I actually remembered to take the car to it’s M.O.T. review (biannual road-worthiness check performed on all vehicles in the EU and Europe) within the deadline this time.
Getting there early, I chatted with a mechanic as I watched several cars come in, go in to the shop and up on the lift for their check.
Thus my consternation when the guy who was slated to check my car got in, fired her up, and then went out onto the street and floored it, rapidly disappearing in the distance. I casually asked the service manager if this was standard procedure when performing the check, he seemed surprised and shocked himself and just said “no….” (the dots were his).
Thankfully my car came back after a few minutes, the mechanic sitting behind the wheel with a largish grin on his face. I guess the car passed that part of the test…. (my dots).
Everything checked out ok with a few exceptions. He said the car seemed to be in really good shape and condition overall, and was surprised it’s as old as it is.
To fix:
Rear wheel bearings, driver side. I’ll do both sides to keep things balanced and even. Will have to find someone to help, as this is a job requiring both special tools and a workshop (lift, compressed air, hydraulic press, and more). Not to mention experience. The QP3 rear suspension looks an awful lot like a Jaguar, I’m pretty sure they’re identical. Of course, *which* Jaguar, I don’t know. Still, the inboard brakes, anti sway stags and other telltale components, all mounted in a self contained subframe riding on bushings, pretty much gives it away.
Parking brake – is only working on one side. Needs to be adjusted. Another typical Jaguar rear suspension detail (inboard brakes in the rear, with separate calipers and pads for the hand brake).
Battery – the battery tray has a small metal clamp that holds the lip on the base of the battery. Except that many modern batteries have no lip for it to grip. In the event of a collision, the battery can fly forwards, tumbling around in the engine room (right above hot manifolds). He suggested tying it down with a strap or similar.
Speedometer. My speedo wasn’t working when I got the car originally, and the state inspectors went over the entire car before approving it as road worthy when I imported it. They seemed to think it was ok without a speedo then (everyone has GPS anyway, and it’s more accurate), but this guy said I need to fix it. It’s a VDO, same as used in Porsches in the 1980s. I had hoped that when I restored the sending unit connected to the transmission’s output shaft, it would work. No dice. Cleaning the contacts and molex connectors hasn’t helped either. I pulled and checked the speedo itself, but it shows no obvious problems like a burnt component or broken solder joint. I did find, however, that a gear had turned all gooey and crumbled up. I guess that explains why my trip teller and odometer had stopped working, but still doesn’t explain the speedometer itself. The other instruments all work, so I’m tempted to rule out a bad connection, because the wires are all bundled together.
I’ve ordered parts for the wheel bearings and will need to find someone who can do the work, and have had several attempts at fixing the speedo. Not sure what to do, if I should buy a new speedometer, sending unit, or both. Bought a nylon belt with fastener to take care of the battery, and will need to have a closer look at the parking brake assembly soon.
Deadline is end of June to have everything fixed and approved.