The Curfew XJ-S - V12 manual
Discussion
Thanks for posting. It's amazing how strong these are really!
Look forward to it coming back better. Are you planning to rebuild it to look exactly like in the film, or to keep the overall image but make some improvements, so the bonnet scoop is not great looking, I'd loose the spot lights and build a shaped and smoothed in bonnet hump for instance.
Look forward to it coming back better. Are you planning to rebuild it to look exactly like in the film, or to keep the overall image but make some improvements, so the bonnet scoop is not great looking, I'd loose the spot lights and build a shaped and smoothed in bonnet hump for instance.
Stick Legs said:
Thanks for posting. It's amazing how strong these are really!
Look forward to it coming back better. Are you planning to rebuild it to look exactly like in the film, or to keep the overall image but make some improvements, so the bonnet scoop is not great looking, I'd loose the spot lights and build a shaped and smoothed in bonnet hump for instance.
Thanks! Yes they are tough old things really, and I'm both impressed and disappointed in that second left hand shock (as I was going to use it as an excuse to swap the relatively new (6,000 ish miles) shocks from my daily XJS on to it (they're the semi adjustables), and buy some new B6s for that). However I'm glad to not have the expenditure right now after paying for a new carpet for the R-S, exhaust heat shielding for an e-type and new brake pads and ball joint kits for a Turbo R. Look forward to it coming back better. Are you planning to rebuild it to look exactly like in the film, or to keep the overall image but make some improvements, so the bonnet scoop is not great looking, I'd loose the spot lights and build a shaped and smoothed in bonnet hump for instance.
When I first bought the car, I did start roughly sketching out some improvements on the parts you mention above, but then I realised I shouldn't do it to this car, as it is what it is and not an ideal base unless I really want to rip it apart and start fresh, and I'd lose that film car part of it. However, this does mean that I would like to complete those plans on another car (win/win right?!), which would include the spotlights being better and partially recessed into the bonnet, and also a 'shaker hood', as that would look so much better! I'm already dreading to think what remaking those rear arches on this car will cost me, if I do it (and I'm sure I'll have to)
I suppose the bonnet is easy enough to make more attractive, hang the original on the workshop wall and put on a smoother / more finished product. Bring the rest up to be as good underneath as it looks and it can always have the bonnets swapped if required.
Great work anyway and the best bit is this has become the haven for the XJ-S love on PH!
Great work anyway and the best bit is this has become the haven for the XJ-S love on PH!
Stick Legs said:
I suppose the bonnet is easy enough to make more attractive, hang the original on the workshop wall and put on a smoother / more finished product. Bring the rest up to be as good underneath as it looks and it can always have the bonnets swapped if required.
Great work anyway and the best bit is this has become the haven for the XJ-S love on PH!
Ha, possibly! I'll probably just buy a new car for the new bonnet design. Perhaps a facelift.... Great work anyway and the best bit is this has become the haven for the XJ-S love on PH!
I'm always happy to spread the XJ-S love, they're a great car and deserve more attention! I'd really love to buy a super high mileage V12, just to prove how good they are.
A bit of a bigger update across a few cars (none of which are the Curfew, I should really try and get the thread title updated (however, work is progressing on that)).
First up is a non update really - the crank for Soapy's flathead V8 returned to me last week. I don't think it was their favourite job as its fully weighted and balanced and certainly non standard (as is the rest of the engine which is bored out, oversized valves etc). Still waiting for the block to come back and then I can try and get on with my longer term plan for that car
Next up is my Dad's e-type, which didn't come out from under a cover at all last year. I asked my guy to inspect it, to see what jobs needed doing for an MOT and to service it too. It turned out that quite a bit of the exhaust heat shielding was simply missing, and before I knew it the rear subframe was dropped and we were refurbing that, too (its practically commonplace around here now). Rear pads and discs were also replaced along with some bushes, and all of the heat shielding apart from the manifold ones. Not cheap. We also replaced the tyres as they were perished and I had great service from Longstone. I decided to go with the correct Pirelli P5s which really look the part, though they're quite soft and very likely to spin up, especially with a V12 in front of them.
