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Xclusively Jaguar
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Xclusively Jaguar News
January 2010
Volume 2 - Issue 6
Cover picture: Christopher Dixon's snow covered XJR
Latest news from Xclusively Jaguar
As you can see from this, the first issue of the new year, we have been very busy, despite the Christmas season! We have yet more new sponsors - Thomas Westcott Chartered Accountants, and a new regular contributor - Mitch Verheyen from Holland, who is an accomplished Jaguar mechanic and an authority on the Broadspeed Racing Jaguars from the 1970’s, so if you have a particular interest in these, make sure your name is on the e-newsletter mailing list!
Mitch comments: "When I started my replica Broadspeed XJC and website about 7 years ago there was nothing to be found online about these cars. Right now there are the 4 original cars and about 15 replica's worldwide - and this group is growing every year!
The 1970’s were a dark spot in the history of Jaguar (under the Leyland flag) which many people do not want to know about. That is why the race coupe's where hidden and most people only know about Walkinshaw racing the XJ-S and Broadspeed has been forgotten!
We have compressed the registers into one monthly slot, now entitled "Xclusively Jaguar Registers" which, this month, features our latest Daimler Century finds.
There is much more on the agenda for the new year, so we hope you will continue to join us each month, to see how things continue to develop!
Happy New Year !!!
Jaguars in the Snow!
Christopher Dixon's snow covered XJR (pictured above) is just one example of some of the lovely pictures of "Jaguar's in the snow" which we have received, and hope to feature in next year's Christmas card selection.
Don’t forget, if it snows (again), lets have some more lovely shots of your Jaguar’s in a snowy landscape! Please send them to Xclusively Jaguar, and your Jaguar (or Daimler) could be one of those picked out for the Christmas cards I am planning for next Christmas 2010.
If you live somewhere exotic, and you aren’t expecting any snow, dont feel left out, as a 2011 Calender, featuring the 12 best pictures is also on the agenda. Again, suitable pictures should be sent to Xclusively Jaguar for consideration.
All pictures should be emailed to Letitia@xclusively-jaguar.co.uk in jpg format (300 dpi+)
Please use your name as the picture name, for easy reference to the owner.
Here's a few wintery pictures from Rob Jenner,
with Jaguar shaped lumps in the snow,
to get you in the mood!
.........and here are some nice sunny pictures to cheer those of us who live in colder climates!
Wheels Across The Pond Quarterly Meet at Paddy Mac's Irish Restaurant and Pub
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Pictures by David Downing
Answers to recent enquiries from readers of Xclusively Jaguar News
1. Jaguar Bluetooth Phone Connectivity
The Bluetooth® enabled telephone system is controlled from the steering wheel and from the Touch-screen. It allows the driver to make and receive calls safely and easily using a Bluetooth® compatible mobile phone handset without the need for wires or cradles. Different features will be available according to the mobile phone handset used.
For comprehensive information and an enquiry service for all your questions visit the official
Jaguar Bluetooth Connectivity Centre
For future quick reference, the information above appears on our "Facts and Information" page.
JAGUAR AUTOMOBILIA POSTAL AUCTION
 Lot P38: 2.4 MkI Launch Pack |
 Lot L22: SS Cars 1934 Brochure |
 Lot E27: 1:8 Scale XK120 Racer |
After a false start earlier in the autumn, Ian Cooling’s Jaguar Automobilia postal auction catalogue has finally appeared and it has certainly been worth the wait. |
 Lot E234: Dinky D-type |
Ian claims that this is the finest selection of Jaguar and SS Cars automobilia to appear on the market in the past year. I have had a look at the catalogue and it certainly makes for impressive reading. |
 Lot L1: SS Car Club President's Cup |
Star lots include the imposing sterling silver SS Car Club “President’s Cup”; a silver-plated SS Cars desk lighter engraved “Compliments of W Lyons”; a rare trio of an SS Car Club badge, an SS Car Club Founder badge and a Jaguar Drivers’ Club Founder badge; original hand-painted Autocar artwork for the XJ13; original Frederick Gordon Crosby artwork for an SS Cars chassis, initialled by the master and an exceptional selection of unusual Le Mans items, including a rare group of original French magazines reporting the tragic 1955 crash. |
 Lots L3: SS Car Club Founder & L4: SS Car Club |
 Lot L5: Sir William Lyons Dunhill Lighter |
 Lot S10: E-type Monogram 1:8 scale 1964 |
Also included is a range of 14 Jaguar original showroom posters celebrating Jaguar competition successes in the 1950s. The star of this group is Roy Nockolds’ dramatic full-colour poster showing the 1952 record-breaking XK120 fhc running high on the Montlehry banking at dawn. |
 Lot D1: XK150 Zagato Sales Booklet |
Exceptional brochures include rarities like the leather-bound sales book for the unique XK150 Zagato. |
 Lot E2: Rare medal awarded to TWR pit crews after the 1990 Le Mans win |
Other hardware items include a walnut veneered desk clock produced by Jaguar apprentices in the 1950’s, a hefty bronze medallion presented by Tom Walkinshaw to TWR pit crews for the winning Jaguar cars at Le Mans in 1990 and a substantial range of pre-war and post-war owner’s handbooks, including those for the SS 100. |
 Lot O21: MkIX Hearse |
One section that will appeal to competition fans across the world contains a number of items associated with Win Percy, including a signed race suit from Le Mans 1986. Another group of competition lots comes from the private collection of a former member of the TWR pit crew in the 1980s. |
 Lot E72: Le Mans Road Sign |
Other lots cover the whole spectrum of automobilia: mascots, badges and desk-ware lined up alongside rare competition items from the 1950s and a fine range of pre-war and post-war sales brochures and catalogues. |
 Lot R4: Special Edition Hardback XJ Series 3 Launch Brochure |
Owners and restorers are not neglected either with whole sub-sections devoted to technical books including owners’ handbooks, workshop manuals, lube charts and parts lists, as well as tools and badges. |
 Lot E96: Le Mans 1984 Press Pack |
All in all, Ian tells me there are nearly 1500 items spread across over 1200 separate lots with prices ranging from £5 to over £1500. There has to be something for everyone in there! |
 Lot T4: E-type Launch Brochure (2nd edition) |
Copies of the catalogue can be bought through Ian’s website: www.jaguarautomobilia.com by following the link below. You can also download a pdf file of the catalogue and bid on-line.The auction closes at noon on Friday, 22 January - so dont miss out! |
 Lot E29: Order of Service book for "Lofty" England's Memorial Service |
 Lot E75: Le Mans 1955 Programme (The year of the crash!) |
Finally.......
