Discussion
Cruising to Nantes on the A11 at a steady 90 mph (150 kph) I was being passed by all and sundry so decided to join in. I tried to catch up with a Golf R at 120 mph but he saw me coming and changed up from 2nd to 3rd and zoomed off. I arrived at my friend's house at Nantes and parked the car up for the night. Warmed her up next morning and went to turn her round and saw a large puddle of oil appear from under the car. To cut a long story short it turned out to be the gasket between the block and the filter and it was clear that the oil was warm and fresh so had not drained overnight. Maybe the oil pressure release valve caused a sudden overload of pressure when I turned her off but with now no pressure the leak didn't make itself evident until I started her in the morning. I carry loads of spares but this failure I have never heard of before, although a call to a few in the Jaguar world revealed it is quite well known in racing circles and to be sure to get the correct gasket. So an ignominious return and the car came back yesterday. New gasket ordered.
ETA I had lost four litres at least, and off we went to Norauto to get some 20/50. I was offered this can:-
€60 for five litres! Their cooking 20/50 is €15 the can, but they told me that since my car was "prestige" it was what I needed. I asked if the two oils conformed to EU standards, was assured that was so, and left with 10 litres for €30. I'm sure someone will fall for this daylight robbery though!
ETA I had lost four litres at least, and off we went to Norauto to get some 20/50. I was offered this can:-
€60 for five litres! Their cooking 20/50 is €15 the can, but they told me that since my car was "prestige" it was what I needed. I asked if the two oils conformed to EU standards, was assured that was so, and left with 10 litres for €30. I'm sure someone will fall for this daylight robbery though!
Edited by lowdrag on Wednesday 16th June 12:51
AMGSee55 said:
Classics are great but conform to the adage ‘anything can go wrong at any time’ !!
Exactly like a modern car, then. Difference is that on a classic you're likely to be able to see / fix the problem yourself, or at least with access to basic skills and equipment.On another note, I'm only slightly envious to be typing this from the office, rather than cruising at 90 in an E Type through France.
Turbobanana said:
Exactly like a modern car, then. Difference is that on a classic you're likely to be able to see / fix the problem yourself, or at least with access to basic skills and equipment.
That is very true. It's tricky to jury-rigg a modern (last time it happened to me I fixed the Quattro accelerator linkage with an iPhone charging cable 
bloody thing)
Mike49 said:
It seems unlikely to me that the French govt will give Brits the same rights to enter France as the other Schengen countries have as there is a current policy of making the UK pay for having left their club....... so who knows but I'd not book tickets yet
I've just cancelled European road trip following Monday's news....now they're saying that Border controls will go on beyond July!Yertis said:
Turbobanana said:
Exactly like a modern car, then. Difference is that on a classic you're likely to be able to see / fix the problem yourself, or at least with access to basic skills and equipment.
That is very true. It's tricky to jury-rigg a modern (last time it happened to me I fixed the Quattro accelerator linkage with an iPhone charging cable bloody thing)In the next village was a little tv repair shop who sold us some choc blok that held the cable together until we returned to civilization. Motoring life was so much simpler back then.
Mike49 said:
Out of interest do you have the original filter type? I changed mine to a spin on type on the healey I had and it made for easy changes and (so I'm told) better filtration.
Lovely colour btw
I've never bothered to change to a spin-on. I am not one to religiously service my cars every year and if the oil looks clean I just don't change it and carry on. Is that the reason, because it was treated as a normal car, that the engine did 120,000 before having a rebuild? I think I've serviced my garden tractor five times in 24 years and it still runs fine. I take out the dipstick, rub my finger down it, and then rub the oil between my fingers and it has never been in the slightest gritty. And the E-type engine uses no oil at all by the way, despite hill climbs and track days.Lovely colour btw
lowdrag said:
I've never bothered to change to a spin-on. I am not one to religiously service my cars every year and if the oil looks clean I just don't change it and carry on. Is that the reason, because it was treated as a normal car, that the engine did 120,000 before having a rebuild? I think I've serviced my garden tractor five times in 24 years and it still runs fine. I take out the dipstick, rub my finger down it, and then rub the oil between my fingers and it has never been in the slightest gritty. And the E-type engine uses no oil at all by the way, despite hill climbs and track days.
The 'Engineer in me cringes'....oil is cheap and easy to change, yet is THE major component, in your engine! Why risk not protecting your engine correctly?
Shezbo said:
The 'Engineer in me cringes'....oil is cheap and easy to change, yet is THE major component, in your engine!
Why risk not protecting your engine correctly?
My experience of owning older cars is often along the lines of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". It sounds to me like lowdrag knows his car well from long term ownership and is sympathetic, but not cosseting, to its needs.Why risk not protecting your engine correctly?
Turbobanana said:
My experience of owning older cars is often along the lines of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". It sounds to me like lowdrag knows his car well from long term ownership and is sympathetic, but not cosseting, to its needs.
I would not disagree with that, however, this is about 'oil'......!!!Shezbo said:
Turbobanana said:
My experience of owning older cars is often along the lines of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". It sounds to me like lowdrag knows his car well from long term ownership and is sympathetic, but not cosseting, to its needs.
I would not disagree with that, however, this is about 'oil'......!!!
lowdrag said:
Cruising to Nantes on the A11 at a steady 90 mph (150 kph) I was being passed by all and sundry so decided to join in. I tried to catch up with a Golf R at 120 mph but he saw me coming and changed up from 2nd to 3rd and zoomed off.
Your story is a sad one but I found this amusing, lowdrag 
Shezbo said:
Turbobanana said:
My experience of owning older cars is often along the lines of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". It sounds to me like lowdrag knows his car well from long term ownership and is sympathetic, but not cosseting, to its needs.
I would not disagree with that, however, this is about 'oil'......!!!Every time you break a joint you risk debris entry, sheared bolts, rounded heads, poor re-sealing...
Shezbo said:
The 'Engineer in me cringes'....oil is cheap and easy to change, yet is THE major component, in your engine!
Why risk not protecting your engine correctly?
Well, as an engineer, can you explain to me why, if both oils conform to EU specifications, one is four times more expensive? Does it "guarantee" four times the lubrification? Or is it that I can do four times the mileage before an oil change (which to me is nuts and the cheap oil wins the race). I think not. I buy my fuel at the supermarket like most people, and we all know that it is either Esso or Shell or Total depending which refinery is the nearest to the supermarket. One of my cars needs 98 and there I get it where I can because it is starting to become scarce.Why risk not protecting your engine correctly?
Wise up. Oil is oil. There are times I've stopped at a garage and chucked whatever they had in the car. It's an old car built with an engine that was designed while the engineers were on firewatch on the roof of the Jaguar building in 1944, and I have the very first prototype XK engine here on display in my lounge, dated 1946. But, I await your reply with interest. Oh, and being a tight-ass I cringe too; at spending €120 on a ruddy oil change!
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