I took the car for its MOT yesterday, though it doesn't need one, and it passed with no problem. Now I've just got to convince him to use it this summer!
A not very interesting update for my daily, it had its latest service at 217,468 miles, which was a bit outside what I wanted to do, but still fine for an XJS ( I try to do 5,000 mile intervals rather than 6,000). We also changed the gearbox oil. No dramas with this car, as always. Got to plan to take it off the road and paint it at some point this year, but we've just got too much going on right now. I also managed to crack the front rub strip, which has been repaired, and will be replaced eventually.
I posted previously that I'd had my Porsche MOTd. Last week it also got serviced so I could use it, and I also had the odometer repaired. I was going to do it myself but thought better to leave it in safe hands. The gear had collapsed as is quite common on these. We had to try and piece it together to count the cogs to order the correct replacement. I'm very glad to say that it does now work, for the first time in my ownership, and I'm looking forward to being able to rack up and track the miles.
It was the middle gear that had completely fallen apart.
I took the car home and then onto a car meet the next day in Wimbledon, so a nice run for it. I set off at 5.45am on Sunday morning (and Frank wasn't best pleased about the early start hence the grumpy face one we got there), and driving through the lanes with the sun coming up behind me and no one on the roads was absolutely glorious. Driving into London was fine as there was no traffic, and I arrived early for once. I can't say how glad I was to see people (and dogs) that I hadn't seen in a year. It was a great morning and very enjoyable, and Frank was the most relaxed around people that he's ever been (perviously he was quite anxious).
The early start (above)
Picture above by @picturecornerwheels on Instagram, well worth a follow if you like dogs and cars.
And look what else turned up!!
Another update, the Mercedes refreshed, tested and rebuilt injectors and seals failed to fix the fault, so we're all a bit stumped on that for the moment...
The big Bentley I've had parked in the corner for a couple of years was started, the suspension raised up happily and it drove into the workshop to be inspected. It needs a few small jobs, and also at least one of the sills replacing. Plus it needs painting. Colour swap, anyone?
First up is a non update really - the crank for Soapy's flathead V8 returned to me last week. I don't think it was their favourite job as its fully weighted and balanced and certainly non standard (as is the rest of the engine which is bored out, oversized valves etc). Still waiting for the block to come back and then I can try and get on with my longer term plan for that car
Next up is my Dad's e-type, which didn't come out from under a cover at all last year. I asked my guy to inspect it, to see what jobs needed doing for an MOT and to service it too. It turned out that quite a bit of the exhaust heat shielding was simply missing, and before I knew it the rear subframe was dropped and we were refurbing that, too (its practically commonplace around here now). Rear pads and discs were also replaced along with some bushes, and all of the heat shielding apart from the manifold ones. Not cheap. We also replaced the tyres as they were perished and I had great service from Longstone. I decided to go with the correct Pirelli P5s which really look the part, though they're quite soft and very likely to spin up, especially with a V12 in front of them.
I took the car for its MOT yesterday, though it doesn't need one, and it passed with no problem. Now I've just got to convince him to use it this summer!
A not very interesting update for my daily, it had its latest service at 217,468 miles, which was a bit outside what I wanted to do, but still fine for an XJS ( I try to do 5,000 mile intervals rather than 6,000). We also changed the gearbox oil. No dramas with this car, as always. Got to plan to take it off the road and paint it at some point this year, but we've just got too much going on right now. I also managed to crack the front rub strip, which has been repaired, and will be replaced eventually.
I posted previously that I'd had my Porsche MOTd. Last week it also got serviced so I could use it, and I also had the odometer repaired. I was going to do it myself but thought better to leave it in safe hands. The gear had collapsed as is quite common on these. We had to try and piece it together to count the cogs to order the correct replacement. I'm very glad to say that it does now work, for the first time in my ownership, and I'm looking forward to being able to rack up and track the miles.