If you are following Andy Harvey's series on "Where the XJ-S rusts and why" dont forget that some of what he writes can be applied to the XJ saloons dating from the same era as the XJ-S, so you may find this a useful place to start if you are restoring an XJ saloon, or fighting to keep one alive!
Latest News from
Hyper XJ-S Media Reviews
TOP CAR Track Test
"From a standing start, the car was quicker through the entire speed range... The Hyper Mk3 certainly grabs attention with its lowered profile, body styling and side windows lengthened 5 1/2 inches over the original."
TOP CAR Test Extra
"... The wide-arched body kit and retrimmed interior was a bonus... the HyperDrive did offer greater control and flexibility... the stainless steel exhaust produced a pleasant exhaust note when accelerateing, yet remained almost silent when cruising... a glance at the performance table will show the Hyper XJS was consistently quicker than a standard machine... We were impressed by the way it refused to tramline and offered crisp turn-in... As a road car the Hyper Mk3 might almost be described as fun, not words commonly associated with the XJS. It's thoughtful approach delivered the goods, but avoided the ludicrous telephone number prices often associated with Jaguars."
PERFORMANCE TUNING
"When Sir John Egan introduced the JaguarSport XJS... he explained that Jaguar's extensive market research had established that there was a good market for a Jaguar sports coupe with something to set it apart from the crowd... Erstwhile Jaguar racer Hands has come to the same conclusions... and his aspirations seem just as high as those of that better known Jaguar racer Tom Walkinshaw, the managing director of JaguarSport... Are the (Hyper) modifications sensible? Certainly the suspension and steering mods are all to the good - assuming you want your XJS to be more of a sports car than the fat car cruiser it is as standard... The Hyper seems to shrink around the driver. It's response is so much sharper that it feels like a far smaller, more agile car... In fact the Hyper offers just about the right compromise, with great feel yet still with sufficient comfort for a car of the Jaguar's class..."
PERFORMANCE CAR
"...a package of modifications by Hyper Engineering could be for you... there's Hyper's three speed 'clutchless' manual gearbox... slot down into first and you tap straight into the V12's peak torque to power out of the corner... if you can find an early 1980s V12 Coupe... Hyper can turn it into something that looks agressively sporting without being OTT and for reasonable money can give you useful performance gains... It (the Hyper Mk3) is an awful lot of car for the money."
Jeremy Clarkson column in PERFORMANCE CAR
"... it looks absolutely bloody marvellous... This little lot (the Hyper Transformation package) turns the rather svelte, gentlemanly standard item into a car that looks as aggressive as a gorilla forced to wear evening dress for the first time... Nice... a truly splendid car to drive. Yes, it handles and yes, the steering is quite superb. The interiors not bad and the gearbox is probably clever. The looks are what you'd call horny and what I'd call angry... But the best bit is when you put your foot down on the accelerator it goes whooooooooooooarrrrrrgh. A lot."
JAGUAR QUARTERLY
"... Where the car (Hyper Mk3) starts to shine is on fast, bendy, open roads where the box can be left in second and the speed punched up and down between corners with a determinded right boot... The steering response is fast and accurate... progress was fast and fun... For those with Lister apsirations but lesser budgets a visit to Mr Hands could prove fruitful."
"...Hyperdrive sounds like something out of Star Wars, but is an expression of Paul Hands' philosophy of improving performance without incurreing monumental costs... on the move you can roam freely between all three gears. Their engagement being pretty well instanteneous.. this enables much better use to be made of the V12 engine's flexiblity and power... The Hyper sports gearbox is good value against a 'proper' manual conversion - especially if your existing GM400 is in need of a rebuild anyway... (Hyper Engineering) are small... but their strenghts are a variety of ideas and the objective of providing affordable individuality for the man in the street. After all, not everyone can afford JaguarSport or Lister prices."
WORLD SPORTS CARS
"Paul Hands can wave a low cost magic wand over any Jaguar V12... we were most impressed with the end result of Hands work.. the enhanced sporting character of the car brings to the surface the latent qualities lurking in every V12 Jaguar."
Need help with a Jaguar problem? Then phone Paul outside normal working hours on 01494-439628, referring to Xclusively Jaguar, as he has very kindly offered his advice to anyone who reads the Xclusively Jaguar newsletter.
