Last week I purchased a 2006 X-type Wagon from New York, it arrived today. Just under 80K miles. It has a rebuilt transfer case and front brakes.

This car will become our winter snow car. I purchased it because of the AWD and DSC.

Sometime between when the Carrier picked up the car and after I purchased it, someone stole the Leaper off the hood. (Grumble.)

First impressions.
- A STR its not. Some power, but not what I am used to.
- The suspension is stiff and it corners flat.
- I believe that at least one rotor is warped. I can tell by the way it stops.
- The driver seat does not go far enough back to be comfortabe on my legs.
(its ok becuase my wife will drive the car. She is leg challenged.
- I like the wagon's trunk space.
- The car is smaller than I thought. Smaller and lower to the ground than my STRs.
- More door dings than the pictures show. That's ok, it will be my beat-the crap out of it car.

This weekend I'll get up off the gound and do a suspension inspection and put on a studded tire wheelset. I can see some winter corrosion. I hope the control arm bushings are good....

 

I took my first close up look at the car today. Definetely an east coast car.
Many signs of salt and mag. Chloride corrosion on the suspension, bolts and frame. Not horrible, but corrosion is there. This will be our winter car, so I expect it to be exposed to more of the same.

Issues with the car.
- Something is wrong with the Alpine radio system. Lots of base, and highs, no middle sound.
- Inside drivers door handle has to be pulled hard in order to get the door open.
- Oil leaks around the oil pan. - Main seal looks good, but crank balancer and bolt is corroded
- It appears that there are no underpans/trays. One of the smaller inner plastic liners is missing.
- All the brake pads look great. Front rotors look new, rears look older. The car has at least one warped rotor.
Rear suspension shows lots of corrosion and bolts are heavily rusted.
-All four calipers are corroded.

So far the car runs great.

 

Update:
- Found out that the front tires had a screw in each tire. Tires went flat within a day.
- Noticed that the brake reservoir cap is cracked. Online search: $22 to $100 for piece of plastic! Did a forum search, several complaints about the cost, but couldn't find a less expensive alternative. Finally found an OEM cap on E-bay for $15.50 with free shipping. (Similar caps are going for $5.00 to $9.00 for Mercedes, Porsche, and other fords.)

I already don't like how the car stops. I am used to Brembos on my STR. Great braking!
I started researching better front brakes on the car. Read about the SR225 calipers. They seem to be available in Europe, but here is the USA, not sure if the 2011 and newer Ford Fusion and Focus calipers are the same as the European versions?

Anybody have a P/N for calipers equivalent to the Mondeo/Fusion SR - SR225 calipers?

 

I finally had my studded snow tires and rims installed on the car. I've put on a new hood leaper, and brake fluid reservoir cap. My wife has been driving the car.

I think this car will make a good winter driver.


I started purchasing some spare front suspension parts because I haven't received any detailed replies back on P/Ns for upgrading the brakes. I suppose I will end up designing adapter brackets so I can put Brembos on the front with 320mm rotors. I like the ST-225 approach from Ford Focuses and Mondeao, but I really prefer 4-pot calipers.

 

Cool car. I just bought an 05 wagon. Drove it from Monterey to Las Vegas, around 500 miles each way. Car likes to run around 70-80 and got 25 mpg! Really like the room...the XK8 is pretty cozy inside, but believe it or not the smaller X-Type has much more interior room, plus the fact it's a wagon we could all our crap.

It really gets a lot of looks, most people don't even know Jaguar made a wagon and there are very few around.

Enjoy! I know I will.