Getting the Jag Fired up Again!

[Minidave]

rent a diamond saw....block is hollow. You can knock it out with a big hammer.

Add a subpanel just for the garage stuff...you'll never run out of electrical again!

[Minidave]

Back to the Jag for a moment.....

Got the insurance and registration updated, so she's legal now!

This Sat a couple of MINI clubber's are coming over to work on their cars and I intend to "volunteer" one of them to help me bleed my brakes. Getting closer to road worthy all the time.....

I also brought home my video camera to try and figure out how to mount it up so I can get some vids on the road.

[minicoopers43]

I also brought home my video camera to try and figure out how to mount it up so I can get some vids on the road.

I have a couple of these I will let you borrow if it would help to mount your camera.
I have used them when offroading my jeep and they hold very solid.

[Minidave]

Yikes! Spendy little doodads!

I understand the 1/4-20 end that attaches to the camera, but what do you hook the other end to?

[minicoopers43]

Don't worry, I paid much less than that price

I have 2 different ones. The big one has the 3/8" and 1/4" -20 and the small one has 1/4" -20 on both sides.

I have one of these.

Or you can get a nut that fits the threads and make your own mount like i did for my bike handlebars.

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The red piece mounts to anything you rig up w/ the 1/4"-20 little bolt. I used a nut and mounted it to a thick piece of steel bolted to my jeeps tow hook. Wife isn't home so I will have to update pics later.

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[minicoopers43]

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[Mach5]

So, it's road legal, but has it been on the road?

As for the mount, when you mount a camera in front of the car like that, what do you do to protect the lens?

[minicoopers43]

I have never used it on the road just offroad trails.

For lens protection I have a wide angle lens screwed on that I got for a few bucks. I wouldn't use such a nice camera if I was going to be doing anything really crazy.

[Minidave]

Outside the car camera shots can really be fun....

My current mount in my MINI mounted to the passenger headrest works well, but the rearview mirror really blocks a lot of the view out the windshield, I think the next time I use it at the track I'll just take the mirror off - after all "What's behind me - is not important"

(obscure Raul Julia movie quote)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjGXn249Fc0

The Jag OTOH has a nice flat load floor behind the seats, I'm thinking a tripod bunjee'd down tight will give a good view, and as an added benefit, you might be able to hear that nice Jag exhaust note!

@ Mach 5, yes, but I'm still having brake issues.....

[Minidave]

Minor update:

Installed the solid state replacement for the relay that turns off the alternator light - and it works! Yay! Occasionally the relay would stick either open or closed - when open the light stayed on even when the engine was running - when closed the light stayed on when the engine was off- draining the battery. Either way, I knew the alternator was working OK, it was just the stupid light relay.

Got the exhaust back on, I had left the back section off while I messed witht he brakes. When I started the engine to check the alt light I pumped the brakes a couple of times and now the pedal feels normal ?!?!?!? I guess I need to take a few more exploratory neighborhood drives and see how they feel.

Still have a fuel smell from the tank area to find and fix - I think when I pulled the inspection plate off to check for gunk in the tank I didn't get it sealed up tight, a little RTV on the gasket should sort it out.

I've spent a lot of time cleaning and organizing the garage since I brought all my other tools home, still have a ways to go on that but it's getting there...

[Mach5]

- after all "What's behind me - is not important"

(obscure Raul Julia movie quote)

Without clicking the link, I'd be willing to bet the quote is from Gumball Rally. Which I've seen a few times.

[Minidave]

Just took about a 15 min test drive, car felt better the further I drove it.....

No gas leaks....

Brakes still not 100%, but dimini is coming over tomorrow to work on the P'up so we'll try and bleed them again, maybe with the engine running.

Engine got fully warmed up, the oil pressure and water temp were right where they should be.....

Transmission was noisier than I remembered it, but worked OK.

It's getting there!

@Mach5, yep, Gumball rally. Was that the last movie he made before he died, or did he make the Adams Family after? Off to IMDB to check I guess....

Edit: Question answered - he made a LOT more movies after the Gumball Rally - before he died in 1994.

[Mach5]

You found the answer before I found your post. Gumball rally I believe was released in 1976, before the Cannonball movies. Julia was in several movies, some award winning (Kiss of the Spider Woman?), and did a couple Addams Family movies before he died. I always liked him.

But that is a classic line.

[Minidave]

STILL can't get the rear brakes bled out......