Hyper Register – do you own one or know someone who does?
Send a picture and lets see how many we can find!
View Hyper Register
Latest News from SC Parts
Latest Catalogues FREE to readers of Xclusively Jaguar News
SC Parts are proud to announce that their new XJ6 and XJ12 parts catalogues are now available. These incredibly detailed catalogues are approximately 1000 pages each, and are an absolute must have for any Jaguar /Daimler XJ6/12 owner.
The really good news is that although they will normally retail at £10.00 each, by following the link below, you can obtain one free of charge, for a limited period only.
This is an introductory offer from one of our main sponsors, SC Parts, and will be followed by others, so make sure you read the newsletter every month, and if you have not signed up for our monthly e-newsletter – do so today,
TO AVOID MISSING FUTURE XCLUSIVELY JAGUAR READER ONLY OFFERS!
Other catalogues are available from SC Parts, not only for the earlier Jaguars, but for other Classic Car models also.
* Jaguar XJ6 and Daimler Sovereign, 1000 pages
| Order catalogue - free of charge | View catalogue on-line |
* Jaguar XJ12 and Daimler Double Six 800 pages
| Order catalogue - free of charge | View catalogue on-line |
NEW Daimler 250 V8 waterpumps
Brand new Daimler 250 V8 waterpumps with no exchange required.
These pumps are very rare and we have limited stock of brand new pumps to offer at £198 including VAT! Have peace of mind fitting high quality new parts to your vehicle, without having to rely on reconditioned units!
Our part number is 207489 and is available to order online at SC Parts or by calling 01293 847200.
Don't forget to order a new fan belt at the same time!
Check out SC Parts own website for the latest New Year offers.
Collecting Jaguar Brochures
Ian Cooling introduces a popular collecting theme
I have chosen to follow my mascot article with one on collecting Jaguar brochures, as this is a particularly popular collecting theme. Even if we do not roam too deeply into the more esoteric byways of automobilia collecting, most of us start with a brochure or two on our own cars and that is exactly the way I started.
It was my Series 2 E Types that began the rot. As I mentioned in my opening article, I started with brochures, road test reports and a new handbook for my car, then I acquired the same items for the Series 1 and Series 3 E Types - and then I was hooked!
As you can imagine, brochure collecting is a huge field even when confined just to the Jaguar marque and the linear predecessors SS Cars, Swallow Coachbuilding and Swallow Sidecars. Literally hundreds have been produced for the UK market alone. When you add in those produced for the various overseas markets (especially the USA) then you are getting on for 2000, if not more.
Against this background, most of us collectors start with a narrow focus and then expand it as our interest grows. The initial expansion is usually similar models produced at around the same time as our own, so the E Type owner will look at brochures related to all three Series, similarly the XK owner and the XJ owner.
In the latter group, a division has emerged between owners of the first three Series and those that followed. So the owner of a Series 3 V12 Sovereign may become interested in other Series 3 brochures and perhaps Series 1 and 2. Rarely will that interest extend forward to the XJ40 and later offerings.
These are the sort of differences I shall explore in future articles. This time round, I have a much wider sweep with an illustrative selection of brochures starting in the Swallow days and running through to the XJR-S. My aim here is little more than an introductory scan of the range and variety on offer.
 |
This fan of four brochures is from the early 1930s not long after the company had moved to Coventry from Blackpool. They show the two main product streams of the time – Swallow Sidecars (the top two brochures) and Swallow Coachbuilding. The latter are for Swallow-designed coachwork built onto standard chassis from the Austin and Swift companies. This was very much the style of the time. Nowadays, coach-built bodywork is a seriously expensive business. However in the pre-war years and immediately after WW2, even the most inexpensive cars were offered with a coach-built option from specialist companies. |
By the end of the 1930s, SS Cars had emerged from its Swallow roots as a fully-fledged car manufacturer in its own right. This darkly striking brochure first appeared in 1938 and is distinguished by the silver lettering of the word “Jaguar”. The 1938 version had “Jaguar” in gold and the 1940 version had an insert bound in with a tab at the top “1940 Appendix”, which listed the principal up-grades. Incidentally, although the word “Jaguar” is prominent in all the company’s literature at the time, this was the name of the model range and not the company, which was still called SS Cars. The name-change was not made until immediately after the war.
The C Type and the D Type were the essence of that golden decade in the 1950s, when Jaguars were winning everything in sight – on the track, in rallies and in the record books. There are two aspects of this brochure of interest to the collector: first, it was never intended as a serious sales aid for the cars. It was a requirement of the homologation procedures of the day that manufacturers had to prove that production cars had been made in certain quantities and offered for sale to the public. The authorities accepted these brochures, along with press adverts, etc. as evidence that the cars had been offered to the public.
The second point of interest is that as a result of this requirement, these brochures were produced in much smaller quantities than the main-stream offerings and as their price followed the price of the cars ever upwards, the temptation became too much for some and forgeries started to appear. These are obvious to the specialist who will have handled a number of genuine items over the years, but not necessarily so to the collector who may only see one or two. Whenever I come across such a forgery, I aim to stamp it “Copy” or, with the owner’s agreement (not always forthcoming), shred it.
The S Type is a good example of the sort of brochures on offer in the 1960’s. Of course, the star brochure for this decade is the E Type launch brochure with its iconic steering wheel image. However, I shall be covering E Type brochures in a future article. I have therefore chosen the S Type as the end of the line that started with the Mark 1, ran through the Mark 2 and ended with the utilitarian 240 and 340 cars. Although the podgy Mark 10 and 420G ran alongside, I have always thought of the S Type as the link to the XJ rather than the big boys.
