The story of me and my XJ-12
#1
10-03-2009, 08:47 AM
The story of me and my XJ-12
Hey all...I'm motormouth...or Nate...some of my friends call me Mater (there's a good reason for this...but I digress). If you're into long, boring stories, read on. If not, you may want to shy away from my drivel.
My love affair with Jags started when I was 8 years old...the first time I ever laid eyes on a Jag was a 1963 (I think) E-Jag. It was gorgeous. I saw it at a car show my dad took me to. Ever since then, I have had a great appreciation for Jags. I figured someday I would get one, but how it came about is a wild story.
I had a Chevy 1500 Silverado and a BIG dog. The dog wouldn't stay in the back of the truck, so I knew I had to get an enclosed vehicle that could carry a 135 pound bull mastiff. I traded my beloved 97 Silverado for a 92 Suburban. The Burban became one of my worst nightmares (since I had traded straight across for the pickup to a private party versus a car lot, there was nothing I could do about the lemon I had secured). After a short time (a number of months), I had to get rid of the dog (another story altogether). By this time, the Burban had me completely frazzled. It started with burning a little oil, to leaking oil from every pore of the engine block to running on 7 cylinders.
Not having a lot of money to spend ($1400 for a new engine was a bit out of my price range), I set out in search of my next lemon. I scoured CraigsList, eBay, the newspaper, and a few other places, but to no avail. After a month of endless searching, I gave up. I was going to just have to suck it up and save my pennies to buy a new engine for that big black beast (the Suburban...or the Black Tank, as I called it).
One day I was reading CL barter section, and a guy had this 1976 XJ-12 with a 350 conversion that he wanted to trade for a car hauler. He apparently REALLY wanted a car hauler. He said the car was worth about $4000, but would take a $300 trailer for straight trade. Knowing my trailer was only worth about $1600 (flat tandem-axle 16 footer with brakes, etc), I emailed him with the proposition that he could have the trailer AND my Suburban for the Jag. I held my breath for two days. He finally replied. He said he wanted the trailer really bad, but wasn't sure about the Burban, but he said he would come look at it anyway. The next day he did. Then I went and looked at the Jag. He said it didn't run, but he had HAD it running for a short time (a few months back), and that it sat where it was since he got it 5 months prior (except for one short jaunt around the neighborhood, during which it stalled on him 3 or 4 times). He described the problems he was having with it, and with a gleam in my eye (but a poker face), I said, "Well...I guess we could trade (he was really hard up for that trailer...lol). We traded, and the day after, he picked up the Suburban and trailer, then trailered the XJ to my house. He also had a HUGE amount of extra parts from a 76 XJ-6 that he got when HE bought the car from the previous owner...all four doors, trunk lid, front fender, 2 fuel tanks, and an assortment of nuts, bolts, gauges, and other things.
Week one:
Got the Jag to the house. Didn't run. Battery dead. What's the first thing to do? Jump start it, and find out if it runs at all. Jumped it...it ran, but spit and sputtered like a baby choking on a bottle...then died when I let off the throttle. After much jump starting and rough running, I checked all the normal things: spark plugs, wires, distributor, rotor, etc., etc. Everything checked out. He had also mentioned that he had to chenge fuel filters twice already when he was test running it. So, knowing about gasoline and fuel tanks, I removed both fuel tanks, and cleaned and flushed them out. You can't imagine the amount of rust, dirt, and grime that came out of those tanks (or maybe you can). After putting the tanks back in ( and putting in a couple of new fuel filters), I tried again. Same thing. I replaced the fuel pump (mechanical one on the front passenger side of the engine). Ran a bit better, but still was burping and backfiring, but would run enough to let me get out of the driveway and run around the block. Reset the timing on it, and it was working better than ever. Got a new battery also, since the other one had a dead cell (the reason it wouldn't take a charge).
Week two:
Had "The Jag" (as I call it) running, but still running really rough...backfiring, dying, etc. I took it out for a tool one night, and ended up running out of gas about half a mile from the house. I KNEW I had over two gallons of gas the previous day, and had not gone anywhere. Put more gas in it, and got it home. The following morning, I was letting it run while adjusting the idle speed (it wouldn't idle above 500 RPM, so I cranked it up a bit). I noticed puddles of gasoline sitting on the carb. I thought, "What the hell?" After talking with a friend of mine, we decided the problem was the fuel delivery system...moreover, that possibly one or both of the needles were sticking open. I shot some carb cleaner into the fuel intake port on the carb, but it didn't help. He suggested I take off the top of the Edelbrock carb and see if I could get them unstuck that way, and find out what else may be going on in there. I did, and what I saw purely amazed me. It looked as if someone had poured Jell-o into the carb. The amount of jelled fuel was shocking. No surprise, right then and there, as to why the car was running so bad AND using so much fuel.