Sometime next week I'm gonna get it on a lift where I can run it while bleeding, it may be the reaction valve is sticking, cause there were a couple of times when I drove it last that it seemed like one of the brakes was sticking a bit. Also, we took it out on the highway for a short run and when we got home there was a distinct odor of hot brakes - nothing was smoking or glowing, but something is definitely dragging a bit.

The speedo is just a tiny bit off still, at 70 mph indicated the Garmin was showing 66 - just like a new MINI!

I think I can live with it tho - it's sure better than it was....

Need to either buy some new tires or get over to the tire store for a tube as the left rear goes flat over a couple of weeks, might as well get them all balanced at the same time, shakes pretty good above 70 mph.

Also, finally installed the other garage door opener that I bought several years ago (bought two, but couldn't install the one where the Jag was parked till I got it mobile again), it was kind of a handful by myself, but I managed to get 'er done! Still need to program it to the Audi's Homelink and to the exterior keypad.

I was thinking I might move Rose over to the other side of the garage to make it easier for her to get in and out of her car - or I might not.....she doesn't like change.....

[Minidave]

By the way, you can get seat belts for cars that never had them - that's right, cars of the 60's frequently did not have seat belts, or even outside rear view mirrors for that matter - they were options!

I found some new in the box belts for my Jag, they even had those new fangled retrators!

The latch mechanism is very strange tho, instead of the normal pinned latches, the buckle has a curved end the slips behind a pin on the latch end, and is held there by a magnet in the buckle! Very strange, but it seems to work, and it's easy to use once you learn the secret.....

[Counterfit_Mini]

When I bought my classic Mini I was surprised it had front seat belts. Doesn't have any in the back though.

[Mach5]

I had a set of new shoulder harness belts installed in the rear of my 911, since it only came with lap belts. Made me feel better about driving around with the kids in the back. This was when they'd still FIT in the back!

I suppose the Jag is in for the winter? Have you had any snow in KC so far (since summer ended)?

[Minidave]

No snow, in fact this is the time of year I like to drive it - it's not hot inside the all black interior (sometimes I even have to turn on a little heat) and the engine runs right in between the "R" & "M" marks on the temp gauge (Normal).

I'll drive it right up until the roads get salted, but that could be sometime in late December as we've had a number of years around here where it was still in the 70's at Thanksgiving. I'm hoping for a milder winter this year, the last couple have been pretty brutal! I'll probably park it till the first good rains in the spring wash the salt off the roads, and I'm hoping the MINI club member who's detailed my other cars will have time to do the Jag before the weather turns - but this time of year with the holidays and such he's pretty busy.

Tomorrow I'm going up to help a friend of mine (Ric) put a new radiator in his old Tahoe and it's supposed to be 70*.......perfect weather to work on a car outdoors!

[Counterfit_Mini]

I like driving my classic mini when it's like 30 degrees because the engine keeps you warm. LOL (but the heater doesn't work...)

[Mach5]

70* is perfect weather to be outside. We get thrilled when it gets under 90* here. That's perfect garage/outside weather for us. I'm good to about 70*; after that it starts to feel too cool to be outside all day. It all depends upon what I'm doing, though.

[Minidave]

We got the radiator installed yesterday, it was very windy and only about 55* but we persevered....the radiator he bought was a dual core, aluminum with both engine cooler and transmission coolers incorporated - it was huge too - must have been 3' X 2' - and cost all of $120! I couldn't believe how cheap it was for how much was there....took 3 gal of antifreeze to fill it too!

I prefer temps in the 60's and 70's as long a the humidity is down, when it get's humid it's not fun, no matter what the temp....

[Mach5]

I prefer temps in the 60's and 70's as long a the humidity is down, when it get's humid it's not fun, no matter what the temp....

Humidity...what's that?

You should bring the Jag down to its winter home before they salt the roads.

[Minidave]

Isn't your garage already chock full of Fiats, Porsches and assorted "stuff"?

[Mach5]

Isn't your garage already chock full of Fiats, Porsches and assorted "stuff"?

And your point is...?


In truth, yes I'd have to move something to make room for anything else. Clearly that's a sign I need a bigger garage. Or a shop. Or both.

Now that I've pretty much got the 80 X done, I'm getting the itch to get ANOTHER FIAT project. Never mind that I still have two projects waiting in the garage. I've now decided that I need a whole 128 series family. At least I'd like to get a 128 Sport Coupe (SL) like Mom had when I was a kid.

Every time I go to the Best of France and Italy show, I get the urge to get a Citroen DS, too. There was a drop dead gorgeous 67 DS 21 Pallas there this year. Beautiful paint job in a metallic silver grey with red interior. The guy wanted $65k for it!