I show these two brochures as an illustration of the two types often available. On the left is the bound multi-page offering for the regular customers, serious buyers and prospects. The folder on the right is intended for the “possibles” and schoolboys (like me!).
In engineering terms, the Series 1 XJ Saloon was as much a leap forward as the XK120 had been in 1948. In terms of performance, styling and comfort it broke new ground and Rolls Royce (who secured an early car) were totally at a loss to understand how Bob Knight had engineered such a superb balance between ride and performance in the suspension – and at the price.
These brochures again show the different offerings targeted at different markets. The large brochure at lower right is the showcase item. For the Series 1 car, it ran to at least seven different editions and the true anorak collector will need one of each! The small “mailer” is at top right and the magazine loose-leaf insert is on the left.
Two stories about the XJ that have always amused me: first, the description (heard on the production line) of the XJ as “A Mark 10 with the air let out”. Secondly, one I heard from the late Andrew Whyte (Jaguar guru and author). Seemingly at the launch, one sharp-eyed journalist spotted an interesting aspect of the new car. Walking over to Sir William Lyons, who was overseeing the day, he said “Sir William, I can’t help but notice that the word “Jaguar” does not appear anywhere on the car”. Sir William, never one to waste words, replied “Of course not – it’s obvious”.
The XJ-S is one of the best examples of the adage that good cars, like good wine, improve with age. In the case of the XJS, the greatest benefit has been that its place on the model line-up has never been fully secured. This meant that it was never over-developed and so did not acquire the middle-aged spread of the XK150, compared with the XK120, or the Series 3 E Type. Throughout its life, it was one of the finest long-distance touring cars of all time. I have driven and been passenger on a number of cross-Europe journeys in an XJ-S and have always arrived relaxed and ahead of time.
I have chosen this 1992 brochure as it celebrates the peak of the car’s development in the XJR-S model. With the 6.0 litre V12 engine and 333 bhp under command, this is a car to reckon with – 0-60 in 6.5 seconds and 158 mph “where legislation and conditions allow” in the fine phrasing of the brochure’s wordsmith. It is also a very striking piece of work. The design is eye-catching, as is the superb photography. My only concern is that the designers have been a little too clever with the software. They should have resisted the temptation and left the photographer’s art to speak for itself. For example, using the computer to “spin” the wheels just looks silly.
One point for the collector to be careful about is that the ink used for the images has a tendency to stick to itself. So to make sure you don’t open your copy one day and strip the ink off the paper, put some archival protection paper in between the pages.
As always, please do not hesitate to mail me if you have any queries on brochures for your car, or on your own brochure collection – ian.cooling@invictanet.co.uk
After a long gestation Ian Cooling’s latest Jaguar Automobilia Postal Auction catalogue is now available. Details of how to order the catalogue, bidding procedures, etc. are available on Ian’s website – www.jaguarautomobilia.com The auction closes at noon on Friday, 22 January.
With over 1200 Lots on offer, there is something for everyone in there!
Ian Cooling has produced a unique and informative book entitled "Jaguar Collectibles"
which can be ordered direct from his website.
You can also view sales lots for his next auction, or order a catalogue.
Happy New Year!
by Esta-jane Mace
Well I hope you have all had a lovely Christmas. I was able to go and visit my family back in Devon for a few days which meant KUH got to spend Christmas with her sister, Tiggy. I would also like to take this chance to say hello to the couple in the XJ40 Daimler which by pure coincidence happened to follow me into Bridgwater services on my way down to Devon. (Lets hope they read this newsletter!) We had both come a long way and our pride and joys looked like abominable snow-Jaguars after all those miles in the ice and salt!
Before the big and very dirty journey however, I was finally able to get those long awaited coach lines fitted! A local body shop near to me did them for me and did a cracking job, they are as straight as a die, and moreover they also gave me a quote for the nasty dent in the lower rear valance which I will be taking up in the new year!
I have also undersealed KUHs floorpan ready for the winter months-which didnt happen a moment too soon as it was immediately followed by all this cold weather we have been having (although somehow the Midlands missed out on the snow!) I am quite happy to report that there are no nasties under her, and despite her age she has one of the best floor pans I have seen for a while, so that made me very happy!
Also, another item I have not yet replaced since the repsray were the rear badges. I had kept meaning to buy some but decided the price for them (£15 + VAT + P&P each) just wasnt financially feasible in the greater scheme of things. However, I spotted some gorgeous and super rare Majestic Sovereign badges on eBay and the fantastic eBayer selling them was able to sort me out with a pair, and these will be on her as soon as they arrive. They are black and gold and I think these will look fantastic on her with her new paint job and gold coachlines!
Finally, before the big journey I put KUHs new door veneers in. And they are fantastic, so a big thanks to Jaguar Classic Parts. Sadly they no longer had the dash veneers, but I am in negotiations with an eBayer for some in very good condition! And the ski slope and ash tray from Stoneleigh were also fitted and look fantastic amongst the magnolia trim! And at last the new chrome vanes were fitted to KUHs grille too...excellent!
Editor's note:
I am very pleased to report that Esta-jane is featured in the January issue of “Jaguar Enthusiast” on page 53. Well done Esta!
