Russ68

I'm not doing the dashboard speakers, just the parcel shelf and amp, plus upgrade to head unit and door speakers. I admire you for going to this trouble and if being installed in a new car I can see if being worthwhile, but a lot of work for a retrofit .

Hi Paul, thanks for the offer, but the Clarion I have installed is different to the cartridge you have (we went through that about a year ago!). As mine is a pre-facelift X200, it doesn't have the touchscreen, so it's just a double DIN head unit. I've done quite a bit of ICE before and would hope there is an aux out from the new head unit designed for an aux amp. I think Premium Sound was an option on the X200, so I'm hoping it has the wiring in place already, or something I can adapt, although this is a project is probably for next year as I have some mechanical and bodywork improvements I'm making prior to that .

Well, in that case Paul, all strength to you and the very best of luck! A bit like climbing a mountain 'because it's there' etc, ha ha, well done . BTW, I'm looking to do a partial retro fit of the premium sound system, to include the rear parcel shelf and amp, plus I'll upgrade the head unit and door speakers using non standard parts. I couldn't find a cartridge for my CDC, but got a complete original Jaguar Clarion CDC for £29 on eBay, so I'll fit that up shortly...

Well done Joe, that seems pretty conclusive then? While I admire your ambition Paul, I think this is a retro fit too far, tons of hassle for marginal gain, if any. Your call of course!

Excellent ingenuity on the tool making there, sounds epic! Hopefully your guy can sort it and you be back up to speed before he goes away

Good call on the expansion cap Joe, I just changed my cap in an effort to stop the water loss from expansion tank. They're cheap so it's a no brainer really. I couldn't find a 120 rated, as came off, so went with a 140. Not sure if it's helped yet as not used the Jag for a few days...

I agree with Jon, modern engines are not like the old days where you'd have to have the heads of to decoke them and they needed rebuilding regularly. Having a nice low mileage example is good from a vanity / bragging rights point of view, but is no great indication of condition or reliability. Sometimes the worst thing that can happen to a car is it not being used, or only used on short trips, both of which are more likely with a low miler than a high miler. I'm guessing that an 80K example may (not) have had the valley pipe done, a 130K one almost certainly will have. Just IMHO, but I wouldn't be hung up on the mileage, go on condition and history and finding one in the spec and age you're looking for .

Well done Keith, I had an MGF keyed across the drivers door some years ago, and used a touch up pen as a temporary repair. While it didn't bear close inspection, it stopped having a hard white line on the BRG paint, and kept it relatively respectable until I had the whole car resprayed some time later. Interesting you can order the touch up pens from Amazon, I'll look there next time I need one ;)

Well done Jon, glad you sorted it and sorry not to be able to contribute

Hi Keith, The simplest method may be to go to Halfrauds and see if they have the touch up paint / pens in the right colour and just dob it on. This may work for a spoiler and take your eye off any contrast between the top coat and primer colour. Failing this a paint specialist can mix up rattle cans to a paint code and perhaps touch ups too? You may need a bit of online research about this or local calling around, and if spraying, it'll need considerable prep. You could also remove the spoiler, prepare it and spray it in. Mine has had a few scrapes and this is what I'm planning, while quite a major job, it's nothing as complicated or hard as doing a large panel like bonnet or door. I've invested in some kit for work that will allow me to do these jobs myself, but at a push, a spoiler could be sprayed from cans. Speaking of large panels, I have some lacquer damage on my bonnet, and I can't see an option other that a full respray to this panel. Not sure I have the skills for this myself, as it's highly visible, but after a bit of practice, I may give it a go! Or see about subcontracting to a local bodyshop, does anyone have experience of having lacquer damage repaired and is a respray of base and lacquer coat the way to go. Good luck, hope you get it sorted

Sounds like a good call Jon, I think we've both made reasonable decisions given the power and tuning potential of our cars. If I had a supercharged V8, I think I'd have to go with a Y rated tyre, a fraction of the cost of the car, and a massive input to safety and performance, so better safe than sorry! Let us know how they perform once you have them on

Hi Alan, Sounds like bad luck there old chap! I'm guessing £4300 was an installed cost for the engine and I'm seeing second hand ones from c£1K. I'm glad I do my own mechanics as paying someone to fix and maintain would be expensive! All the best, Russ

Well done Sir, enjoy

Bad luck old chap, although I'm similar on the hours. We bought out our business last year and I regularly do 60+ a week. Today doing 10am (after 8am-9pm yest) to 11pm today. The bonus being the roads are clearer and I drive the Jag back! She's working beautifully, and I'm sure the exhausts have increased performance. She sounds faster at least! I've had the tyres stripped from the new staggered alloys and will spray them and refit next week. Can't wait to Goodwood in December. Gonna change all fluids before then and bring spare tyres. Hoping to wear out the Winruns so I can get Nexens all round. Shame you won't be there as interested to see what a manual sport is like against an STR. Imagine you'd be loads quicker

Mine made a drumming type / whirring noise under heavy braking, before I changed out the discs and pads. They had gotten extremely low and I didn't change them a moment too soon! In fact, if it was more a scrapping / squeaking, rather than clicking at the airport, it could be pad down to metal and rubbing on a high point of the disc. The drumming noise could be brakes very low, as mine were! If your alloys allow you to see the disc and pad, check there's still some meat on the pad, although you'll only see the outer one easily. If they are completely gone, you may want to bring the work forward .

Deffo not CV joints Adam! I'm struggling to think of what it could be, unless it's something as simple as a stone being caught in the tread of the tyre and clicking as it goes around. Unlikely it'll be doing this all the time as they pop in and out. If not this you could jack the wheel and see if it still makes the noise? It might be something fouling on the hub, or something from the hub fouling on the suspension. You could take it in somewhere for a check up if you're not a spannerman yourself. Good luck!

Look forward to a full post on this Paul Mine are better since fitting the Nightbreakers, but you did this also so interested to hear how you go with HID. Cheers, Russ

Crikey Jon, bad luck! Having started on classic Minis and still owning an MGF, I generally luxuriate in the access on the Jag. But mine is not the V8, and this does sound extreme! Hope you get it sorted

The Jag one works well, you can set a speed, cruise along, accelerate past someone and it will return to cruising speed. I use mine like an electronic throttle if driving for economy. If someone can confirm what the connector block for the CC looks like, Google Images should tell you. You can check you have this and it's hopefully plug and play!

My 2001 has it and I use it all the time, it could be as easy as finding a steering wheel with it on and plugging it in! I'd be suprised if the loom didn't have the pick up for it, but perhaps someone knows for sure?

In primer?

Thanks for the clarification, Peter is doing well then if he pays £295 for his 2007 2.7D...

This is what Celtic said when asked to confirm the 258bhp figure (+18 gain) and if they had advice on taking the ECU out: Hi Russ, You would need to send us the ECU that is correct. The ECU on these is normally at the back right of the engine bay as you look at it but, we don’t actually have any diagrams to hand unfortunately. Regards Scott Customer Advisor

Sounds awful for the money they were asking Gary, I'd expect much more! Good advice from Jon there, my AJ6 runs sweetly and is a fantastic engine, lighter than the V8. I'd keep looking 😉

Interesting, as I have a leaky expansion tank and wasn't sure if a common problem, or just mine! What's this about the tanks cracking? You should replace the hoses and the cap as a matter of course, then keep an eye on them. I suspect it's age / fatigue related and hopefully nothing more to worry about. For interest, I'm going to use jubilee clips and not the standard spring clips, mainly as I have them already...