Daimler Diary
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L*** *BT is one of the last XJ40 models produced by Jaguar, the 'XJ6 line' continued with the X300 range superseding later in 1994. First registered in March 1994 in Leeds (the final letters BT in the Reg. No.=Leeds), it had covered about 82,000 miles during the ownership of 2 previous title-holders. The 3980cc, 24 valve all alloy 6 cylinder AJ6 DOHC engine produces 235 bhp through 4 speed ZF automatic gearbox (or 5 incl. reverse). This version is finished in 'Solent Blue' with cream leather interior, burr walnut veneered dashboard, door finishers and rear picnic tables. The car runs on 16in. 'Aero' style wheels with 225/55/16 tyres and has a full Jaguar service history to 60,000 miles.

Explanation of Jaguar codes
Vehicle Identification Number: SAJDKALD3AJ******
SAJD=Daimler; K=Daimler 6; A=Base line; L=4 door; D=4 litre; 3=Automatic, right hand steering; A=XJ40;
J=4.0 Emission C; the remaining are serial numbers.
Engine Number: 9EPCNA******
9=Jaguar; E=4 litre, 4v; P=Petrol; C=Compression ratio, 4L (H); N=Emission spec (not listed, but M=European); A=Spec. range; the remaing are serial numbers.
Colour: JFJ (JFJ/JEW715)=Solent Blue. The trim code is AEE which equates to Doeskin, but looks more like Magnolia!

The first few weeks of ownership saw incessant rain and I had yet to check on the underside (re water-proofing). Of course there were the usual signs of wear and tear on the car, but nothing major had been spotted. A 100+ mile drive recently, passed without any real incident.
A number of small items needed replacement such as bulbs and bits of trim.

       
1.Map & courtesy bulb replacement. 2.Map bulb is a Jaguar item, equivalent from Motor Factor shop has offset pins. 3.Heater slider control knob missing. 4.Rear reading light bulb renewal. 5. cruise control switch missing.

Restoration work in bold

August 2008 saw the replacement of the exhaust back sections and I took the opportunity to look under the car. All seemed well apart from a small oil leak. As the month came to a close things were slowly coming together. The air conditioning had been re-gassed and felt much better. I found, however, the battery was a little 'iffy' - needing a charge on a few occasions and was rated at 70amps where the recommended rate is 72amps. I therefore decided to go for a new one at 75amps. It seems, on further enquiry, the clock or radio is draining the battery by about 0.5 volts overnight which, if not used frequently, will necessitate a recharge - a common fault, it appears, on XJ40s that have the battery in the boot.
I then found the 'low-note' horn to be faulty. An after-market replacement was easily found & fixed. Next problem was a noise as though something was catching when turning right, especially on reversing - more of this later.

Used tailpipes fitted after cleaning

I discover the rear bumper has been damaged and on further inspection the joints are quite badly corroded so it will need to be replaced at some point soon. Other problems that were corrected - both windscreen washers are now working properly after 'blowing through' which removed a small amount of debris.
(Right) Air conditioning refrigerant pressure gauge (not attached to system). The green area indicates system is empty, the blue is the correct level where the needle should point around the middle of the area. Yellow indicates over-charging and the red indicates a system fault.
Attempting to change a flat (due to a nail in the tyre), I found the spare to be flat and needed re-sealing.
February 2009 Parking too near a kerb at the front of the car caused a split in the front spoiler. As the rear bumper needed attention both were replaced satisfactorily using second hand parts from Jagcats of Ackworth. Whilst undergoing this replacement, I notice a number of bushes need attention, 2 rear & 2 front. Wear on the inside of the front tyres is a common fault on these cars due to worn front upper suspension bushes.

     
(Left) Damaged rear bumper (2nd left) old bumper removed (3rd) waxoyl where required (Right) front spoiler prior to removal

March 2009 and the rear subframe, front suspension and damper bushes are renewed. On returning home from work one day, I find another flat tyre - 3 in as many weeks. Decided, therefore, to get 2 new ones. On further investigation, the noise when turning right is due the tyres having too great a profile. XJ40s were fitted with 15 and 16in wheels. If the 16in wheels were fitted with 225/60/16 tyres (mine were) they will catch on the front wheel arch. 225/55/16 tyres eliminate this problem. Whilst the bushes were fitted a hole was noticed at the front of the passenger footwell. Fortunately, this was not a load bearing area and it was filled with glass fibre temporarily to keep out the weather - not my favourite job!
April 2009 The first job this month is to clean up the exhaust manifold heat shield. This is only partially successful as there is some corrosion on the underside. There appears to be a little oil in the 'well' surrounding the oil filler cap so an 'O' ring is inserted into the cap in an attempt to provide a better seal. Some of the minor rust spots on the top of the inner wings are treated with Hammerite's Kurust to neutralise the metal. The photos on the right represent (Left) the heat shield, (Middle) the front right inner wing and (Right) the front left inner wing near the bulkhead.
May 2009 There is rust along the left rear door bottom which encroaches around to the inside. The outer skin of the  underside of the car near the front of the sill (non-load bearing) on the same side seems a little 'flaky'. I decided, therefore, to take the car to D&S Motors in Mapplewell, Barnsley to rectify these problems. The work was carried out within a day and is more than satisfactory. Click on the thumbnails to see the pre- and post-fettling pictures (return using back button).