I took the carb off, took it all apart, cleaned every jet, line, bowl, and every part of it I could get to. Put it all back together (I worked on this for about 4 hours...from 10 pm til about 2 in the morning), and put it back in the car. I got in the driver's seat, put the key in the ignition, held my breath, and turned the key to START. The Jag roared to life with a vengeance not seen since Chuck Norris escaped from Navarone. I couldn't believe I actually got her running!!!
Week 3 and 4:
Now that The Jag was running (although still a bit rough at times), I had to retime her, replace both fuel tanks (the driver's side tank had so much rust on it, that it developed holes when I cleaned it), and completely redesign the fuel lines. The XJ-12 fuel tanks had inlet AND outlet lines on them (fuel injection system). The XJ-6 tanks didn't (carburetors). Removed the XJ-12 tanks (anyone wanna buy these things? Maybe you'll want to repair the one with holes, and scrub the rust off ot them...lol.) and replaced them with the XJ-6 tanks. Poked holes in the trunk where the spare goes, and routed fuel lines from the front of both tanks to a "T", then over to the only fuel rod that the engine uses (on the passenger side). Leaky tank again on the driver's side. Bad gasket where the fuel lever float goes into the tank. Replaced the gasket...no more leaky.
I'm now into week 5 of owning a car I never really thought I'd ever be able to afford. My buddy suggested I throw some fuel system/carb cleaner into the fuel tanks, then use some other stuff after that has gone through, since it still backfires a bit on hard throttle (when cold) and easy throttle (when warmed up). No more using a gallon of gas every 10 minutes, and she runs like a champ. Now that THAT'S done, I am setting out to refresh the interior and other things. My next step will be to change out all the electrical components and hardware inside the doors. The electric windows don't work very well, none of the electric locks work (the rear driver's side door doesn't unlock if I lock it), and it needs some cosmetic touch-ups here and there. Since I got 4 XJ-6 doors with it, I'll *******ize those doors for the parts I need, then sell the shells. I'm also going to revamp a couple of places where I had to run the fuel lines (to get them a bit further away from the exhaust). Also, later on, I'll have the exhaust extended to where it's supposed to be (the current exhaust lines stop just aft of the rear wheels...lol). I also need to get a new wood kit for the dash. The one that's in it is all cracked, faded, and nasty looking.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story (if you actually stayed awake through it). More to come as I work on my dream car.
(does anyone wanna know how I got the name motormouth? hehe)
My love affair with Jags started when I was 8 years old...the first time I ever laid eyes on a Jag was a 1963 (I think) E-Jag. It was gorgeous. I saw it at a car show my dad took me to. Ever since then, I have had a great appreciation for Jags. I figured someday I would get one, but how it came about is a wild story.
I had a Chevy 1500 Silverado and a BIG dog. The dog wouldn't stay in the back of the truck, so I knew I had to get an enclosed vehicle that could carry a 135 pound bull mastiff. I traded my beloved 97 Silverado for a 92 Suburban. The Burban became one of my worst nightmares (since I had traded straight across for the pickup to a private party versus a car lot, there was nothing I could do about the lemon I had secured). After a short time (a number of months), I had to get rid of the dog (another story altogether). By this time, the Burban had me completely frazzled. It started with burning a little oil, to leaking oil from every pore of the engine block to running on 7 cylinders.
Not having a lot of money to spend ($1400 for a new engine was a bit out of my price range), I set out in search of my next lemon. I scoured CraigsList, eBay, the newspaper, and a few other places, but to no avail. After a month of endless searching, I gave up. I was going to just have to suck it up and save my pennies to buy a new engine for that big black beast (the Suburban...or the Black Tank, as I called it).
