quick question for yall, why do some of us have a “leaper” or a “growler” on our hoods and some have the circle emblem, even within the same country and year. I don’t know if it’s aftermarket or not but I kinda want one. I have an 88’ XJSC and I’ve seen other xjs’s with the badge and some with the big cat.
my question is is it original and also where can I get one?
I believe the model year of your car plays into it, and the fact that some owners (maybe previous owners) may have mounted a leaper when in fact the car was original with the growler badge. I know one time on my 95 XJS, North American spec V12 coupe, I purchased and mounted an aftermarket leaper — it fit right into the mounting for the growler badge. I have since reinstalled the growler to be original and have the leaper floating the garage somewhere.
1988 XJS V12. Mine had both on the hood when i got it but i now have the growler badge on the trunk lid and the leaper remains on the hood. Welded closed the 2 unused holes.
The leaper looks good on anything up to a MKII saloon. You may get away with it on a Series I XJ6, but to my mind it just looks dated on any Jag after the early 1970s. Definitely anachronistic on an XJS, you would see very few examples in the UK. They’re also a danger to the public. Static hood ornaments like that have been banned in the UK for years because of the extra damage they would cause in a road traffic accident.
Because some of us have taste. The leaper was never fitted to the XJ-S from the factory as it is clearly inappropriate for the car. However, lots of dealers added it and tacked big bucks to the bottom line. And lots of owners seem to feel it’s the cat’s meow. The standard leaper from a saloon – where a leaper is more appropriate – will be “leaping downhill” if mounted on the sloping hood of an XJ-S, so someone actually began producing leapers with a wedge-shaped base.
ill have to look for one of those. thanks!
Thank you. I love my Leaper. If it disembowels someone in an accident, so be it. I’ll use the “Self Defense”, defense.
My favorite Jaguar hood ornament is Tawny Kitaen Just sayin…
Um… that’s not a cat… that’s a p…never mind.
She was pretty: then came the plastic surgery…
As I once was told, the leepers didn’t come on the XJ-S’s or the XJ6 series 1-3. It was a dealer add.
Now this is totally random. You’re okay in my book, I don’t care what anybody says about you! 
Also, if you notice on many “leapers” Something looks a bit a miss. the abrupt start and finish of the base… How come why for?
Well that’s because it’s from a Mk X saloon, There is supposed to be trim that butts against the beginning and the end of the leaper
Now, if you want a leaper that looks proper, steal one off the bonnet of a X300 series XJ.
Just not my XJR-100 please
the small leaper can be put on without any additional holes in hood…just reposition one of the studs in the bottom of the mascot to fit holes already in hood… I decided I wanted to try the leaper, got the small one
from a parts house. I also did not want to drill the hood.
I removed the rear stud from the new leaper and measured
the two original holes on the hood and then drilled one new
hole and tapped 8-32 threads into the base of this leaper
to move the rear stud position forward so that they line up
with those two holes. I made both studs of stainless steel.
the front one is 3/16 and it is in the same hole as I
received it. The rear stud is now 8-32. Use the cup washer
that comes on the badge for the front stud because the
thread boss sticks through the hood. A rubber gasket and
washer and lock washer on rear stud and the job is clean
and no damage done. It can be changed back with no worry.
Don’t forget to buff out any ring left on the paint from
the badge rubber.–
Well blow me down! Let me go check and see if I give a shit……………………Nope.
Phillip
One more thought about leapers that have the blunt ends…there is a plastic stick on chrome trim about 3/8" or so wide…you could put a strip of it down the center of the hood and butt it up to the mascot…might give an old fashioned hood look…I am talking about XJS’ here
comon guys just step up and put two(2 ) leapers on the hood, one on each side!
if gonna look silly,go all the way!
OK, that brought to mind the Jeepnies in the Philippines, each of which has some number of chrome horses on the hood blocking the driver’s view.
Tawney Kitane, oh yeah !!!
My 83 CJ wuzza 6 has a leaper. Seems to have been delivered that way I like it. and, in my past, I removed a few hood ornaments from my cars. Elegant ones as the Packard “Swan” lost in time.
I thought long and hard as to an ornament for my Jeep, the WWII era “Popeye” cartoon character…
Carl
