The XJ Diaries

Smoking the cigars left over from Ben's wedding

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Martyn and time cards

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Ben at sunrise

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Arrival at the finish, John O'Groats hotel after 1300 miles and an overnight drive across Scotland's most remote regions

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About to cross the border

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Climbing towards Kielder

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Crossing the River Wear at Stanhope

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Winding through Northumberland

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Northumberland

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Sunrise at Croft motor racing circuit

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Sunday evening fuel halt, Teeside

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Night falls over the North Yorks Moors

Goathland, a.k.a. Aidensfield in ITV's Heartbeat

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My mum, Ben, my sister and her dog

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Ben and Jaguar at Castle Howard

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On the rainy M62 heading for Yorkshire

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Afternoon checkpoint in Cornwall

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Winding our way through rural Cornwall

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Car T1, our XJ6 is flagged away at the start

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We're on our way to the start line

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We've arrived at Land's End

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Blinking Ben at Land's End

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Are you ready for le photos?

THE JAGUAR is as close to prepared for Le Jog as she'll ever be and we leave for Cornwall in the morning.
Le Jog is the gruelling annual historic car rally organised by HERO.
Cars leave Land's End on Saturday morning and zig-zag their way north to John O'Groats in Scotland, to arrive on Tuesday. This is a stylised map. We don't get the route until just before we set off.
Practical Classics magazine deputy editor Ben Field is joining me as co-driver and although we are saving our detailed report for the magazine, we have set up a photo-feed from my mobile phone.
I haven't worked out how to do texts to the blog, so there won't be any words.
I'm sure the photos will be enough, so please keep checking back for new ones.
Wish us luck - send us a text on +44 7768 261276!

Ready for Le Jog

DETAILED ACCOUNTS of the work carried out by David Marks will be published in Practical Classics magazine first and then posted on here at a later date.
A full report on the car's efforts on Le Jog will also appear in print first.
I collected the car from Nottingham today with several jobs on the list still outstanding. But it runs much better and is looking good for Le Jog next weekend.

Here's where it gets a bit complicated

THE FEBRUARY issue of Practical Classics magazine has a more detailed report on what happened on Monday November 14.
But it's not on sale until just before Christmas. Well, blog fans can't wait until then for an update so I'm just going to skip through the day with photographs and tell you that it went from this:

Via this:
To this:

And ended like this:

Off to David Marks in the morning

Setting off just after six tomorrow for Nottingham. David Marks will help get the car ready for its Land's End to John O'Groats trip in December.

I've emailed David a list of things we need to look at. Click on the image of it (right) to read the list. It could be even longer by the time I've driven to Nottingham. Tonight is expected to see the first frost of the winter, too. Got the de-icer out.

I'll be getting a train from Nottingham to Malton to pick up my sister's MGF. This will be the MG Diaries for a week or two!

Ouch! That hurt my wallet

When you take a car into the NEC it has to be low on fuel. So when I filled up both tanks this morning I shouldn't have been surprised at the size of the bill.

It is a record, though: £92.89-worth of Shell Optimax. How long will that last?

On display at the NEC

Arrived at the National Exhibition Centre on Thursday evening and washed the car outside the hall. The Meguiar's drying towel is brilliant and soaked up gallons of water to leave the paint presentable for the show.

The hall lights are very critical of the paint. Everybody expects the car to be perfect and don't seem to acknowledge the fact it gets used so much. Ornaments are for mantlepieces, this car lives on the road and my drive. It shouldn't be perfect.

Fuel tanks are supposed to be drained for the show, but I usually get away with running one tank right down and making sure the gauge switch is set to that side when I take the car inside.

Driving over here, the offside side and rear lights were flickering and I traced the bad connection to a fuse mount. I also replaced the number plate lights at the show. The engine runs much cooler at this time of year.

Time for a clear out

The Jaguar is going to the NEC this weekend. It will be appearing on the Practical Classics stand at the Classic Motor Show - more people picking at the paint and rubbing chins or shaking heads.

The following week the car is going to David Marks Garages in Nottingham to have some work done before Le Jog in December. I need to clear out the boot. Just look at all this rubbish!

Wow! What a difference

I'd forgotten what a punch that Red Top battery packs. Three days of trickle charge and it spins the big six into life faster than ever. Even better, the windscreen wipers park properly again! They stopped parking around a year ago, probably when I fitted the battery. I must have disturbed a connection.

Time for a boost

It's a year since I fitted the Optima Red Top battery and it's given pretty good service. But during the summer I've used my bicycle and motorbike a lot. Leaving the car's alarm set, slowly drains the battery and so as the colder weather and darker nights have nudged me back into the car, the battery is audibly flagging. It just manages to turn the engine enough to fire, and no more.

With the clocks going back and the bad weather here, I really need to boost the battery to help it cope with wipers, heater, lights and heated rear screen.

I unhooked it for the whole weekend and put it on charge.

