> Question 1: Should I worry about valve recession if I use unleaded
> gas? The PO said he used an octane booster to avoid knocks,
> I would really prefer not to be adding TEL to the tank.
Nope. Jaguar engines supposedly come with hardened valve seats from the
factory. This is said to be necessary because of the alloy cylinder head.
Don't confuse octane boosters with lead additives - they're meant to solve
different problems.
> Question 2: I'm getting a bit of stumbling and pinging on quick
> throttle openings. Is this normal, or should I check and
> clean the fuel system and get a tune-up? The car has twin
> SUs.
Start with a tune up. Set everything to spec, then see how it acts.
Without a tune-up, you don't have a basis for any further diagnosis.
> Question 3: Horn does not work. Is there a canonical place to check,
> or is the whole harness suspect?
Not likely to be the whole harness if the only problem is the horn.
Check connectors, fuses, steering column, etc.
> Question 4: The tool set was not included with it. Where might I get
> a tool kit as supplied with the car?
Look in Hemmings & be prepared to spend big $$$ - tool kits are hard to
come by & very expensive. Some of the tools have been reproduced, but
not entire kits.
> Question 5: (NOT on routine maintenance) Is there a _reversible_ way
> to convert the car to manual transmission? I would like
> to be able to retain originality, but a stick is really
> my style (the transmission was the only compromise upon
> purchase).
The easiest way is to find a donor car which has a manual in it. That
way you'll have all the special hydraulics, brackets, hardware, linkages,
lines, etc., that go with it. However, considering that the availability
of parts cars is probably on a par with tool kits, the *easiest* way is
to sell the car with the automatic & buy one with a manual (sorry).
> Actually, I can't wait to dig into the car! I suspect the poor running
> might be due to doing so much slow driving, which is mostly what we've
> done. However, it's hard to get the motor much over 3000 RPM and
> legal! :)
A well-tuned Jaguar engine should run just fine at slow speeds. Again,
start with a tune-up, dig in, & enjoy!
Regards,
Patrick
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