Hello, I'm about to order the new, full mesh grille, from Mina Gallery, looks awesome in their pics.
Has anyone added this, would love to see pictures, can the outer frame be chromed?

 

The XJR came factory with the mesh and a chrome frame bezel, so I would do a yard search for that. Check with Coventry or a local yard or a yard on the net like (Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market). They have links to yards all over that will contact you if they have one.

Here's my 2000 Vanden Plas grille, but has a blade in the lower section vs the mesh.

 

I am going to have to correct you here. The XJR came with mesh grille and PAINTED frame. The XJ8 came with a slatted grille and CHROME frame. The slats and mesh are interchangeable. The mesh grille will fit the chrome frame just fine, as the chrome frame has the two "brackets" where you screw the mesh grille into.

 

Its probable xjrjag, but mine is factory, albeit a Vanden Plas, it is the SC version.

 

VDP came with the chrome ribbed frame, as shown in your picture. XJ8 came with a chrome non-ribbed frame. And XJR came with a painted frame.

 

The s/c version is denoted by the "mesh" grill and while it "normal" for the XJR to have the painted surround it is by no means the "requirement" I've seen a few XJR 6's with the chrome surround and that's the way the owners purchased them new. One thing I've learned through Jaguar ownership is there doesn't seem to be any one standard. Heck up to just now I didn't know the Vanden Plas could be had in the S/C version!

 

I found out when I first got her years ago, that the S/C version was a special order for 2000 only (barring my dealers knowledge). Other than that, 99 & 01 it was an option.

 

That car with a stage II kit would be the ultimate sleeper!

 

Here'S a picture to put you-in-the-picture

Now you see! Obviously, no one has.

 

I've actually contacted Ken Belle regarding snout sizes and such. They basically said they don't touch Jags. I also tried Metco Motorsports, they have a lot of Mustang and Lightening performance S/C parts. But again, they sent me a long letter, when they could of just said, we don't touch Jags. I'm just not going to pay $7k for Eurotoys version.

 

Sharp.

 

That's an '04 X350 isn't it?

 

Here's mine. 2000 XJR with an ebay lower grill special. I had to Dremel out a couple of holes and use the original bar's screws to attach it because the ones they sent were useless.



Lyndon
Down Here.

 

Ok, in terms of upgrading a Jaguar mesh grille, and regardless as to whether it comes with a center divider or not, has anybody considered trying the mesh material that Jaguar introduced years after the X308 cars production? I'm referring to the less dense mesh with thicker, stronger mesh metal that also shines like chrome. With that single piece grille shown, they've gone to an even finer mesh, like if going backwards, as most modern cars feature the thicker grille version. Compare that single piece/no divider mesh grille with the 2008 XJR pic attached below; quite different.

Then, just to further describe where I'm coming from, look at the red XJS pic below, it has the Mina Gallery mesh grille on it and then look at the green XJS mesh grille and compare both. The latter is the custom grille that I fabricated and installed on my BRG kitty after visiting Mina Galleries and looking at their version. I actually bought the material for my car from Mina, which I understand they use on after market Range Rover mesh grilles. I believe that my version grille makes much more sense to the whole car presentation.

This is why I wonder if anybody has actually tried this mesh on an X308 car. I'd sure like to try the thicker mesh on my XJR one of these days.

Cheers,

 

I am with you on this one, and still keep this picture from the net for one of the days I have nothing to do.. .
If ever I will change my grill inserts, it will be something according this.

 

I can see the appeal of a mesh with a looser/larger weave as pictured above. But most of the later Jaguar grilles, as well as those by other manufacturers, are no longer true woven stainless steel (or metal at all) and instead are plastic faux woven metal which is obviously cheap plastic even from a distance.

I've noted several times when visiting the dealership with friends and family how the chrome plated plastic really jumps out Normally that wouldn't be a huge issue, but on a car approaching $100k the grille shouldn't look cheap.

Of course most mainstream automotive grilles have been plastic since the 1960s, but premium cars like the Jaguar often featured real metal grill components.

The newer cars would visually benefit from metal grille inserts like the X300/X308.

.

 

Off course I am only talking about he highest quality real stainless steel , as the guy from the picture I showed used.
His thread is somewhere on this forum, longgg time ago.
By the way, the Jaguar slated chrome inserts are also plastic, just a good quality version.

 

Oh, yes! I like that grille on an X308. Funny that, as much as I like that type of mesh, I had never seen this pic before. Would you be inclined to do something to the bottom grille, as well, in the manner that I did my XJS bottom grille?

Cheers,

 

You're correct, but I think that the new mesh material that Jaguar began to use from, I think, 2008 up to (?) was genuine chromed steel, which is exactly the material that Mina sold me to construct my own XJS grille.

The piece I bought from them was very heavy and cutting it to the exact dimensions that I needed for the car was no joke. We're talking cutting steel here with a Dremel tool; very tedious work that takes forever. Of course, that was in my garage with my limited tooling and without a pre-measured template, which, I presume, professionals have.

It is true that comparing pics from late 2000's Jag mesh grilles to the later versions you can see they're no longer the same, even as the cars approach or exceed the $100K. Too bad, because I can certainly attest, myself, to the quality of the earlier version mesh. Always cutting corners, huh (no pun).

Cheers,

 

Personally not.
I have a VDP, with the chromed splitter, and that is visually more than enough.
And if I had a standard XJ, I should only do it while maintaining the colored splitter (if possible at all, no idea ...).