I recently bought a 1982 XJ6. There’s a for parts Vanden Plas near me and their center console is in much better shape than mine. I was wondering if I can swap my center console with the VDP. My car has the plastic trim. Was looking to get the wood trim. Just wanted to make sure the measurements are the same before I head over there.
Patrick,
In general the Series III Vanden Plas cars have a similar but upgraded trim package than the baseline Series III saloons. The Series III XJ6 and Vanden Plas trim evolved over the years so what may be useful would depend on what year the Vanden Plas is. Do you know what year the Vanden Plas is and is it a Series III? An XJ40 Vanden may be of little use.
Paul
If the VDP is also a series 3, I’m pretty sure it will fit.
Hey. Thank you for the reply. It’s definitely a series 3. I attached a picture of what my console looks like and what I wanted to convert . There’s some extra electronics on the one I wanted to install. Looks likes the radio part is where the trims change.
The Delanair unit under the console and I believe all the fixings are the same in both early and later S3, so you will have no problem. And if something is slightly different it will not be hard to modify it.
The only major differences are the addition of the trip computer, and all the cables and hardware that go with it, and the placement of the instruments lights dimmer and cigar lighter.
I’ve never worked on any wiring before. Is it a big job to fit new wires on the system? the radio cables are different from the one in my car too. Not sure if they had different radios for the newer years.
The radio cables might be different colours (?) but the principal is exactly the same, permanent +12v, ignition switched +12v, ground, dimmer, antenna, and four speakers.
.
For the trip computer it’s much more complicated, there is an interface at the back of the car, and all the cables, that takes signals from the ECU, ignition Amp and speedometer in order to do all the calculations.
Might be simpler to make a cover and mount the clock or some extra gauges or something and omit the trip computer altogether.
My connection seems to be different. I bought the radio only so far and its plugs look exactly like the one from your picture. The plugs from my car either have something missing or might have been changed but I have one big plug and 6 other small plugs and both the radio and my connections seem to have only receptacle connectors.
The trip computer was also fitted to the later xj, Patrick. As it was a common Jaguar practice wire up all cars for all eventual equipment level and just leave ‘surplus’ wires unconnected; the trip computer wiring may already be there…?
If an aftermarket radio was fitted later by a PO; wire colors will be that of the radio manufacturer’s standard. However, as Aristides say; the necessary wires will be there…
Frank
xj6 85 Sov Europe (UK/NZ)
Yes, this is the diagram from the late S3.
Very possible that someone modified the plugs.
Normally though, the cable colours should match.
It looks like that it’s for the speakers
Patrick,
pretty sure the 9pin connector belongs to a particular head unit and was - most likely made to fit the original wires, as the tags fixed to the wires may indicate (or was that you?).
In the 80s and 90s many car stereo producers made use of block connectors - most frequently the twin or triple DIN connectors (one for permanent power, switched power, ant, gnd; one for speakers, one for CD changer). These would plug into the head unit, but had wires extending over 4 inches into a connector that would allow standard 6.3 mm or 2.8 mm spade female connectors.
Have a look at your head unit or check out the manual about which adapters you need. Typically, they are still available. Then move backwards from your 9pin connector. Chances are you will find individual connectors for each wire. My own (late 80s) Alpine head unit has one block connector with a multitude of individual wires each ending in a coax antenna, eight spades connectors for speakers etc.
It may look like a bird’s nest, but isn’t rocket science at all.
Good luck
Jochen
75 XJ6L 4.2 auto (UK spec)