Well, the speaker grille on the dash (drivers side) is old, dried out, and now cracked (I've glued it, but it's not perfect). Does anyone know were to get another? I've looked on ebay, but the one seller who is offering a few sets of these doesn't have the best ratings (and the negative ratings mostly claim he sent damaged or broken parts - as fragile as these things are, I'm not willing to drop US$140 to get what I already have - a broken part). But I can't seem to find these anywhere else. Any ideas?

I've thought about making my own replacement out of stiff, shaped wire or metal (for a frame) and covering it over with speaker grille material (and replacing both). So, that's a last ditch effort if I can't find a replacement.

As a final note - once I removed the broken part, I noticed that there was no speaker there anyway. I take it there were various speaker packages that included speakers here and my car wasn't one of the luck ones?

Here's an example image of one of the grilles (not mine):

 

Both of mine cracked. Glued back but tabs kept breaking off. Found them on eBay, usually passenger side. Color is an issue. Think now I would spray paint them close to interior color.
Hunt up part number and search. Think 20.00 is about most I ever paid.
Doubt if there was no speaker. Must have failed and was pulled out.

 

My passenger side is fine (so far). The driver's side is ... nasty at the moment. I was thinking I could paint them to get them close enough. After all, the interior in mine is tan ... but two shades of tan. So, if it matches either, it's still work. However, I can't find them for $20. The only pair I see on ebay are for $139! And a single (passenger side) is $89. I am guessing the passenger side will not fit the driver's side since they are mirrored.

 

[QUOTE=silversurfer1221;2445796]My passenger side is fine (so far). The driver's side is ... nasty at the moment. I was thinking I could paint them to get them close enough. After all, the interior in mine is tan ... but two shades of tan. So, if it matches either, it's still work. However, I can't find them for $20. The only pair I see on ebay are for $139! And a single (passenger side) is $89. I am guessing the passenger side will not fit the driver's side since they are mirrored.

There is a junk yard here with a couple XJ getting parted up. I can go look to see if there are any left. Purchased good door seals for 25.00 each. Pulled myself.

 

Oh! That would rock! I'd be happy to pay you for your time, the parts, and shipping. As long as I can afford it. But let me know the price first. Not concerned about the color (mine are tan) as I could paint them.

EDIT - Actually, before you do that (and, again, THANK YOU for offering), I suppose I should check the yards near me to see if anyone has any. I do that tomorrow and report back here. Should have thought to do that myself, actually. Sigh ...

 

Wow. These types of things are getting more difficult to find. I was able to get the driver's side speaker grille, new, from SNG Barratt's for just over $40. However, they only had the one side (fortunately, the side I needed - unfortunately, the wrong color, so I'll be painting this one). Junk yards anywhere near me don't have any of the XJ8 models according to the yards I called.

 

Found them new at SNG Barrett for about $40+ each one. Only needed the driver's side, but got both ... just in case. I like the idea of "brand new". That should last awhile. The bad news - not the right color (the tan or "Champaign" ones are permanently out of stock), but a coat of primer and spray paint should resolve that.

 

I my go there. The ones found in junkyards and on eBay are brittle too. Not for long.

 

I'd call before placing the order. The guy who answered the phone went out of his way to help me. He discovered that they no longer had the tan and charcoal (black) versions (apparently forever discontinued), but they did have the navy colored ones. The website only had the driver's side, but he called the plant and they had the passenger side, too. It may not be until tomorrow before the website is updated, but he had me put in my order for the driver's side and, after he got the order, he added the passenger side to it. But I would call because I can't say that I didn't get the last ones. I don't think I did, but you never know. It just seems like it's getting hard and harder to get XJ8 parts like these. If I hadn't found these, I had seriously considered 3D modeling them (I do 2D and 3D work for a living), getting a 3D printer (finally), and printing them out!

 

I got my new dash speaker grilles from SNG Barrett and they fit perfectly. I'm very happy. You have to really bend them and snap them into place. Putting them in told me exactly why I would NEVER get a used set of these unless I pulled them from the car myself. If they are even slightly brittle, they will snap just trying to get them in place. The passenger-side one was fine (at least it LOOKED fine). Even so, I had decided to purchase one new grille for each side. When I went to remove the passenger side grille (the original one that came with the car), it just crumbled even though I had barely begun to remove it. I can imagine if I had not bought the both sides, had decided to do a nice, deep clean of the dash, and then, when I got to that speaker grille, just watched it crumble. With my luck, it would happen a year from now and SNG Barrett would not have them any more (they were already out of several of the colors). So, long story short - don't get used ones. They are most likely in little better condition than the ones you want to replace.

 

Was ordering door speakers for my sons car and added a set of 3 1/2”. The original still work, but sometimes a little scratchy with spoken program.
I looked at this when repairing/buying grilles. The change out looks difficult due to windshield.

 

I really like your idea of making replacement speaker grilles out of a wire frame and covered with speaker grille material. Did you try this option? I thought I could start with coathanger wire, glue the fabric around the edge and then use silicone sealant to help it all stay in place, and not vibrate.

I have just replaced the speakers with Audison Prima 2" as the original Alpine had decayed somewhat and in the process the brittle speaker grilles cracked.

 

I remember someone somewhere on this forum kicking around the idea of making a bunch with a 3d printer if there was enough interest...

 

I did not. I found a new set available at one of the Jag parts places. A bit pricey, but they look good. I didn't try the wire and cloth bit because of the subtle curve in the center.

 

Thank you. I agree, the subtle curve would be impossible to replicate with a wire frame, and then it would likely buzz.
I will keep looking for replacements....

 

I found new ones on SNG Barret for US$40 each. They have (or had) a limited color selection, but they could be painted to match, if in a pinch. I'd call them, instead of ordering from the website, as they will ensure you get what you need.

https://www.sngbarratt.com/English/#/US/home

 

Thank you - I will call them. The website currently shows them as unavailable, no longer manufactured.

https://www.sngbarratt.com/English/#...a-dfc3efd17fb9

 

Did anyone ever create a 3D printer file for this part, or should I make the attempt to create a file? Just had a clip on my left sided cover snap yesterday.

 

@SeanieFutbol

If you can, you probably should and let others know. The ones I found on ebay often disintegrated in my hands before I could even unwrap them. Finally found one off-color and painted it close enough to match. Then sold car.........

 

Not sure this helps? But Terry's Jaguar Parts does have a listing?
Dash Speaker Grille
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