When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I believe that the only reason the early XJ-S's had the black over bumper sections was a rushed job to meet new impact standards in the U.S. market. I doubt it was aesthetic choice of the design department if that influences your decision.
Well, since they used black bumper shelves for 6-7 years, I think it went beyond being a rush job.
I dunno. IMO, I think the chrome looks better on some color cars and the black looks better on other color cars.
I'll think about it for a few months. I can always get mine powder coated,and if i decide I don't like it, get some good quality used chrome pieces. At the price of chrome plating these days, refinishing mine in chrome doesn't make sense unless I am going for absolute Concours d'elegance. And if that was my goal, I would go find much better car to use as a starting point.
I do want something that looks better than the pic below.
I prefer chrome against your car’s dark paint. Of course, with powder-coating, you can choose all sorts of finishes and colours. But I don’t think I’d want to introduce something new. The windshield surround is stainless steel, not the same but similarly bright, and there’s chrome on the rear end. I think that chrome on the bumpers is complementary and not distracting.
The pre-HE cars were fairly basic inside and out. No chrome, no wood, more "sports" oriented. That changed around the time they introduced the HE engine. They added chrome outside and wood veneer inside to make the car more of a GT.
I personally would leave both cars as they are, because they are different. But I'm not really one for modifying cars. You do you.