Discussion
The XJR sounds like it's had everything done that I would want to have done to be honest, crucially the timing chain tensioners. There's a few bodywork scabs in places on mine and some lacquer peel on the roof so in the new year I'm going to have them done. That would probably take me up to around £3200 total spend so far so £2800 for the red car having already had bodywork done seems a big plus too.
Thankyou4calling said:
I would fully expect a shotgun across the backseat, be dissociated nott to find one and I'm surprised Jaguar didn't offer as an accessory.
I've always loved these cars.
I admit I did have them on the back seat but unsurprisingly had to stop for fuel on the way. Suddenly that didn't seem such a good idea! I've always loved these cars.
TVRJAS said:
Hi Lew,
A very nice addition (I like your style)
I like your comparison between XJS/XJR,having owned neither I can still understand and appreciate the way you put it.
I had a soft spot for your XJS,if you remember I spent more time looking at your car at the Jaguar Sunday Service than any other car that attended.
Nice to hear that the Chimaera is hitting the spot,taking the plunge into TVR ownership can be a worrying prospect but if you get a good one then they do take some beating for the money.
Good luck with the XJR
Jas
Cheers Jas that's kind of you to say! How's your Chim going? I've kept mine on the road over winter, when there's the odd dry day it's such a pleasure to take it out! I'd like to run it up to Joolz at Kits and Classics in the new year for a tune as I suspect it's not running quite as spot on as it should. I put a new cam in from V8 Developments and a few other small mods like cats out, smooth hoses and bigger throttle trumpets etc so with some expert attention it could throw out a few more horses hopefully!A very nice addition (I like your style)
I like your comparison between XJS/XJR,having owned neither I can still understand and appreciate the way you put it.I had a soft spot for your XJS,if you remember I spent more time looking at your car at the Jaguar Sunday Service than any other car that attended.
Nice to hear that the Chimaera is hitting the spot,taking the plunge into TVR ownership can be a worrying prospect but if you get a good one then they do take some beating for the money.
Good luck with the XJR
Jas
That's not too bad! I feel much the same really, if I get caught out in a bit of rain then ho hum but I wouldn't go out of my way to drive it in crappy weather. Like you say roof on sort of changes the character of the car, roof off feels like a proper old school roadster. I've done a few long journeys in mine and despite the leaky roof seals on the side windows it's surprisingly comfortable.
I don't blame you at all, there is absolutely nothing wrong with preserving the chassis with waxoyl and the like, if anything that and some stone chip on the wheel arch tubes looks quite smart in my opinion!
That definitely seems to be a healthy one, I'm quite keen to get it on a dyno that's for sure. When it was stripped down I was astonished at what good condition it was in inside so hopefully with a few tweaks we should get a good result.
Photo of them both freshly cleaned today.
I don't blame you at all, there is absolutely nothing wrong with preserving the chassis with waxoyl and the like, if anything that and some stone chip on the wheel arch tubes looks quite smart in my opinion!
That definitely seems to be a healthy one, I'm quite keen to get it on a dyno that's for sure. When it was stripped down I was astonished at what good condition it was in inside so hopefully with a few tweaks we should get a good result.
Photo of them both freshly cleaned today.
Edited by LewG on Tuesday 29th December 17:21
Hello Lance, the TVR seems to be one of those cars that looks so much better for a wash and polish! For a while I've been meaning to clay bar the front end, with that and some of our good friend Autoglym Super Resin it looks fantastic.
I've had a fantastic result today courtesy of the Jaguar part of the forum, their advice is much appreciated. Since owning the car the remote locking hasn't worked so you have to open it the old fashioned way on the key. That's all good and well except that it doesnt disarm the alarm so unless you're quick in putting the key in the ignition the alarm goes off. Cue a few embarrassing moments out the front of the house early in the morning half asleep getting in the car for work.
Both fobs generated no response from the car whatsoever so basics first, change the batteries. I then checked all the fuses underneath the rear seats but again they were fine. This morning I tried reprogramming the fobs to the car by doing a set of stalk/button presses but that didn't work either, the next piece of advice I received was to thoroughly clean the inside of the remotes, and a good job I did too:
Following a clean I tried the programming again, and it worked! Both remotes working spot on. Another thing ticked off the list and a total spend of £3 for the batteries. Result.
I've had a fantastic result today courtesy of the Jaguar part of the forum, their advice is much appreciated. Since owning the car the remote locking hasn't worked so you have to open it the old fashioned way on the key. That's all good and well except that it doesnt disarm the alarm so unless you're quick in putting the key in the ignition the alarm goes off. Cue a few embarrassing moments out the front of the house early in the morning half asleep getting in the car for work.
