Jaguar Specialties now offers a bolt-on kit to mount all chrome European bumpers on these great cars...

When Jaguar introduced the XJ6 sedan in 1968 (1970 in the US) it was a smashing success. The automotive press loved the car and many arguably called it the "best all around sedan" in the world at the time. It was also a very big sale success for Jaguar with nearly 80,000 cars sold over the model run (not including some later Series xj12 cars totaling another 2500 or so). At the time Jaguar was in financial peril and this car literally saved it from certain collapse. Jaguar was already looking to the future in 71-72 as to what an updated XJ6, a Series 2 model, would look like. At the same time, bumper standards  (height and resiliency) in the US were changing and the Series 1 design would not be legal by 1974. These new requirements mandated a raised bumper height as well as some energy absorbing/crash features at low speeds. The rest of the world had not adopted these requirements and when 1974 models for those markets rolled out, they looked sleeker, with  a lower hoodline, and still equipped with all chrome bumpers front and rear. The US Series 2 models had the same general shape but were equipped with the federally mandated bumpers which were huge rubber covered steel beams and looked awful.

The pictures below show 70's XJ6 models, the first set with US spec bumpers (silver) and the second set with the Euro bumpers (blue). The Euro bumper car is much more attractive and is how the car should look.

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For a long while, the required parts to convert a US car to mount European bumpers were available (but not easily available) off-the-shelf through Jaguar parts sources, and it was basically a bolt on project. However, for about 10 years now, the Euro hinges and mounts for the front  bumper (the key to the conversion) have been sold out, not reproduced, and there are no real alternatives. Used pieces are not an option mostly due to rust, but there was still a great desire on the part of Series 2 (and some Series 3) XJ owners to do this conversion. Starting in mid 2022, Jaguar Specialties began a project to recreate the parts needed to do the European bumper installation. The components to mount the rear bumper were pretty straightforward, but the front pieces were anything but. Here is a pic of the European hood hinge/bumper mount (top) and the corresponding US spec piece (bottom)

With many many different ideas on how to get from  the bottom to the top, we came up with a design that worked perfectly and also offers some further benefits over the OE Jaguar European hood hinges

1)    The new kit, front and rear,  is essentially a bolt in to the car, and requires no special tools.

2)    Our  Euro hood hinges offer far more adjustment of the hood as far as side-side and up-down. That's a good thing as these unibody cars were always built a little sloppily.

3)    These new Euro hinges are a modification of the original US pieces so there should be an endless supply of (US) parts to rework into what we want.

4)    Unlike the original Jaguar parts, the new design works with the US spec lower front apron with no modifications.

5)    This design also makes it possible to mount the new front bumper without the lower vertical overrider bars for a cleaner look.

6)    As far as the lower front grill, the original US spec part can be reused with some minor modification or a Euro style lower grill can be installed with very minor modifications.

7)    Original Jaguar front and rear bumpers or the aftermarket (stainless) bumpers from Vietnam can be used. The bumpers themselves are sourced by the customer.

8)    This kit will work on all  74-79 XJ6 XJ6C and XJ12 XJ12C Series 2 models, as well as 80-87 Series 3 cars.

(As mentioned above, the bumpers themselves are provided by the customer. We can provide a referral to one of the aftermarket suppliers, which includes a special discount for being a Jaguar Specialties customer. Contact us for details)

Contents of the Euro Bumper Mount kit:

• Front bumper mount/hood hinge assembly (left and right)

• Front bumper mounting brackets

• Hood spring extensions

• Rear bumper mount assemblies

• All required hardware

• Detailed and illustrated installation instructions

Optional components:

• European front turn signal lamp set (left & right)

• European lower front grill (good used or NOS)

Please contact us for current pricing on the kit and other components.

Final note: Don't forget to complete your Jag's Euro  transformation with our 7" European outer headlight conversion- a fantastic upgrade for Series 2 and 3 cars.

See it here: http://www.jaguarspecialties.com/Euroheadlight.asp