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Featuring edited highlights from past issues of XJ NewsFebruary 2009 |
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Cover picture: 1994 XJS Coupe. Pride of Keith Thomas
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 The International XJ-S Cabriolet Register
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Contents1. Latest news from Xclusively Jaguar2. Latest news from Knowles Wilkins Engineering 3. Diary of an XJ40 - Part 1 4. Performance Motorcare Detailing Advice – Part 2
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 Facts and Information by Model
SS & Pre-war Jaguar's
1950's Sports/Racing
1950's Saloons
E-type
1960's Saloons |
NEWS!Apprentice of the Year Awards 2009 |
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by Esta-jane MaceAt the end of November 2008, Jaguar and Land Rover nominated a selection of apprentices to be put forward to the Coventry Guild Hall Apprentice of the Year Awards. I was lucky enough to be one of those candidates. Each candidate was given a form to fill out, which covered our qualifications, both before and during our apprenticeships, our hobbies and interests, and details on our apprenticeship and the jobs involved.In the second week of December I received a phone call from my training mentor at Jaguar Land Rover-I had been picked as one of 6 finalists from all of the applications which were received from many companies across Coventry. This in itself, I was told, was a huge honour, and it came with a cheque for £100, a plaque, and a date for the final interview! |
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On Tuesday 6th January I went for my interview. The interviews were held at St. Marys Guildhall in Coventry. For
those that have never been, the Guildhall is approximately 650 years old, and is a stunning example of the few
historic buildings still standing in Coventry. The interview was not so much of an interview as a formal “chat”,
where I was quizzed in person over my apprenticeship and my hobbies by 5 very friendly Guild Members. After the
interview I received tickets to the Awards Dinner which was to be held on the 20th January. The dinner was also held at the Guildhall, and included a lovely 3 course meal and a talk about the history of the Guildhall and apprenticeships within Coventry (with records going back hundreds of years-with female apprentices being recorded as far back as the Middle Ages!) After all of these the awards were given out. Sadly I did not win the award, which came with a special trophy and a cheque for £1,000, but, as I was only 1 point away from winning the award, a special “Highly Commended Award” was created for me with an extra bonus of £250. Although I didn’t win, it was indeed an honour to have been picked as a finalist, and, as my training mentor stated, the winner was not from Jaguar Land Rover, so that made me the JLR Apprentice of the Year. It was also mentioned that if it had been up to the College I attended (Coventry City College) I would definitely have won. Thank you to all those who have supported me! |
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Latest on the Websites! I have now added all the links to other websites, as promised and agreed. www.xclusively-jaguar.co.uk is currently dormant as the Dreamweaver course I was due to attend has been cancelled due to lack of interest - which is very annoying for those of us who were interested! The email facility is, however, fully functional on this site. www.xclusively-jaguar.com is the site on which this newsletter appears and I have concentrated on getting as much relevant information on this site as possible. It should all be fully functional, and up-to-date. If you do have a problem with this website, or find something which is not working PLEASE let me know in order that I can attempt to correct it!.
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Save Jaguar Land Rover! On the Downing Street website there is a petition to Save Jaguar Land Rover. Simply follow the link below to add your name. It only takes 2 mins of your time - and could make all the difference!
