March - ncjoc

The official publication of the Nation’s Capital Jaguar Owners Club
THE JAGUAR’S ROAR
Volume 47 No. 3
March 2010
2
March 2010 The Jaguars Roar
Club Calendar
COMING EVENTS
Items for the Club Calendar must be received no later than the 10th of the month
prior to the month the event is to be held.
2010 Club Calendar
Mar
13 (20)
15
20
26-27
April
10
17(24)
17
18
19
25
4/30-5/2
May
1
2
17
22-23
Dealer Tech & Judges’ training session. (Location and dates to be confirmed) Jaime Delgadillo
NCJOC Regular Meeting Pucinella Res. McLean, VA
Tech Session. Chesapeake Jaguar, Cockeysville MD.
JCNA Annual General Meeting at Indianapolis. John Larson, Michelle Dawson. Club Reps.
Foshay Collection Tour, Culpepper VA, Joint tour with VJC Date to be confirmed
DealerTech Session and judges training session. Location pending. Jjaime Delgadillo
Concours Planning Committee Meeting. Info page 6
Fairfax Hunt Point-to-Point Races & Pot Luck Picnic. Leesburg, VA. Bob Andrews See Page 5
NCJOC Regular Meeting, O’Donnell’s Restaurant, Gaithersburg, MD Details Page 5
Brits on the Green Car Show, Mt Vernon, VA Sherman Taffel
Lewes British Motorcar Show. Lewes Chamber of Commerce. Preregistration required. Bob Andrews, coordinator
Kentlands Dary, Gaithersburg, MD
Brit & Europ. Car Show, Wiliamsburg, VA
NCJOC Regular Meeting. Location TBA
NCJOC Late May Winchester, MD Motor Tour. Details next month Al Hemer
Be Sure to Check the Club Web Site for Updates
NATION’S CAPITAL JAGUAR OWNERS CLUB
THE JAGUAR’S ROAR is the official publication of the Nation’s
Capital Jaguar Owners Club, Inc., Washington D.C. Please direct
correspondence to THE EDITOR, THE JAGUAR'S ROAR, BOX
10188, SILVER SPRING MD, 20914. Phone/Fax (301) 434-4392,
Email: [email protected]
The Jaguar’s Roar accepts unpublished original articles of interest to the membership and the Jaguar community. For information on submitting materials for publication please visit the web
site or contact the Editor. Copy deadline is the 10th day of the
month preceding publication. All materials submitted for publication becomes the property of NCJOC. NCJOC reserves the right
to refuse material submitted for publication.
(c) Copyright 1997– 2009. Nation’s Capital Jaguar Owners Club,
Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce the materials in
this publication is granted to all affiliates of Jaguar Clubs of North
America and any non-profit car club. Any other reproduction by
any means, including electronic, without the expressed, written
permission of The Nation's Capital Jaguar Owners Club is strictly
prohibited.
NCJOC and its officers and legal representatives
accept no responsibility whatsoever for the accuracy or efficacy of,
or any claim for, any product, service, or recommendation made
herein.
The Jaguar’s Roar is published by Jaguars On Line and printed by
The House of Printing, Burtonsville, MD
NCJOC Regular Meetings are held on the third Monday of every
month except in July and December. Location and time are published in the Club Newsletter and on the club web site. Regular
meetings are open to all members, guests and individuals with an
interest in the Jaguar Marque.
Membership: For information on membership in NCJOC please
visit the NCJOC web site or contact the
Membership Chairman,
P.O. Box 71,
Clifton, VA 20124.
E-Mail: [email protected]
Inside Volume 47 No. 3
President’s Message
Snow Falling on Jaguars
Feature
4
The Road Not Taken
Events
5
Fairfax Hunt
Next Regular Meeting
Columns
6
Concours Corner
Tech Tips
6
More E-type Upgrades
Corporate 10
Jaguar Stimulus Plan
Departments:
Club Calendar
Wants & offers
2
10
3
The Jaguar’s Roar March ,2010
NCJOC
P.O. BOX 10188
Silver Spring MD 20914
Hot Line (703) 400-0968
[email protected]
www.ncjoc.org
2009
Officers
President
John Larson
(301)530-5692
[email protected]
Immediate Past President
John Masters
(410)599-1012
[email protected]
Vice President
Bob Engh
(410)544-3167
[email protected]
Treasurer
Bob Goldsmith
(703)385-9164
[email protected]
Secretary
Betty Andrews
(703) 860-2574
[email protected]
Newsletter Editor
Jerry Motta
(301) 434-4392
jaguarsroar@verizon net
Technical Chm.
