Broadsword

Thanks for the kind comments. More Porsche improvements to come! Parts availability seems to be great for these. It now also has the nice brand new Blaupunk stereo that came with it (thanks again inconsistant for the box of spares, they have come in very useful), only a small amount of wiring was required to splice that in. Further to the job on the Porsche fuel pump. I was going to replace the fuel line from the pump to the fuel accumulator, but the union on the accumulator is too stuck to do it, so the elbow you see removed there was replaced with a banjo, taking care of the grubby line. I bought the part from Woolies, but that is now going if someone wants to buy it £30 posted.

Great problem solving on the engine tick. I reckon the choice of tyre you have come up with is pretty spot on. It just doesn’t seem to be value for money going for those really top end brands when many of the mid-range brands are really have a come a long way. As you say the next massive improvement out of the Jag you will gain from fresh rubber so it will exciting to hear how it goes with new tyres/tracking done.

So many interesting cars, a really diverse selection indeed. I like the XJS, it looks pretty clean for one that has been off the road for a long time.

Interesting work there. You sparked a thought with your aircon investigations. How did you conclude the compressor clutch needs doing out of interest? On my XJR recently the air con had a moment and there was smoke from the compressor clutch area. The rubber on the clutch melted and obviously no cold air since then. I immediately though air con compressor seized, but it didn't pop the fuse. How does A/C clutch failure manifest? On the engine tick front. What oil do you have in there, when was it last serviced? Sounds like a valve clearance thing, but a damn good service might get you out of it.

Some Porsche fettling occurred today. I had been anxious to replace the fuel pump due to the horrendous noise it makes, and occasional hot start problem. It took two attempts to do the job because it transpired I needed more than the pump due to the rotten rubber pipe from the tank to pump and the banjo/check valve/cap nut on the pump being very rotten, as well as a section after the pump. Armed with knowledge from the first attempt and further parts, I tackled it again today. In the end I got the elbow you see in the pictures off and replaced that with a new banjo, new cap nut and washers. The tank to fuel pump is a new genuine Porsche bit for what that's worth and I wrapped the pump with rubber to prevent rubbing and vibration a bit more. The contacts on the fuel sender were really corroded, so I cleaned them. Everything went back together nice and it's comforting to see fresh fuel system components. The car runs miles better now and there is no issue with hot starting now, or the wiff of rich running at idle. Perhaps this really was the weak spot in the fuel system then. Annoyingly the fuel gauge stopped working shortly even though initially it worked fine after finishing the job. It flickers a bit, but reads empty with 2 gallons in the tank and the fuel light is on.

The bonnet is easy to remove and replace on these. Simply remove the front grille and you can unbolt it with the bonnet down. That should give you enough room to work on the AC system easier*. If you are between fettling, then it should be possible to rest the bonnet back on the car and pull the latch closed without bolting anything back on if it decides to rain mid-job.

That is absolutely typical X300 with the epic lacquer failure. The parts taking the brunt of the sun's force (bonnet, roof, bootlid) strip the 90s lacquer away quite effectively. There seems to be relatively little in UV stabilization. I've replaced several Jag bonnets from a specialist in Bolton. They supply a freshly painted bonnet at a remarkably good price if you are willing to be patient with them. Just hand over the old bonnet when you collect the replacement. They always get there in the end. I'm the type to prod at rust (because I prefer to know) and from my past experience with these that inner back sill will go through for sure, but you of course may prefer not to prod. It will be a bonus if the chassis outriggers (i.e. the jacking points) are still solid. The box sections trap mud and moisture and rot away. In my opinion the critical area to check is the front bulkhead, especially under the black plastic trim at the base of the windscreen. If it's gone there, that is not so good. Nice low mileage though!

The X300 shape is very elegant, and they are a very nice place to sit. All hemmed in nicely. Good luck with the MOT. It will be exciting to see what is underneath all that crud! I swear carnival red must be the most common X300 colour, so many of them I see in that combination of carnival red and oatmeal leather.

That must be very pleasing the car running so well after the cam belt job being done right. Was pleasing to see your car in the I Drive a Classic Video.

In the harsh light of day the X300 would have to be very cheap to be worth it. You can get a decent, up and running example for not many £, so be careful. The only exception is if you see a manual transmission in either, then they become much more interesting, but that is pretty unlikely. They can hide very bad rust and XJ40/X300s suffer very badly by sitting.

Do tell us more about both of those!

Wow, that looks horrendous. Great purchase!

Been here before with rust. When you see corruption like that you can only cut your losses, and get rid ASAP to stop it causing further upset. Shame. Sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you!

Top Shite right there! £600 is a bargain for an XJ40 that passes an MOT. Most really are scrap now. The 4.0 is the best engine and indeed what a delight being able to run one as a daily on account of the LPG! I had a 4.0 Sov on a G-plate and it held the road nicely and indeed was deceptively fast. It was all great until someone rear-ended me at a zebra crossing and that wrote off the car. I’m more of a X300 man myself due to liking the old Jag looks, but the XJ40 (essential the same underneath) deserves real respect as a very forward looking move from Jag at the time. Moroccan red is a gorgeous colour on these. Top marks, well done. Will follow with interest! These are always dead cheap to insure for some reason. I paid £120 renewal on my classic car policy for a supercharged XJR the other day. Unbelievable. L-reg is pretty late in the run of the XJ40 so it will be much better built than the earlier ones. Also at that point production has almost transitioned to X300, so lots bits of the transition carried through the late XJ40s making them better again. Your car may have been built the same year as my XJR6 which is built late in 94.

What a journey! I’ve been in a couple of situations like the buying experience you describe. It can be genuinely frightening. These days I don’t go out looking at shite off the beaten track or in the dark, and try not to go alone either. One time I had to make a swift exit on a Range Rover when the vendor (who was less than honest) decided to get aggressive. That was not so nice. Always have an excuse and an exit planned I say, but I digress. Top AS points for the journey of delight* fixing the Corsa. As for MOT strategy I try to use places that can only do the MOT test itself, nothing else. That way I reason they have less incentive to try and fail you on purpose as there isn’t really any gain in it for them. I want a genuine test though to know the car is safe. I came across a Mazda Mx-5 very recently with a fresh MOT from a local tyre fitter despite having 3 out of 4 wheel nuts loose resulting in an inch play on the wheel. It could have departed the vehicle at any moment. The MOT rules are fine in the UK I think. The problem is that too many testers are either overzealous or completely bent and give you a certificate on anything for a song. At least now you know you have replaced most of the the parts on the Corsa, so it kind of makes sense to keep going with it and get your moneys worth piling miles on it. Photos please!