One day I was reading CL barter section, and a guy had this 1976 XJ-12 with a 350 conversion that he wanted to trade for a car hauler. He apparently REALLY wanted a car hauler. He said the car was worth about $4000, but would take a $300 trailer for straight trade. Knowing my trailer was only worth about $1600 (flat tandem-axle 16 footer with brakes, etc), I emailed him with the proposition that he could have the trailer AND my Suburban for the Jag. I held my breath for two days. He finally replied. He said he wanted the trailer really bad, but wasn't sure about the Burban, but he said he would come look at it anyway. The next day he did. Then I went and looked at the Jag. He said it didn't run, but he had HAD it running for a short time (a few months back), and that it sat where it was since he got it 5 months prior (except for one short jaunt around the neighborhood, during which it stalled on him 3 or 4 times). He described the problems he was having with it, and with a gleam in my eye (but a poker face), I said, "Well...I guess we could trade (he was really hard up for that trailer...lol). We traded, and the day after, he picked up the Suburban and trailer, then trailered the XJ to my house. He also had a HUGE amount of extra parts from a 76 XJ-6 that he got when HE bought the car from the previous owner...all four doors, trunk lid, front fender, 2 fuel tanks, and an assortment of nuts, bolts, gauges, and other things.
Week one:
Got the Jag to the house. Didn't run. Battery dead. What's the first thing to do? Jump start it, and find out if it runs at all. Jumped it...it ran, but spit and sputtered like a baby choking on a bottle...then died when I let off the throttle. After much jump starting and rough running, I checked all the normal things: spark plugs, wires, distributor, rotor, etc., etc. Everything checked out. He had also mentioned that he had to chenge fuel filters twice already when he was test running it. So, knowing about gasoline and fuel tanks, I removed both fuel tanks, and cleaned and flushed them out. You can't imagine the amount of rust, dirt, and grime that came out of those tanks (or maybe you can). After putting the tanks back in ( and putting in a couple of new fuel filters), I tried again. Same thing. I replaced the fuel pump (mechanical one on the front passenger side of the engine). Ran a bit better, but still was burping and backfiring, but would run enough to let me get out of the driveway and run around the block. Reset the timing on it, and it was working better than ever. Got a new battery also, since the other one had a dead cell (the reason it wouldn't take a charge).
Week two:
Had "The Jag" (as I call it) running, but still running really rough...backfiring, dying, etc. I took it out for a tool one night, and ended up running out of gas about half a mile from the house. I KNEW I had over two gallons of gas the previous day, and had not gone anywhere. Put more gas in it, and got it home. The following morning, I was letting it run while adjusting the idle speed (it wouldn't idle above 500 RPM, so I cranked it up a bit). I noticed puddles of gasoline sitting on the carb. I thought, "What the hell?" After talking with a friend of mine, we decided the problem was the fuel delivery system...moreover, that possibly one or both of the needles were sticking open. I shot some carb cleaner into the fuel intake port on the carb, but it didn't help. He suggested I take off the top of the Edelbrock carb and see if I could get them unstuck that way, and find out what else may be going on in there. I did, and what I saw purely amazed me. It looked as if someone had poured Jell-o into the carb. The amount of jelled fuel was shocking. No surprise, right then and there, as to why the car was running so bad AND using so much fuel.
I took the carb off, took it all apart, cleaned every jet, line, bowl, and every part of it I could get to. Put it all back together (I worked on this for about 4 hours...from 10 pm til about 2 in the morning), and put it back in the car. I got in the driver's seat, put the key in the ignition, held my breath, and turned the key to START. The Jag roared to life with a vengeance not seen since Chuck Norris escaped from Navarone. I couldn't believe I actually got her running!!!
Week 3 and 4:
Now that The Jag was running (although still a bit rough at times), I had to retime her, replace both fuel tanks (the driver's side tank had so much rust on it, that it developed holes when I cleaned it), and completely redesign the fuel lines. The XJ-12 fuel tanks had inlet AND outlet lines on them (fuel injection system). The XJ-6 tanks didn't (carburetors). Removed the XJ-12 tanks (anyone wanna buy these things? Maybe you'll want to repair the one with holes, and scrub the rust off ot them...lol.) and replaced them with the XJ-6 tanks. Poked holes in the trunk where the spare goes, and routed fuel lines from the front of both tanks to a "T", then over to the only fuel rod that the engine uses (on the passenger side). Leaky tank again on the driver's side. Bad gasket where the fuel lever float goes into the tank. Replaced the gasket...no more leaky.
