Time to switch channels?
Discussion
Just a few weeks back (a bit more than that now if I think about it) I sold my prized Griffith 500 - partially because it had set me back nearly £6000 in repairs and servicing this year already and partially because I need funds to pay for my racing habit...
Tomorrow though I should be picking up the replacement - a very nicely looked after '88 XJS. I say tomorrow hopefully as it is already a couple of weeks overdue as I've had all of the bushes and ball joints replaced, upgraded to reinforced water hoses and had a large chunk of the car rewired (it is nice knowing some real experts who will do this as a favour as I suspect the work thus far exceeds the value of the car a couple of times over). Also had a couple of minor alterations to the exhaust with a pair of boxes removed and a balance pipe inserted to restore some of the beautiful V12 roar. Finally there are a couple of high flow air boxes under the bonnet.
I had hoped to pick the car up at the weekend but it seems that in the process of performing a full service my friendly jag expert has found that the #2 plug is not just seized in its thread but appears to have been cross-threaded as well (I believe this might be my initiation into the joys of jaguar ownership...).
Can't find any pics currently of the new car but I can show you a teaser of my new race steed:
[pic]http://www.the-lair.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/wdr2a.jpg[/pic]
Tomorrow though I should be picking up the replacement - a very nicely looked after '88 XJS. I say tomorrow hopefully as it is already a couple of weeks overdue as I've had all of the bushes and ball joints replaced, upgraded to reinforced water hoses and had a large chunk of the car rewired (it is nice knowing some real experts who will do this as a favour as I suspect the work thus far exceeds the value of the car a couple of times over). Also had a couple of minor alterations to the exhaust with a pair of boxes removed and a balance pipe inserted to restore some of the beautiful V12 roar. Finally there are a couple of high flow air boxes under the bonnet.
I had hoped to pick the car up at the weekend but it seems that in the process of performing a full service my friendly jag expert has found that the #2 plug is not just seized in its thread but appears to have been cross-threaded as well (I believe this might be my initiation into the joys of jaguar ownership...).
Can't find any pics currently of the new car but I can show you a teaser of my new race steed:
[pic]http://www.the-lair.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/wdr2a.jpg[/pic]
The car is being prepared for rather general use. The plan is not to race in any particular series but rather to generate coverage for the owner (not me I might add). The car itself is a copy of the original TWR jaguars (hence the livery) and is being prepared by one of the poor chaps who had to build the original cars for Tom (who I am told is not necessarily the most pleasant of people to work with).
In theory it should be eligible for historic touring cars (plus just about every saloon based series) so expect to see it alongside the likes of the Rover SD1s and Capris of that period.
I do not know the exact spec but I think you can expect somewhere in the region of 500bhp from the engine in race trim. As an option the car is also getting the nitrous treatment (purely for the drag strip and removed afterwards) which should add another 300-ish bhp. We also have optional body panels to help reduce weight (where rules allow) and improve the aerodynamics.
Given the current schedule I doubt I will be out in the car any time this year - I'll be lucky to see my own car finished this year - but next year seems highly likely. Until then I am racing a mad little Punto in Eurosaloons and (hopefully) testing a ZZ2 at somepoint soon. I will also be testing some of the developments on my road car so if you see a dark blue XJS come screaming past you in the Uxbridge/Beaconsfield area don't get too upset it is probably just me discovering that I need more brakes.
>> Edited by jimbro1000 on Tuesday 2nd August 17:10
In theory it should be eligible for historic touring cars (plus just about every saloon based series) so expect to see it alongside the likes of the Rover SD1s and Capris of that period.
I do not know the exact spec but I think you can expect somewhere in the region of 500bhp from the engine in race trim. As an option the car is also getting the nitrous treatment (purely for the drag strip and removed afterwards) which should add another 300-ish bhp. We also have optional body panels to help reduce weight (where rules allow) and improve the aerodynamics.
Given the current schedule I doubt I will be out in the car any time this year - I'll be lucky to see my own car finished this year - but next year seems highly likely. Until then I am racing a mad little Punto in Eurosaloons and (hopefully) testing a ZZ2 at somepoint soon. I will also be testing some of the developments on my road car so if you see a dark blue XJS come screaming past you in the Uxbridge/Beaconsfield area don't get too upset it is probably just me discovering that I need more brakes.
>> Edited by jimbro1000 on Tuesday 2nd August 17:10
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