It was the middle gear that had completely fallen apart.
I took the car home and then onto a car meet the next day in Wimbledon, so a nice run for it. I set off at 5.45am on Sunday morning (and Frank wasn't best pleased about the early start hence the grumpy face one we got there), and driving through the lanes with the sun coming up behind me and no one on the roads was absolutely glorious. Driving into London was fine as there was no traffic, and I arrived early for once. I can't say how glad I was to see people (and dogs) that I hadn't seen in a year. It was a great morning and very enjoyable, and Frank was the most relaxed around people that he's ever been (perviously he was quite anxious).
The early start (above)
Picture above by @picturecornerwheels on Instagram, well worth a follow if you like dogs and cars.
And look what else turned up!!
Another update, the Mercedes refreshed, tested and rebuilt injectors and seals failed to fix the fault, so we're all a bit stumped on that for the moment...
The big Bentley I've had parked in the corner for a couple of years was started, the suspension raised up happily and it drove into the workshop to be inspected. It needs a few small jobs, and also at least one of the sills replacing. Plus it needs painting. Colour swap, anyone?
Another little update, and more cars back on the road....
The 944 S2 cab was MOTd, new tyres etc. I'd forgotten just how much fun these are to drive.
J258 has now passed the 219,000 miles mark, with this photo being taken at Bicester Heritage when I viewed the Bonhams MPH auction (and sadly didn't buy anything). I've also tracked over 25,000 miles worth of fuel usage in this car by this point, with the average sitting just below 20mpg, although the true average is around 22 I believe, seeing as half of that was prior to changing the o2 sensor that improved the economy dramatically.
Another car that came out of storage was this lovely Daimler Sovereign S3. A car bought on a whim a few years ago because of the low mileage and great history, it had been in storage ever since. So I got it out the other week, its had a few jobs, a service, and a new set of tyres (might as well have Longstone on speed dial at this point), and a fresh MOT at. 31,500 miles.
It was then pressed into duty visiting Duke of London over the bank holiday weekend. Such a lovely, relaxing car to drive, and 300 miles in absolute comfort with no issues apart from there being no fuel level reading on one tank and the off side mirror not adjusting. I was thinking of selling it, but after driving it I really don't want to
Photos below by Andrew Green (@picturecornerwheels on Instagram, well worth a follow)
The 944 S2 cab was MOTd, new tyres etc. I'd forgotten just how much fun these are to drive.
J258 has now passed the 219,000 miles mark, with this photo being taken at Bicester Heritage when I viewed the Bonhams MPH auction (and sadly didn't buy anything). I've also tracked over 25,000 miles worth of fuel usage in this car by this point, with the average sitting just below 20mpg, although the true average is around 22 I believe, seeing as half of that was prior to changing the o2 sensor that improved the economy dramatically.
Another car that came out of storage was this lovely Daimler Sovereign S3. A car bought on a whim a few years ago because of the low mileage and great history, it had been in storage ever since. So I got it out the other week, its had a few jobs, a service, and a new set of tyres (might as well have Longstone on speed dial at this point), and a fresh MOT at. 31,500 miles.
It was then pressed into duty visiting Duke of London over the bank holiday weekend. Such a lovely, relaxing car to drive, and 300 miles in absolute comfort with no issues apart from there being no fuel level reading on one tank and the off side mirror not adjusting. I was thinking of selling it, but after driving it I really don't want to
Photos below by Andrew Green (@picturecornerwheels on Instagram, well worth a follow)
So....another reasonable sized update.
The Daimler has been out and about a few more times, and we've fixed the fuel sender in the left hand tank which was stuck, so no fuel reading. It drives beautifully, and was the obvious choice to go to Bicester Heritage for the Scramble. A completely comfortable cruise there and back and very nice to see people again. I've covered 600ish miles since the MOT now, and hopefully there will be a few more over the coming summer months.