Both fobs generated no response from the car whatsoever so basics first, change the batteries. I then checked all the fuses underneath the rear seats but again they were fine. This morning I tried reprogramming the fobs to the car by doing a set of stalk/button presses but that didn't work either, the next piece of advice I received was to thoroughly clean the inside of the remotes, and a good job I did too:
Following a clean I tried the programming again, and it worked! Both remotes working spot on. Another thing ticked off the list and a total spend of £3 for the batteries. Result.
TurricanII said:
If it is still knocking then check that the battery is very secure in the boot. Also I vaguely recall a senior Jag tech telling me that that my knocking noise when letting off after hard acceleration was the rose joint which I think is an alternative to the lower bush in the rear shocks. JMM's post from 30-12-10, 19:59 lists the most common causes of knocking:
http://www.jaguarforum.com/archive/index.php/t-198...
Thanks for the link Turrican, strangely the noise stopped a couple of days after I reported it! http://www.jaguarforum.com/archive/index.php/t-198...
Plans for this year are to get some areas of paint rectified and possibly look at rebushing some of the front end as somehow it still feels a bit 'wallowy'. I would go for new springs and shocks but looking at the prices of them, perhaps not! Does anyone know about the auto dimming rear view mirrors on these? Mine is in the constantly dimmed state for some reason, with a line in the glass across the top where it returns to normal. Nothing serious but it's one of those things to tick off the niggle list.
Very true Lance! Any old key or tablespoon will do
Bought myself a kit from Powerhouse Automotive to change the oil in the supercharger so that's a job for the weekend. I keep toying with the idea of the upgraded pulley from them but at the moment getting the bodywork sorted is the priority really.
Bought myself a kit from Powerhouse Automotive to change the oil in the supercharger so that's a job for the weekend. I keep toying with the idea of the upgraded pulley from them but at the moment getting the bodywork sorted is the priority really.
Well driving around in the car is still proving to be enjoyable apart from one main irritating thing, it really does wander over the road and feel quite vague. I appreciate old Jags were never known for feeling razor sharp but it should feel better than this, it feels more like my Series Landy which is akin to being at the helm of a galleon in a gale.
I've ordered subframe mounts, V mounts, track rod ends etc. for the front end in an attempt to improve things. Not cheap but well worth doing with a bit of luck. I always find refreshing a car in the steering and suspension area is quite satisfying because you get an idea of how it should really feel, not worn out and tired. The job does look a total arse though! I thought the ball joints had made a big difference but after loosening up a bit it still seems just as bad unfortunately
I've ordered subframe mounts, V mounts, track rod ends etc. for the front end in an attempt to improve things. Not cheap but well worth doing with a bit of luck. I always find refreshing a car in the steering and suspension area is quite satisfying because you get an idea of how it should really feel, not worn out and tired. The job does look a total arse though! I thought the ball joints had made a big difference but after loosening up a bit it still seems just as bad unfortunately
Interesting that you should all mention how different they drive on different tyres. At the moment mine is on Falkens I believe, at the rear they need replacing soon so I'll have to look around. The fronts will come soon after to be honest!
Don't know if I mentioned but I changed my supercharger oil with the little syringe provided in the kit from Powerhouse. The pulley will come in time I'm looking forward to that! I removed the supercharger belt in an attempt to change it last weekend and my God the fixed idler pulley bearing was knackered! Sadly my local bearing supplier had closed by the time I'd stripped it down so I managed to carefully remove the seal from the back, wash it out and pack it with fresh grease then glue the seal back on. A bodge I know but just allowed me to keep using it this week before the new bearing turned up.
The front bushes etc. have arrived too, not hugely urgent so I'll probably do those when the weather comes a bit better, it'll mean using the TVR or the Landy for work whilst it's out of action and I don't want to do that when the roads look like a salt mine. Undecided on whether to do it myself or get a specialist to do it, maybe that's a bit of laziness kicking in. 700 quid for labour is swaying me towards doing it myself!
Don't know if I mentioned but I changed my supercharger oil with the little syringe provided in the kit from Powerhouse. The pulley will come in time I'm looking forward to that! I removed the supercharger belt in an attempt to change it last weekend and my God the fixed idler pulley bearing was knackered! Sadly my local bearing supplier had closed by the time I'd stripped it down so I managed to carefully remove the seal from the back, wash it out and pack it with fresh grease then glue the seal back on. A bodge I know but just allowed me to keep using it this week before the new bearing turned up.
The front bushes etc. have arrived too, not hugely urgent so I'll probably do those when the weather comes a bit better, it'll mean using the TVR or the Landy for work whilst it's out of action and I don't want to do that when the roads look like a salt mine. Undecided on whether to do it myself or get a specialist to do it, maybe that's a bit of laziness kicking in. 700 quid for labour is swaying me towards doing it myself!
