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Ever since I got Lady Mary, I've been wanting to have a proper Jaguar expert give her the once-over, so I can learn what condition she is in relative to other cars, and get an idea of how much money it would make sense to spend on her--I don't want to be throwing good money after bad. Every time I start her up, I am nervous that this will be the time she won't start. She has, in fact, never failed to start up, and only very, very rarely not on the first try. So I'm clearly completely paranoid, but it's easy to get that way when you finally get a car you've been lusting after for thirty years. I also wanted a sort of second opinion on some of the diagnoses of my local European cars garage, just to get an idea of what a Jaguar specialist would do (and charge).
So after doing some reading and comparing, I opted to take her to the Jaguar Engineer Factory in Hiratsuka, near Yokohama, run by a guy who was a Jag technician for more than thirty years. There are closer places, but the JEF is very well regarded, and it gave me an excuse for a a road trip.
We set out on a rather grey Saturday morning, after I checked water (fine) and oil (added a spot) and tyre pressure (a trifle high for some reason). Being a weekend, I could get 30% off expressway tolls with my ETC card, so we hooned along the northern coast of Honshu, taking a break for lunch just past the Oyashirazu section--26 tunnels in rapid succession as the expressway cuts through the mountains: the old road hugs the coast, which used to be very treacherous. Hence the name Oyashirazu: "Forget your parents"....
Heading inland, through some heavy rain, Lady Mary purred happily towards our first stop, the high-class resort town of Karuizawa. Nestled in the shadow of the merely dormant Mt Asama, it was developed in the late 19th century as a summer retreat for Europeans to escape the oppressive humidity of Tokyo and Yokohama, it is now more of a golfer's paradise.
Our destination, the historic Mampei Hotel (founded as a hotel in 1894, though the original inn it evolved from was founded in 1764; the current main wing was rebuilt in 1936 in a sort of half-timbered style), was hidden away among the trees, along a narrow road through which we could see other hotels and holiday homes behind these trees. I chose this hotel mainly as it was a historic, elegant hotel and would suit a historic, elegant motor car like Lady Mary.
Her Ladyship outside the hotel's main block.
After leaving the hotel, we first drove down through the old Karuizawa Ginza shopping street as my wife was curious about what sort of shops it had (nothing impressive, it turned out). From 11 am to 6 pm it was pedestrian-only, but we still had to go rather slowly. Lady Mary got a fair amount of attention, although whether it was because she was a low sleek classic Jaguar, or because people needed to get out of her way, I couldn’t be sure—though my wife told me she heard someone say the car was cool.
I decided it would be a better drive to take the old winding Route 18 down from Karuizawa rather than the expressway, or the new Route 18 bypass. The old road was indeed very winding, with 181 bends according to the signs, and my wife was pretty unhappy until she opened her window and started feeling better. As we got lower and lower there were more and more leaves still on the trees, which was interesting to note. The old road is also very popular with bikers and drivers, especially on sunny late autumn Sundays like today. Here you can see a whole group of Subaru fans:
Once on the flat, we were very surprised to see a succession of classic European (and other) cars coming towards us, mostly from the 1950s to 1960s it seemed. Even my wife was excited, and she’s never shown much interest in cars at all. I was amazed at all the wonderful old classic cars in Japan—you just never, ever, ever see them on the roads where I live. Turns out there was a two-day rally starting and leaving from Karuizawa that weekend, and I am kicking myself for missing it. Interestingly, while Lady Mary barely rates a glance from most people (Japanese are very good at ignoring things they aren’t interested in, and even if they noticed, they’d sooner dance naked in the street than wave or comment like Americans seem to do), the people in the classic cars most definitely noticed her. She certainly turned a few heads….
I was driving, so no photos of the classic cars, unfortunately, as I was driving, but I did have my drive recorder operating, and can get some images of the cars. Not very clear I'm afraid:
I did spot this in an expressway Service Area a little later:
An early 1960s Ginetta G4, I believe.
After lunch, we headed on down, following my Yahoo Navi app onto the Capital Expressway system. Which is very confusing even if you know the language fluently. So it will be no surprise that we managed to take the wrong route—I mistook a junction flyover for an offramp, didn’t take it when I should have, and managed to end up heading in quite the wrong direction. Never mind: the beauty of the Capital Expressway system is that it is a system—there are often alternative routes, and they don’t (as far as I know) cost any more. So we ended up heading up the Sumida River very near the towering Tokyo SkyTree and then down the Arakawa River, reaching the coast not too far from Tokyo Disney Resort. From there it was a straight drive down the famous Coast (Wangan) Expressway past (under, really) Haneda Airport and across Yokohama Bay Bridge, bear right to central Yokohama, and get off at the Minato Mirai interchange.
For the first two nights in Yokohama we were staying at the Yokohama Royal Park Hotel, which occupies the top third or so of the Landmark Tower. Recently (and barely) overtopped as Japan’s tallest building, I’d wanted to check this place out for ages, and had somehow never actually even been near it. In fact I hadn’t been to the Minato Mirai area since the 1989 Yokohama Exotic Showcase expo, back when the only buildings on the site were the sail-shaped Intercontinental Hotel and the huge Ferris wheel.