Jaime Delgadillo
(301) 528-8305
[email protected]
Concours Chairman
Michelle Dawson
(571)213-1847
[email protected]
Membership
Mike Perlberg
(703)-597-4379
[email protected]
Tour Chairpersons
Bob & Betty Andrews
(703) 860-2574
[email protected]
Public Relations
Michelle Dawson
(571)213-1847
[email protected]
Club Historian
Vic Powell
(571)213-1847
[email protected]
Web Master
Jerry Motta
301-434-4392
[email protected]
Presidents Message
SNOW FALLING ON JAGUARS
A
t last we emerge from the snowiest winter season on record here in the mid-Atlantic region. I
have come to count the Ides of March as winter’s turning point, because
it snows so rarely thereafter in our area. However, on the evening of December
18, snow began to filter out of the sky, and for the next day-and-one-half, we
experienced the “Snowpocalypse” that brought 16.4 inches of powdery white
stuff to Regan National Airport. That load had hardly melted when, in January,
we got a “dusting” of just 8 inches of snow. And then, in the first 10 days of
February, almost 32 inches of snow fell at Reagan National Airport, including
John Larson
NCJOC President
17.8 inches from the “Snowmeggedon” of February 5-6. In our NCJOC Jaguar
viewing area, the Baltimore region reported even heavier snows than in the
Washington DC area.
John Larson
Some of our Jaguars crept cautiously to the ends of their freshly-shoveled driveNCJOC President
ways but, with their low ground clearance, ventured no further (see photo).
However, General Bill Moore reports that his all-wheel-drive X-Type acquitted
itself admirably in all the blizzards of this winter. Bill’s wife, Jackie, was content to leave her XJ8
VDP resting under its blanket of snow (see photo). The lingering
effects of plowed snow piles, icy run-off and cold rain held attendance at the regular February meeting to about 12 stalwarts who
showed up for business.
But now, spring is busting out all over. Have you seen your
neighborhood daffodils and crocus yet? And, activities for the
spring season are also budding on our NCJOC calendar. Our
first Dealer Tech session is scheduled for March 20 at ChesaLarson’s XJ6, with 5 ½ inches of clearance,
peake Jaguar for those who wish to bring their cars out of hiberventured no further than the driveway.
nation. We have reached out to our colleagues of the Virginia
Jaguar Club to join with them on a visit to the Foshay Collection on April 10. This collection of over
120 fine cars of Jaguar, Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Mustang and other marques is maintained on a 1,000acre estate with an antebellum mansion near Culpepper, VA. Contact Sherman Taffel for details.
Also in April, we visit the Fairfax Point-to-Point horse races, a
tradition of celebration in NCJOC that sees a pride of Jaguars eagerly peering over the hilltop at the racing equestrians while our
owners enjoy a fine potluck feast and traditional toast from our
club’s tent. April concludes with the annual Brits on the Green
car show at the Mt. Vernon, VA estate, always a fine venue for
viewing British favorites.
More car shows, tech sessions and motor tours await us on the
May and June calendar. So, in the words of the 17th century bard
Robert Herrick: “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may -- Old Time is
still a-flying.”
Bill Moore says his all-wheel-drive X-Type
frolicked in the snowy streets. Jackie’s XJ8
(buried behind) keeps its cool under the
snow blanket.
Happy Motoring,
John
Cover: One of the pretty Jags on display at last year’s Brits on the Green show.
Photo by Mike Perlberg
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4
March 2010 The Jaguars Roar
Feature
The Road Not Taken
John C. Larson
R
eaders of the President’s Note in the February edition of the Jaguar’s Roar may recall my ambitious January
maintenance program for my 1977 Jaguar. In an effort at some narrative continuity, I relate here some
technical notes gleaned from the replacement of differential seals and bearings and the rear brake rebuild. I also
disclose the fate of my shake-down road trip.
