This morning on my way to town, as I rounded the curve to the Passing Lanes, I spied a *Very* familiar face ahead, but it was on the opposite shoulder and sitting on a trailer.

I was like, NIX!! HOW DID YOU GET OUT HERE? I LEFT YOU AT THE HOUSE!!"

It was still there when I came home so I checked it out:

Xj6L Series 2, in BLACK!



I'm guessing it's a conversion as all the rear badges are gone. The seats have been redone and it even has S3 tail lights, but someone has backed into something with the right one, and not only broken the lens but bent the fender; and it was some time ago.


And here are the reasons for this abandonment.
It's been a Long time since I saw tires in this condition. Poor guy.

The car was still sitting there at 5pm today, been there at least since 8am today. I hope he gets it moved pretty soon. The local skum might leave it alone tonight as it's Thursday, but it certainly won't be unmolested for very long as it's almost literally in the middle of nowhere. They'll break all the windows out just for fun.
(';')

 

OOPS.

Probably waiting for your adoption papers to arrive.

 

I admit I seriously considered camping out in the area just to keep an eye on it. Husband would probably object though, it's sort of narrow like that.

When I got back here I did check that Nix is still in her stall where I left her (not too worried though as wheels are different) but that early in the morning, I did get a start I tell ya!

I left a note saying I had one of those, and when he got it home to check out jaguarforums.com and say I sent him.
(';')

 

at least the steering wheel is in the right place. i've seen some with steering wheels in the wrong place, maybe made for mail carriers?

 

I note the mismatched trailer wheels. Poor tires, under inflated, heavy load, hot weather. Not a risk, but a dead certainty.


Nice looking car. Not in to limo tints, like on the back windows on that car.


I wonder if the car is ailing or merely being transported.


Whatever, I sure hope it's steward/s has returned with tires and wheels and a means to install them. The latter a formidable task in itself.


Carl

 

Yes, Carl I noticed the mismatched trailer wheels. Doubtless one of the tires, probably the back one on that alloy rim, was underinflated, adding to the load of the front one exponentially.

It has expired tag but who knows what else might be wrong. Body is straight apart from the bashed rear fender and I don't find any rust bubbles in all the usual places.
There were times during our suspension rebuild that I would have Given Nix to the first one who appeared with a trailer. Maybe it was time this one got a refurbishment.

They were obviously unprepared for such an event, with those mismatched wheels, which is astonishing to me, growing up as I did learning to Be Prepared for ANYTHING! Husband and I would have had at Least 2 spares along (that fit!), a high lift jack, a portable generator, compressor, several hundred pounds of various tools and an impact wrench.

But I realize not everyone is so well equipped, and I hope he gets it home as much as he does. No telling where they were headed. If it was closer to the house I would wander over to see if it's still there this morning.

I certainly hope they get it moved before the Skum find it (while the little voice in my head keeps saying, "it's just an old car, it's just an old car, it's just....").
(';')

 

Elinor & Carl;

I got mine out of storage early this morning after a torrential rain. It hasn't been outside in over a year. He was happy.

Not bad ehh? Milk Chocolate Candy.

 

!! It's been raining for a YEAR?!
I can't see any other reason to keep the poor kitty cooped up that long.
No wonder he was happy! That explains the smile.
(';')

 

I keep them both away from the horrible Florida weather, and my job takes me away from the storage.

 

Mine, same color as Jose's is snoozing in the garage. needing a wash job badly. But safe from the heat. Although, one of nature's filters dims the sun. SMOG. Many forest and grass fires have smoked many states out this way.


Even "foggy" San Francisco broke an all time record. 106 F. The weather guy says the records go back to Grant's presidential years!!!


Circa 1889???? Yeah, just a guess. I could look it up?


Carl




Carl

 

Carl,
mine still has the original factory paint from 1983, all crazed and shot, but I can't bring myself to repaint it.

 

I am Delighted to report the Jag has been rescued!

