Milestone! 20,000 ticks!

Here it is; December 28th, 2010, s/n 426288 has just hit the magic 20K mark since I became acquainted with her about a year and a half ago. At about 7:15 this evening, the odometer rolled over 136,223 miles and I am very proud to report that she hasn't missed a beat yet. In our 20K miles together, she hasn't left me stranded once, has lived outside almost exclusively and has truly worked for a living during her time with me thus far.

Granted, today while receiving a quick fluid check/top-up, I did reveal leaking rear brake calipers, which at least shed some light on why my brake fluid level would mysteriously drop at random times, of course duly scaring the shit out of me in the process of applying the brakes. Although, I must admit, the pedal only sank on the first application of the brakes when the car was stationery, so I was able to pop the bonnet and replenish the fluid, which brought the pedal right back up. I was initially concerned that the master cylinder seals were shot, however a quick undercarriage check put the bull's eye on the calipers. Drat! Looks like the next "major" will be dropping the rear cage out and a brake overhaul! Wish me luck!

No, we didn't disappear!

Boy, it's been a long time since I've updated this. Ok, I'll explain why; I bought another XJ6, this time, a 1996 Vanden Plas in very nice condition. It didn't need a whole lot done to it, and my intent was to drive it while I did some work on the Series III. Well, I wound up definitely driving the X300 (a lot) and let the poor old Series III sit in the corner of my workshop. Eventually, I decided I missed the older car's driving habits, so I sold the X300 and got busy sorting some issues on the '85, namely a horrific rumble from the driveline upon deceleration.

First up was the transmission rear mount assembly. Upon initial inspection, I noticed that the center "spool" bushing was totally shot. Thinking that was my problem, I put a new one in, but it made no difference at all. Next, I consulted with a friend who is a master Jag mechanic and he suggested that I need to rebuild the mount in its entirety with new rubber blocks and spring and to use two spring pads, rather than the originally called-for one. Got that all done and still no improvement! My last place to check was of course the driveshaft. Now, I'd checked it before, and all of the u-joints seemed fine, and the center bearing, while not perfect, wasn't shot. But I figured I'd better yank the shaft down and dig deeper....

What I did find (much to my relief) was that the rearmost u-joint was frozen in one direction of its axis. Had I not dropped the shaft, I'd have never figured that out! So, armed with three new greaseable u-j's and a new center bearing, the driveshaft was promptly 'rebuilt' and I'm now pleased to report that the car is smooth as glass at all speeds.

The only other somewhat 'major' repair I had undertaken was to R&R the A/C compressor as the old one was leaking pretty badly from the front plate. This turned out to be a nightmare, as getting the old one out is a horrible job, and to further my frustration, the replacement unit from Motorcars LTD in Texas had a belt pulley that was too big and wouldn't allow for insertion of the tensioner adjustment "block". And now, to add insult to injury, it's been three weeks since they received the compressor back and have yet to issue me a credit for my $300.00 back. What a nightmare....

BUT; the car is driving great, and I'm happy to be ensconsed back in my "worn baseball glove" interior, as Krista calls it ;)

Birth Certificate...

In I'm sure what was an odd request to the Jaguar-Daimler Heritage Trust, I ordered a JDHT certificate for 426288, just as a bit of a keepsake since she's been so loyal to me throughout the past 15,000 miles. I found out that her birthday was April 26th, 1985 (Krista's is April 29th, so this will be easy to remember) and she was dispatched to the US just four days later and eventually made her way from the customs docks out east to Bob Williams Ford right here in Cincinnati. Williams was also the Jaguar/Rolls Royce/Bentley agent here in town for years and years and I recall driving past their showroom as a youngster and seeing beautiful, brand new XJs (both 6's and S's) as well as Corniches and Mulsannes under massive chandeliers in their showroom. Today, the dealership is no more, but Bob Williams' daughter owns it and runs a used car business out of there. I bet those chandeliers which still hang in there to this day never thought they'd be reflecting their light off of Chevy Aveos and GMC Jimmys.....oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Aunt Sonja's Cookies to the Rescue!

I hang my head in shame, I had to do some more cobbling of the XJ's exhaust. About a month ago I heard a rather scary noise eminating from the left rear corner of the Jag upon acceleration. A quick inspection revealed the rearmost silencer hanging down, sheared off from the over-axle pipe and looking rather sorry for itself. A pre-planned trip to Sandusky the following day meant I had to act quickly, and quickly meant swilling down two chilly Budweisers at 11am in order to effect a repair patch. A half an hour later had the exhaust buttoned up and the Jag ready for another whirlwind trip to northern Ohio and back.

