While washing my 2007 XKR today I noticed the plastic covering of the passenger wing mirror was deformed and exposing the corroded interior. The drivers wing mirror cover has been slightly bent away from the body for a while, but doesn't appear to have got any worse, so seeing the passenger wing mirror in such a state was a surprise. I suspect the brackets, or whatever holding the plastic in place had finally corroded enough to break.

The folding mechanism of both wing mirrors failed years ago, again due to corrosion of the internal gears. Aluminium might be light, but it certainly isn't very resilient!





How easy is it to remove and replace the wing mirrors? I assume the painted part of the wing mirror can be moved to a replacement part?

As I plan to sell the car in a few months I don't particularly want to spend hundreds of pounds on new wing mirrors. Does anyone know of any breakers in the UK that might have these parts?

Thanks.

 

Sorry, don’t have any answers for you, but thanks for posting, never seen anything like that (and hope I never do).

 

Jaguar offers free mirrors to those over 80, provided they are accompanied by their parents.

Show that to someone at Jaguar, that's a serious death hazard to others if it is what you say it is. They might provide some relief.

 

I'm curious because this is the first time I've heard of anything like this. Please tell us more about your 2007 XKR. When did you buy it and do you keep it outdoors or in a garage? How many miles on it now? Could air pollution be responsible? https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-47389568

I agree with Q&C about telling Jaguar about this problem. I also commend Jaguar for providing free mirrors if you're over 80. However, qualifying is a bit inconvenient if you to have to dig up your dead parents and bring them with you to collect those mirrors.

 

Hi Stuart, I purchased the car new in April 2007 so have been the sole owner. The car is used every week day and sometimes at weekends. It has just over 140,000 miles on the clock!

It is looked after and parked in the garage when at home.

I have been extremely disappointed with the aluminium bodywork. So far I've had to replace one of the front wings due to corrosion, and the bottom inside and outside of the drivers door also had signs of corrosion that had to be resolved. There is now a small bubble appearing on the passenger door near the handle.

I've never owned a car before that had so many issues with the body work, having said that I've never kept a car for 12 years before!

I have a replacement car on order, which is due to arrive in December and will have mixed feelings about getting rid of the Jag; relief that I won't have any more large bills, but sadness that I will no longer own it as I still get a thrill driving it after 12 years.

I would really like to be able to replace the wing mirrors to sort out this issue prior to selling it on, but don't want to spend a small fortune doing this!

 

Have a look at ebay there are a number of breakers that specialize in Jaguars https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...irror&_sacat=0

 

I am surprised to learn about all your bodywork issues. Aluminum is vulnerable to corrosion and, being a daily driver for 12 years, I'm sure that your XKR got its fair share of rock chips, scratches and dings. They were the entry points for the moisture that caused the corrosion as evidenced by the raised paint. Could that have been prevented by maintaining a good coat of wax? Maybe, maybe not.

I'm sure that you have a fairly good idea of how much your XKR is worth in its current condition and what it would be worth with two new mirrors. The difference should be your maximum cost to replace those mirrors. If it will cost more, then you're better off to sell it for the lower price. You might want to see if a local Jaguar dealer will buy it, as they can repair it for much less than you can and make a tidy profit after they've completely refurbished it.

Time is money and life is short. You might be happier taking less and moving on.

Cheers!

 

Hi Stuart, it is relatively easy to value my XKR without issues, but to value it with an issue, such as the wing mirror, is not so easy. Given that new wing mirrors are over £450, I could knock off £450 from the price but that may not make the difference to a buyer who doesn't want the hassle of having to sort out the wing mirror! At the end of the day, the price I sell it for is subjective, within a range, and is what someone is prepared to pay. Advertising the car in as good a physical and mechanical condition as I can may/may not affect the price I get, but it may have the effect of selling it quicker.

By luck I found a brand new wing mirror on ebay today being sold by Lancaster Jaguar in Reading for £170! If only I could find one for the drivers side at this price. It would be good to have them folding again.

I may try to replace the existing mirror myself if I can find some comprehensive instructions on how to remove the door trim.

 

Here you go - You only need to do steps 1&2 on the door trim to access the mirror

 

Did you call Lancaster Jaguar's parts department and inquire about buying a new driver's side mirror? You have some leverage because you just bought the other side from them for £170. Even if it costs more, the average cost of both may make it worthwhile.

 

I would remove the mirror first to identify the problem.
It could be lot less than you are imagining.
Or you might be able to salvage something from one side to the other.

 

Thanks hafren. I do have a copy of this document, however I find it isn't detailed enough for a novice like me. On the surface it looks fairly simple, but I suspect when trying to lever the "clipped" parts off something will break. I've learnt that the first time of doing something is a learning curve and it never goes well, usually resulting in something getting broken. The next and subsequent times things are easier as you've learnt the "technique".

I will definitely give it a go.

I did call them before placing the order. They were very helpful and gave me confidence that the part would resolve my issue. Unfortunately it was being sold off as old stock, so they didn't have a mirror for the drivers side and would have to order one in at full price. If I'm able to successfully replace the passenger side myself and I have a fully working mirror (folding in and out) I may decide to replace the drivers mirror also, but will probably attempt to get a second hand part first from a breakers yard, depending on the condition and price.

I can see into the mirror body and trust me when I say the corrosion is so bad there isn't much of the "metal" left! There appear to be three bolts fixing the mirror and it looks like the top bolt has given way due to the corrosion. This probably explains why it still feels firmly attached (due to the bottom two bolts), but has come away at the top. I suspect I will also need to buy some replacement bolts but I will see what condition they are in when I remove the mirror.

I will post some images of the removed mirror and the new mirror so you can see for yourself the effect of the corrosion.

 

Photos of the removal process would be helpful, too. Thanks, and good luck with this project.