W479 LDN |
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Another First for Jaguar!By Brian Foster (Spain) |
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Some 20 years ago we drove to Chatham from Yorkshire. When we reached the Dartford crossing (Tunnel) I was
interested in the construction of the new bridge which was about one third complete. Some months later we were
flying into Heathrow from Sydney, and due to air traffic congestion we were stacked up. The stacked route was from
Heathrow, down above the Thames to Dartford, and as the Jumbo circled to fly West again, I could clearly see the
new Thames crossing bridge; from above of course. The deck construction had progressed to both cable suspension
piers and part of the centre suspension span had been completed, also equally from each of the two piers. So there
was in effect a gap of about 300 feet at mid span. Only a few weeks later I was once again driving by road to Chatham, but on this occasion in my recently acquired and beautiful Jaguar XJ-S, in order to attend a Formal Dinner Night in the Headquarters Royal Engineers Officers Mess. As I approached the Dartford Crossing on the M25, the signs as always kept saying DARTFORD TUNNEL so I then started to descend down a long incline to the tunnel. But to my alarm, an illuminated arrow suddenly came on in the dark telling me to turn left, with which I complied, and found myself climbing like an aircraft taking off. The road curved to the right and again I was climbing on a 6 lane road with nothing in front of me, but a few cars behind. It was then I realized I was on the new bridge, and I was really worried! “Is it open?” I wondered. “What happened to all the cars in front of me?” And then I thought “What if the centre span is not complete? On and up I climbed until I was on the crown of the arch, RELEIF, there was no great gap into which I could fall into the Thames a hundred feet below! Leading the convoy of cars, we descended down the reverse slope and re-joined the other traffic in order to pass through the Toll Booths. At dinner the next day, following the Port and after the Loyal Toast, I asked if anyone at the table had driven over the new Thames crossing bridge the day before. There was a stunned silence, and then an old WW2 Officer, minus an ear, retorted, "The bridge is not open yet, and not due to be for another 3 months."….. "Well, I crossed it!" I replied, but everyone looked at me as if I was either mad or drunk. The next day when I returned to Yorkshire, I paid special attention to the South bank of the new bridge as I approached the North Tunnel crossing, and to my disbelief, there was no sign that the bridge was open or ever had been because various machines were still scattered across the carriageway and men could be seen working everywhere. I entered the Tunnel heading for the M11 thinking: “Was I dreaming on the way down?” Three months passed, and I was watching the BBC 6 o' clock News. "Today the Queen officially opened the new Thames crossing Bridge and the traffic flowed across for the first time without a hitch. However," the newscaster went on, "Some 3 months ago a trial run took place when the bridge was opened for just one hour in the hours of darkness, and this was just long enough for the Traffic Management Team to assess the flow characteristics." So there you have it, I was the first member of the motoring public to cross the bridge in my XJ-S, and quite sober!
Another first for Jaguar!
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Latest news from Knowles Wilkins Engineering |
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We have an urgent requirement for a 3.6 auto XJ-S coupéWe are commissioned to rebuild a 3.6 auto XJ-S coupé and finding the right colour donor car has been difficult! The body must be a pre-facelift coupé and the colour must be Black, Dark Green (e.g. Jaguar Racing green, British Racing green) or Dark Red (e.g. Bordeaux, Regency, Claret) but NOT Signal Red, and no pale metallics such as Jade or Arctic Blue. The car must be in good external condition with no significant visible rust or other blemishes. Mileage should be under 80,000 miles as we won't be doing much to the engine. The engine must be a 3.6 litre and the transmission must be automatic. The ideal car would be 1988 - 1991, 50,000 miles with good history. The suspension, leather and carpet condition is less important as these will be replaced. Please contact KWE direct, preferably with pictures. It would help if the car was less than 80 miles from Newbury. |
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Latest News on the "KWE Super Coupe"
Phase 1 – to have the Super Coupe roadworthy and MOT’d, is nearing completion.