I am grateful to Dave Watkins, the ace technician at
Annapolis Jaguar, for the genesis of this maintenance job.
During our club’s Dealer Tech session at Annapolis Jaguar last
fall, Dave gave my Jag a brief inspection while it was on the lift.
He noted that the slow drip from the differential area was not, as I
had wrongly suspected, a leaky brake seal, but was actually a
failing output shaft seal from the differential’s right side. Dave
also provided a printout of the appropriate page from the Jaguar
parts manual, as well as his tips on how to replace the seal
without having to remove the entire rear suspension unit. My
mixture of gratitude, apprehension and relief was just one of the
several benefits from our club’s Dealer Tech session that day.
Armed with these fresh insights, I treated myself to a pair of
oversized jack stands and a new floor jack to replace my 25-yearold jack that had chosen January 2010 for its demise. I elevated
Carma about 22 inches off the floor, resting level with ramps
under the front wheels and three jack stands in the rear.
Remember, two syllogisms for safety’s sake: “You can never
wear too much black;” and, “You can never use too many jack
stands.” Without a spacious garage and a convenient 7-ton lift, I
still conduct car maintenance by crawling back and forth under
the car. I try to convince myself that this “Jaguar Pilates”
regimen produces a tangible physical fitness bonus.
After setting up the car, I removed the following
components. (1) rear
wheels; (2) right-side rear
muffler and axle-loop pipe;
(3) “tie plate” at bottom of
differential -- 14 small
bolts; (4) inner universal
joint -- 4 bolts; (5) long
bolt holding the lower end
of the shock absorbers to
the swing arm -- 1 nut/bolt;
(6) large rubber bushing
Differential output shaft, carrier, bearings
fixing the trailing arm to
and seals ready to assembl,
car body – 2 bolts; (7)
parking brake and rear brake caliper connections. At this point,
the suspension assembly was free to swing down to the floor,
clearing the pathway to the brake rotor. Finally, (8) removal of
the 5 bolts that hold the output shaft assembly to the differential
housing completed the disassembly process. After these steps, I
gently pried out and held in my lap the combined assembly of the
output shaft with its associated bearing carrier, the brake caliper
and parking brake, and the brake rotor. The extraction process
took only about 3 hours. This smooth progress, so early into a
challenging job, augured well for my planned drive to Florida in
February.
The old adage applies here: “Anything that sounds too good
to be true probably isn’t true,” because there were a few tricky
details in this sequence. First, removing the exhaust pipes is
usually messy due to the tight slip-fittings, especially the
connection of the rear muffler to the pipe looping over the axle. I
removed the rear-most hanger
(access to nuts inside the trunk), and
then took out the rear muffler and
axle loop as a single unit. I later
took the rear muffler and axle loop
assembly to a muffler shop for a
redesign. They cut out the slip
fitting and welded in some flared
pipe-ends, bolted flanges and a ring
seal. This redesign greatly
facilitated the muffler reassembly
and alignment because it enabled a
wider range of motion in refitting
Doug Sherwood gently applying 1K
the exhaust system.
PSI to assemble bearings
Second, when prying (with a
crowbar, no less) the trailing arm’s
large rubber bushing loose from its fitting on the car body, jack
up the lower swing-arm so that the trailing arm is close to
horizontal. This angle will ease the removal. Also, prying the
bushing loose from the body was made much easier because when
I had installed a fresh bushing two years earlier, I had liberally
applied some anti-seize lubricant to the connection. (I always
apply anti-seize lubricant when reassembling nuts and bolts
because I know the guy who will most likely disassemble the
connection years later.) On that earlier occasion, I had resorted
to cutting out the old rubber bushing, and then (using a small
Dremel cutting disk) cutting through the bushing’s metal
mounting ring that remained rusted to the car body. Having
sliced through the metal mounting ring, I was then able to knock
out the rusted metal ring with a chisel.
