Had to do some work up front and this alternative reality happened. Not to bad looking had they had gone this route.

Happy new year everyone!

 

Yesss,
At least if they opened the correct way you can acess three sides of the engine bay not just two.

The ONLY reason for a backwards opening lid is that it eliminates flying open at speed and wrapping aroind the windscreen and roof of the car.

 

Seems to me it would be awkward, if even possible, to adjust the throttle capstan, and I'd need a hard had to do anything to the radiator. Things in between would both be awkward and require head protection.

 

I initially thought the rear opening hood would restrict access to the engine but it doesn't. Unless a front opening hood opened very wide, it would make access to the rear half of the engine difficult.

 

They should have done what Mercedes has done for years. Have the hood open from the front, and add a vertical service position to the normal position. Makes work on my V12 S600 very easy. Simple to do during the design phase and extremely effective.

 

But they do especially if you re not overly tall.. Ever tried to put the dipstick back into an early 1980's Mazda 323 for instance? You can't see the top of the dipstick tube. I imagine water pump replacement on an XJS is a bonnet/hood removal job.

 

I don't think so. I pulled the shrouds and radiator, etc. without removing the hood. If you pull the gas shocks from the hood, you can move it to "almost vertical" (i.e. a "service position").

Be careful as you go, as you can go so far that you can crack the black plastic trim on the top of the bumper. Once there, there are several possible methods for holding it in place. But it will go to 90 degrees or so. As I said, I pulled out the shrouds and the radiator. Changed the fan clutch. I didn't change the water pump, but once that radiator was out there was plenty of room, had I wanted to do that. It really wasn't that bad. I think the only "hard reach" in that area was the lower radiator hose, and I got creative for getting the clamps back on. My only real gripe about it at the time came down to the adjustments for the belts. In addition to being a fine pitch thread, you could only turn the wrench a few degrees, and there wasn't room between the bolt heads and the block (nothing to do with the bonnet) to fit a standard socket wrench. The other gripe was that it seemed like every bolt or nut was a different size, so I had to throw just about every wrench in the box at it. I think I dropped a quarter inch socket in there somewhere while tightening a hose clamp, I'll probably find it the next time I do the hoses. I have no idea if you could do half as much work under there if the bonnet opened like the photo in the first post.

 

I dont like the front hinges. But I see the point and accept it. The look of this is not bad, but I dont think it would make anything easier unless as you say, it can open ALL the way. I had a 1970 dodge truck which did. The idea was wonderful but the need to be that far in there wasnt.

 

Show us what it looks like closed..

 

This confuses me more than it probably should. It looks like every other XJS right?!

But, in this case maybe not. Currently, and temporarily...


Aaaaaa! Get out! <grabs a towel>