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Thank you all for so much help!! Tentatively did a short drive around the block. Then got more adventurous and white-knuckled drove to Jag mechanic to get a part. Brakes work, trans
works, engine spits back at low revs on takeoff - after that its fine with good acceleration. I suspect running lean and havent checked timing yet.
Michael,
You can't judge the cars "proper running" until it's fully warmed up and the choke is disengaged.
How far is your mechanic away, at least 15 miles I hope ?
In Australia we use tyres like this if you have to operate on dirt roads particularly in wet conditions when grip in the mud is essential.
The average sedan car tyre can't handle these conditions.
It is a little premature to assess them at this stage as they may have been fitted by the previous owner.
In Australia we use tyres like this if you have to operate on dirt roads particularly in wet conditions when grip in the mud is essential.
The average sedan car tyre can't handle these conditions.
It is a little premature to assess them at this stage as they may have been fitted by the previous owner.
So right Bill. When I lived there my Holden Berlina company car was useless on some of your roads in the Outback etc. and especially after heavy rain & yes it does rain in the hinterland. As an expat living there I qualified for a Merc or BMW but thought that was 3 easy ways to p***~off the local staff. So when in Australia I drove what the Aussies drive & pocketed the difference in price. (Hope you are not a Ford man). In Aus the competition between Ford & GM is palpable. Much of it driven by the V8 Supercars Championship.
Unfortunately the tyres are 15 years old so will have to go (I will check to see what they are) - They are 14" wheels and the tyres are very high profile.
I ended up doing about 15 miles. Today was a flop though - car temp gauge says all ok, but I had all the signs of fuel vaporisation - started to splutter and stopped. Cooled down and all was OK again. There is a huge amount of heat under that bonnet and I think a supplementary electric fan might be needed!!
I think some of the classic saloon racers used 14 inch wheels in the 1980s. They always looked strange to me. If you go away from the standard 15 inch, I'd suggest that 16 inch looks better and offers a wide choice of good tyres at more affordable prices. Of course, it all depends on what you want to do with the car.
I ended up doing about 15 miles. Today was a flop though - car temp gauge says all ok, but I had all the signs of fuel vaporisation - started to splutter and stopped. Cooled down and all was OK again. There is a huge amount of heat under that bonnet and I think a supplementary electric fan might be needed!!
We have discussed this before. if you are over heating there is something wrong which a supplementary fan will not cure. A good flush of both the oil and coolant systems will help especially if the car has been sat for so long. Oil and water cool the engine and if either system is congested then that is where your problem lies. An extra fan is not going to help. You can buy solutions to flush both systems out but running a hose through the water system first is a start. Disconnect a lower hose on the radiator and then stick a fast flow of water in the top. You will be surprised at the amount of rust that will come out. Do the same with the engine block, Disconnect the top hose from the radiator and fast flow into the block so it comes out the bottom hose. Lastly do the same with the heater matric radiator.
New Jaguars did not have an over heating problem from the factory and Kenlowe fans were not fitted as standard. It was not until the engines got old and clogged up that people started fitting them but as I have said before it is like taking pain killers for a stress fracture but it is not addressing the actual cause of the problem which is a stress fracture.
humans invariably suffer from overheating and excessive sweating before a heart attack. no amount of air conditioning can avoid it. it comes from within. same with an engine. i suggest, as others do, searching for a root cause.
vapor-lock, heat-soak, etc., is usually a result of excessive heat in or near a constricted fuel pathway. i.e. fuel line or carburetor. often exacerbated when an engine's water pump, and hence the flow of coolant to and from the radiator to the head, is stopped for more than a couple of minutes and less than a about forty-five....ah....IMO.
i recently searched for about six months for a solution to a vapor lock problem on one of my old english cars. turned out to be a poorly routed heater hose near the carb in the engine compartment.
I think some of the classic saloon racers used 14 inch wheels in the 1980s. They always looked strange to me. If you go away from the standard 15 inch, I'd suggest that 16 inch looks better and offers a wide choice of good tyres at more affordable prices. Of course, it all depends on what you want to do with the car.
The 205/70/15 is going nowhere anytime soon. It is a very popular size. If you want to stay original the Michelin 185VR15 XVS or 185HR15 XVS-P 93H or Dunlop VR SP Sport Aquajet 185R15 or the 185 VR 15 PIRELLI CINTURATO. They look period correct & are very good tyres. They are 80 Profile (as original). They are all fully up to date technically using the latest tyre technology. They are just a little expensive for some. There are cheaper alternatives from the likes of Vredestein such as the.185VR15 Vredestein Sprint Classic.
14 inch wheels?
They look like they are bolt on so could have been off any Chev or Holden aftermarket wheels which have the same bolt pattern as a Jaguar.
They may have also come off a 420G or MK10 which have 14 inch wheels
The 205/70/15 is going nowhere anytime soon. It is a very popular size. If you want to stay original the Michelin 185VR15 XVS or 185HR15 XVS-P 93H or Dunlop VR SP Sport Aquajet 185R15 or the 185 VR 15 PIRELLI CINTURATO. They look period correct & are very good tyres. They are 80 Profile (as original). They are all fully up to date technically using the latest tyre technology. They are just a little expensive for some. There are cheaper alternatives from the likes of Vredestein such as the.185VR15 Vredestein Sprint Classic.
15 inch rim, 70 profile tyres:
When I wanted some for my Daimler 10 years ago, the regular suppliers had nothing with a V speed rating. Longstone could supply me with a set of track tyres ‘to keep me going’ at a very high price. I eventually found a set of Pirellis in Italy at close to £300 each. In the course of that search, I discovered that even Ferrari 250 owners lamented the cost of 15 inch rubber.
I’ve just done a quick internet search that suggests the situation has improved a little. Longstone have 70 profile V rated at £380 to £450. H rating don’t appear. A popular supplier (Blackcircles) have H rated, 70 profile tyres from decent makes (Yoko, Bridgestone…), but they are listed as SUV tyres.
My feeling is that 205 width and wider would be better on a wider rim than the standard Mk2.
15 inch, 80 profile:
Longstone’s offer a good choice. Their prices for 80 profile, H rated radials, i.e. standard Mk2 size, go from £280 to £350, to which £30 might be added for an inner tube. These are all very good tyres and look the part.
I know that Vredestein are available at lower prices. However, I’ve excluded them as they don’t convince me. Longstone sell them, but their recommended tyres remain Michelin, Pirelli, Dunlop, Avon.
16 inch rim
In contrast, it’s easy to find Michelin Cross Climate 215/50 R16 at £140 including fitting. I notice that even at 16 inch, the choice of rubber is reducing from what it was a few years ago.
I want a tyre that I have confidence in and I don’t care that much about originality, certainly not for something that’s easily reversed. As such, I’d rather save the extra six or seven hundred pounds for something else.
First drive after 14 years