Third, the five bolts securing the output shaft housing and
bearings are located between the brake rotor and the differential
case. These bolts would be very difficult to remove were it not for
the convenient access hole drilled through the brake rotor. That
access port allows removal of the bolts with a 5/8ths socket. In
this process, I found that on the inboard side of the brake rotor,
partially covering the access hole, was fitted a thin shim to
achieve the proper alignment of rotor to brake caliper. I was able
to remove the edge of that shim by grinding it down using a
small, conical stone mounted on the ever-handy Dremel tool, that
small, high-speed drill that operates at up to 12,000 RPM. I
always figured that “Mr. Dremel” had been a car enthusiast with
(Continued on page 8)
The Jaguar’s Roar March ,2010
Coming Event
Fairfax Hunt & Picnic
INFO AND RESERVATIONS
The Nation's Capital Jaguar Owners club will have a great day at our annual
motor tour and Pot Luck Picnic at the Fairfax Point to Point Races (formerly
the Belmont) near Leesburg, VA on April 18, 2010. This traditional Club
event will again feature exquisite picnic lunch fare from members’ pot-luck
contributions, fashionably-dressed fans, exciting races, beautiful horses and,
of course, our classy & classic Jaguars on display at this gala event. The
point-to-point races are run rain or shine. NCJOC will provide a tent on our
designated area overlooking the race track and all the action. Here are the
details:
Date:
Sunday April 18 2010. Meet at 10:30. Post-time
is 1:30 PM
Entry Fee :
$40 per car includes driver and one passenger; $5
per each additional person. Tickets will be
distributed at the rendezvous point (below) on
the day of the event.
Pot Luck. Please call Betty Andrews (703-860-2574)
to discuss your contribution to the menu.
Picnic plates, flat-ware, cups, and napkins will be
provided.
Bottled water will be provided, bring your beverages
of choice.
Bring your own chairs
Lunch Menu:
.
Dress Code:
Reservations:
Rendezvous &
Directions
.
Horse Country Chic. Don’t forget to bring your
Wellys and a coat in case it is cold and/ or wet
Required! Fill out the reservation form below and
mail it to the address below with your check (payable
to “NCJOC”) before April 12.
Meet at the shopping center (Office Depot) parking
lot adjacent to the McDonalds on the North side of
Rt 7 at 10:30 a.m. to obtain your passes and tour
instructions to the race course. Office Depot parking
lot is located on Rt 7, about 1 mile north-west of
Tysons Corner (Intersection of Rt 123 and Rt 7).
Call Bob Andrews (571-334-2851) if you have any
problems with making the rendezvous
Next NCJOC Monthly, Meeting
Monday November 16, 2009
O'Donnell's Restaurant
311 Kentlands Boulevard Gaithersburg, MD 20878
(301)519-1650
www.odonnellsrestaurants.com
Attitude adjustment 6:30 p.m
Dinner at 7 p.m.
Business Meeting to follow
DIRECTIONS
O’Donnell’s Restaurant is located in the Kentland shopping center in
Gaithersburg. From most surrounding Communities, you will need to approach Gaithersburg from I- 270 or the Great Seneca Hwy:
From I-270 :
* Take exit 9B (west), on to Sam Eig Highway.
* Continue west on Sam Eig Hwy approximately 1.0 mi to Great Senica
Highway.
* Turn Right on to Great Seneca Hwy.
* Continue on Great Seneca Hwy to third (3rd) stoplight (Kentlands Blvd).
* Turn Left on Kentlands Blvd.
* O’Donnells is about 1/4 miles on your right, just past the roudnabout
* The entrance to the parking lot just before the restaurant.
YOU MAY PREFER THESE ALTERNATIVE DIRECTIONS:
Getting to the meeting at O'Donnell’s can get a bit complicated if you chose
to exit I-270 at I-370 in Gaithersburg. The traffic at that exit bunches up on
the access road. Jamie Delgadillo recommending an alternate route which
although it has more traffic lights, it allows for better traffic flow. Here are
the directions:
* Take exit 5 (Falls Road) off of I-270. This allows you to get onto the
right lane comfortably since you'll be getting off at the next exit, exit 6B.
* Get off at exit 6B. That is route 28 in the direction of Darnstown .
* Stay on route 28 which is also Key West Blvd.
* At the ninth traffic light, turn right onto Great Seneca Hwy.
