Restoration, 2008
No big plans for this year, but there is always something to fix or improve and maybe I soon have to start redoing first things I did 8 years ago...
Radiator leak
Last summer I noticed that radiator leaks while under pressure. No leak when no pressure but nasty puddle on garage floor after returning from a ride, just front of the normal oil puddles :) So I removed the radiator and took it to radiator shop, where they cleaned it and rewelded two seams. Then I reinstalled it to the car, but haven't tested yet, there is still two months until driving season starts here.
Rear end clonk
Once again I'm trying to locate and remove the loud clonk which comes from rear axle when there is someone sitting on back seat and I hit a bump. There are scratching marks in the back of differential and chassis above it as well as in gas tank fastening point, but as far as I understand, Mk2 rear axle location is fixed and can not be adjusted. All parts in rear suspension are new or refurbished, so it should be in correct place. Only reason I can think is that the car has been hit from rear and chassis behind rear axle is slightly pushed towards front as well as gas tank. So I tried to file and move gas tank fastening point towards rear to get some more space for differential.
Gas tank edge and fastening point modified to give more room for the differential. Let's see - listen - next summer if it helped.
Miscellaneous jobs
As a prepare for a driving season, which starts here at mid April, I changed transmission oil. Not because it was much used since overhaul year ago, but I wanted to try much recommended Redline MT90. I also changed differential oil, using limited slip oil of course. Then I added little bit engine oil, Valvoline 20W-50, because old cat always drips little out during the winter (and summer!). Then I adjusted doors, got little help from another Jaguar owner Jouni in that. Other doors did come quite ok by just adjusting the receiver part in chassis pillars, but left rear door is a problem: I opened the door panel and tried to adjust hinges too, but it never quite comes ok, but at least I got it little bit better. I'm starting to believe that this car has had a rear hit accident and the chassis has bent a little, that would explain the gas tank being too close to rear axle and rear doors being too tight in lenghth wise. Well, who knows, I have not been successful in finding the previous owners of this car to ask them. And finally I waxed the car with Auto Glym Super Resin Polish and Extra Gloss Protection. And some chrome polish to chrome parts. Vacuuming and cleaning the interior too. And then I washed the leaper's teeth... :) Maybe I need to explain before you send the men in white clothes to get me: toothbrush is great tool to remove dried wax residue from the parts where you can not get with polishing cloth, like inside 'Jaguar', '3.8' and 'Mk2' letters in trunk and leaper's small corners. Now everything is ready, except that winter is not yet over, we still have some 2 inches snow left.
Serious discussion with youngster
Nothing special happened during the driving season of 2008, everything worked fine. It seems that I even managed to get rid of the rear axle noise when hitting a pump. On the last day of the driving season Ms.Moneypit had a serious discussion with the youngster of the fleet about who takes garage during the winter. As usual, old lady kept her mind and rests in the warm garage during the harsh winter and youngster has to stay outdoors. Priorities of life, you know.