Finally dragged the family to Clipsham

Ever since we called there on the Classic Cars drive-in to Maxey car show a couple of years ago, I've wanted to take the family to Clipsham.

There's this wonderful avenue of yew trees just outside the village and they each have a different topiary design cut into them. This is the best time of year to enjoy them. It's warm and sunny and the family finally relented. As much to get me to shut up as anything else.

Car went really well, although the water temperature still creeps up.

Made it!

My drives to Beaulieu and back passed without major incident. Friday was hot but the water temperature needle never quite made it into the red. Whenever it looked like it might, I put the heater on and adjusted the fans and vents to draw the maximum amount of heat off the element and away from the engine. It always lowered the temperature gauge and burned my feet.

The bizarre thing is the way it seems more likely to overheat when I'm rolling along. In town and slow traffic it seems to cope better, despite the broken viscous coupling on the fan. It's up around 65-70mph that the temperature seems to creep up. Any suggestions why this might be, readers? I'd love to hear from you: martyn.moore@emap.com

Wish me luck

I have everything around the replacement waterpump tightened up by eight-thirty and the kids go off to school. But there's still that lost screwdriver bit, probably wedged into a brake or steering mechanism ready to spell my premature demise on that fast right-hander by the bus stop.

A couple of years ago I bought one of those long, bendy rods with a strong magnet at each end. Driven by blind optimism I dipped it into the dark recesses of an engine mounting bracket. There was an immmediate click, so I pulled my rod out quickly to examine my catch - a PZ2 screwdriver bit. Hurrah!

I started the engine and was amazed how quiet it sounded. I'd been blaming that rattle on the power steering pump but clearly it had a lot more to do with the water pump. Before it got too hot I topped up the coolant again.

At first it ran quite hot. Turning on the heater and fans it cooled down again and when I turned them off it stabilized. The temperature gauge has always sat bang in the middle of the word 'normal'. That's where it is now as I set off for Beaulieu Autojumble - 130 miles and it's another hot day. Wish me luck.
If you're going to Beaulieu this weekend, please drop by the Practical Classics stand and say hello. Don't mention the paintwork, please.

If David Marks tells me a job takes an hour, I allow three. You know a job isn't going to go right when you put the socket set down on the rocker box too heavily and one of the screwdriver bits bounces out of the tray and disappears into the engine bay. But doesn't reach the driveway below.

Removal of fan and (broken) viscous coupling is easy enough, as is the dismantling of top hoses and header tank. The power steering pump tipped in and off came the belt. This is better.

So how come I ran out of time and it got dark? An hour to get the pump off and another hour to scrape away every last morsel of old gasket from the block, that's how come. And everything is so difficult to get at. Despite the huge engine bay the stretch to the front of the engine is considerable and I ache all over. And whoever decided to put those wing mirrors on my car should be shot. I've always felt they ruin the line of the car but when you come to work under the bonnet you really start to hate them.

I did manage to get everything reassembled but not tightened and checked, by which time dinner was a withered, dry morsel.

Two bottles of Adnam's Broadside cheered me up so I decided to change the virus and firewall software on my computer. At 1am my internet connection still wouldn't work and when I go to bed I can't sleep.

Help from abroad

I contacted old friend of the XJ6, David Marks at David Marks Garages who emailed me from his Cuban holiday to tell me it was more likely to be a failed water pump than just a gasket.

I called three Jaguar parts specialists and only SNG Barratt had pumps in stock. The ever helpful Kully had one sent to the office by overnight courier.

Leaving it a bit late...

It's Beaulieu Autojumble next weekend and I've just realised I haven't cleaned the Jaguar since the Spring event! Good grief.

Washed and took it for a run in the sun to dry it out. The temperature gauge was way up to the 'L' of normal - much hotter than the car has ever run. I stopped at a lay-by and saw those rotten drips from the water pump again. Two fat drips a second. It's a problem.

And not before time, either...

I've been very bad. This is the first diary entry for the year. All the stuff below has been pulled together from my desk diary, expenses sheets and articles in Practical Classics magazine. I'm ashamed and have taken holidays to create time to catch up.

Excuses? Well there's my book and website project, some training work I've been busy with and the fact that the Jaguar is being cruelly overlooked as I resort to two wheels. My Triumph uses lots less petrol and my mountain bike keeps me fit(ish).

Total recorded mileage today: 104,191.

Hot and bothered

Thought it was about time I checked the coolant level. It was very low. Checked under bonnet when I arrived at work and saw coolant dripping from the water pump housing. List of cooling system problems: viscous coupling on fan not working so fan doesn't draw; slight crack in top hose joint on radiator; leak from water pump housing; several perished hoses. All this in August. Disgraceful. I must sort this out.

Workshop day

Met the team at the Practical Classics workshop for a photo session. Deputy editor Ben Field took it upon himself to refit the horn that fell off last week. Two bolts holding the bracket to the subframe were particularly awkward. I sort of helped. Ben fitted new connector spades and it works a treat.