* At the fifth traffic light, turn left onto Kentlands Blvd. O'Donnell's is on
the fourth block on your right.
Registration Form for NCJOC Members
The Fairfax HuntPoint-to-Point Races
April 18, 2008
Print this form, fill it in and mail it to the address below
Your Name: ______________________________________________________ Phone: ________
Passenger’s name(s):
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Total number of passengers
_____________
Pot-luck Dish your group is providing: ___ Salad; __ Entrée; __ Desert; ___ Snack .
Total Number in party ______ Amt. Remitted $ _______
Entry Fee is $40 per car and includes driver and one passenger. Additional passengers $5 each.
Make check to NCJOC and mail with this form to: Robert Andrews, 12802 Kettering Drive, Herndon, VA 20171
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March 2010 The Jaguars Roar
Concours Corner
Michelle Dawson, Concours Director
“Celebrating Jaguars At Reston Town Center
Enjoy heaven on earth as powerful, beautiful, and sleek Jaguars
once again prowl down Market Street at the Nation's Capital
Jaguar Owners Club's 46th Annual Concours d'Elegance judged
car show. This display of Jaguars representing almost every
vintage from the 1927 Swallow to today's 2010 XFR is the visual
history of an automobile that remains the epitome of the classic
car -- exotic, romantic, stylish, elegant, and impressive. Jaguar
turns 75 in 2010. Cars named SS Jaguar were being built in the
fall of 1935. Just adding the Jaguar name seemed to make them
smarter in appearance, faster, and even more agile on the road.
The Concours begins at 10:00 a.m. with Opening Ceremonies.
The Award presentation is at 2:00 p.m. Music by Shewsical
playing your favorite requests all day long. Contact Michelle
Dawson, Concours Director …”
T
he above information is on the Reston Town Center website
under the “Events” section. Click on September and scroll
to September 5th and you will our event. As you are able to
surmise, Concours preparation is on track. Next month I will
present a detailed status report on the Concours Planning for our
weekend of September 4 and 5, 2010.
Whether this is your first Concours or one of many, the most
important and overlooked item in showing a car at a JCNA
Concours is cleanliness. After registering between 8:00 a.m. to
10:00 a.m., follow the directions to the Operations Verification
(OV) area for the required safety check. Every Concours
participant receives a set of 4 Concours scoresheets in the
registration package. At the safety check, you will be asked for
the pink judging form from your registration envelope. This is
You will be asked for all the judging forms later in the day when
the judging begins at 10:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. For the safety
check, make sure that all headlights, brake lights, turn signals,
back up lights, fog lights and horn are working. Points will be
deducted for any malfunctions of these systems and will affect
your overall score. If a safety device is on the car, it needs to
work or points will be deducted. The points deducted from the
safety check could mean the difference between winning First or
Second place. The form is shown on page 8 for your review.
Next Concours Corner will provide information on the process for
non-authentic items on your Jaguar.
Please join us for our Concours Team Meeting on Saturday, April
17, 2010 at the home of NCJOC member Betty Lewis, 1915
Blackbriar Street, Silver Spring, Maryland 20903. Our meeting
will begin at 12:00 noon and end no later than 3:00 p.m. We plan
to eat lunch and then get to work. Call (571-213-1847), or email
me ([email protected]) to let me know of your
availability for this important Concours gathering.
Happy Motoring!
Michelle
Tech Tips
More E-Type upgrades: A few months ago I wrote about improving the instrument lighting in
my SIII E-Type by changing the lamps to LED’s. I was so inspired
by the results of that upgrade, that I decided to replace all of the exterior lamps (exclusive of the headlamps) with LED’s. Since I have
chosen to run with the parking (side) lamps on at all times, and since
LED’s draw so little current as compared with the incandescent’s, as
well as being brighter, I felt it was a reasonable change. With the
able advice of Bob Andrews, I contacted Tracey and Chris at [email protected]. I learned that the 1156’s and 1157.s in
the front and rear lights, as well as the lamps in the side markers were
easily available in LED’s, and were likewise available in various colors, especially red and amber to best illuminate thru red and amber
lenses. I ordered a full complement of replacement lamps, which arrived within a week, and were easily installed in an hour.
