As we in the Northern Hemisphere are eagerly anticipating SPRING, and therefore taking our Jags out of
mothballs, checking them over twice, making sure nothing is naughty but everything is nice, all ship shape in Bristol fashion, I will tell you what's different/better about Nix for this season:

Even though I try very hard to Never get caught in the rain, it's happened a couple times and I've been made Painfully aware of the shortcomings of the British wiper system. This was made worse by the Previous Owners callous disregard for proper wiper length on the driver side; far too long for the application by about 4 inches.


This meant that wiper hung over the edge of the car so the rubber blade took a set and wouldn't touch the
glass when wipers were activated, thus leaving a broad unwiped stripe Right in my field of view.
It was Very annoying.

The fix, wiper blades of different lengths! How hard was that?! Left/Driver side now has a 12 inch blade while passenger/right side has a new 16 inch blade. They came with attractive "vented" frames, which I rather like.



New blade material (not 30 years old) will be a Vast improvement! A treatment with Rain-X completes this task.

As mentioned previously, husband thought she needed a new, modern, gear reduction started so I changed that. In the process I had to drop the exhaust on that side, also loosen the pipe on the other side to get enough slack to get the old 16 pound starter off the car onto the floor.


New starter is gear reduction, weighs a mere 7 pounds.

As all the exhaust pipes were now loose anyway, I thought I should find what that soft rattle is when we're
doing about 40 or so, which rattle gets worse with greater speed. Above 75 it's unbearable. Investigation
revealed a trashed, rubberless exhaust hanger in the rear where the pipe goes over the axle.

No wonder I had a built-in speed limiter.

A bit of old Race Car Tire and a length of fuel hose fixed it just like new. I shouldn't have to worry about it for another 40 years.


While I was under the car looking around, I discovered ALL the fuel and brake lines were just hanging in the wind. Someone in decades past had zip tied a couple of them to the main fuel line, which had broken its hangers and was now was completely unsuspended for the full length of the car! This was a new situation since the last time I looked.

In one spot the flexing fuel line has beaten off all the undercoat! It was flapping in the breeze nearly the full length of the body pan! I'm sure this added to those irritating little rattles I've had.

This called for a Road Trip to my favorite NAPA store, where they Know what they have or can get it "by this afternoon." I took a plastic example of what I wanted, and the fella disappeared into the back and emerged with a selection of 2 possibilities. I took a bag of each.


I spent a little time this morning securing ALL lines under the car! I won't have to worry about that for another 40 years either, as they will Not be effected by heat or oil splash (what my neighbor calls Automatic Rust Protection).


So the Whole exhaust is Tight and secure, All the fuel, vapor and brake lines are securely attached to the
body, wipers work Very well (although I still hope I never have to use them), I have a new sealed forever
battery that should last as long as I keep the car (last battery that came with the car is from about 2003).

I also cleaned the inside of all the windows and gave the leather a good clean besides vacuuming the carpets. I aired up all the tires,including the spare, making sure they're all at 35 pounds.

Monday I want to change oil before I start driving her wheels off for the season, then let her down off the jack stands and Away We Go!!
(';')

 

Well done.

Your exhaust "rubber" will last longer than British Non-Metallic for sure.

Those pipes clamps are what I use for anything that needs securing, last forever.

 

Looking good Elinor, I'll bet you can't wait to punch out the winter moth *****.

 

35 lbs.? the normal psi is 32 or 33 max.

33 front, 32 rear.

too much psi can make the tires hydroplane or lose their grab over pavement.

Also, as the tires roll while driving they get hot and the pressure / psi increases, so a 35 psi tire when cold, ends up at 37 or 38 psi.

now if your tires actually reccomend 35 psi, that is another $20.

 

@Jose; I have run with 35 psi in all my rigs Forever (well, except my work truck where I try to keep at least 55 psi), and I have Never had trouble hydroplaning or gripping pavement!

I decided air pressure, or tire tread for that matter, has little to do with hydroplaning after I watched some famous race driver, I forget exactly who, WIN IN THE RAIN at some big race, I forget exactly which one, mostly because he refused to go to the pits for a tire change like the rest of the pack had done, and lapped them while they were dinkin' around, and they never caught him!

I'm sure there were Many side bets if he would succeed or crash spectacularly (certainly quite a lot of discussion between commentators), but that race taught me it's all about Driver Skill and confidence (knowing the road), and, although equipment is a factor (Equal pressure all around), that Isn't all there is to it.

I keep a reasonable depth tread on tires, keep them fairly new and fresh (scrub off all that old rubber soon after I'm behind the wheel), keep pressures within a pound or 2 of each other, but mostly I keep in practice. Every trip to town is another opportunity to hone my driving skill and I try to take full advantage of it.