Fast forward to this past week. A cursory check of the patchwork showed that things weren't looking promising for St. Louis' finest any longer, so a careful drive ensued to the workshop for.....wait....more cobbling, but only this time, my patch had to last. My first thought was a trip over to Lowe's to see if I could find any sheet steel thin enough to be rolled into a tube and clamped between the pipe and silencer, however in my rummaging through junk in the workshop, I spotted none other than one of Aunt Sonja's famous tins of her lovely homemade chocolate chip cookies sitting on my pinball machine. And even better, the tin's contents had been consumed leaving me with my patch of choice! And how befitting at that, as the tin she used was none other than from the ever-so-elegant Pepperidge Farm.

Some handy work with the tin snips and fifteen minutes later the exhaust was back in action. I'm not quite so shameful about this one, as Pepperidge Farm Pirouette cookies only wind up in the most elegant of households...and on the most elegant of automobiles ;)

The Jag's First Rally....Success and Comfort!

This past weekend, the Indiana British Car Union held their annual London to Brighton Run over 145 miles of rural back roads. Always a fun event, I last participated in it back in 2005 where we clinched third place out of about 25 entries in my 1967 MGB-GT. This year, since the MG is still laid up with a failed clutch release bearing and the carburettors from my E-Type are apart on the workbench, the trusty XJ6 was called into duty for the rally. We set off bright and early on an absolute scorcher of a day, all fluids brimmed and the air con keeping us nice and cool. After an hour-and-a-half ride out to the starting point of London Road near Indianapolis, we set off on the rally at 10AM sharp and rolled in to the Hilltop Restaurant five hours later, still feeling great and with a mostly completed questionnaire of clues which we had to find answers to along the route. This year, the field was about the same, 25 cars, mostly of the MG or Triumph variant with one Sunbeam and one TVR for flavor. I must admit that although most of the roads would have been more fun to negotiate in a sports car, the outside ambient temperatures and humidity reminded me that we were fairly lucky to have been graced with 40 degree chilled air from the XJs fascia vents all day. Scores tallied had us tied for fourth place with another team who won by virtue of having brought an older car than we, so we were duly awarded a fifth place plaque. Not bad by any account, and not to mention the fact that Krista is a newbie at this sort of thing. And kudos to her, she held up remarkably well for being cocooned in my mobile ice box for several hours. But do note she's wearing a sweatshirt in the photo ;)

Oh, and the Jag? As always, she performed without complaint. And we just so happened to roll 130,000 miles on the way home.

Failure.....Sorted! And a tune-up to boot!

With the Jaguar off the road, I was forced to quickly explore options regarding radiators. My initial thought was to have the original unit re-cored, however after speaking to several folks about it, I changed my mind and opted for a modern aluminum replacement. Granted, the modern rads aren't as stout as the old bronze/brass units, however aluminum is far more efficient in dissipating heat, not to mention is far more cost-effective, so with that, a replacement unit was sourced from a local vendor for a mere $178.00 and was duly fitted along with a new auxiliary fan switch and of course the obligatory coolant flush, still keeping with Peak's 'Global' mixture. After the new rad found its way in, I had to wait for assistance on refitting the bonnet so since I had an hour to kill, I opted to fit the new distributor cap, rotor and ignition lead set I purchased from the good people at British Parts Northwest. The cap is a genuine Lucas unit, the rotor a heavy duty blue epoxy unit from True Spark Ignition (who fabricate ignition parts for Brit cars exclusively) and the wire set is a true Limey-made Intermotor set. Not that I'd had trouble with any of the aforementioned components, but I figured with the bonnet removed, there was no better time to swap everything what with the extra working clearance afforded me at the time. Afterward, the bonnet was refitted and the cooling system bled and we were back on the road and running a rock-solid 90 degrees Celsius on the dial. Now to just figure out why the aircon isn't as cold as it was before I fiddled around with all of the hoses/condenser during the radiator R&R.....

Finally, the FIRST debilitating failure!

