Peter Simpson’s Top Tips For Buying A Classic At Auction
Do your research! Read up everything there is to read about the car or cars you’re considering - weak spots, club/specialist support, parts availability plus, of course, what they sell for! Don’t forget to research things that affect the cars suitability for you. You don’t get a test-drive and once the hammer falls it’s yours, even if you can’t fit inside it!! Check auction conditions carefully, In particular, ensure you understand - and can meet - the payment terms. These days you may also need to provide proof of identity, and due to anti money-laundering regulations, not be allowed to pay more than £9000 in cash. Keep in mind that at classic auctions your ‘rights to return’ are usually virtually non-existent and restricted to matters of title (ie that the car isn’t the vendors to sell). You certainly won’t have any comeback for condition-related issues unless they are in direct contradiction of a specific statement in the description - ie a car that was said to have had a reconditioned engine did not… Read the full article on The Ignition Barrel |
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JAGUAR S-Type - Sat-Nav Update?Q
Is there any way in which I can obtain an updated CD disc for the satellite navigation system in my 2000MY 4.0 S-TYPE, or can you suggest how I can link in, say a TomTom, into the integral system? A
The lack of updated maps has long been a source of contention as Jaguar states it is the responsibility of the system manufacturer, and the manufacturer claims that it cannot produce the discs without Jaguar's authority. These cars are now nearly ten years old, very few were fitted with sat-nav anyway, and for the few that are still on the road designing new maps for an obsolete system is clearly not financially viable. Now that all new Jaguars are navigation equipped, it will be interesting to see what happens in the future!
Unfortunately, we do not know of any way in which an external sat-nav unit can be connected to the Jaguar system.
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JAGUAR - Gearbox SwapQ
The question I have concerns a letter in the magazine, where it appears that someone with a V12 was thinking of improving the performance of it through the use of a Supra five-speed gearbox and by fitting twin-turbos.
I would like to know if it's actually possible (or worthwhile) to fit this gearbox? A
It is certainly possible, but not something we could recommend wholeheartedly as the standard Supra gearbox suffers from a weak third gear, which can quickly fail if the car is driven hard. The Supra turbo gearbox is much stronger, but also much harder to find.
The best, if expensive, gearbox for the job will be the Tremec T5, but an affordable and reliable alternative is the Getrag five-speed unit as fitted to the six-cylinder XJ-S, but be
sure to use a pre-1987 gearbox in a pre-1987 car otherwise there will be no drive for the mechanical speedometer. Try The Driven Man (www.thedrivenman.com) for the Tremec and Simply Performance (www.simplyperformance.com) for the Getrag kit.
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JAGUAR XK8 - Fault FindingQ
I own a 2000 model XK8 and a fault has developed with the red oil pressure warning light. The light appears and stays on whether the ignition is on or off . I checked the engine oil level, and the gauge says the pressure is normal when the engine is running.
I have an instrument pack wiring diagram and I note a single wire feeds the oil pressure gauge in the minor instrument pack via the major instrument pack. Could these instrument packs delay sending a message to the oil pressure warning light to cut out?
A
The oil pressure sender is simply an on/off switch that, when closed by oil pressure, should extinguish the oil pressure warning light and move the gauge to the centre position. The gauge, therefore, only indicates the presence of pressure, not the amount. If your gauge is reading correctly we would suggest looking for a fault adjacent to the lamp in the main instrument cluster.
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JAGUAR E-Type 2+2 Series 2 - Auto E-TypesQ
I have a 1969 E-type 2+2 Series 2, with a Borg Warner Model 8 automatic transmission, and I am thinking of having it totally gone over by a reputable transmission shop.
Before doing that can you suggest an alternate automatic transmission that will fit the car to improve the performance, reliability and economy? A
If you are prepared to consider a manual transmission, the overdrive gearbox from a Series 1 or 2 XJ6 is a very easy conversion to complete with the larger transmission tunnel in the auto 2+2 allowing plenty of room.
Otherwise it may be worth considering a Borg Warner W Model 12 transmission, as it is stronger, has a more reliable electric kick down, and is internally the same as a Ford FMX, for which there are plenty of goodies available to trick it up, especially on your side of the pond.
If you are looking for an overdrive fourth gear, the best option is the ZF4HP22 from either a 3.2-litre or 3.6-litre XJ40, or a 3.2-litre X300. Conversion kits are both available in the UK and US. |
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