Than came a hitch in my great plan. The turn signals or hazard flashers wouldn’t work. Of course not: the flashers are thermally activated, and with virtually no current drawn by the LED’s, more thinking was necessary. I replaced the flasher with an electronic flasher
(that doesn’t depend on current to work) and they worked better, but
not to my satisfaction. I phoned Chris at Autolumination/
Superlumination, who told me that load resistors would resolve the
issue, one on each side. Those resistors are listed in their website, so
I got them and installed them in the front turn signals. Results: perfect, brighter, no heat regardless of how long they are on, and much
less current drain than originally.
My next upgrade only applies to V-12 E-Types. For years I hade
been less than happy with the process of replacing the canister oil
filter. For anyone who has done it, it aint easy. I looked long and
hard for a spin-on adaptation, with no success. I had given up when I
got an ad from XK’s Unlimited along with a small item that I had
ordered, and there it was. A beautifully machined adapter that directly replaces the original canister with no other modifications. It is
truly beautifully machined, and took less than an hour to install.
That completes my winter projects. – Burt Mesibish
The Jaguar’s Roar March ,2010
S
M
A
P
E
L
Illustration of JCNA’s Vehicle Operations scoresheet
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March 2010 The Jaguars Roar
Road ( Continued from page 4)
a day-job as a dental technician. He no doubt got fired one day
for going to work with dirty fingernails, and then reconfigured a
stolen dental drill into the new Dremel tool, and retired a rich
man.
To separate the output shaft from the bearing assembly, I
braced up the bearing housing with appropriate two-by-fours,
placed a board on the end of the output shaft, and, using a 3-lb
hammer, tapped (i.e. slammed) the output shaft free. What
followed was the usual cleaning of parts, typically messy, timeconsuming detailed work that enhances the reassembly task.
I also cleaned the right-rear brake caliper and fitted new
seals. If you go to the trouble to remove a rear brake caliper from
a Jaguar, it’s hard to resist the temptation to replace the brake
seals. Of course, the proper procedure is to replace brake seals
for both left and right sides to ensure even braking. However,
since the brakes had been functioning earlier with no leaking, I
promised myself to renew the left-side brake caliper in the near
future.
I was fortunate to make an
appointment with our NCJOC
colleague, Doug Sherwood,
because he has a hydraulic press
well suited to pressing bearings
into their proper positions.
Doug’s spacious “Garagemahal,” also equipped with a 7ton car lift, plenteous tools and
workspace, has served as the site
of club Home Tech sessions.
Achieving the proper tension on
the bearings is important. The
desired state is a smooth rolling
motion with no play – not so
Insert tab A (output shaft, assembly,
tight as to create a binding drag
brake caliper ,parking brake, rotor) ...
on the bearings; not so loose as
to permit excessive play between the surfaces. Doug gently
applied 1,000 PSI of pressure in small increments to set the
bearings, and then we attained the final fit by slowly tightening
the large nut, using Doug’s 36-inch pipe wrench, that holds
together the inner and outer bearings.
Reassembling the differential, rear suspension and exhaust
systems went fairly smoothly. I began to entertain thoughts of my
packing list for the Florida road trip, travel times, mileage
estimates, the usual stuff. However, other projects I had started
while the car was elevated threatened to stall the trip. I had
decided to shorten the links on the rear anti-sway bar that I had
fitted to the car. A short search produced a welder willing to do
this small job. I took the rear tires to the shop for rebalancing. I
had extracted the speedometer, complete with its cable and two
angle drives, and delivered that assembly to a shop near BWI
airport to determine the source of the speedo’s wavering needle.
The gestation period for such repairs is always a bit vague.
As a guide to my work, I relied upon a CD version of the
Jaguar XJ6 Series I & II Parts & Service Manuals sold by the
Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust. I am grateful to our NCJOC
colleague, Rosendo Fernandez, for recommending the purchase of
this valuable collection of exploded parts diagrams, part numbers
and repair procedures (available through JDHT website for about
$35).
Pot Hole Breakthrough ?
