Just purchased a 96 xjs which has the stock detachable face plate am/fm stereo head unit. Wanted to know about adding either a 6 disc changer or any oem jaguar head units that have a cd player built in.

Second question - the car has a leaper on the hood which is quite ugly and as far as I know was originally suppose to have a badge and no leaper. Is this true? Can I just remove the leaper and apply a badge to the area? There are two bolts coming through the hood and the leaper is positioned about 8 inches up from the front of the hood, is that the correct location and mounting for the badge? Dont get me wrong, I think the leaper is the nicest hood ornament around especially compared to caddilacs and benz but just not on this car! I love it on my 96 vanden plas but feel it over powers the xjs.

Submitted by dcheever@charter.net on Thu, 12/30/2004 - 20:03

Hi Rick,

The factory CD changer (and reciever) is made by Alpine. Check the left side of the trunk for a DIN connector, which makes the connection to the stereo. Any stereo shop should be able to install an Alpine unit, but if you really want to stay original whatch ebay, the Factory changers show up once in a while.

My '95 had the original bronze growler which I replaced with a gold growler, it looks great on the topaz color. I agree with you that the leaper is just not right for the XJS, but it's a personal preference thing for sure. I think it should be a points deduction for non-original, but thats just me.

Happy motoring.

Submitted by rrand47740@aol.com on Fri, 09/10/2004 - 19:05

Wow sometimes I wonder why some people drive these beautiful machines if they can not even appreciatie the badge or the badge alone! Thank you very much for the information so far I have see four 96 xjs around, one of them, which was in savannah, GA the car we are getting is from Georgia originally, had a gold leaper (it wasnt enough to put a leaper on it, but to make it gold too!). The other three were in florida and all had black badges.

Submitted by mr442nt@wideop… on Tue, 09/07/2004 - 10:53

Can't help you with the stereo, but leapers are not on XJS's from the factory, however, some dealers have been known to put them on. The bolt pattern for the leaper and Growler (the badge) should be the same, so you should be able to take one off and just plunk the other in it's place.

I did see one once where it had both. Owner kept the Growler, then drilled two more holes behind it to have a leaper leaping over the Growler. That's a lot more involved to undo.

Tom Kipp
89 XJ-S Coupe