Cool deal, yea I thought it was a little optimistically high.

The real reason for me taking it up there was to see where I stood as far as gain from mods.

I will have a nice update later this evening as my exhaust is being finished up now as I type this.

I am excited!

 

This thread is why I'm still a member of this forum even though my XJR is long gone. It's what I call automotive ****!

 

+1 - keep it going!

 

You guys asked for it.

Here are some simple shoots showing the size comparision between the stock rear mufflers and the new Borla XS Pros.

The stock mufflers are very very large like Cambo stated.

Apparently the guys doing the work did not have a fun time doing the job. lol.








Here is also a shot of the great expanse the rear muffler will leave when you delete it.




And one more of the stock setup from the rear axle.

 

It was a nice day today so I decided to free the beast and go take some pictures.

I will go get a professional shoot done with a better backdrop when I get the chance. Some awesome spots to shoot up in Wilmington.










Some interior shots!



















And some outside shots!


















Here are some shots of my sexy itialian exhaust, next time I get her on a lift I will take some pictures of the actual layout.

All we did though was run straight tubes where the first resonator was, replace the second with Borla XS Pro dual inlet/outlet and then replace the stock rear mufflers. Through on some 4in Borla tips and away we go!!



















At Highway speed, and really any speed.. Or just sitting in the car, It sounds stock.

Yep stock.

Which kind of makes me sad.

But under load, or behind the car it sounds phenomenal (to me). Sounds exotic and manly!

So I can say I am happy with the switch, I just wish it was a little louder. Probably will be just right when I swap the cats for 200cspi.

Enjoy! Videos in the next post.

 

Just a few videos of me enjoying the day. I had to scrap the audio as it was just unusable...

I am getting an external mic soon so I can put it in the cabin and capture engine sound without being droned out completely by wind.




Here is a clip of the exhaust in action. The footage does not capture it very well at all.

It sounds crisp and deep without being annoying. No drone what so ever, sounds like stock if you are cruising. Happy camper!!

 

Stay tuned.

I plan on coating my exhaust pipes to make them look super spiffy. (could't afford stainless)

And also plan on dressing up the engine bay a wee bit.

If you guys have any questions please feel free to ask.

Added a K&N Filter today as well.

 

Loving the great read! I'm just sitting here after work, with a cold beer, enjoying your story. Keep it going, please.

 

It's so shinnnnnnyyyyy.


Painted my intake shroud. Very hard to photograph the color. Here are a few pictures in a few different environments that show that. Looks nice though, matches the color quite well, but it is a shade darker.

Got the paint at Advanced auto. Time will tell how it holds up but I am happy with it. Going to look great with the caldoofy.

It has a nice gold mettalic flak in it just like the OEM JRG paint.

1. Scuff down with a brillow pad and some extra strength degreaser Allow to dry completely. DO NOT touch with bare hands after scrub and degreaser. I used TSB.




2. Apply a very light coat of high temp ceramic primer, wait ten minutes. Repeat. After the second light coat and another wait of ten minutes apply a covering coat of primer and let sit for 24 hours. Apply 2000 grit sand paper to the dried primer to smooth out any imperfections or rough spots.

3. Repeat step 2 with the paint of your choosing.

4. Repeat step 2 with the clear coat of your liking.



The shroud is textured, which makes the images look like it has over spray but I assure you it does not. Feel nice and smooth to the touch. Costed me like 30$ and my time. If it starts to go to hell I will just sand blast it and Cerakote it, Did not paint the underside.

 

Painted shroud cover is a nice touch!

 

Not much going on with the car to update.

I ordered new rear bushings for the lower rear arms, took the car out one day and it squeaked really bad over bumps. The previous day it saw a long trip in the rain.

Ordered the parts that night. The car hasn't made a sound one day since then... Obsessive much, just my luck.

Chalk it up to maintenance.

Ordered the SDD IDS V1.30 kit from British Diagnostics

Cleaned the engine bay the other day, looks purty good. For a day or two I was considering having the shroud and valve covers Hydrodipped.. Not any more.