It’s an accepted fact that motor racing has contributed mightily to
automotive design performanc and safety. We may have just witnessed another important ‘discovery’ with respect to the latter:
At the last Dayto 500 races, red flags few when potholes appeared
on the aging track, creating a serious safety hazard . After a two
hour time out, repairers were made and the race resumed. Not
surprisingly, m the pot hole repairs didn’t hold up to the pounding
provided by 200 mph race cars and the race was stopped for a second time. In desperation, officials ingeniously gathered all the
Bondo R they could find and the event continued to it’s conclusion.
Public works departments, take note!
As the countdown towards
departure day continued, the
weatherman interceded. First, 8
inches of new snow fell in
January, requiring some
shoveling, and then 2 feet of
snow fell in February! I kept
telling myself, “I can do this;
Carma is almost together now.”
Five days before departure day,
Janice executed the backup plan
by purchasing an airline ticket.
I couldn’t begrudge her
prudence. But with just four
days to go, I finished up the last
Into Slot B (differential housing as
assemblies, bled the brake
seen nested behind hanging rear
system, and rested. It Was
suspension components)
Good.
The next morning I went down to admire my handiwork. I
spied a new dampness under the rear left side. It must have been
the snow-melt from the nearby shovel -- No. I must have spilled
something while finishing the job -- No. Alas, the fresh brake
fluid had dissolved enough of the congealed seals in the left-rear
brake caliper to produce a slow but steady drip. I saw the chances
for my road trip seeping away on the garage floor.
As we are wont to do in unwelcome crises, I tried to
negotiate (with whom, you might ask). Drive with a leaky brake?
No, don’t let the car choose! Pull an all-nighter just before the
seventh day? No, rushing too many complications invites later
failures. I gazed glumly out at the prodigious snow piles and
slushy streets, and reluctantly conceded that Carma’s cruise with
windows wide open past azure waters and palm-studded beaches
would have to wait.
Epilogue. Upon returning from Florida in mid-February, I
managed to perform the entire operation on the left-rear side with
just four and one-half days of focused effort rendered more
efficient by my earlier experience. Once again, Doug Sherwood
stood by with his hydraulic press. In the exception that proves
the rule, Carma had chosen well in producing a brake leak while
still resting on jack stands instead of while cruising 1,000 miles
from home. I look forward with confidence to the next road trip
JL
The Jaguar’s Roar March ,2010
Rosenthal Jaguar
(800) 730-2861
1952 Spring Hill Road
V i e n n a V A 22182
An NCJOC Sponsor
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March 2010 The Jaguars Roar
Market Place
The Jaguar Stimulus Program
Wants and Offers
By Wayne Estrada
he current financial environment has sent monetary
shock waves around the world, affecting almost every
aspect of our lives. As countries are on the brink of bankruptcy,
stock prices are fluctuating, real estate is gone bonkers, and bailouts are happening faster then lemmings off a cliff, so classic car
prices have equally gone mad.
As Jaguar enthusiasts, many owners of valuable and preciously restored cars, our investments in our cars is also hanging
in the balance. Of course, some of the extremely rare and valuable cars continue to fetch meteoric prices (see http://www.
autoblog.com/2010/01/23/1956-jaguar-d-type-brings-3-74million-at-gooding-and-company-auc/ about the sale of a Le
Mans D-Type for $3.74M), the general car market pricing of
classic cars is currently precipitously on either one edge or another. Conversely, sellers of classic cars, such as Jaguar, are responding in typical and historically psychologically ways to determine the valuation of their classic steeds.
eBay in particular is an interesting theater in which one can
follow this unfolding drama. Logging on each day, it has been
fascinating to see the wide range of valuations, both unrealistically high and surprisingly low, that owners are offering their
cars for sale. While in general, as with the rest of the financial
market places, prices overall are down, but the hysteria and desperation at the extremes is an interesting study in both human
nature, and the marketplace realities of the emerging new world
order.
Generally, there appears to be two prevailing themes in classic Jaguar sales.
The first scenario mirrors the current financial situation
where, like real estate and stock prices, values are much lower
than they were 12-18 months ago. In particular, XJ-S two years
ago were approaching pricing of collectible respectability with
89-94 convertibles often fetching prices above $18,000 to
$20,0000. However in today’s price adjusted marketplace, typical
sales of these models are easily ten thousand less, and mid to late
80’s coupes in fair to even very good condition can be had easily
for under $6,000-$7,000.
