 |
| photo source: just look! Hopefully it will look a bit better than this. |
My XJS is coming right along. Smogged, the paperwork was cleared and it is now titled in my name, new license plates have been attached.
While there are many things that are wrong with the car, limited use appears to be on the horizon. One real problem was that the driver's window wouldn't retract, and it does get warm in there even if its not over 90 degrees out side. I checked the switch and it appeared to be switching circuits someway. There were two positive terminals and one ground. Since there was power at the switches, I tried using a jumper wire to see if I could get any response. No dice. I figured that I need to gain access to the actual motor so I would have to pull the door panel. Interesting enough when I posted on the Jaguar forums a member advised me that the window motor was supplied with dual positive power and the ground was switched to activate the motor. That sounded interesting and explained some of the weird switch work I had observed. I only found two wires leading to the actual motor, and I felt around and used an extension mirror to take a look. I pulled the connections apart them reattached them, then I tried the switch and the motor complied. I went for a little ride with the windows down and it was much more pleasant. This afternoon I returned the door panel to it's place.
Of course now it won't work.
I found that there was a pretty good trans fluid leak which I found to be coming from the drain plug I had installed. I thought that I should have used some sealer on the inside of the pan. It seemed to be coming from the drain plug, a rather puny bolt that was supposed to be sealed by a cheap rubber o ring, which shredded as I tightened it down. I wiped around the entire fitting using a very strong solvent. I then loosed the drain plug, removed the remnants of the o ring, cleaned the threads and applied tome silicon seal to the threads then tightened it down. I then slathered the stuff all over the entire fitting and will pray for the best. I'm going to look for, or make, an aluminium washer that will better seal the drain plug. There will be years before I change the ATF again anyway.
 |
| Spray adhesive, canvas material and Rustoleum spray paint. Can a fix be effected with these items? |
My top is not in the best of shape. There is a tear that runs cross the top near the front bow. There are also some tears around the rear window. I know that it needs a top, I was concerned that the air passing over it would cause it to balloon up the faster I drove. That would cause it to tatter even more. I had patched up the small tears in my old Mustangs top with black duct tape so I tried it on the Jag. Hot weather and duct tape don't mix. The adhesive melts leaving a gooey disgusting mess. That's why you cant patch up torn seats with it. I needed to find a way to patch the top so it would hold together until I was ready to pop for the replacement. I had considered asking the guy at the shop that did my Mustang top to repair it, but figured that he would charge me a couple of hundred bucks for something that wouldn't last too long anyway.
 |
| That tape is hiding(?) a crosswise tear in the top fabric. I will remove the tape then lay down a rather wide patch. I want there to be plenty of area for the adhesive to stick. |
When I restored my 1940s console radio I replaced the old grill cloth. I removed the old cloth and glue then used a 3M spray adhesive to attach the new cloth. This glue would dry and I didn't think that it would melt with heat, at least that's my hope. I went to the fabric store and bought some canvas material, about as heavy as used in directors chairs. I cut a 10 in strip, I wanted to provide a large area for the adhesive. I masked the top, then sprayed the glue directly on the top. I then sprayed it on the strip of canvas, which I had folded like a vinyl transfer, and sprayed and laid the canvas down a bit at a time. I pressed it down and straightened it while it was still a little movable. When it dried I sprayed it with some satin black spray paint, the kind that will stick to resin chairs.
 |
| Masked off the area and applied the glue. |
 |
| The canvas has been laid down, the almost done spray painting the area black. I allowed the paint to cover the cut ends of the fabric. |
 |
| A smaller patch is being applied above the rear window on the left side. |
 |
| This on the left side below the rear window. It had been patched with Gorilla Tape. It does seem to be holding up fairly well. This is the next area to attend to. |
 |
| First I masked off the surrounding area. This was a pretty big tear. |
 |
| Cut and fit the patch. |
 |
| Painted and finished? Two more spots to go. |
 |
| A similar repair to this side. Another up on the top bow. This is it, no more patches. The top would be all patches! |
Well it doesn't look too bad, kind of a twenty footer. I will patch the area around the rear window next. Kind of ghetto? Maybe, but it's not like I've got the cash to just take it to a shop for a new top. I had the top on my Mustang replaced for a grand, but that didn't include the head lining. I've heard guys on the forum complaining about four thousand dollar replacement estimates! Why? Just because it's Jag? You can get the top and headliner itself for around 500 bucks, it should cost no more than 500 bucks to install. I saw a post on the forum of a guy trying to replace his XJS top, but he never posted the finished result, not a good sign. There's video on you tube of a XJS top replacement also. I think I could do it myself. I once replaced the rear window in my '64 Cadillac convertible and the entire top on my '65 Chevy Impala Super Sport. It's not magic, but it takes careful work.