Hello chaps, just checked my pressures up the workshop and yep the rears are well due for replacement. I've been looking at these Kumhos as they appear to have better ratings in everything and yet are far cheaper than Pirellis etc.
http://www.blackcircles.com/catalogue/kumho/ku39/2...
Anyone using these?
http://www.blackcircles.com/catalogue/kumho/ku39/2...
Anyone using these?
Cheers Lee, I think that's what I'm going to go for, I honestly didn't realise how low the tread was it's knocked them out surprisingly quickly. Doesn't sound great saying it's got 'Kumhos' on but hey if they work, they work!
The fronts probably have another 2k or so left in them so I'll do those when the time comes.
I have to say I've been a bit lazy with it recently and haven't done any work on it as such. I am really looking forward to getting the bushes done though as I've no doubt that will make a huge difference to the way it drives.
Worryingly it had a message come up the other morning saying 'gearbox fault'. I really hope that doesn't come back in a hurry
The fronts probably have another 2k or so left in them so I'll do those when the time comes.
I have to say I've been a bit lazy with it recently and haven't done any work on it as such. I am really looking forward to getting the bushes done though as I've no doubt that will make a huge difference to the way it drives.
Worryingly it had a message come up the other morning saying 'gearbox fault'. I really hope that doesn't come back in a hurry
castex said:
I don't know about this specific combination but with tyres I've learned that you get what you pay for. The big names tend to have a the lead on research & development at the cutting edge. Pirelli might not have the best tyre for this car but if not, Bridgestone or Michelin undoubtedly will.
I'm usually of that opinion too, I am looking at Michelin Pilot Sports as well as they aren't a huge amount extra and like you say it is usually a case of pay more, get more. A mate's sister works in the local tyre specialists and can get full discount so I've got her on the case. Got a bit more achieved today, update to follow.
Rensko said:
How many miles on it and would it be rude to ask how many MPG you are getting around town?
I've had a hankering for a XJ of sorts. Thing is, parts are meant to be through the roof here in Aus! Can always wish and dream of owning one....
This one has done 127k so not exactly a garage queen, as for the MPG I try not to look I've had a hankering for a XJ of sorts. Thing is, parts are meant to be through the roof here in Aus! Can always wish and dream of owning one....
realistically for my commute and pottering about driving, so a mix of dual carriageway, town and country roads it's getting around 16mpg. That includes the odd lead footed blat but yep, if you're looking for economy don't bother haha.That is a bit of a pain, at least you'll never have to worry about rust though!
Well the day got off to a fairly bad start when I saw this. My mate had obviously got out the car and caught the bolster with the metal bit on his jeans. 
While we were occupied with seats I thought I'd investigate a problem the driver's seat has had since day one, that is when you sit in the seat it suddenly shoots down and back. I'm a fat b
d but I'm pretty sure I'm not that bad. First things first, disconnect the battery to avoid getting punched by an airbag.
The mounting bolts came out no trouble at all, bugger are these seats heavy though!
After a while scratching my head I realised on the end of the seat tilt motor its toothed gear wasn't sitting in the female ratchet part due to the nylon bush now not sitting in the side of the seat where it locates. It must've had a fair amount of force to knock it out as nothing has any adjustment or is supposed to move.
Here you can see it is running totally out of line
Thankfully the teeth on the motor were still in good condition
With a bit of fiddling I managed to move the seat and it slotted back together no trouble at all.
Put it back in the car and tried it. No movement at all and everything works. Another cheap fix
While we were occupied with seats I thought I'd investigate a problem the driver's seat has had since day one, that is when you sit in the seat it suddenly shoots down and back. I'm a fat b
d but I'm pretty sure I'm not that bad. First things first, disconnect the battery to avoid getting punched by an airbag.The mounting bolts came out no trouble at all, bugger are these seats heavy though!
After a while scratching my head I realised on the end of the seat tilt motor its toothed gear wasn't sitting in the female ratchet part due to the nylon bush now not sitting in the side of the seat where it locates. It must've had a fair amount of force to knock it out as nothing has any adjustment or is supposed to move.
Here you can see it is running totally out of line
Thankfully the teeth on the motor were still in good condition
With a bit of fiddling I managed to move the seat and it slotted back together no trouble at all.
Put it back in the car and tried it. No movement at all and everything works. Another cheap fix
Well the day got off to a fairly bad start when I saw this. My mate had obviously got out the car and caught the bolster with the metal bit on his jeans.
While we were occupied with seats I thought I'd investigate a problem the driver's seat has had since day one, that is when you sit in the seat it suddenly shoots down and back. I'm a fat bd but I'm pretty sure I'm not that bad. First things first, disconnect the battery to avoid getting punched by an airbag.
The mounting bolts came out no trouble at all, bugger are these seats heavy though!
