So the mechanic has had my Jag for 12 days now. And there's no sign it's coming back soon. My concern is that he may be a bit of a perfectionist about thing
Looking for guidance on what constitutes "good enough" here. I'm not racing the car, I'm not a collector, I'd just like to be able to maybe have the new roof put on before the heat of summer and drive it a bit
s (we're fixing the high idle, or trying to, but he's not happy with it yet. The new temp gauge isn't working still, so he's pulling the dash. Other things have emerged - it's a freaking black hole I fear) since he has done some high dollar restorations. We're not looking to do a $60k car here, more like a $6k car.

So...at what point do I say "let's stop and just drive the damn thing" already? Are there issues that you consider absolute "must fix perfectly" and others that can be ignored?

 

You gotta fix the idle. You may need the original Jaguar PDU for that. Without it, your mechanic can not fix it.

What else is wrong?

What year is it?

Wht engine do you have?

I run my 1996 as a daily driver. It either is running in nominal condition, or it isn't. I don't think there's a perfection issue here, he simply may not have the proper computer equipment to correct the problem.

 

On a 1990 XJS?


Cheers
DD

 

What has he done so far?

Common problems are:

- Dirty, out-of-adjustment throttle blades
- Out of adjustment throttle linkages and/or worn throttle bushings
- Faulty/stuck Aux Air valve
- Vacuum leaks





Hopefully just pulling the instrument cluster ( 20 minutes) and not the entire dash! Faulty contacts at the back of the cluster are common






Old XJSs can seem that way, yes. How long have you owned it?



That's your call.



Fully operational brakes/lights/wipers, a good battery, starter, alternator, and (considering this is a Jag V12) a cooling system in tip-top condition.


Most owners ignore tons of stuff. That why older XJSs take so long to sort out :-).

Cheers
DD

 

OK...this is helping a bit :-). He did check the throttle and cleaned something and there is a stuck/faulty air valve. Took some time for the replacement to come in, and that is not working exactly as he'd like, so he's had to tweak it also...I'm FAR from a mechanic so I'm not sure of the specifics on where we're at with that. It's much better I know - it was only an issue in park, oddly - but not perfect.

He did also mention contacts as the first thing he's checking on the instruments. There was something ominous about the printed circuits, but I'm choosing to ignore that.

And he's searching for the small plastic bezel for the cigarette lighter since the plastic flanges are broken.

I'm quite sure there are a number of other issues - he mentioned a NEW door lock problem (seems the key is "fussy" on the driver side now, it hadn't been the few times I drove the car, but...) but that he is choosing to ignore since the prospect of replacing a whole lot of tumblers and door handles and locksets is not something I want to look at.

I've owned the car since March 20th - drove it twice since owning it, actually. Once out to dinner, then to the mechanic, two days after buying it. It's been there ever since. The new roof is in my living room, along with floor mats. I had hoped to unite them all next week but that's not on the agenda.

 

FYI, here are some of his more extensive restorations: Raspis British Imports | British And Lovin It

 

I'd agree with doug, everything that makes the car safe and reliable.
Brakes, Lights, Cooling system, fuel system etc. Do any regular maintenance that you aren't sure on the history of and fix the rest as you drive it.
Right now my drivers door handle and window motor are busted, the A-pillar trim is broken, my front rotors need to be turned, fuel gauge doesn't work, and front end isn't aligned....that being said I can drive it every day without issue and fix these things as I go along.

 

I have an 88 parts car that I'll let parts go for dirt cheap. And I do mean Dirt cheap!

 

If it fits, we may need a window motor from that parts car. I have my car back - Mark did a great job with it, and spent a lot of time showing me what to check, walking me through "if this, do this" scenarios and just helping me get the hang of the car.

He did have to rebuild a "new" used replacement aux air flow valve thingie (sorry, I'm NOT a mechanice - I know, and I bought an old Jag, right?). And there were several connection issues with the gauges that he fixed, along with other things.

BUT...we have a problem with the right rear window still. It's not the relays or connections - we've actually pulled the relays for both rear windows so I can enjoy the roof down until we can find a motor. Any suggestions for that welcome...