     
Before work carried out
     
Pictures in the same order after repainting

For a short while I have noticed a little blue smoke from the exhaust on starting & acceleration and will need to check the valves & stem seals before too long. Another problem is that the 'aircon' is not as cool as it should be.
June 2009 sees the 25th anniversary of the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club (JEC) and the 50th of the Mark 2 (L423RBT is 15 this year!). Very wet at Thoresby Park for this event which is very well attended with many Jaguars of all sorts turning up. Unfortunately, the weather got the upper hand and forced me to leave earlier than I would have preferred. Nevertheless, the trip was worth it just to see the varied exhibits.

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1.Where it all began, Swallow sidecars 2.Followed by Austin 7 Swallow 3.Jaguar SS Airline 4.1946 MkIV 5.XK120 6.1956 MkVII & 1957 MkVIII 7.Mk10 8.4.5 litre Mk2 9.Mk2 line up
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10.Daimler Corsica 11.Daimler Club 12.1994 XJ40 twix 2 XK8s

The 'Forums' line up.

Visited Renishaw Hall for an evening show organised by the Chesterfield Rotarians. As well as cars, there was thunder, lightning and heavy rain, again I left early. The gardens are usually quite attractive adding to the atmosphere, but not this time. Whilst sitting in the car, I discovered, quite by chance, a couple of items which turned out to be the catches for the rear blinds - missing since purchase. They appear to be broken but I'll try to fix them using 'No Nails'.
A visit to Jagcats of Ackworth for a 'mini service' - oil flush, oil change, oil filter change and the addition to the oil of 'Forte Stem Seal Conditioner' which is said to soften the seals and eliminate smoking. The spark plugs were changed - the old ones looked as though they had not been renewed for a very long time. The air filter is satisfactory. There is a small leak at the bottom hose of the power steering unit - to try a new clip first. A used rear registration plate surround was obtained and a thin layer of underseal applied to some areas of the underside of the car. I did not notice, however, corrosion of the area near the sills and inner wings and, consequently, it failed the MOT. More unexpected expense! 87013 miles covered.
The 4 thumbnails show 1. the valve stem seal conditioner which is not available to the general public, only through the trade and is said to take a couple of weeks to become effective. 2. Oil flush. 3. The old spark plugs and 4. the number plate surround before & after cleaning.
The car is taken to Autocraft of Mexborough for rectification of the above problems.
July 2009 and welding to the areas of corrosion is complete - both inner wings, underside near both sills, boot floor. Underseal is applied to all of the underside. The aircon is re-gassed. It is evident the gauge I used is inaccurate (pictured above at February 2009). A partially successful attempt to remove a  few scratches from the paintwork. Extra drain holes to the bottom of each door which now have 2 each. Rusty rear number plate surround replaced. A successful MOT test.
An immobiliser is fitted, August 2009, by Marsdens Auto Electrical of Barnsley (see restoration contacts).
A trip to the Pickering Steam Fair means the car needs cleaning again as the car park suffered from previous rain and was quite muddy. However, the showground was, fortunately, firm and provided for a good show. It also appears the left rear window seal may need replacement as water ingress continues to be noticeable within the door, that is, on opening the door, water is released via the drain holes. To consider other drainage options.
Noticed an area, on the trailing edge of left front wheel arch, of paint loss about 1.5" in diameter. Temporarily applied a coat of paint using a small brush-somewhat unsuccessfully.
A window finisher/seal purchased from Jagcats and fitted to the car very easily (simply lifts out and the new pushed in).

Not easily seen in the photo (above left) is the area of the wing that requires attention. September 2009 is when the car is taken to Autocraft for a proper paint job. I take the opportunity to also have both front wheels refurbished (note area of corrosion above, middle). The front mudflaps are repainted whilst this work is done.
Above right is the area of the wing after repainting and left is one of the two refurbished wheels. It is evident, however, after a period of driving that the wheels need re-balancing.
In October I find there is a lack of warm/hot air to the lower cabin. As there is a good flow at face level, there must be something amiss with the heater flaps. On investigation at Jagcats, the complicated setup for the heater controls becomes evident. There are motors, potentiometers and an ECU to get your head around (whatever happened to the simple mechanical switches!). The servo vacuum motor was found to be working fine, but the upper feedback potentiometer (on the opposite side) was faulty, replaced & problem solved - sounds easy - took ages to sort!!
If there was any doubt about driving an XJ40 for lengthy periods this was totally dispelled in a journey of 340 miles I made in spells of 4 and 3 hours each. I stopped only once, to take on personal fuel, but the car took it in it's stride. The tank was full at the beginning and did not require filling again until the following day, average miles per gallon, according to the computer, was 25.3.
There has, for quite some time, been a 'squeaky whistle' emanating from the engine bay. Various suggestions had not been terribly helpful, the alternator, the driving belts and so on. I had convinced myself it was not the belts as there was no slipping and they were tight enough. However, after discussion, it did indeed turn out to be one of the belts, and after a little lubrication on the belt driving the aircon, the noise disappears. This, therefore, to change when the opportunity occurs.
In November I discover that, although the drain holes in the rear left door are clear, water is collecting and not draining from the door, being held there, it seems, by the door seal. A solution has yet to be found. Water is also collecting in the passenger footwell. An added frustration is the battery which appears, once again, to be losing it's charge more readily now that the weather has turned colder. Some areas of rust around the rear window will also need attention very soon.
The December/January 'bad weather spell' means the car's battery is taking a pounding, having to charge up if it is not used for more than 24 hours. I wonder if others with a 'battery in the boot' model are experiencing similar problems. Around this time I discover the car is 'sitting down' a little at the right rear side. After discussion with a number of people, it seems the shock absorber is 'weak'.

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