So that would also explain my confusion with watching the White XJS in Return of the Saint. That one had no badge because they didnt start putting them on until 1982. (Penny drops)

I'm currently watching the series at the moment. It is very British he he he he

 

My

I'm not a fan of the leaper on the XJS. Just doesn't work for me. If it's mounted where the growler emblem is, then it appears to be leaping right into the ground. If it's mounted higher up on the hood, then it just seems awkward to have a hood ornament.. in the middle of the hood.

I do love the leaper on the sedans though. The last one I really liked it on the was the X350 XJ. Not a fan of it on the XK8 either, and of course there has been great debate on the same issue over on that forum as well.

But, to each their own!

 

Glad you found the pdf of interest, there's plenty of publications and restorers guides out there with plenty of info. I was going to suggest the "Black" badge for your car as the one's I know of used were Black, Gold and IIRC a Bronze colored one. Gold was mostly used on celebration or collection rouge modles IIRC. Someone put a gold one on my car before I bought it and I found it somewhat out of place so I replaced it with a "Black" one.

I got rid of that pesky fly that was flying around my head with the "block user" feature...no more annoying "know it all" buzzing!

 

I do find it intriguing the amount of emotion that a small personal addition to a car can evoke in owners. I guess it's amount the distinction between "Is it correct?", "Is it legal?", and "Is it in good taste?"

- Is it correct? - No, AFAIK no XJS left the factory with a leaper on it. Even the ones that look as if they were factory fitted, were fitted by Dealers as accessories. Jaguar never homologated a leaper as part of the build specification on an XJS. Even in the US, where leapers seems to be more often found on an XJS, the JCNA don't accept them. Their regs state:

"....ii. Most notable among the accessories, offered by Jaguar Cars Inc. and Jaguar
Canada Inc. but NOT by Jaguar Cars Ltd., are bonnet-mounted Leapers/Mascots.
Between 1970 and 1994 Jaguar Cars Ltd. discontinued leapers on all models.
During that period, NO official Jaguar Cars Ltd. publications listed
leapers/mascots in any production model Parts Books. At the same time, North
American dealers responded to customer's demands and, upon request and
otherwise, installed leapers on Series 1, 2 and 3 XJ6 and XJ40 Style Saloons. In
1994, X300 model saloons, exported overseas, were the first to be offered with
the Jaguar Cars Ltd. redesigned "safety" leapers. Leapers were never officially
offered for XK 120s, XK 140s, E-Types or XJSs and should be judged as
non-authentic when present."

- Is it legal? - I have no idea about the legality of leapers in the US, but in the UK, a bonnet-mounted leaper is not deemed to be legal as it was never homologated, is deemed to be a safety hazard and, irrespective of whether fitted by a Dealer when new, you can still be stopped and censured by the police for the fitment. It's true that safety-mounted leapers were introduced as an acceptable accessory on saloons from x300 in US, but not for XJS. (PO has fitted a safety-mounted leaper on my x308 and I've now been warned twice by the police. PO has fitted a rigid leaper on my x350 and I'm absolutely sure I'll get stopped and done one day for it. If they didn't leave marks on the bonnets, I would remove them both tomorrow)

- Is it in good taste? - Ah, I wouldn't venture my opinion on that one, here! (But I don't have one on my XJS........)


Enjoy your cars, however they look!

Paul

 

point two ' is it legal ' , ( in the UK )

well, its not illegal given a few measurements from bumper uprights etc, and as i understand it the leaper is mounted in such a place as not to be illegal

anyone can fit any mascot to any car given these measurements...... and a few other safety requirements....


BB

 

Don't forget "Is it ugly?"





The issue of 'accessory' items continues to rankle and confuse. The passge quoted does remind us, though, that Jaguar Canada and Jaguar Inc/USA are business entities apart from the the mother company in some respects, and with their own schemes.

(For example, and straying a bit, if you have a collection of Jaguar literature---sales, technical, whatever---take a peek at the fine print. Is it from 'Jaguar Cars Coventry England' or is it from Jaguar Cars USA, Inc." ? )

IMHO JCNA should have never capitulated on the leaper issue but that's water under the bridge. I think they were simply overwhelmed by sheer numbers.



Gah! Is that really likely to happen....a policeman on patrol stopping a motorist over a technical violation like that?

From my experience such a thing would be very unlikely in the USA....although there's the occassional example of over-zealous (um....'chicken ****', in the vernacular) cop getting carried away with himself.




Coward!


Cheers
DD

 

Doug,

I take BB's point about distance from bumper / front line etc which may mean that you're ok legally with a leaper on an XJS in the UK. But I don't know if that's only with it mounted behind the growler rather than in the more forward position of the growler? After all, I bet it it was safety concerns which stopped Jaguar offering it as standard or as an option.

But as regards getting stopped by the police with a growler on an x308 / x350, that absolutely does happen over here in the UK. Which maybe says more about police stopping the easy targets rather than going hard on real crime like the sods who smashed off the door mirrors on my x350 last month! It is surprising though, as I thought the more litiginous nature of the US would have pedestrians suing motorists for injuries caused by leapers?

I also accept the point about not venturing my opinion on taste but like I said, I don't, and won't have one on my XJS! But beauty, as always, is in the eye of the beholder!

Paul

 

Sounds plausible to me.






Heh heh, and such lawsuits wouldn't surprise me. But, they'd be civil actions and wouldn't have any relation to policemen issuing citations for non-sanctioned leapers.

Here in the USA each state (and even down to local municipality in some cases) has their own laws and determines for itself how vigorously they'll be enforced. Speaking broadly, though, I feel pretty safe in saying that policemen in the USA normally don't put much emphasis with what we call 'equipment violations'.




Indeed it is !


Cheers
DD

 

Hey Paul these are pics of the two growlers I have. I will mail one to you if one fits the bill
They look to be the same colour one is on a 1985 coupe and one from 1990
Let me know, I have the rubber gasket as well.

 

A really great way to ruin the look of your Hood/Bonnet!

Even if its in the same place as 'The Saints White XJS'

I didn't have any choice with this, it was on there when I bought the Car.

 

I love the leaper but that position is just WRONG!!!!

 

Oh! that is wrong OB. I like the leaper, but that's bad

 

I'll take the car off your hands, you really don't want that.

 

I'm not really sure what to say about that, or why someone thought that was a good idea..

 

I think that's the only legal fixing point for it in the UK. Used to see a lot of Range Rovers etc. with it all the way up there.

 

Do you want me to turn it round then?

 

According to the (UK) Jaguar Advert, its supposed to be good to be bad!

 

I nearly took you up on that

But then the Training kicked in!

 

If you think it looks bad at the moment, for Christmas I'm giving it Red Led's for its eyes!

 

Thanks I'll try and remember that if it snags on a pedestrian.