The Porsche has also been out and about, with all the nice weather it seemed silly not to. I took it over to a new car meet in Sawbridgeworth a couple of weeks ago, and then used it to commute whilst the sun lasted.
Parked up in Sawbridgeworth.
Frank likes it.
A surprisingly useful load lugger whilst commuting too
The only problem I've had was lawn mowering the keys which fell out of my pocket whilst puppy sitting. To say I was irritated with myself would be an understatement.
However, that irritation pales into insignificance compared with the other mistake I made. This next photo may explain it, but if not there is a description beneath....
This is underneath the rear of J258 (the red XJS). I managed to drive of without releasing the handbrake. I got a few miles in traffic on an A-road, went into some shade and saw the handbrake light on the dash at the same moment I smelt hot brakes. I knew what that could cause, but hoped some cool air might help, so I continued. Coming off the next A-road I stopped at some lights. Strong hot brake smell and clouds of smoke around the car. Every classic car owners worst nightmare ensued, and I stopped when it was safe to. Having seen the smoke and understanding the car I didn't think there was much risk off a fire, and fortunately I was right. Due to the inboard rear brakes of an XJS, the diff seals had been overheated and started to leak, and the leaking oil caused the smoke.
Getting back to work on Monday morning I knew it would be a rear subframe out job, and that seems to be a yearly occurrence for this car, as we've done it every year for the past couple of years (year 1 - full refurbishment and replacement of all bushes - year 2/last year - replacement of rear shocks and springs). I knew it would be diff seals and handbrake pads at the very least, but more likely the rear discs and pads too. However it did enable me to look at changing the rear shocks again as I've never been a fan of the low speed ride of the Gaz adjustables since they were fitted last October/9,000 miles ago. The final list of parts came to something like this....:
4 x Bilstein B6 shocks - supplied by the ever helpful Ben at Simply Performance.
Handbrake pads
Rear brake discs
Rear brake pads
Diff seals
Diff bearings (inner and outer) and spacer rings - turns out there was wear, so made sense to change them
Rear trailing arm bushes (all four - precautionary)
1 subframe mounting bush - minor wear
2 x rear gearbox mounting springs and bushes (There was play, so worth doing).
So it all became rather expensive unexpectedly, but all my own doing. I'm happy to spend money on this car, but I've a feeling it will need gearbox work at some point soon, and I know it will need bodywork and paint this year. I am glad to have it back, though!
My little Alpine GTA also went to its new home last week. Very sad to see it go, as its a wonderful little car, but the new owner is great, so I'm happy for that.
And finally....MOT soon.
The Daimler has been out and about a few more times, and we've fixed the fuel sender in the left hand tank which was stuck, so no fuel reading. It drives beautifully, and was the obvious choice to go to Bicester Heritage for the Scramble. A completely comfortable cruise there and back and very nice to see people again. I've covered 600ish miles since the MOT now, and hopefully there will be a few more over the coming summer months.
The Porsche has also been out and about, with all the nice weather it seemed silly not to. I took it over to a new car meet in Sawbridgeworth a couple of weeks ago, and then used it to commute whilst the sun lasted.
Parked up in Sawbridgeworth.
Frank likes it.
A surprisingly useful load lugger whilst commuting too
The only problem I've had was lawn mowering the keys which fell out of my pocket whilst puppy sitting. To say I was irritated with myself would be an understatement.
However, that irritation pales into insignificance compared with the other mistake I made. This next photo may explain it, but if not there is a description beneath....
This is underneath the rear of J258 (the red XJS). I managed to drive of without releasing the handbrake. I got a few miles in traffic on an A-road, went into some shade and saw the handbrake light on the dash at the same moment I smelt hot brakes. I knew what that could cause, but hoped some cool air might help, so I continued. Coming off the next A-road I stopped at some lights. Strong hot brake smell and clouds of smoke around the car. Every classic car owners worst nightmare ensued, and I stopped when it was safe to. Having seen the smoke and understanding the car I didn't think there was much risk off a fire, and fortunately I was right. Due to the inboard rear brakes of an XJS, the diff seals had been overheated and started to leak, and the leaking oil caused the smoke.
