The big cat's return from the doldrums began when my Dad sold his house, meaning that 'H9 WAP' was evicted. As she wasn't taxed, MOT'd, or in any fit state to run, I arranged transport to my place of work where she could be parked off the street and could get her into the garage for the necessary repairs. I have to say a huge 'Thank You' to the staff and students Edinburgh College's Midlothian Campus for putting up with my derelict car as she long overstayed her welcome. Without the kind patch of private road offered her I would have been really stuck, so thank you!
On arrival at the Campus, the car was in desperate need of a wash. There was moss growing where it shouldn't. She had become her own ecosystem. It wasn't pretty, but was easily solved thanks to a pressure washer. Once 'H9 WAP' was looking like someone cared I moved onto her mechanicals.
Now, the 2013 refusal to issue an MOT certificate was due to the broken front spring and knackered parking brake, so these were tackled first. Thanks to some very keen pricing from Euro Car Parts, the loan of a special tool from Mulsanne Motors, the ramps at Edinburgh College, and help from Big Billy, replacing the springs was fairly straightforward. Granted, the first one took a while. Any little noise the spring compressor made had me running for cover, while the alignment of the spring pan on refitting proved tricky.
Once both sides were successfully swapped out it was on to the parking brakes where de-lamination of the shoes turned out the be the culprit for inefficiency. My stash of spares in the Jag's boot was raided and a good found then duly fitted. The rear discs were replaced at the same time too (I'd previously bought a spare pair off a parts car which were refaced to remove corrosion. Sadly this took them right to their minimum thickness and warped them for good measure, so the only option was to buy and fit new ones).
With that mechanical work complete, and the car given a pre-MOT check thumbs up by automotive students, my attention moved to the foosty interior. A rear window had been left open a crack while 'H9 WAP' was on the driveway in Dunipace and the boot was unlatched too. This let moisture in and resulted in mould growing on the passenger seatbelt, the seats, ski slope, radio, and the steering wheel. A thorough scrub with microfibre cloths and Milton's disinfectant brought things back up to standard but I'll need to feed the leather seats, get into the nooks and crannies with an old toothbrush, and shampoo the mats/carpets. Those are tasks for a sunny day off. At least the car doesn't smell like a squaddie's sock now.
Feeling good that the car was presentable and the last MOT issues had been resolved, I booked the Jag into GP Autos, Dalkeith, for a new test. I know the staff from my time at Mulsanne. They have a lot of experience in old, luxury metal and the £40 MOT test is a bargain. To be honest, I could see it fail. I mean after all, the backbox still had a hole in it the size of a tangerine (which oddly was never mentioned in 2013). What I wasn't expecting though was such an epic fail...
Here's the list...
Fails
- Brakes Failures: RBT Brake Imbalance: 52% and 9%
- Offside front headlamp aim too high
- Offside rear brake pipe excessively corroded
- OFR and NSF inner sills holed (right within the subframe mounting area - ouch!)
- Offside rear box has major leak of exhaust gasses (aye - was expecting that)
- Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (due to the backbox)
- Brakes imbalanced across an axle
Advisories
- Park Brake Efficiency 16% (Offside was worst)
- Front to Rear and NSF brake pipe slightly corroded
- Both rear brake hoses have slight corrosion to ferrules
- OSF and NSF chassis rails corroded but not excessive (slight de-lamination)
- Windscreen lightly scored
My heart sank when I got the phone call. Having forked out for the transport, the parts, and having done a load of work, I was about ready to throw in the towel. Sadly I had run out of time and space to do the work myself. The insurance was up too, plus it would still need road tax. I felt bad for abandoning it on the driveway and neglecting what has always been a dream car for me. Rather than just accept defeat though I asked GP's for an estimate which came back costing a lot less than I was expecting, so I gave the them the go ahead to fix her. It had to be done!
As the repairs saga rolled on I galvanised myself into sorting out the other stuff needing doing such as finding a place the the Jag to rest. I took on the rent of an Edinburgh City Council lock up, after checking my car would fit, finding a bone dry garage in a nice central location, near a Police station and in the shadow of Arthur's Seat. That will be The Beastie's new home.
Meanwhile, fully comp insurance this year came in at under £200, though it is a limited 3000 mile per annum policy. Given the distance accrued over the last two years this is no issue. The odometer has gone from 119093 in March 2012, to 121054 in April 2014. A grand total of 1961 miles. In comparison, she did over 4000 miles between 2011 to 2012, and 6800 the year before.
Last week GP's called to say that 'H9 WAP' passed her MOT at the third time of asking. The smile returned to my face, well, at least until I had to pay the bill and discovered the retest had turned up some additional advisories.
Bonus Advisories!
- Both front bearings have slight play
- Rear axle both bushes slightly deteriorated
- Both rear tyre treads low
- OSF disc warped slightly
So, with all the t's crossed and i's dotted, repairs done and some fresh fuel in the tank, tonight it was time to hit the road!
It's like the first time all over again.
I remember the nerves I had on the trip from Glasgow the day I bought her, how I was waiting for something to go wrong. The adrenalin was flowing. My muscles tense. Maybe that's half the attraction of having an old car? That wait, those nerves, the chance to fix something if it fails and feel all manly about it. After a while though I settled into it and enjoyed the driving, the same as I had done just over two years ago. The magic carpet waftiness is still there, blissfully so without the clunks from the front end caused by a burst spring. The brakes, gearchanges and steering are all smooth, and all the electrics work. Ample power is beneath my right boot and the ambience can't be beat.
Of course, a few things have reared their head or are still outstanding. She is a Project Car after all.
For instance, the idle speed is too high thanks to a manky throttle body. This means you have to pop her in neutral and blip the throttle for her to unstick and settle down. Hardly the done thing in traffic. My battery is still suspect. The ABS warning light came on, then went off, so perhaps a connection is loose. The blown bulb warning light appears then goes away on its own. The brakes are still a bit spongy so it would probably be a good idea to re-bleed the lot given how long she sat on that driveway in the crap weather. I still need to do the upper timing chain tensioner before doing serious miles. The alloys are all buggered, leaking air at the rims and in need of refurb, plus the steering wheel reach adjustment needs sorting, and I need a new wiper. Oh, then there's the checkstrap and rear bumper brackets to be done in addition to bodywork and painting - specifically targeted at a rust bubble on the NSR arch and multitudes of scratches all over.
But, with all the money spent, the work done, and the work still to do, I have a classic Jag on the road at less than the cost price of my tired old Almera. This is a good thing.
I would recommend buying one in a heartbeat. Prices for big Jags are still falling. You'll find much better examples than mine for sale at around or less than the £600 I paid. I admit that had I waited, and added the cost of the repairs I have paid to the purchase price of the car, I could have had something with less miles on and in better condition. Then again, the classic car journey is why people get into this hobby. Destination is one thing yes, but the getting there is what keeps you interested. Every little bit you fix, make new, improve or polish. It all adds up. When 'H9 WAP' is back to perfect condition I will feel an enormous sense of satisfaction and I'll enjoy myself getting there. And so a Jaguar's Tale continues! :)