I was also going over future mods, considered a port, TB bore, crank and SC pulley, intercooler, so on.

Finally contacted Avos, got some specifics on cost and time on the Twin Screw. Had to sleep on it.

Next day I had a long chat with a fella who ports chargers, was pretty keen on going that route after our talk. But still on the fence.. Not too much money, and the work is quality. But seasoned members say the port is not worth it in the end.

Would of done a throttle body bore while at it..

I came home that night and told the wife about that ideas I had about the pulleys and such, she looked at me and told me;

Her: "Why?"

Me: "Ugh, because it is cool. It will be fast and loud and that is the way I want it."

Her: "I know that, but why would you spend all that money just to get done and want to get the Avos kit. I know you that is exactly what you will do, be patient save up, by the kit."

I can't say she is wrong. And now that's the plan.



So that and LSD are where I am at as far as future mods. As long as I don't break my arms in the next few coming weeks I should have the TS kit ordered. Then I will die waiting for avos to build it.

Big kisses.

 

Hold out for the Twinscrew, all that faffing around with porting will never come close.

The LSD is probably the most satisfying mod I did to mine so far (even though I had to do it twice, and will soon be doing it a 3rd time ), and now we've worked out a cheaper way to do it AND change the ratios

 

Damn son, why did you have to redo it?

 

Long story short, the guy who put the Quaife in for me the 1st time in Switzerland re-used the collapsable spacer on the pinion, and we think he also overtightened the pinion nut which put too much pre-load. The pinion bearings chewed out and started making a terrible whining sound. The gears looked OK but the diff wouldn't go back together once it was stripped, something wrong with the pinion shaft.

I bought a complete used diff off ebay for $200 and got the Quaife center transferred over into that one.

The next time will be for a ratio swap from the existing 2.87 to a 3.31, but I will get the diff & driveshafts from an old 4.0L S-Type, and put a Ford 8.8" clutch-plate LSD in it. That's the plan anyhow. MoscowLeaper can reprogram the car to accept the ratio swap.

 

I love the write up you have done on your car. The car was for sale not far from my house (15min), I was so close at looking at the car as the price was very intriguing. Ended up buying a Corvette instead (long story). Bummer there were so many unknowns bad on the car when you got it, but it looks like you are getting them all sorted out.

Good luck!! and don't forget to keep posting updates.

 

Oh wow! That's cool 86.

I have ended up in a good spot I think, yes I had to put a few grand in the car (duh), yes the drive down sucked, yes the dealer lied (about the car being 100% perfect), yes the more or less asked my wife and I to kindly #/%& ourselves when we confronted them..

But I don't regret it at all.

Funny you say you got a Corvette and the wheels that came on the car are Vette rims.

I would not recommend buying from sweet rides, but I have to admit, it is a sweet ride.

Thanks for the kind words man.

 

Good lord that sounds like a pain to have to rip through that over again. Jeez.

 

Unrelated, but hooked up with a fellow BMW lover yesterday to diagnose some ABS stuff. Boy I love German cars. Especially the e46, I wanted an e46 M3 instead of the XJR to begin with, one day...







I got my bushings in today to fix this nonsense.






Part pictures are a little further down, but here are some more shots of my exhaust, I ended up being cheap and running with the stock pipe. It has broken in very nicely.

I also plan on recoating the pipe so it looks nice and replacing cats.












Here are the new bushings, recommend and linked by cambo.



I also had the hood ajar warning light issue, stopped by Jag in Cary NC and picked up that sensor. It goes onto the hood latch mechanism and plugs in through the back..

The old sensor seems to be in fine order and depresses and 'clicks' just as nicely as the new one.. Any how problem resolved.








Sensor location.

Note the shiny new plastic.

 

I think I love your wife... Mine would've said, "you're spending too much $$ on that car" after changing the wiper blades...

 

Lmao.

Crazy woman told me to put coils in it after this weekends fiasco.

Edit; that reminds me, I recently changed those blades. Rather do a brake job. PITA.