The shipper dropped off my inheritance today - the 96 XJ6 4.0 that my mother-in-law left to me. The poor thing (car, not m-in-law) saw its first snow today.

Here are the initial impressions, based on the handover examination and the 2.5mi drive from the depot to my house. The stop and go bits seem fine, although I only went 25-30mph. Steering and braking are tight. No warning lights. I unintentionally verified the traction control with an aggressive start from a wet side street. :-).

Cosmetics are a different story. The exterior was dirty even _before_ it rode across the US in an open carrier. A good cleaning will probably reveal even more scratches and parking lot dings then the ones I know about.

Interior is also _filthy_. M-in-law smoked, and rodents wasted no time moving in after she passed. This is going to take some effort to clean and deodorize. The leather is a little dry but seems to be in pretty good shape underneath the dirt. Recommendations on your favorite interior cleaners would be appreciated; the manual recommends mild soap and water.

Things I know I need to fix:
-The glove box door won't open, even with the correct key. The handle lifts but the left-hand latching peg seems stuck. I found the thread here on how to pry the latches open and will be trying that.
-Headliner is starting to sag in the back (of course); I'll tack it up with those curly upholstery pins for now and attempt the replacement when the weather is better.
-When the front passenger door is open, the door light flickers in sync with a rapid clicking sound. Probably some rodent-chewed wire somewhere.
-The rear driver-side door power lock mechanism stripped years ago. M-I-L's mechanic just disconnected it. If I can source a good used one, I'll replace it.

It's also due for an engine oil change, and probably a transmission fluid and filter. I'll take it to one of the local Jag experts recommended on the regional forum to do those and give it a thorough mechanical exam.

The adventure - and the scrubbing - begins!

-Thos/MA

 

Welcome to the forum, ThosMa!

You will find the site priceless for setting your inheritance right. Good luck, and post some pictures

 

I just posted this on the UK Porsche 928 forum but you might also find it useful.
I've restored a number of aged leather motorcycle jackets, Belstaff Panthers, Barbour International, Lewis Leathers, Vanson, with great success.
Fairly simple procedure:

1.  
   1. Clean. I use Feibings Glycerine Saddle Soap. Use a clean microfibre cloth and wet it, wring it out until damp, rub it across the saddle soap and clean an area of leather. You don't want suds or foam, that would be too wet, just use the saddle soap as a cleaner. Rinse and repeat over a new area. Being methodical helps. Allow to dry.
   2. Buff the no dry leather with a clean cotton cloth. Quick and easy step.
   3. Inspect the leather. In my view patina is to be cherished but damage is to be repaired. Areas where the leather coating has worn away can be recoloured, and I use Feibings Professional Oil Dye. I have used this to recolour the worn areas on my driver's seat in one of my S2s and it worked a treat.
   4. Use a leather conditioner. I used to use Tarrago Mink Oil but it can be a bit greasy and take a long time to soak in. Weeks, in some cases, but the results are excellent. I now prefer Chambers Leather Balsam. Apply a little at a time using the same small area technique as for cleaning. You can always add more, but taking it away is not as easy. Leave for a day and polish with a clean cotton cloth

When you think of the tanning process that leather has gone through you realise that it doesn't need to be treated gently or with any special care. Clean and rehydrate (both are done during the saddle soaping process), allow to dry, add conditioning to replace lost oils. Done.

 

This is a common problem. A Jaguar shouldn't act this way.

What sounds like a rodent actively eating the wires, is actually the door "puddle lamp" relay clicking due to an intermittent door latch microswitch. By far the easy "fix" is to pull the puddle lamp out of that door. All the others will still work.

Or else, the door panel must be removed and the switch on the door latch either cleaned or replaced.

Since I've never been into any of the doors on my daily XJ, and not willing to go in for this, I'm down to only the driver's door puddle lamp that is still working.

 

Thanks for the tip Sleek! Getting the lens off was a little fiddly but now the flicky-clicky is gone. That's one item off the fixme list. Now the question is: will I find where I saved the bulb if/when I see to the switch?
-Thos/MA