I'm now into week 5 of owning a car I never really thought I'd ever be able to afford. My buddy suggested I throw some fuel system/carb cleaner into the fuel tanks, then use some other stuff after that has gone through, since it still backfires a bit on hard throttle (when cold) and easy throttle (when warmed up). No more using a gallon of gas every 10 minutes, and she runs like a champ. Now that THAT'S done, I am setting out to refresh the interior and other things. My next step will be to change out all the electrical components and hardware inside the doors. The electric windows don't work very well, none of the electric locks work (the rear driver's side door doesn't unlock if I lock it), and it needs some cosmetic touch-ups here and there. Since I got 4 XJ-6 doors with it, I'll *******ize those doors for the parts I need, then sell the shells. I'm also going to revamp a couple of places where I had to run the fuel lines (to get them a bit further away from the exhaust). Also, later on, I'll have the exhaust extended to where it's supposed to be (the current exhaust lines stop just aft of the rear wheels...lol). I also need to get a new wood kit for the dash. The one that's in it is all cracked, faded, and nasty looking.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story (if you actually stayed awake through it). More to come as I work on my dream car.
(does anyone wanna know how I got the name motormouth? hehe)
#3
10-04-2009, 04:21 AM
#4
10-04-2009, 11:31 AM
#6
10-13-2009, 10:15 AM
#7
10-13-2009, 01:34 PM
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#8
10-13-2009, 02:22 PM
Actually, that IS the bumper. The chrome piece above it is simply that...a chrome piece above the bumper.
The bumper (on my car) is covered with black rubber, and yes...I agree that it looks like ****. I'll attach a photo of the XJ6 bumper that I have so you can get a better look at it. If it weren't such a pain, I'd take the chrome piece off that top of the bumper to show you what lies behind it: there are two air shocks behind the bumper that attach to the car in the event of a frontal collision...I guess to give a buffer zone between the bumper and the radiator.
If that thing weren't the bumper, believe me, I'd have taken it off when I first got the car.
The bumper (on my car) is covered with black rubber, and yes...I agree that it looks like ****. I'll attach a photo of the XJ6 bumper that I have so you can get a better look at it. If it weren't such a pain, I'd take the chrome piece off that top of the bumper to show you what lies behind it: there are two air shocks behind the bumper that attach to the car in the event of a frontal collision...I guess to give a buffer zone between the bumper and the radiator.
If that thing weren't the bumper, believe me, I'd have taken it off when I first got the car.
#9
10-13-2009, 02:28 PM
#10
10-14-2009, 10:28 AM
Ah, it must be the sun or something (we dont get much of that here) it just looks very worn and as if it has been stuck on. I can recommend Forever Black to give it back some life...
http://www.foreverblack.com/
I used their bumper and trim restorer to great effect on my old Volvo. I have also used it to restore the greying door seals on the Jag. I got mine off ebay.
http://www.foreverblack.com/
I used their bumper and trim restorer to great effect on my old Volvo. I have also used it to restore the greying door seals on the Jag. I got mine off ebay.
#11
10-14-2009, 10:40 AM
#12
10-14-2009, 11:27 AM
Oh Lord...can you send me some UK bumpers??? lol They look SO mych better than ours!! Like the early 911 Porsches.
I think, not only because of crash specs, but also because we have a different shape license plate. Yours are wide and short, ours are not quite so wide.
I think, not only because of crash specs, but also because we have a different shape license plate. Yours are wide and short, ours are not quite so wide.
Last edited by m0t0rm0uth; 10-14-2009 at 11:43 AM.
#13
10-14-2009, 11:44 AM
There are a surprising amount of bumpers on ebay
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_t...All-Categories
though I would imaging it is going to get expensive. What about a bit of chrome around the position lights that are in the bumper?
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_t...All-Categories
though I would imaging it is going to get expensive. What about a bit of chrome around the position lights that are in the bumper?
#14
10-17-2009, 09:22 AM
Do they sell chrome pieces for those?
I'm trying to find some euro (UK) bumpers for my car. Not sure if I'll be successful or not. Also looking at getting some of those chrome strips that go around the wheel wells.
http://www.jcwhitney.com/jcwhitney/p...20338&id=85936
I'm trying to find some euro (UK) bumpers for my car. Not sure if I'll be successful or not. Also looking at getting some of those chrome strips that go around the wheel wells.
http://www.jcwhitney.com/jcwhitney/p...20338&id=85936
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