Even with some very fine examples or Series 3 E-Types, and
classic older XJ6 sedans, many either in excellent or completely
restored condition, some sales appear to be forced due to the significant losses of an individuals net worth in 401Ks, stock portfolios, or changes in personal finances. One sad example was a fellow who had an E-Type worth at least $75,000 with an eBay
“Buy It Now” price of $52,000. As he said in the description of
his auction ad, “ I have to regrettably offer this car at this price
due to my upcoming retirement.” Although unwritten, you could
feel a quiet desperation in his decision to sell.
The second case are those that are trying to liquidate their
significant investments in restoration and want to get out of the
(classic car) market before things get much worse. Some of the
offerings have been optimistic at best and unrealistically greedy at
worst. One thing that these high end cars have consistently had
in common is that all are top-notch vehicles, i.e. at or near‘100
point’ cars. Nevertheless, the extremes in asking prices have
been shockingly laughable.
Classified ads are free to NCJOC members and $15 for non-members. Ads
appear in the monthly newsletter and on the Club website (www.ncjoc.org) for 30
days. For commercial rate, contact the Editor.
T
New Arrival requires Major Garage Clean Up
If you have any interest in the following contact Jerry Motta at by phone (301-7930033) or email ([email protected]
Four 15 x 5 in. E-type wire wheels fitted with Bridgestone 185 x 15 tires. Very
good condition except for one with a couple of broken spokes. No rust. Tires are
very low mileage and also in good condition. Great for driver. Includes 4, 3 lug
knock offs. Not too shabby. Offers.
XJ6 Series III wheel. Trued and in good shape. Great for spare. Yours for the
asking.
Other odds and ends: E-type right side front bumper, good chrome, rear
chromed over rider in good shape; box full of bits and pieces salvaged from my
Series II XJ6 (may it rest in peace), e.g., side lamps with red and amber covers,
tail light covers, etc. Not in the best of condition but……! You’re welcome to
rummage around . Mostly free but if you feel guilty, make a small donation to the
NCJOC.
For example, there have been excellent XJ-S examples offered at buy-it-now prices of $25,000, Series 1 and Series 3 ETypes at well over $100,000 and even (an admittedly rare but
gorgeous 1990) Majestic XJ40 at $10,000!! You’ll also find early
XJ 120s in the six figures, and one glaring example—a Mark V
drop head for almost $190,000—that made one wonder what
world these people are living in.
Another interesting consequence of this topsy turvy (car)
economy is the number of re submissions of cars for sale that
have expired their auction time frame has ended. This is true for
both of the previously describes scenarios, but it is not uncommon
to see the same vehicle being offered, once, twice, or even three
times—and even then, the vehicle still did not sell.
In some cases, this is simply due to an asking price (buy-itnow) that was unrealistically high, or a reserve price that was
likewise more than people were willing to pay. (The “reserve”
price on eBay or similar auctions is the un disclosed minimum
price that the owner requires for the item to be sold.) Often these
vehicles come back onto eBay, often with a lower buy-it-now
price, or are offered at “no reserve.”
In particular, these no reserve auction cars present sometimes remarkable opportunities for a buyer looking for a particular vehicle. There have been some astoundingly low sales on very
desirable cars, such as the aforementioned Series 3 V12 E-Types,
50’s vintage XKs, and the venerable and appreciating XJS. The
key is timing, a good eye, knowing your model’s true value, patience, luck--and most importantly--having the cash on hand to
close the deal.
If you throw out the pie in the sky prices of the most egregiously high price offerings, the current economic situation presents some great deals on many classic Jaguars. If you are flush
with a bit of cash, and can hit the right seller with the right car at
the right time, some astounding classic Jaguar acquisitions can be
had for at bargain prices. – WE
The Jaguar’s Roar March ,2010
www.chesapeakejaguar.com
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March 2010 The Jaguars Roar
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March 2010 The Jaguars Roar
The Jaguar’s Roar March ,2010
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March 2010 The Jaguars Roar
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