More in next month’s instalment! |
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Performance Motorcare Detailing Advice – Part 2 |
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The Clay Bar
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Although now much more commonly used in the detailing fraternity
than even one or two years ago, the clay bar is still one of
detailings best kept secrets. Using a clay bar can significantly
improve the surface of your paintwork to give a silk smooth finish
and ultimately help acheive the incredibly deep shine you are
always looking for. So what is it, why does it work and how do you use it...? Unless you keep your motor sealed in a giant glass display case, it will be subject to attack from air and water borne pollution from the second it leaves the factory paint shop. Much of this pollution and contamination ("dirt") is so fine it is virtually invisible but can comprise of many common particulates such as brake dust, acid rain, road film and tar and many fine particles of pollutants from factories, fires etc. And which at some point, come falling down and begin to bond into the surface of your paintwork. And whilst you can't see it, will make the surface of your paint rough and begin the process of oxidisation. Of course some of this "dirt" can be removed by washing or pre-wax cleaning compounds - but not all of it. This is where the clay bar comes into it's own. Clay bars have been used extensively in bodyshops for many years, primarily for the removal of overspray. So what is it? Essentially clay is a flexible putty-like substance with an extremely light polishing quality that when used with a suitable lubricant will apply a polishing action to remove microscopic and other protrusions from your paint surface, without affecting the underlying paint. Thus effectively removing contaminant particles protruding above the surface of your paint to make it extremely smooth to the touch and much much cleaner. Our first experience... When Ali and I first encountered clay bars, we were to say the least, very skeptical. After all we were washing, polishing and waxing to get a brilliant shine - So how could there be anymore "dirt" on our paintwork? All I can say is be prepared for a surprise. The first time we used it, after a good wash we were amazed at the brown film that quickly covered the surface of our clay bar, and all from the "dirt" we couldn't see. But the best was yet to come - the smoothness of the paint surface was even more amazing. At the time we didn't think we could get it any smoother than we had been doing - but boy were we wrong. So essentially, when used the clay bar will remove the residual contaminants from the surface of your paintwork without being abrasive to the paint itself and therefore ensuring the smoothest possible surface for polishing and waxing. After all the last thing you want to do is put a wax or sealant on your paint and effectively seal in surface "dirt" that was still present. So how do you use it...? The key to using clay safely, is lubrication. The ideal lubricant being one that is specially formulated for use with clay, such as Pinnacle Clay Lubricant and does not contain a high degree of alcohol in its formula. Alternatively a fresh dilution mix of a quality motor wash shampoo can also be used as an effective lubricant, as long as you have plenty on hand. The first step is to thoroughly wash and dry your motor. Again using a quality motor shampoo. As with most detailing, claying should not be done in direct sunlight or on hot surfaces. A good idea before you start is to cut your clay bar into 2 or 3 smaller pieces, depending on the original size. Thus if you accidentally drop your bar, you have some uncontaminated clay to continue with. If you do accidentally drop your clay on the ground, do not attempt to pick the grit out or knead it round so you can't see them - THROW IT AWAY. It is also a good idea to roll or knead the clay before use to ensure it is as soft and malleable as possible. After having done this, simply flatten out your clay across your fingers and you are ready to proceed. Next... Spray your lubricant onto a small area of your paintwork. Always work in small areas and not whole panels at a time. Then spray your clay with the lubricant and rub, with a medium to light pressure in a forwards/backwards motion across the paint surface. Always ensuring you do not allow the lubricant to dry out in the area being worked. It will only take a few passes across your paint to feel the difference. Once you are happy that you have a smoother surface or a visible contaminant has been removed, such as a tar spot or overspray, then wipe over with a quality microfibre cloth and move on to the next section. Remember to keep a regular check on your clay bar. If it pulls away large particles of "dirt" such as tar spots, pick these out immediately. And when your clay starts to become "dirty" then knead it over to expose a fresh surface. Finally... Don't forget to give your paintwork a final wash and dry to remove any residue from the lubricant. You are now ready to polish and wax over what should now be an extremely clean and smooth surface. As in many things it is ultimately the time and preparation put in at the beginning that will determine the quality of the finish at the end. And clay barring is no exception. In a nutshell that is the secret of clay and what was one of detailings best kept secrets. If you have not used clay before we hope this has given you the insight to give it a try and if you are already using it we hope it has given you a better understanding of how and why you should continue. And on a final note, you should only need to clay once or twice a year and when you have finished, and if your clay is not too dirty, then safely store it away in a clean plastic closable container or sealable polythene bag, to ensure it does not pick up dirt and dust whilst not in use. Recommended clay bars and lubricants can be found by following the link to Performance Motorcare on our links page. |
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