I am happy to report success. Aligning the hood was a LOT simpler than I feared. I just had to plop the hood down without securing it to the hinges, keep it in position with cardboard shims, then adjust the Euro bumper/hood brackets in the chassis sections to suit and bolt the hinges to the hood through the headlights holes and front grill opening. Easy.
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Today was a trial fit if the Euro bumpers.
I got the front one from the UK last year (in fact, I got two, just in case). Fitting it was easy, but I am sure what is supposed to happen below it. I have the under-riders (rechromed, beautiful), the bumperettes (new repros, very nice) and a restored lower grill (pretty nice), but it was not immediately obvious to me how the lower grill is supposed to be held in place. I suppose U have to bring in the valance also.
For the rear, I have a one-piece S1 bumper. But first, what do I do with the protruding Federal bumper shocks? Cut them off flush? Use them to weld brackets for the S1 bumper? Advice please.
Looks great Eric.
For the rear bumper shocks I think you can drill a hole for the oil to escape and you will be able to compress them.
Others have done it, hope they can give you more info.
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Eric,
indeed, ROW cars do have a lower valance that holds the lower grille. The thingy protruding from the lower part of the valance holds the underrider.
Good luck
Jochen
75 XJ6L 4.2 auto (UK spec)
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Got it. This is VERY helpful, thank you.
It looks like I will have to modify the US valance…
Eric,
while they seem to be not too different, it might be worth chasing the correct piece:
Good luck
Jochen
75 XJ6L 4.2 auto (UK spec)
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I will first see if I can make the necessary holes in the US part to make it fit.
I bet the holes have a lip bent into them, also important for rigidity.
Easy to replicate, take a solid piece of metal rod or something, cut a slot at the desired depth and use it to form a uniform bent around. Work in small increments going around multiple times and you will have a very decent result.
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So I fitted the Euro lower grill to the US valance. The three pegs go nicely into the three holes, but that does not look right at all. There is a very large gap between the valance and the grill. Something is amiss.
Obviously the valance would have to be modified (2 holes as discussed above) to allow the hood-hinges-to-underriders extended brackets to go through. It seems however obvious that the upper part of the grill must be somehow bolted onto the hood hinge also. There are 2 smallholes in the upmost slate of the grill that conveniently come very near the large hole in the hinge extension. I used zip ties to simulate what seems to be the final configuration.
I am starting to see how all will come together eventually. However it is clear that the oil cooler will be in the way of the valance. I will have to get creative: either modify the valance or fabricate brackets for the oil cooler that will position it 1.5 or 2 inches higher (I suspect this will have ripple consequences…). What we do for fun…
Eric,
I will get to my car in the course of tomorrow afternoon and try to catch some conclusive pics. One thing different of course - SII cars don’t have oil coolers (except for UK police cars;-).
Maybe you wait a second before drilling or cutting … it seems to me that the black base of the lower grille is sitting somewhat strange. If you look at my car there doesn’t seem to be such a part … or maybe you have to rotate it by 180° so it engages in the screws from the lower part of the valance lip.
Good luck
Jochen
75 XJ6L 4.2 auto (UK spec)
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Fenders and front valance now under epoxy primer after body work. Still some adjusting to do clearly.
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Looking good! 
Cheers!
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