This nice looking replacement Hartz cloth top for my XJS is offered for 350.00 on EBay with free shipping.
Some pocket change and a little lint.
I have been trying to drive the XJS to work as a shakedown run for several weeks. It is only a round trip of about twenty two miles on surface streets. Unfortunately I'd been out of town on the weekends and hadn't really had the time to prep the car.
After patching the top I decided to just take the car, even without the window working. It wouldn't be bad in the morning but I knew it would get pretty hot in there on the return trip. For some reason British sports cars are famous for having a hot cabin. I had driven the car for up to half an hour around the neighborhood, then let it idle for another fifteen. It hasn't showed a tendency to overheat which is a good sign. I know that the front suspension is kind of sloppy and needs to have the bushings replaced. The steering pulls a little to one side but it's not so bad that I'm concerned to drive it.
When I bought the car it didn't have a battery installed so I had purchased a good used battery from local vendor, Bobcat's Batteries for twenty five bucks. It has held up well, even after running down completely flat a couple of times while sitting. The overrunning cooling fan would place a lot of strain on the battery especially in this heat. I was concerned that it might fail on me requiring a jump or tow so I decided to replace it with a new battery. A hundred and forty bucks got me a new battery, I traded in another old battery I had sitting alongside the garage as a a core. I kept the used battery to use in my Mark VII.
So I finally get to actually drive my XJS like a real car!
What were my impressions of the XJS after using it to drive to work for a few days? I had owned the car for almost two years and it had never been a runner. I will admit that my Jaguar expectations have been formed by driving my XJ6.
First of all the car is quite low, but not too hard to get in or out of. The seating position is fine with plenty of leg room and a firm but comfy seat. Visibility over the long hood and to the sides and rear are very good. I do sit quite close to the windshield compared to my XJ6 or '96 Mustang. The dash is shallow and somewhat dainty looking. The car feels quite heavy, very low and long, although it's not really any longer than my '07 Mustang.
The engine has plenty of power. It is very smooth but it needs your foot in it to get moving. The transmission is quite responsive and downshifts without any drama. On the freeway it needs about 2,500 rpms to cruise at 65 mph. Higher than I expected, but consistent with the road tests articles that I have read. Redline starts at 6,500 and continues to 7,000 rpms. This engine is not a chuffer! I can't say that it's particularly quick but I can see how it could cruise at very high speeds. Well over a hundred miles an hour! Very impressive for a car from this era, though not that impressive compared to a more modern car. My '94 Cadillac Seville STS felt much more powerful and aggressive. I drove a new Hemi powered Dodge Challenger this weekend, and that was the most powerful car I have ever driven to this point. That thing was ready to run, but I can't say that I was left lusting for one. It takes more than speed to appeal to me now. Besides I wouldn't want to have to make those payments! I would probably opt for a later model XK8 or XK if my love affair with the XJS fizzles out.
My XJS will need the suspension rebuilt, window operation squared away, a/c repair, seat repair, new tires, top replacement and a myriad of problems and gremlins attended to. Just the usual old Jaguar story. So what does this leave me with?
 |
| A car worthy of an enthusiast! |
The sense of occasion I experience when driving this car. The best part of driving it, is looking at my reflections in the store windows as I drive by. It is still a dramatic looking car with a ton of presence and mystique. "The poor man's Aston Martin" I will joking say, but I couldn't really imagine myself driving an actual Aston. This car is much easier to relate too, and honestly it has been financially accessible to me. Something well worth cherishing and holding onto. Let's see if I'm smart enough to take my own advice!
No comments:
Post a Comment