Well, it's been a long time coming perhaps, but the Jag finally experienced a part failure which rendered her undriveable. Upon arrival to my workshop on Saturday, June 26, 2010, at 128,060 miles, I noticed a pinhole stream of pressurized coolant spraying out from behind the recently installed A/C condenser (which, after a new drier, expansion valve and 2.5 lbs of R-12 freon, is working a treat). I guess I must have either nicked something a few weeks back when I was R&R'ing the condenser or else the rad must be past her structural prime (although functionally, it still worked perfectly). Either way, my plans for driving the Jag to the Vintage Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio Raceway the following day were thwarted and instead I found myself comfortably ensconced in my grandmother's lovely borrowed Lexus LS400 for the five hour round trip. So a call to Welsh Enterprises is in order for tomorrow morning, and I expect to see a new radiator by mid-week so we can get on with racking up more comfy miles. But let's keep one thing in mind, it took 11,837 miles for the Jag to physically let me down. And I'll add to that, it couldn't have happened at a more convenient place. Still love this car.

Almost to the magic "10K"....slight fuel issue

Well, not much to report as of late except that I'm less than 1,000 miles from the magic 126,223 miles which will officially make a total driven mileage of 10,000 in a little over six months from acquisition. The car has been unbelievably reliable in that time and the only little niggle to report is a funky fuel tank issue, which I thought I cured with a new three-way solenoid valve, but on the first outing after replacement, the problem persisted. Basically, if I fill both tanks and run the left one down first, then switch to the right one, the unused fuel is returning to the left tank in rather short order. So this problem doesn't leave the car undriveable, but it does make for an annoyance- and having to remember to watch the fuel gauge like a hawk once I've gone into "right tank" mode. Oh well, in this many miles, you can forgive the old girl, right?

Quick Jeeves! To the slopes with due haste!

Mark your calendars, ladies and gentlemen! On February 10th, 2010, I officially participated in my first-ever winter sports outing. Normally if I'm caught outside in frigid temperatures for as long as I was yesterday, I'm watching my beloved Cleveland Browns get stomped by some other equally awful team, however something in the cosmos must have aligned because I was actually interested in heading to our little local version of Teluride....well, not quite so much...maybe Aspen, that town has been 'trashified' enough to compete with the likes of Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Anyhow, my point in writing all of this is that I finally got to re-live that 1980s yuppie feeling as we slinked into the resort in the Jaguar among hoards of BMW X5s, Tahoes and of course the occasional SAAB here and there.

The only other news is that the kitty got a new alternator today to rectify that intermittent overcharge problem I'd been experiencing. I had three options for alternators, all Bosch rebuilds- two of which were Bosch rebuilt Lucas units and the third option being an actual Bosch-designed Lucas replacement, which, although being the most expensive, was the one I opted for at a whopping $158.00. Now, changing the alternator on an XJ6 is a mutherfucker of a job, and not wanting to have to do it again, I figured the German version of the part was the smartest option. Of course, being that I'm sticking on my tight budget, I didn't opt to change the belt, so we'll see how long that carries on for. In any case, end result of three hours of swearing is a perfect 13.5-14V charge with no hints at going into electrical fire mode anytime soon. Whew!

7,000 miles and an intermittent overcharge

In the true spirit of Lucas electrics, the Jag has developed a niggling problem in 7,000+ miles of motoring, and that's an intermittent overcharge situation. I believe that the internal regulator in the alternator 'sticks' occasionally and sends +/- 17 volts through the system for about 20 seconds, after which point it returns to the normal 13.5 range. I can't believe it hasn't fried anything as of yet (knock on walnut veneer), but I'm slated for an alternator replacement very soon as I'm sure I'm tempting fate. I've found several options in the way of replacements, from rebuilt Lucas items to Bosch 90 amp modern units. Fortunately, all are priced fairly reasonably ($100-150) but this'll surely kick the total investment nearer to the dreaded $1,500.00 mark.

My good friend and fellow SIII XJ6 driver, Tony K, has bet me that I'll have major engine trouble before I get to the 10,000 mile mark on the car, however is refusing to place a wager on it. I think perhaps a new headliner will be in order (material and labor on HIS dime) when I hit the fabled 126,223 milestone. Tony, get your Fiskars sharpened dear boy..

Detroit Rock City

So that's one more trip under the old XJ's belt. We drove up to Detroit, Michigan for the 2010 International Auto Show and the Jag continues to perform flawlessly. Prior to the trip, I had to do away with the 64 calorie patch, as it had given all it could give and I luckily found a Euro y-pipe at Worldpac for 50 bob. Faithful Charlie and myself set about R&R'ing the pipe on Friday evening and after about two hours of air hammering and cussing, got the pipe fitted to the car. Ok, so a couple of Yuengling cans did find their way onto the rear section of exhaust, but hey, the car now sounds more like a proper Jag. Well, I can at least hear myself think, and carry on somewhat of a civilized conversation when we're underway...