Lastly, Esta has created a free pdf entitled “XJ40 Heater Blower Trouble Shooting” which can be viewed by following the link below, to Project Jaguar. This is the first in a series of XJ40 fix it guides which Esta is planning, so watch this space!
Visit Esta-janes website for more XJ40 news, views and tips!
The XJ Executioner turns XJ-Saviour!
Andy Harvey makes a New Year Resolution TO SAVE - NOT SCRAP!
Part Three: Where The XJS Rusts and Why
Radiator Cross Member
This is not to be confused with the main suspension cross member, that being a different animal altogether. The radiator cross member is a shallow rectangular box section. It bridges the gap between the two chassis legs at the lower front of the engine bay and supports the weight of the radiator to boot. It leads a secret life, covered on top by the radiator and from below by the aforementioned centre panel from the three amigos, it’s very hard to see unless you start taking things apart.
So there it sits covered by the radiator, centre panels, engine oil and anti freeze. The latter two generally decide the cross member’s fate! If you’ve got a healthy oil leak from the front seal or oil cooler then the cross member (and the centre panel) stand a fair chance of survival. An oil tight engine plus the residue from regular anti freeze changes will see it expire within the obligatory 20 years. Problems can be compounded or relieved by the strip of foam that sits between the radiator and cross member. Its there to create an air dam so all the cooling air is forced through the radiator and not around it. This foam acts like a sponge, retaining anything which is liquid, be it friend or foe. The underside of the cross member can be checked once the lower centre panel has been detached. The radiator has to be removed to check the upper section.
radiator cross member
Front Suspension Cross Member
The much maligned front cross member or ‘sub frame’ as it is also known, is a hefty piece of kit. Its job is to support the complete front suspension, steering gear and the dead weight of a six or twelve cylinder engine, no worries there then.
Do these cross members suffer from corrosion? I have to say yes. In the past two years I have stripped a dozen XJS’s, from which only two cross members were deemed sound enough to use again.
Please don’t be fooled by looking at the centre section of the cross member and thinking all is well, all the action takes place on the extremities, in the region of the infamous spring turrets.
It’s not too difficult to check the integrity of these turrets. Place the front of the car on axle stands and remove the wheels. Slide your hand between the inner wing and sloping back face of the spring turret. Press firmly on this face, if you feel a smooth metal surface that doesn’t yield then so far so good. If you feel something that resembles soggy crisps then press harder until your fingers go straight through the metal. Have you got super strength? Not this time Superman, just a few issues with your pride and joy!
sub-frame spring turret cone
The next step is to take a lead light and a large flat bladed screw driver. Follow the road spring up to where it locates within the turret. There you will see the spring locating cones. Give these cones a real good poke with the screw driver until you are satisfied the metal is sound or the screw driver disappears into their innards. If you’ve got to step three and all is well then you face a dilemma. The final check involves inspecting where the spring tops actually seat within the spring turret. This cannot be done properly without removing the actual springs (never buy a second hand subframe with springs still in place, you could be in for a nasty shock).
sub-frame spring turret showing spring base
Removing the springs is quite a task involving the correct Jaguar spring compressor. PLEASE, PLEASE do not attempt to remove the springs without this tool, here speaks the voice of experience!!! I cannot stress this point strongly enough, the amount of stored energy in these beasts would launch a space shuttle. Anyway, I digress, if you’ve got to this stage and the rest of the sub frame is rot free there is a good chance that the spring seats are also good, but that’s your call, Jaguars can be very fickle. It’s advised that any corrosion on a sub frame is terminal, due to the stresses in this area any welded repairs are deemed dangerous to the point of being suicidal.
Inner Wings/Shock Absorber Mounts
Running side by side with the cross member in the race to rust is the section of inner wing just below the shock absorber upper mount. In the ‘cosy’ confines of a V12 engine bay these areas are hard to see, obscured by the air filter on the right hand side and by both the air filter and expansion tank on the left. the best way to investigate is with a torch, and a pair of rust detecting hands. Even then you can only see so much, the expansion tank sits so close to the inner wing that corrosion often jumps the gap and attacks the expansion tank as well. On a six cylinder car any corrosion problems are more easily spotted.
The area below the shock absorber mount has to cope with the forces transmitted by the shocks and so is double skinned for extra strength, and here-in lies the problem! Water finds its way into the small gap between the panels and does its job. For some reason the corrosion is always worst on the engine bay sections, it rarely shows itself on the external areas underneath the wing. If rust has affected both of the panels then things are getting pretty serious, the MOT inspector will want a word in your ear.
inner wing corrosion
Wing Rails
Front wings on an XJS are bolt on. If you lift the bonnet you’ll see a row of bolts where the wing is secured to the inner wing. This section of inner wing is reinforced with a box section to stop things waving at you when driving along. Sometimes these box sections rust, sometimes they don’t, there’s no rhyme or reason. If they do rust they generally do it in secret, protected from the public eye by the contours of the outer wing. (It’s probably the close proximity of the two panels that started the rust in the first place) Only when you remove this wing is the truth revealed. The good news is any corrosion is relatively easy to repair and you don’t have to bend your back.
To receive this article (and others) as a pdf document with full-size pictures, please contact
Xclusively Jaguar
Andy offers a used parts service for older Jaguars, as well as light restoration work, welding and advice.
I can personally recommend his used parts service.
Contact Andy via Xclusively Jaguar or direct, on: 07940 998199
Introducing Mitch Verheyen, Broadspeed and the Replica's
The first of a new regular feature on the Broadspeed Racing Jaguars of the 1970's
Where did it start for me?