Getting back to work on Monday morning I knew it would be a rear subframe out job, and that seems to be a yearly occurrence for this car, as we've done it every year for the past couple of years (year 1 - full refurbishment and replacement of all bushes - year 2/last year - replacement of rear shocks and springs). I knew it would be diff seals and handbrake pads at the very least, but more likely the rear discs and pads too. However it did enable me to look at changing the rear shocks again as I've never been a fan of the low speed ride of the Gaz adjustables since they were fitted last October/9,000 miles ago. The final list of parts came to something like this....:
4 x Bilstein B6 shocks - supplied by the ever helpful Ben at Simply Performance.
Handbrake pads
Rear brake discs
Rear brake pads
Diff seals
Diff bearings (inner and outer) and spacer rings - turns out there was wear, so made sense to change them
Rear trailing arm bushes (all four - precautionary)
1 subframe mounting bush - minor wear
2 x rear gearbox mounting springs and bushes (There was play, so worth doing).
So it all became rather expensive unexpectedly, but all my own doing. I'm happy to spend money on this car, but I've a feeling it will need gearbox work at some point soon, and I know it will need bodywork and paint this year. I am glad to have it back, though!
My little Alpine GTA also went to its new home last week. Very sad to see it go, as its a wonderful little car, but the new owner is great, so I'm happy for that.
And finally....MOT soon.
jamieduff1981 said:
This thread is great.
As I haven't done it yet but will need to at some point, could you give any advice to someone for the first time they drop the IRS from an XJS?
I'm no mechanic, so no real advice on that side, but from what I've seen it isn't as bad as most people seem to think. All I'd say is give yourself as much room under the car to get it out as is possible, as they're pretty tall. If it hasn't been out in a while it may be a bit of a pain to release (as with any parts on any old car), but nothing that leaving it soaking in your preferred penetrating fluid shouldn't sort.As I haven't done it yet but will need to at some point, could you give any advice to someone for the first time they drop the IRS from an XJS?
Whilst you've got it out, do everything you can think of. Some of the bushes are expensive, but well worth it, they make a huge difference to the way the car drives (especially if you've got that tell tale creaking whilst driving currently). There are also a lot of shims in that back end, so worth getting a manual and checking they're all in place.
lukeharding said:
I'm no mechanic, so no real advice on that side, but from what I've seen it isn't as bad as most people seem to think. All I'd say is give yourself as much room under the car to get it out as is possible, as they're pretty tall. If it hasn't been out in a while it may be a bit of a pain to release (as with any parts on any old car), but nothing that leaving it soaking in your preferred penetrating fluid shouldn't sort.
Whilst you've got it out, do everything you can think of. Some of the bushes are expensive, but well worth it, they make a huge difference to the way the car drives (especially if you've got that tell tale creaking whilst driving currently). There are also a lot of shims in that back end, so worth getting a manual and checking they're all in place.
That's pretty reassuring actually - thanks Luke!Whilst you've got it out, do everything you can think of. Some of the bushes are expensive, but well worth it, they make a huge difference to the way the car drives (especially if you've got that tell tale creaking whilst driving currently). There are also a lot of shims in that back end, so worth getting a manual and checking they're all in place.
jamieduff1981 said:
That's pretty reassuring actually - thanks Luke!
No problem. I think the important thing to remember is that it is designed to come out as one big piece, so it is actually easier to work on. We've had plenty of them out over the past few years, and its really nice to see them all refreshed. Worth checking the play in your rear gearbox mount, as the springs and bushes do fall apart over time. I see from your thread that you've got parts coming from Moss. Though it won't get to you any quicker in the reaches of Scotland (other than it not having to come in from the EU with current issues), the people at SNG Barratt are nice and helpful over the phone, and have good knowledge of the cars too. Enjoying seeing your thread, and your car being improved. They're great things that do get under your skin.
error code FF23 (over fueling of some kind).
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