Losing the horn

Driving away from the office there was a loud bang as something hit the underside of the car. There had been nothing in the road in front of me but looking in the mirror I saw something in the road behind me. Something that must have fallen off the car. I three-point turned and went back to find one of the horns, slightly battered but intact. I threw it into the passenger footwell. Another job for the list.

Pretend MoT nerves

Met photographer at MoT station to photograph the XJ6 pretending to be tested. Still feel nervous, even though she only passed in April! Fool.

Idiots thrill the radio star

I appeared on Southern Counties Radio this morning, telling how important rear seat belts were in my decision to buy the Jaguar. Bizarrely found myself arguing with the woman from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents who seemed to be making a case for not having rear seat belts because people look at a classic car, smile and wave as they pass. The idea of old people grinning and gurning at me as they drive along is terrifying.

Great run home

Perfect drive home from Beaulieu. Temperature gauge held steady and heater worked fine when I tried it. Must have been an airlock. Great CD to drive back to: Joss Stone's Mind, Body and Soul.

Nits picking

I'm not bringing the Jaguar to any more shows. The state of the paint attracts too many critical looks. People paw the wings and shake their heads in dismay. One bloke even suggested I take the car back to the restorers and ask for my money back. Well for the car was restored between 1997 and 1998. Seven years ago! It's done about 30,000 miles since then and they rusted a lot faster when they were new.

Blowing hot and cold

Uneventful, enjoyable drive to Beaulieu until I hit slow moving traffic near Southampton. Water temperature crept up and the heater wasn't drawing as I used it to try to cool her down. Arrived safely at Beaulieu and parked the Jaguar on the stand. Checked under the bonnet and noticed a slight leak from a crack near the top hose joint on the radiator. Coolant level was still good, though.

Photos at Maxey

Drove from Birmingham to photo shoot at Maxey. Road tested Mini 'Wildgoose' camper after photo session.

The 'wrap' party

Got horribly lost driving to Edgbaston for filming BBC's 20th Century Roadshow. Showed off in front of film crew with a dodgy handbrake turn in the car park. Filmed segment with a Fifties Mister Softee ice cream van and another with the gorgeous Jaguar E-type restored by Practical Classics magazine. Recording went well, best yet, probably.

Got lost again on way back to city centre hotel and led the lovely presenter Hilary Kay (Mercedes SLK) astray to boot.

Got drunk at the splendid 'wrap' party in the evening. Filming the last show in the series on the day the first one went out made for a happy coincidence. Didn't hear much of the programme, though. Still, I wasn't in it.

Testing time

Another late MoT test. I gain about a fortnight a year. It will all change when the computerised system kicks in.

The Jaguar sailed through with nothing worse than a blown numberplate light bulb, which I replaced in the test bay. They even did a non-essential emmisions test (cars as old as this require a visual test only) and told me it would have passed that too, easily, so the engine is in very good condition.

Filming at MK

Filmed prototype Mini hatchback for 20th Century Roadshow at Milton Keynes.

More door dents

Drove to Milton Keynes to film 20th Century Roadshow. Parked beside shopping centre and then went off with film crew to make the vintage Daimler feature. Filming went really well until the Daimler broke down on the A5. Suspected big end bearing failure!

Returned to the Jaguar to discover two huge dents in the nearside doors. Somebody must have really whacked it with their car doors to make dents like that. Deeply depressing.

Long haul

Filming 20th Century Roadshow at Goonhilly, Cornwall. Valued and filmed a VW camper and a vintage Austin, plus the 19th driving licence issued in UK.

Going potty

Filming 20th Century Roadshow at Wedgwood factory, Stoke. Valued and filmed a set of workshop manuals.

More filming

Filming 20th Century Roadshow at Bristol Grammar School. Valued and filmed a Triumph Stag and lovely Mini pickup.

On set

Filming 20th Century Roadshow at Brighton. Valued a 1962 Vespa scooter.

TV filming starts

Drove to Brighton for the start of filming for the 20th Century Roadshow. Car ran perfectly. Not happy leaving it in the NCP half a mile from the hotel. Persuaded hotel manager to let me park it on the hotel forecourt - pride of place. Felt good to be turning up for my first TV job as a classic car expert in such a lovely old car.

Exciting opportunity

Visit from researcher and producer of a new TV show called the 20th Century Roadshow presented by Alan Titchmarsh. They came to the office and I did a screen test in the car park talking about the Jaguar XJ6. I thought it went OK. The car is clean, too. Fingers crossed. I might be on TV!

Ace night

Went to classic cars night at the Ace Cafe with Michelle from the events department.

NEC Autojumble

Drove to the NEC Autojumble and put the Jaguar on the Practical Classics stand. People are commenting on the deterioration of the paintwork..