I would like to say in 1975 , but at that time I was 2 years old. So no, not then!
For me, it all started in 2003 when I came across a copy of the 1986 April issue of Jaguar Driver.
That magazine changed it all for me.! Working for a Jaguar dealership in Holland , and restoring Jaguar and Daimler cars for several years, had left me with the wish to own a Jaguar one day for myself, but it had to be something special, something not everyone would have !
The article spoke of a car that even the people at Jaguar knew little about.
From that moment on , this car became my unicorn…….a myth I wanted to know all about!
Editor's note: Someone else has been watching Gone in 60 Seconds!
I decided to build my own replica, to drive , to show people, and to put this piece of Jaguar history back on the map!
The Jaguar ( Leyland ) Broadspeed XJ 5.3 V12 Coupe
In the seventies Jaguar was owned by British Leyland, and a lot of people think back at that time with horror. Although Jaguar made beautiful cars, rust was something all cars had problems with, and for the XJ Series 2 was no different, especially the coupe which had problems with the sealing of the side windows which resulted in more rust!
In the search for a good "base" I found out that a good coupe was hard to find, and expensive, but a cheap coupe would have a lot of rust. Eventually, I decided that it had to be a cheap one that most people would have scrapped because of the response I got from Jaguar enthusiasts who thought it would be sacrilege to use such a rare car to build a Broadspeed Replica. On the other hand, I set out to build a proper replica, not just glue some body panels to the car and paint it in racing colours! It had to be true to the original, as built by Ralph Broad and his team in the seventies.
The first hurdle I had to overcome was information. Due to the lack of success in 1976 and 1977 the Broadspeed project was cancelled and in the years after that, everyone forgot about these cars, as they focussed on the success of the TWR XJ-S. At that time (2003) all I could find was that the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust had one of the original cars (chassis number BELJC003) and that chassis number BELJC004 was sold to someone in Australia. These where the 1977 race cars. Chassis number BELJC002 was the car restored by Mr Bob Kerr, and the start of this story for me. Chassis number BELJC001 - the 1976 race car, was at that time a bit of a mystery to me, as I did not know where it was or who owned it. The easiest thing for me to do was to get in contact with the JDHT and ask them for more information. To my surprise I was invited to come and see the car! (Many thanks to the people at the JDHT)
Before I set off to do that I decided to make a website, to let people know what I was doing, and in the process maybe get more information on the whereabouts and technical specifications of the 4 cars. One of the first things I got some information on was the body kit and the company that made them. They still had the original moulds for the 1977 cars, because the 1977 car has a different front spoiler, compared to the 1976 car.
I made the appointment to pick up the kit and visit the JDHT in one trip and that was the start of a project that has kept me busy for 7 years now!
If you would like to know more, be sure to read next months issue of Xclusively Jaguar News!
A final note from Mitch: As far as I am aware there are no copyrights attached to any of the pictures used in my article, however, if anyone has any issues to raise over this, please contact Mitch who takes full responsibility for the use of the photo’s, and hopes that if necessary, an agreement can be reached over their use.
Latest News from Xclusively Jaguar Registers
1996 Daimler Century International Register
Latest Additions to The Daimler Century Register:
| 4. | VIN: SAJDKKNS4BP 777248 Colour: Carnival Red Location: UK (ex-Japan) |
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|---|---|---|
| 5. | VIN: SAJDKAND3BJ 784408 Colour: Cabernet Red Location: UK (ex-Jaguar Heritage) |
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| 6. | VIN: SAJDKAMD3BJ 784801 Colour: Sapphire Blue Location: UK |
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Justin Marchant-Doland sent in details of number 4 on our list, and as far as I am aware, this Daimler Century is still for sale. Prospective purchasers should contact Xclusively Jaguar in the first instance.
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 View Register |
View Register |
 View Register |
View Register |
Jaguar XJ-S Goes to Spain
by Brian Foster
Part One
At the end of the year 2000 my wife Dorothy and I decided to retire to Spain, and live close to Gibraltar where we have friends and ties developed over 35 years. In May of that year, we spent two weeks in Gibraltar and Spain looking for a suitable property location, and eventually settled on a town house close to the beach, near to Estepona, and about 25 miles from Gibraltar.
Our house in the UK was already sold, so on return from Gibraltar we had 3.5 weeks in which to pack up and move by the 20 June. However on Monday the 18th of June I had to drive from our home near Driffield East Yorkshire to Lydbury, in North Staffordshire to deliver our Springer Spaniel to Golden Arrow shippers, for her transfer to Gibraltar by GB Airways. This was a round trip of almost 500 miles, just two days before we were due to move house, with its related trauma, and just before the long drive down to the Mediterranean coast.
Having paid a fond farewell to the dog, I started the return trip from Lydbury, only to discover that I had an oil leak within the engine compartment, but where? A general check around failed to locate the source, so with time pressing I reluctantly continued on my journey. After some miles I pulled into a Service Station to check again for the source of the leak, but as I steered on quarter lock into a parking bay, the grating and groaning of the steering system identified the source! Luckily I managed to purchase two bottles of a suitable hydraulic fluid, filled the reservoir and continued on my way hoping that no damage to the system had resulted.
On the way, I stopped several times to top up the reservoir, eventually arriving home at midnight. As I backed the XJ-S into the garage on full steering lock, the pump sprayed hydraulic fluid all over the tarmac drive. What a mess I thought, having just sold the house.
