember the advert showing the snow plough keeping in the X type's tracks lol.

Where you are, when winter hits, it can really hit and 5" is a light dusting, not like some other parts of the country. I remember being in Leicester on business some years ago with my Welsh colleague, waking up to 2" of snow. The place literally came to a halt with people getting stuck, calling in to say they couldn't get in to work etc......mad!!

Assuming she's a keeper for a few years, even a cheap set of wheels and snow tyres will pay dividends I'd imagine
Jim

 

[MarkFY]

Great car with AWD, Simply outstanding with snow tyres, couldn't be anything less. Always remember the advert showing the snow plough keeping in the X type's tracks lol.

https://www.xtype.uk/videos/commercials