However, because you bring up tire pressure recommendations, I have just now looked at my tires, and they plainly recommend no more than 40 psi under "normal" load conditions (whatever that is), and no more than 51 psi with a load of 1140 pounds per tire.

I think I'm well within those parameters.
(';')

 

yes Elinor I understand, but what does the car label say for tire pressures? (the label at the door jamb or the Owner's Handbook).
.
In my '84 (built 1983), it says 33 front and 32 rear with normal load. With 3 passengers and driver, the rears can be increased to 36 if driving at higher than normal speeds.

and it does repeat the warning about tire pressure increasing when rolling.

 

Elinor

i feel your pain when it comes to the wipers, unfortunately my XJ6 has to spend it's winters outdoors and a few weeks ago i had to take it for a drive in the wet and what a terrible job the wipers did, i could almost see more with them turned off!!!!!!!

Funny you should mention the rainex, i was thinking along the same lines, new blades and rainex.

It's good to know I'm on the right track

Russell

 

s to your numbers, Elinor is weithin the,

 

Um, I'm thinking, Jose, those recommendations are for 1980s tires, as would only be responsible for a car manufacturer to publish in 1983. When Nix came to live with me she wore a set of 1993 tires, which I shredded Spectacularly on the S-curves, driving more or less as I normally do; with Great Enthusiasm and Enormous Panache, being as I am, the Redhead with the Lead Foot.

But I'm thinking, tire science will have come a long way in the last 30+ years (not to mention 40+ years), and tire companies can't possibly foresee their product mounted on every make/model car that could possibly still be on the road.

Besides that, as we all know, classic Jaguar suspension and handling were Waaaaay ahead of its time, so tire manufacturers may have finally caught up with our cars!

So, I'll just keep 35psi, because, like everyone else I'm a creature of habit and it's easy to remember.
(';')

 

Everyone has their way of dealing with Jaguars in the modern era. Living near truck and Jeep friendly beach dunes, the gas stations have 4 (well maintained) air hoses at each island, as most come off the beach need go back to highway tire pressures before leaving town. I just drive in for gas midday, when tires are warm and do 36 all around.

Like your use of left-over rubber hose from previous projects, better than NOS hangers. I have a tub full of left-overs, so I will be ready next time on jacks.

Rgds David

 

Jose, I think you answered your own concern. You said "the rears can be increased to 36 if driving at higher than normal speeds". We all know that Elinor always drives at higher than normal speeds!

 

36 only if the vehicle is fully loaded with 4 people. We all know Elinor never lets anyone inside the car.

 

Another thing to consider is that when a car manufacturer recommends a tire pressure it is a compromise between (1) ride comfort, (2) performance characteristics, and (3) tire wear. I am a fanatic about maintaining correct tire pressure using a very accurate guage and my own compressor. I had a modern luxury car (alas, not from the UK) and with the tires rigorously kept at the recommended pressure they would always wear out on the outer edges. Maybe I drive more spirited than their target market. But the next set of very expensive tires I ran them at 2 lbs higher than recommended. Viola, perfectly even tread wear and better handling.

Jeff

 

Jose! Where do you get the idea I don't let anyone in my car?!
I certainly DO let others ride with me (if they're brave enough) and most of them enjoy the experience, even if (sometimes because) I do drive faster than the average Californian.

I have noticed, as has Jeff, my tires wear evenly at 35 psi! Even though I'm addicted to cornering Gs, and one might expect the edges to be worn accordingly they don't seem to show evidence of my highway recreation. Handling is also noticeably improved at 35psi as opposed to 30psi. In fact, as we all know alloy rims do leak a bit over time, I can always tell when one of them is lower than the rest by the way it handles.

Russell; I found a picture of my new wipers, ANCO Aerovantage 91-15 and 91-12:


This open design does away completely with the wipers crawling up the glass when one meets a big rig or finds oneself driving into a strong head wind. And they fit just about Anything!
(';')

 

I got rained out today so I finished up Spring Work on Nix.
Changed oil and filter as mentioned previously.



Only the Best for a Classic Jaguar!

The shakedown trip was Silently Uneventful!
No exhaust banging, no brake or fuel lines rattling against the floor pan, even at full throttle! Only the sound of POWER from under the hood.

But in spite of my best efforts we got caught in a spring shower. And ya know what? The new wipers WORK AWESOME!

I'm gonna say she's well and truly ready for another season of terrorizing the local highways and byways; not to mention the Passing Lanes!
(';')