The removal van turned up at 8.30am the next morning, just as I drove off to my Jaguar engineer, (who I had phoned the previous evening on my way home) luckily the fault was only a burst hydraulic hose, which was simply replaced. On Wednesday 20th June, we completed the packing, the removal van left, and we handed the house keys to the Estate Agent in Driffield and pointed the Jaguar’s long nose South to Cambridgeshire. We planned to stay with old friends there for just one night. Before we left Driffield I set the trip meter to 0000 miles. On the way to Cambridge, an old problem which I thought had been long corrected recurred. This fault was caused by the radiator fan striking its surrounding cowling as the car accelerated. This only happened when the engine was hot causing the fan to engage into drive. When commanded to accelerate, the engine attempts to rotate clockwise on its mountings as the torque thrust is taken up. The noise of the fan blades striking the cowling was similar to a machine gun firing and quite alarming, so something had to be done before we boarded the ferry at Portsmouth.
Brians XJ-S pictured outside the house in Yorkshire, for the last time!
The next day we proceeded to my cousins’ house close to Heathfield in Sussex, where we planned to stay until Saturday afternoon, before heading for Portsmouth and the ferry. On the Friday morning after we arrived at my cousins, I telephoned the nearest Jaguar agent, being “Caffyns” of Eastbourne. I explained the problem and our predicament, due to the fact we were sailing from Portsmouth on the coming Saturday, then driving down from Bilbao to Estepona in Malaga, a journey of some 650 miles.
The lady receptionist was very sympathetic, but explained that one mechanic was away to get married, another was off sick and the other out on a breakdown. “Bring the car in anyway, and if we can fix it, we will.” She said. Relief flooded over us both, and we set off for Eastbourne. We soon located Caffyns (Jaguar Main Dealers) and the delightful receptionist arranged for the mechanic who had just returned to look at the car, who almost immediately assessed the problem and adjusted the fan cowling, all under 15 minutes. We settled the bill (£15.00) and set off back to Heathfield. How grateful we were to Caffyns of Eastbourne, not only helpful, but courteous and friendly. This was to be in marked contrast to what was in store for us by the local Jaguar agent in Spain.
After emotional farewells with my cousin and family, we drove off on the Saturday afternoon for Portsmouth. We arrived at the docks about 7pm, boarded at 7.45 and sailed at 8.15pm. With the XJ-S safely stowed on the vehicle deck, we settled into our 4 berth cabin to enjoy the crossing to Bilbao. On board The Pride of Bilbao we found the facilities quite excellent, compared with ferry crossings we have undertaken in various countries in the world in past years. The Captain informed us that it was the smoothest crossing he had experienced in many years. The weather certainly was glorious for the whole voyage. However, on the Monday morning we arrived at Bilbao ….FOG!
We quickly disembarked, up the ramp, past 4 men squirting anti-foot and mouth liquid on the car wheels. What about the other inside facing wall of the tyres? I pondered. Out of the car we were ordered, to stamp and shuffle in more anti-foot and mouth liquid on a saturated mat. We climbed back into the car and then a seemingly endless procession through the dockyard, practicing driving on the right, my first time in about 26 years, but now with a right hand drive car. Suddenly, there we were on the roundabout and out onto the 4 lane motorway joining the Monday morning rush hour traffic towards Bilbao City Centre, racing downhill, at speeds in excess of 80mph, and somewhat traumatic to say the least, after 2 days of relaxed leisure on the ferry.
As we hurled ever downwards, desperately looking for the A8, A58 and the A1 Autopista, the downhill incline seemed to get steeper and steeper, the traffic denser and denser and more frantic as we drew near to the City Centre slip roads. Suddenly there was our turn off for the A58, and the traffic seemed to dissolve like snow in the desert as we left the city behind.
We now settled down to some enjoyable motorway driving, with an ever changing attractive landscape. Suddenly a flashing warning light warned us of toll booths ahead on the rapidly approaching Autopista. The XJ-S being a right hand drive, Dorothy had to be ready to pay the toll, and as we decelerated towards the pay booths I pressed the centre console left side window switch. Horror, nothing happened. My mind raced back to a few weeks previously when the window had jammed in hot weather, and my motor mechanic informed me he was confident he had solved the problem. “I am afraid that you are going to have to get out of the car to pay the toll” I told my wife. Of course the XJS is not the easiest car to exit, especially in restrictive positions due to the length of the doors. Anyway a somewhat startled Spanish lady took the money after wishing Dorothy Buen Dia and we were soon off again. Of course, the Toll explained why the traffic had melted away, as most vehicles had taken the slower but free route south.
The autopista was very quiet as we cruised along at about 80mph, but with the majority of the traffic roaring past us at up to 120mph. Very soon we by-passed Burgos on the N1 heading for Larma, but keeping an eye out for a motorway service station. Very soon we found a suitable location, spacious and clean with excellent toilets and none of the mass humanity crowding so synonymous with most UK service stations. Even more important, the food was excellent. We tanked the XJ-S up with Sin Plomo (Lead-free) 95 ron petrol, and once again nosed our way out onto the N1 motorway. The weather was beautiful, but not too hot with a light cool wind.
As we passed through a wide valley following the by-pass around Aranda and onto an open plateau, the view of the Sierras to the south east was magnificent. We had already decided to press on to Puerto de Somosierra, climbing rapidly up to a height of 1, 444 metres. Many cars with smaller engines streamed past us, but quickly ran out of steam as the steep incline started to take its effect, and to fall behind as the XJ-S maintained her dignified speed! Thank goodness I had the radiator and the water pump replaced before I started this trip, I thought, and as to vindicate this thought, we passed a large Spanish saloon car parked on the hard shoulder, bonnet open and belching steam.
