Sunday run

Gave the Jaguar a good wash today. No time for polish. Oil and water both looking good.

I've got Total LRP four star in at the moment and the car seems to start better. Mind you, it's much warmer weather too.

Went for a joy ride. Still fretting about that diff. After 15 miles it was almost too hot to touch and hold, but not quite. Hadn't kept off the brakes through the village, so it could be that heat transfer from the discs.

Calm down

Drove back to Peterborough from Flitwick via Shefford to avoid traffic around Bedford this morning. Slowly up the A1, easy on the brakes into work. No smelly diff oil today either but I'm tuned-in to every bump and whirring noise.

Cooler diff

Enjoyed a lovely early morning run down to Flitwick Manor for the classic magazines' conference. Diff quite hot on arrival at the hotel but not smelling of hot oil.

Hot diff!

Drove to Essendine to meet a restorer this afternoon. It was warm and sunny.

After driving down to Peterborough on the back roads I noticed a smell of hot gear oil as I got out of the car. The diff was very hot to the touch and all the heat was in and around it. It always has a thin film of oil on it.

I'm not sure if the heat from the inboard rear discs (they sit either side of the diff casing) is causing the smell. There is no rumble or whine from the final drive, but a slight clunk when power is transferred.
Please God, don't let it be a diff-out job again!

Nobody wants to send me a light lens, then...

Nearly bought another Series 1 XJ6 today. It's light blue with dark blue leather, just like mine. It's a 1968 4.2-litre automatic and it looks destined for the scrappy. Dragging it back from the West Country put me off when all I need right now is that interior light lens!

Lost lens

Noticed the driver's side interior light lens is missing. It's a push fit on the door pillar and falls off every now and then, usually into the rear footwell. Nowhere to be seen this time. Must've come off during all the fun and games at Rockingham yesterday.

Found a long-lost glasses case, though. Scant compensation. Anybody got a light lens they can sell me?

The Top 100 shoot

Met Karen (Practical Classics art editor and director of today's photo shoot) at work at 07:30 and set off in the sun for Rockingham.

Greeted owners at the gate with goody bags then drove down through the tunnel, past the pits and out onto the track. Took up position on the grid with 90-odd other classic cars.

Four photographers, one on cherry-picker, two on startline gantry, one on track. Staff positioning cars, owners very patient. Two parade laps of Rockingham, one for stills one for TV. Clouds gathering.

Live TV (ITV lunchtime news) interview from top car park. Heavens opened. Still wet as I write this, four hours later.

Getting the 'goody bags'

Drove out to office with daughter Katy. Big Practical Classics photo shoot tomorrow at Rockingham Motor Speedway and the XJ6 is in the top 30 of Britain's favourite 100 classic cars, voted for by the readers.

Loaded 100 'goody bags' (snack, magazine, instructions) for car owners coming to the photo shoot. Storm broke just as we started to fill the car.