The carpark sign outside read “Full,” but I pulled in anyway, telling the guy out the front (stopping anyone else from coming in) that I was staying overnight. So we pulled up to the front, and the doorman tries to get the passenger door open, but I forgot to unlock the doors (my wife tends to insist on locking doors while travelling—she seems to think Strange People will jump in at the lights or something). Asked where I should park if the carpark was full, and was told they always keep a few spaces open for hotel guests (the carpark is used by the hotel, the office workers, and visitors to the area). I was vaguely hoping they’d say “Oh, just park the Jaguar out front, sir,” but no such luck. Clearly wasn’t quite high enough snob value—and considering what I saw parked outside later that night, I’m not too surprised.
My wife was actually most surprised to learn that McLarens are British. She seemed to think they were French or something.
Our room was on the 67th floor, the topmost floor of the hotel, and so not surprisingly, the views were pretty impressive. We weren’t angled quite precisely for the best views, as Yamashita Park and the Yokohama waterfront were to our extreme left, but it was impressive nonetheless. Especially at night.
After dinner, my wife wanted to cruise the Capital Expressways, so we headed up and drove around more or less at random. Spotted Tokyo Tower a couple of times, went up past Shinjuku, and managed to end up heading out entirely the wrong way, forcing me to get off and then get on again. Being a Sunday night, the city wasn't as lit up as it might have been otherwise, but it was at least pretty empty. Driving the Capital Expressway is a pretty popular thing to do, but I'm not sure I'd entirely recommend it. There are a lot of expansion joints, and the car goes thump--thump--thump over them.
Again, the best I can manage here is a still from the driver recorder:
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The next day, we took the car into JEF, the long way around. Via Yokosuka, simply as my wife wanted to see what sort of place it was (Yokosuka is home to a huge American naval base), then Kamakura, where my efforts to visit a temple were thwarted by lack of parking, lunch at a park in the next-door city where I used to live, then along to the JEF, where I dropped the car off and had a talk with the owner about her condition and so on.
Some of the cars parked outside JEF, looking rather like parts cars. The interior of the Mk II was in pretty good shape, though there was a small amount of external rust, and the paint was pretty bad.
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The next day we had no car, so the road trip report technically ends here, but I might as well comment on what we did. Toured the downtown Yokohama area a bit, checking out the Doll Museum, with an extensive collection of both Japanese and Western dolls, plus others from around the world...
...the old Hikawa Maru, a prewar passenger liner that ran a regular liner route between Yokohama, Vancouver and Seattle. Very nice Art Deco interiors...
...and Chinatown, where we had a very nice lunch of dim sum. Superb xiaolongbao.
After two nights in the Royal Park Hotel, we moved pretty much literally next door for one final night at the Yokohama Bay Hotel Tokyu, where we had a room with a "view bath" looking out over the Cosmo World amusement park, and especially its huge Ferris wheel.
My wife eating dinner in the bathroom as she said it had the most square-on view of the Ferris wheel....
Long exposure shot from our balcony. We rode the Ferris wheel the first night, at my wife's insistence. A half-hour wait, and she admitted it was actually a bit of a disappointment. Too fast for her liking (one revolution in 15 minutes) and every time I moved, the car swayed (apparently. I couldn't detect it).
The next morning it was back home by bullet train. As Lady Mary is still getting herself seen to, we'll have to go and collect her at some stage in hopefully the not too distant future, so I'm sure there'll be a Part Two of this road trip eventually. She behaved perfectly during the trip. All temps well within spec--reading a trifle low along the expressways, where cool autumn air was rammed into her at high speeds (how high? Well, she nearly reached 160 kph (100 mph) at one point before sanity reared its ugly head, and was still accelerating easily), and even good temps pottering around the city. She did exactly what she was supposed to do for 806 kilometres, and, as far as one can tell with an inanimate object, seemed to enjoy it.
I know I did....
Last edited by Some Day, Some Day; 11-21-2017 at 07:31 AM.
Do you have a large resolution of the nigut view over Yokohama? I'd like that as a desktop background!
Thanks!
I think if you right-click the photos and select Save it should download in a large enough resolution to use as desktop wallpaper. Or you can go to Gallery and then Albums and get it there, I think.
Great photos! In the last photo at JEF, is that a Daimler Century against the fence, behind the red X Type?
Technically, no. It's a Daimler Centenary. As per 1996 Daimler Century International Register, "Those few [all V12s] which were exported to Japan were badged as a Daimler Centenary in order not to clash with the Toyota Century."
A lovely car, this one seemed in pretty good nick, too, aside from a tired driver's seat. Actually, when I was shopping for Lady Mary, I was very tempted by this one: DAIMLER DAIMLER CENTENARY | 1996 | GREEN | 75,000 km | details.- Japanese used cars.Goo-net Exchange. However, the fact that it had the divided rear seats (which my wife hated, as she couldn't lie down and nap), had been in an accident (officially, a "repaired" car refers to structural damage, not minor dings), and hasn't sold over a year later (unless they simply haven't removed the listing) makes me glad I didn't. Still, a lovely machine....