We had previously already selected an overnight hotel stop from a tourist information book. This hotel was located on the summit of the Somosierra just off of the main route. However, we had some difficulty locating the Hotel Los Bronces because it had been changed to the Mora Hotel since the guide book was published.! As the time was already 4pm we decided to book in, although I must say, had it been earlier we would probably have pressed on for several of the following reasons. Firstly the hotel seemed to be surrounded by excavations. On the other side of the road, a JCB was operating an IPH (Impact hammer) in order to cut through the concrete ground slabs, and the hotel being located on the summit of the road, HGV traffic crawled along, changing into a lower gear just as they passed the hotel. The rooms were old fashioned but clean, with en-suite, but no hot water and the toilet failed to flush, so the cistern had to be topped up by cupfuls of water. Shortly after we settled down for a siesta, along came a huge motorised industrial pump and proceeded to pump out a manhole just below our open window. The combined noise of the JCB/IPH and the pump produced a cacophony of sound sufficient to wake the dead! Later in the evening after a very nice dinner in the restaurant, we went to bed about 11pm in preparation for an early start the next morning. At about the same time the Landlord and his family decided to lay a new patio to the front of the hotel, so the mixing of concrete and mortar, lifting and laying of stone slabs went on unabated for some hours. Even the grandmother who was about 90 years of age was involved; indeed she appeared to be directing operations by waving her stick around and shouting out orders.
After a quick breakfast in our hotel room the next morning, we loaded the XJ-S, but before leaving we had to sweep off a thick layer of dust from the car, if only to see through the windows. As we set off down the secondary link road to join the motorway, I suddenly realized that I was driving on the left side of the road. This is always a danger when there is no other traffic, and I recalled doing the very same thing in West Germany some 40 years ago on a country lane after a heavy snow fall. We now planned to drive on down and through the City of Madrid, with an overnight stop just north of Granada.
We glided downhill mile after mile, the Sierra de Guadarrama to the north/west, then approaching and passing into a wide valley enclosed by distant mountains. At mid-morning we stopped at a service station for refreshments and topped up with petrol, before pressing on to Madrid. Very soon we entered the outskirts of the city searching for the M30 urban motorway which runs directly through the centre city. Almost immediately the motorway lanes increased from 4 to 6 and a huge overhead sign confirmed we were indeed now on the M30. These huge boards sprouted overhead every few hundred metres, each displaying numerous other linking route numbers. Following these signs and constantly changing lanes became a nightmare, with traffic solid and moving at100Km per hour.
We flashed on through the centre of the city, barely able to assimilate the scene to left or right due to the intensity and speed of the traffic. I remember thinking of a similar scene from Star Wars, as space craft pursued each other, twisting and turning between high rise buildings. However, I do recall seeing beautiful buildings whiz by, and just then the famous slender radio tower, but no time to look as more signs flashed up and huge trucks force changed lanes around and ahead of us. Dorothy was navigating and looking at the map as we left the City Centre behind. Still moving at about 100km, I suddenly realized we were in the wrong lane for Route NIV turn off. To complicate matters the lanes split under a flyover and the NIV route peeled off to the left of the concrete pier, but we were racing towards the right of the pier. A quick, if not frantic glance into the rear view mirror indicated so far as I could tell (with a right hand drive) that there was a small gap behind our car, so before Dorothy looked up I swung the wheel hard to the left and kicked down on the accelerator to change gear. The XJ-S roared across the hatched “no-go area” swinging into the correct lane, just missing the pier. I then slammed on the brakes before ramming into the car ahead of me. Thank goodness, I thought, for the high performance Jaguar, without which we would not have completed the manoeuvre successfully.
As we entered the southern outskirts of Madrid the road surface deteriorated considerably due to road works, and temporary lanes became narrower and narrower until we were hemmed in on all sides by enormous HGV’s. We found this to be very claustrophobic, with the XJ-S being so low slung. Never-the-less we were soon leaving the outskirts and the industrial areas behind and heading for the open country once again, south for Bailen. As the traffic density quickly melted away, we settled down once more to some fast motoring. The XJ-S purred along enjoying the freedom of the open road without interruption to its momentum by either gear changing, braking or excessive direction deviation.
We maintained a steady 75-80 mph (110-120 Ks ph) whilst small cars screamed past us on downhill stretches clocking well over 150 Ks ph and then on the long long inclines the very same cars slipping quickly behind us as our 3.6 litre engine carried us ever upwards at a constantly maintained speed. And yet, minutes later on a down hill run, or on the flat, there they were again, the same cars hurtling past us oblivious of the relative inferiority of their cars engines. The motorway now crossed the Madrid plateau for about 43 miles (70 Ks) and the terrain changed little with never ending patterned lines of small bushy trees extending in which ever direction one looked, like a patchwork quilt. These trees we assumed to be olive trees. The road then descended onto the plains of La Mancha, where the land is mostly flat all the way to the Andalusia border some 100 miles (160 Ks) ahead. The scenery changed near to Puerto Lapice, where two large symmetrical hills appeared, one on each side of the motorway. Atop the westerly hill appeared several large Spanish style windmills, the very ones we were later told were associated with Don Quixote and his adventures.
To be continued next month
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