Howdy Friends. You've all probably tired of my incessant questions...Why doesn't my car run? Why is there a gallon of transmission fluid in the driveway? etc.

So, today I'm going to talk about movies. Specifically a movie called Re-Animator. Which, when I last saw it 30 years ago, was hilarious. In the movie, there's a fellow who has been decapitated, but holds his head in front of him with two hands to guide himself around. Ok. I'm a little older now, so it was a probably kind of a juvenile movie.

However, back on track, three years ago, I pulled a '97 Jaguar XK8 out of a storage facility, gave the owner 1,500 bucks and had it towed home. Don't know if it was the worst or best $1,500 I've ever spent. Darn near every system on the car had been touched - and no longer functioned. And, just as in the movie Re-Animator, a magic elixir had been applied to these parts in the hope of Re-Animating it. For example, the throttle body had been blessed with so much silicon sealant, the ooze nearly filled the opening. Sealant was everywhere. Probably to replace the many bolts that had been discarded. Wires were spliced or discarded. It took me months to figure that the taillight module had been mostly removed. All that was left was the plug and a big ball of solder, which surprisingly, kind of worked.

Kind of funny, the owner told me the car only needed a few things (I didn't believe him). In fact, the only thing that worked properly was the air conditioning. The previous owner didn't think that worked!

Now, if I had simply ripped everything out of the car and bolted in a Chevy engine, that would make the car a Frankenstein monster. But this is my third Jaguar (I don't know why) and I like the Re-Animator better than Frankenstein. So, I slowly worked through the car, applying my own secret sauce to the non-functioning components.

Three years later and $4,000 over budget (don't know if Re-Animator was a government project, but I live near Washington, DC) , I can't claim that the car is now 100 percent. But it works about as well as the fellow who held his head in front of him to guide him around.

And I've put about 100 miles on the car. Also, this morning, I took it to a Cars and Coffee. No one laughed and a few people said nice things.

Thanks for reading. And most of all, thanks for all the help. The car would never have come alive without the great information and kind words of all the good folks on the forum.

Here it is. The Re-Animator:



Re-Animator shows its grille.



Same view, different angle.

 

Way to go Truck Graphics, perseverance, sweat, and lots of time, (ok, $'s too!), you should be proud, well done!

Cheers, BK

 

That had to be a nice feeling pulling into the event with the ol girl.

 

Well done; congrats!

 

 

Thanks for the pics, TG.
To me, this is what this forum is all about - and it shows what perseverance can do: you've saved another cat.

Well done.

Mike

 

It's ALIVE! Great when a project works out, these do make interesting hobby cars.

 

Just an observation. But isn't a hobby car supposed to be Fun, and not a PITA??? I'm kinda wondering where one ends, and the other begins??? LOL!

But "COOL" you got it going!

Jack

 

You are right, 89 Jacobra, in that a project car should be fun and not a PITA. If I were a smarter man, I would have sold my car when I realized it was, many times, going to be a PITA, and cost me more beans than I intended at that.

But on the other hand, I get satisfaction from problem solving and enjoy a mystery - which describes my view of most XK8 systems, electrical and otherwise. Also, I enjoy reading and (trying to) write mysteries. Sometimes working on a project car is like reading another page in the same book. It's satisfying, but at the same time you wish the darn book would end and the murderer revealed !

Also, I like to finish things that I started. I'll be the first to admit that there are times when the best decision is to find a "greater fool" for your project; that is someone who thinks he or she can more easily finish the thing. And they may be right. But it's not in my make up.

So, 89 Jacobra, I don't disagree with you at all. Keeping this car may not have been the greatest decision. It wasn't always fun. There are folks out there who would have bought it before it ran and almost certainly could figure out and fix its problems faster while leaving me with a few bucks and no headaches. At some point, when it no longer interests me, I will sell it. For now though, the car's (remaining? unsolvable?) PITA attributes are what makes it interesting. Also, like the other Jaguars I've owned, it's enjoyable to drive.

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I did not want a British car...I have never owned one just like I have never owned French or Italian....My cousin bought the car new and it recently sat for two years....I reluctantly bought it as a favor to him....and I FELL IN LOVE with my xk8! Most important other than gas is to replace the battery even if it starts, if it is not recent.

I did not have as many issues as you did, but I brought my car back to being somewhat reliable, passing smog twice now, and being able to fix everything but the trunk lights! I salute you, these are great cars, sure the car is full of micky mouse electronics, parts that are needlessly complex,and stuff you need to remove a ton of stuff to deal with.

This car with a v8, a chevy engine and perhaps a 6 speed manual, would be a real kick. I don't care for automatics at all, but I do understand it is the easiest thing to do trans wise.

A good thing is that Ford shared dna with this car and parts for Ford shared components are plentiful and cheap. With the aide of this forum, youtube, my 50 years of car tinkering, and my son I can keep this thing running and enjoy it. Water pump, $38.00 cause it fits lincoln and ford, brakes $180 for everything, thermostat for $18.00, etc. Every time I remove a panel or take something off to get to something (rear speakers...what a mess to replace) I have to wonder what the engineers were thinking when they designed this or that?

The trunk lights....needlessly complex system of this and that...as example.

 

I agree with your sentiments exactly, What I said was tongue in cheek. So if you gathered from my User name, my car is the Marriage of a 89 XJS, and a Ford 460. Now lots of people have stuffed 350 Chevy's in them, and drove away happy. But thats no fun, like you I enjoy the challenge, even if sometimes it becomes a PITA! The outcome will be quite gratifying. Besides with a last name like SHELBY. Well we do things a little differently. Just cause we can.

Jack