What would I do differently?

If I knew I'd be owning and driving these things this long...

...I'd do a whole lot differently. I've been avoiding answering Doug's query honestly, but I suppose I should man up and fess up in the spirit that it helps out someone else.

Before the XJS, I would only own a car for 2 or 3 years max. I went through a parade of new and classic cars and assumed when I bought my first XJS convertible it would only last until the next cycle. Then instead of buying something else, I bought another XJS convertible. Then I blinked, and it's over 20 years later. What the h...?

I guess the single biggest thing I would do differently, and I probably should be embarrassed to say this, is to have not wasted so many years being either too busy or too intimated to work on it myself. With all the help available here and back on the old jag-lovers site, there was really no excuse. Yet, each time I decide to tackle some task, I'd gaze into that mass of engine, wires and hoses... and assume it was beyond my meager skills. I read Kirby Palm's personal version of War & Peace cover to cover, and though it was packed with useful insight, it only reinforced in my mind that this was all outside my realm.

At one point, circumstances forced the issue. I'd just written a college tuition check, had to worry about some family issues, other financial demands, etc. etc. The thought of dropping it off at the great independent Jaguar mechanic, who had also become a friend, was feeling unwise so I decided to reserve a weekend to see if I could deal with whatever was ailing the beast at the time. It has never been back to that shop, so imagine we aren't quite as friendly as we were.

I'm still intimidated when it's something new I haven't tackled, but I just admit it, and post my questions here and muddle through. Funny thing is, if I hadn't taken the reigns on keeping her on the road, I'm fairly certain I would have jettisoned the beast several years ago.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

 

Well my project xjs has been a bit more project than even I thought it would be when I bought it. Bought it in the dead of winter and stored it till I could start fixing stuff. No regrets but my porsche needs a clutch and hasn't even been registered this spring.... and with the wedding coming up, the clutch won't be happening but hopefully I can get a couple months of driving it(gently).

 

Totally agree Mac, thanks for putting it so well. Whenever I do something for the first time I am still incredibly nervous. I have recently fixed the servo control on my Delanair II, with the help of a superb guy in the USA running a business called Jag Aire. The servo unit is astonishingly complex and can only just be removed without removing the entire dash. Basically I was scared to death, but in the end managed it. I think this trepidation you feel is normal for us all!

 

Great question Doug, and your posts are reinforced by Grant, Carl, Greg, Warren and many others whose generous sharing of immense knowledge brings such value to the XJ-S and other forums here. Smarts vs regrets, eh?

I believe the things I did well, that I still work at, and try to share with others are threefold. First, with my now departed Dad who was a WWII radar engineer (very scary, secret stuff) I learned the practical hands on stuff . . . gosh he was smart; early '60s, he bought 2 cars as "his & his" project cars and we worked hard, side by side, father and school-kid, to restore both. The cars were Armstrong Siddeley Saphires which were real challenges as the maker had gone belly up. My younger brother was smarter (?) . . . he bought an XK120; partly dis-assembled; mostly rot!

Also from Dad, I learned lifelong skills in electrical and electronics . . . not just theory, but also how to design, build and diagnose complex circuits. Years later and under my influence, I was proud to return the favours by introducing Dad to Jaguars, and he loved 'em . . . Mk2s, S Type, XJs.

Second, and with Dad's help, I got a part time role supporting a well known and respected race team. Early days fetching coffee, stacking tyres . . . ages before getting close to cars, but slowly gaining confidence of mechanics. Soaked up learning . . . and learned the non-negotiable value of attention to detail . . . "do it once and do it right".

Third, from both above and right from the start, I learned the value of collecting and building the finest tools I could find. I remember being 16, needing a 200ft.lb tension wrench for that Saphire's head bolts . . . and waiting while I amassed 3-4 weeks part-time wages. I still have it, and I still use it, 55 years later.

Regrets are few . . . but one stands out and I'm still trying to resolve it. While my adult daughter loves the Jags and has her name all over the XK8 (she crows at being "a Cougar in a Jaguar"), I have lucked out with both my mid-40s sons. How could I have missed with my sons, the priceless gift my Dad shared with me. Don't get me wrong, there's lots of respect and love there . . . just not the interest in classic cars generally, with people movers more appealing than Jaguars.

Thanks for the stroll down memory lane,
Cheers,

Ken

 

Yeah, tht is something important: have the right tools from the start. If you have metric tools, buy some spanners and sockets in imperial sizes. And very importamt: always have a handful of nuts, bolts and washers laying around. They'll come in handy sometime...