Next came the obligatory topping-off of the car's vital fluids, which in this case meant 1.5 quarts of Castrol GTX 10W-40 (not bad given I'd driven the car 1,500 miles since the last oil change, averaging 80mph on the interstate, give or take), and also a topping off of the washer fluid and we were set to go.

One of the photos in this post shows the odometer reading 122K miles. That equates to 6K miles since acquisition, and still more proof that with just basic attention, a Jaguar XJ6 can be a pretty good mileage-maker. And of course, the car does it in such comfort that it's hard to believe the design [of the Series III] is now 30 years old.

Finally, the second purpose of the Detroit trip was a 30 minute detour to Bloomfield Hills to check out a Bentley Mulsanne S, which I've been trying to view in person forever. The car was about what I expected of a daily-driven specimen, and the price was right, so an email to the seller confirmed purchase. But no, don't expect to see more of that car on this blog. We're dedicating this bandwidth to s/n 426288! Besides, I'd surely be crucified if a beer can found its way onto a Bentley exhaust, although fortunately, the boys at Crewe decided to fit stainless steel systems from the factory....perhaps to ensure a 64 calorie patch would never happen on one of their steeds.

Powr-Lok = Northeast Ohio in winter....bring it on!

So we're back in Cincinnati after a one-day whirlwind +/- 500 mile trip to Cleveland and back to check out a 560SL which turned out to be a real rat. Anyhow, needless to say, the car ran flawlessly the entire trip and I even got to experience the joys of having a limited slip differential in about 8" of packed snow on the ground in Cleveland. The Jag took it all with aplomb, and to think I was worried about the car's ability in foul weather. Bah! I'm sure the practically brand new tires on the car didn't hurt matters any, but my faith is solidified in a Series III's capability to slog through the worst of winter weather.

As for the exhaust, my bodge is definitely on its last legs, so a new (yes, new) cat-less y-pipe has been sourced for the princely sum of $45.00 from Worldpac and I'm either going to bite the bullet and replace the mufflers and axle pipes with new stuff, unless David Boger of Everyday XJ comes up trumps with solid used pieces. Funny thing is that when you're underway at 70-75mph, the car is not intrusively loud as it is when at idle or accelerating from a standstill. Hmmm, maybe I just need to make only highway trips in the old girl. Anyhow, we're at 5,000 miles since purchase and the total invested sum is just a hair over a grand at this point. Can't say I could be much happier and in fact, quite amazed at the fact that a Jaguar of all things, could turn out to be the cheapest-per-mile car I've yet to own.

Only one little scare occurred during the trip and that was when I was plowing down my parents' 1/4 mile long, snow-covered driveway, the battery light began to glow and I watched the volts drop on the ammeter. I assume I must have lodged some snow up in the alternator momentarily, but a few minutes of idling the car when I reached the house had all back to normal again. I still love this car.

I need 'Everyday XJ' for my every day XJ

Well, the 64 calorie patch has lasted remarkably well for the past couple of weeks, but I sense it's not long for the world, as after a few [thankfully] light scrapes on high parking lot ingress/egress ramps, I think I've battered the poor old bit of aluminum from Milwaukee for all it can take, as the car is starting to sound evermore louder.

A quick call to David Boger of Everyday XJ, a Series III breaker, scored a complete used exhaust system and as a bonus, the downpipe and y-pipe are of the Euro (read: cat-less) variety! I'm off to Cleveland tomorrow morning to inspect a car I'm thinking of buying, so the bodged exhaust will have to last for a few more days and approximately 500 more miles before I can get the old girl back on the lift for the exhaust R&R. Oh, and I should mention; any grammatical errors in this post are courtesy of my now semi-fried brain thanks to the beer can's inability to contain exhaust fumes too well.

2010 resolution; no more leaks

On the last day of 2009, the Jag's sump was patched, and so far on the third day of 2010, we're leak free. Man, that kind of sounded "Old Testament". But hey, if God could drive, he'd drive a Series III XJ6, right?

So the only ongoing niggle with the car is a cranky cold start (pun intended!). I initially thought the fuel system was bleeding down at a certain temp, and perhaps it is.....I've not looked into it in depth yet, but whatever the ills are, at ambient overnight temps of 20dF, the car is reluctant to fire quickly in the morning. Obviously, the engine cranks over slower, which is definitely audible- and I don't know if it's a contributor to the problem, but my trick of putting the car in D and holding the key in the start position for 10 seconds or so doesn't seem to have any discernible effect at uber-cold temps, so back to the drawing board with this one...