We went for parts for Nix this afternoon (stupid HEI ignition!!) and as I came around the corner, IT WASN'T THERE!!


We may actually hear from him sometime.

In other news, Nix is back on the road too. It wasn't the timing chain but the coil! This is the 3rd one in the last 3 years! Husband is busy researching a *Legal* alternative ignition system that won't leave us stranded every time I get enthusiastic when the temperature is over 100F.
(';')

 

are you sure it wasn't "taken" by somebody other than the owner?

 

Jose, you sound about as encouraging as husband, always looking for the dark side!

Who in their right mind would steal an OLD JAGUAR on a trailer?!! They would go for something they could fence at least, like a Toyota Camry. Even the trailer wasn't worth hauling home with that tire mess as they too would have had to come up with a couple wheels! And it hadn't been there long enough to be impounded.

No, in this part of the world, only the lunatic owner would go to the trouble required to move that thing.
(';')

 

Elinor:


I tended to side with husband and Jose as to the fate. But, your faith and argument prevailed. Sure would be something to hear from it's owner.


Jose. My Thermoplastic has some chips and scratches. One more than that on the driver door. An off ramp misadventure and over extension by collision with my Jeep. But no crazing. As best as I can tell, it has not been repainted. When washed, it still shines quite nicely.


Carl

 

Interesting.

Can you elaborate a bit?

What's the prevailing theory thus far? Quality of the coils? Or some underlying issue that is causing the coil failures?

Cheers
DD

 

That occurred to me as well. GM's HEI has a reputation of being very dependable.


1. I mentioned heat in a prior post.


2. But, the thought of a mechanical reason has arisen. The sudden RPM change? 5k down to 1K or less? A rotor "climbing" and whacking the coil pickup?


3. A mechanical and electrical necropsy of the coil would be fascinating. Protocol ?


4. Twas heat, just a coincidence ? Well mebbe, but in light of the prior failures? Also an RPM sudden change.


5. Or as Doug suggests, quality.


Carl

 

the same ones who would steal a Porsche, Ferrari, or Maserati on a trailer with flat tires abandoned on the side of the road?

that's why I keep mine locked up.

 

On one hand some people will 'steal anything that isn't bolted down'....even if it's something that isn't particularly valuable to anyone.

OTOH, I agree, old forlorn Jaguar sedans are wayyyyyyy down on the list of most popular and profitable cars to steal. Especially if sitting on a decrepit trailer with two destroyed tires. I'm having a hard time imagining someone going thru that much trouble in this case.

All just speculation, of course.

Cheers
DD

 

Doug,
Bearing in mind this is a Chevy HEI ignition, with a very small coil mounted in the cap, and the distributor is mounted at the rear of the engine compartment in the very Hottest place possible (aside from directly over the exhaust manifolds I suppose), these things are noted for their failure in high heat situations (is there any other kind under this hood??) according to the racers' forum that husband haunts (Speed Talk).

Previous failures were due to the ground wire shaking off because the screws mounting the coil to the cap were too short, causing normal vibration to merely break out the holes. This caused the ground wire to loosen, arcing for a while, causing rough running before letting loose altogether and killing the engine.

I never checked out the previous coils, merely bought new ones and got longer screws to make sure they threaded the full depth of the holes and tried again. This one lasted nearly 18 months before leaving us stranded.

As this one showed no loosening of the mounting screws, we tested it according to the published procedure. Test showed the coil was open, not the maximum of merely 1 ohm specs require. Mounting Another coil (full cap assembly actually, which I carry in the trunk but it was too miserably hot to fool with by the side of the road) got the car started and running strong.

Husband is looking into an MSD ignition, legal for this year/engine/car, but even if he finds one for a reasonable price it won't be installed until Winter. In the meantime, we have yet another coil on the way, which I will mount in the spare cap (again) and carry in the trunk for next time -- there Will be a next time.
(';')