True, I was thinking that it was named differently in Japan after I posted. I wasn't aware that Japan only got the V12 Centenary's, not the 6's.
I like the individual style rear seats, that's a big plus for me!
I'm neutral. I like the appearance and feel of extra luxury, I don't like the hassle of not being able to get everyone in from the same side or put anything long there. On my own, I'd probably go for it, however. Although what I'd really like after the XJS is a SIII Double Six.... (What I'd really like is a Mark IX....)
When it was built, it was the biggest in the world. So I'm not surprised it's featured in a few photos and videos before.
To be honest, it's not worth riding. Even my wife, so excited to get on it she was talking about riding it again the next night, was "let's not" afterwards. But it sure do look purty wid all dem lights....
Isnt there a law in Japan where you have to get the whole car overhauled every few years?
all the bushes and much other stuff which prompted the "grey import" business to the uk,where cars that needed the overhaul were sold and exported.
Me, as well. A great tale, well told, and properly illustrated. I enjoyed it immensely. Thank you for sharing.
I read it yesterday evening on my ancient laptop. Incapable of oening the pictures. So, I resolved to do it this AM on my not quite as ancient and definitely more capable Dell desktop.
It's reasonably expensive both to have the test performed and to do the repairs, so it can be cheaper to sell an older car that needs work than to do the work. There isn't a strong DIY culture of car repair in Japan, so if you're paying a shop to do remedial work it can be cheaper to just get a new car.
Yes, I have to get my cars inspected every two years. I haven't done it with the Jag yet, so don't know what, if any, repairs will be needed, but it's possible to save some money and do it yourself. That's what I used to do with my motorbike, just giving it the once-over (the items that the Shaken/WOF tests are pretty straightforward, especially for motorbikes) and then taking it into the testing station myself.
With my wife's kei car, I just take it along to a cheap place which gives it the once-over, fixes what needs to be fixed to get it to pass, and that's literally the ONLY care that car gets--it's never even been washed (unless you count driving it in the rain...). I'm basically trying to drive it into the ground - it's twenty years old, after all. And last time it needed boots and brakes and a new battery and a few other things, ending up costing the equivalent of nearly US$1,000. That's still cheaper than replacing it, at least with anything I'd want to drive. Also, my wife really likes it, especially as it's a manual. (Though she would rather like a Mercedes G-Class, in black. Ha ha ha, I say....)
But it's not the testing or the repairs that drive the price up. It's the mandatory taxes.
You have to take out the compulsory third-party insurance that is insultingly low in payout if you actually do get into an accident, so everyone is forced to get private insurance with unlimited payout. You also need to pay a weight tax (with an extra fee for being older than 13 years) and a vehicle tax, which for a Jaguar would come to about US$700, and there's an additional yearly tax based on the engine displacement--so you can imagine a 5.3 litre engine costs a packet. Especially now that the government, in its infinite wisdom, has decreed that older cars (more than 13 years old) must pay more for this as well, in what is obviously a desperate attempt to spur the automotive industry (whenever a government or organization says they're doing something "eco-friendly," you can bet it's just an excuse to save money or get more money from you). From memory, I have to pay about US$1,000 a year.
At any rate, I'll count myself lucky to get Lady Mary's Shaken for less than US$2,000.
One reason it's hard to work on your own cars in Japan is a lack of space. Very, very few people have enclosed garages.
Update:
JEF finally sent me the estimate: JPY471,890 or about US$4,200. Ouch. The two biggies are labour to remove the dash to fix the aircon (which I know is expensive work from what others have said) and labour to remove and reseal the windscreen to fix the interior leak. It's not a big leak, making it tempting to leave it, but I don't know what damage that water is doing on its way through. She's not a fair-weather-only car, after all. Those two alone are JPY140,000 ($1,200) in labour. Oosh....
The cost for replacing the engine mounts is pretty reasonable - labour is listed as only 5,000 yen (say $45), but I assume that's as the front member mounts are also in line for replacement. But even that's not too bad, and $350 for parts and labour.
He says the dizzy cap has a part missing, and that's going to be replaced with a (rather pricey) second-hand Marelli cap (new ones not being available of course), along with the gasket and rotor.
The fuel hoses crossing the vee will also be replaced, presumably as a precaution, as will the low-pressure power steering hose, which apparently leaks.
Other than that it's minor stuff, like a blown fog light bulb, though the charge of 5,000 yen for what appears, according to the estimate, to be "spare tyre loose: tighten" which makes no sense, so I'll ask him about that. He can't be charging fifty bucks to tighten up the screw which holds it in place, surely?
Anyway, I knew this would be pricey, but as everyone says, get it done all at once without mucking about. Aside from some issues I pointed out, I told the guy to basically give her a thorough check and fix what needs fixing. So with these done, I should be able to look forward to years (hopefully in the plural!) of relatively worry-free driving....
11-21-2017, 07:28 AM
Road Trip to Yokohama - Part I