After a while scratching my head I realised on the end of the seat tilt motor its toothed gear wasn't sitting in the female ratchet part due to the nylon bush now not sitting in the side of the seat where it locates. It must've had a fair amount of force to knock it out as nothing has any adjustment or is supposed to move.
Here you can see it is running totally out of line
Thankfully the teeth on the motor were still in good condition
With a bit of fiddling I managed to move the seat and it slotted back together no trouble at all.
Put it back in the car and tried it. No movement at all and everything works. Another cheap fix
While we were occupied with seats I thought I'd investigate a problem the driver's seat has had since day one, that is when you sit in the seat it suddenly shoots down and back. I'm a fat b
d but I'm pretty sure I'm not that bad. First things first, disconnect the battery to avoid getting punched by an airbag.The mounting bolts came out no trouble at all, bugger are these seats heavy though!
After a while scratching my head I realised on the end of the seat tilt motor its toothed gear wasn't sitting in the female ratchet part due to the nylon bush now not sitting in the side of the seat where it locates. It must've had a fair amount of force to knock it out as nothing has any adjustment or is supposed to move.
Here you can see it is running totally out of line
Thankfully the teeth on the motor were still in good condition
With a bit of fiddling I managed to move the seat and it slotted back together no trouble at all.
Put it back in the car and tried it. No movement at all and everything works. Another cheap fix
Edited by LewG on Sunday 31st January 17:56
Changed the engine belts today and a pulley as the bearing was absolutely knackered. The rest of the pulleys and tensioners felt okay, I tapped out the threads on each as putting the bolts back in they felt a bit crusty, understandable going into aluminium really.
First things first take the fans out, I wouldn't recommend doing this job with them in as there really isn't enough space. Worryingly the bottom half was just flapping around and not sitting in its slots. Apart from that a couple of bolts and electrical plugs and it's off.
The belts weren't really cracked but they'd obviously been on there for some time as they looked real shiny and tired on the back edge.
A quick photo to remind myself how the belt runs, as it's quite a maze.
The belt is massive!
All back in place and with new supercharger belt and idler fitted. The pulley was in fact slightly smaller in diameter than the previous pulley. I would've swapped the bearing into the previous one but unfortunately the outer diameter of the bearing was smaller on the replacement part too. The spring tensioner has more than enough travel to take up any extra slack so hopefully it should be okay, even if it is rotating slightly faster than before.
Finally all the gubbins back in.
First things first take the fans out, I wouldn't recommend doing this job with them in as there really isn't enough space. Worryingly the bottom half was just flapping around and not sitting in its slots. Apart from that a couple of bolts and electrical plugs and it's off.
The belts weren't really cracked but they'd obviously been on there for some time as they looked real shiny and tired on the back edge.
A quick photo to remind myself how the belt runs, as it's quite a maze.
The belt is massive!
All back in place and with new supercharger belt and idler fitted. The pulley was in fact slightly smaller in diameter than the previous pulley. I would've swapped the bearing into the previous one but unfortunately the outer diameter of the bearing was smaller on the replacement part too. The spring tensioner has more than enough travel to take up any extra slack so hopefully it should be okay, even if it is rotating slightly faster than before.
Finally all the gubbins back in.
Had a peek under the car today to check the front suspension bushes. I was a bit disappointed to see the state of the front ball joints after only 2 months or so! 
Whilst I was there I changed the ARB drop links, we'll see how long these stay shiny..
Looking at the subframe it looks as if the entire lot needs to be dropped away and engine supported, so although it's a big job it shouldn't be too difficult. The main thing I'm looking to replace is the V mounts as prying with a bar it looks like the rubber is starting to separate from the metal. I had this problem on my XJ-S with replacement mounts so hopefully the new ones are better quality than those, and the ball joints for that matter.
Had the radio out too to try and find a serial number in order to find the radio code as it's been lost since disconnecting the battery whilst fixing the seat. No such luck unfortunately, and the override button combination doesn't seem to work. My plan is to ring Jaguar and tell them the vin, they should come up with it. Did give me a good chance to clean the crumb/fluff mix from around the trim though
Whilst I was there I changed the ARB drop links, we'll see how long these stay shiny..
Looking at the subframe it looks as if the entire lot needs to be dropped away and engine supported, so although it's a big job it shouldn't be too difficult. The main thing I'm looking to replace is the V mounts as prying with a bar it looks like the rubber is starting to separate from the metal. I had this problem on my XJ-S with replacement mounts so hopefully the new ones are better quality than those, and the ball joints for that matter.
Had the radio out too to try and find a serial number in order to find the radio code as it's been lost since disconnecting the battery whilst fixing the seat. No such luck unfortunately, and the override button combination doesn't seem to work. My plan is to ring Jaguar and tell them the vin, they should come up with it. Did give me a good chance to clean the crumb/fluff mix from around the trim though
Edited by LewG on Sunday 14th February 23:47
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