Over the last three days no work was done on the car due to family obligations. So my target of doing a test run of the work done on the rear suspension was not achieved.
However, something about the tool kit of this has been bothering my as a result of two comments by some fellow pakwheelrs while the car was attending a few shows here in Islamabad. The first was, “If there are so many tools, then they (Jaguar) must be expecting this car to break down frequently”. That made me think about the tool kits other cars (Jaguar XJ40, MB 500 SEC, BMW 540i, BMW 745Li) I have owned. Tool kits of these cars were fairly comprehensive too. Randomly, I picked out my BMW 540i's tool kit and compared it to the Jaguar's. Below is a comparison:
If the tools are compared, it will be noted that both cars have generally similar tools; but on the other hand there are some extra items in the Jaguar and some extra in the BMW. For example, the Jaguar has a hand pump to pump up the tires while the BMW hasn't (I bought an electric pump and kept it in the trunk of the car). The BMW has a warning triangle while the Jaguar does not. Jaguar has a starting handle while I had to buy a set of jumper cables for the BMW - At least with the starting handle I do not need another car to give me a boost. Other items such as spanners, screw drivers, pliers etc are common to both cars. The BMW has a lug nut wrench to take the wheel off the car while the Jaguar has a rawhide/copper faced hammer to undo/tighten the spinner on the wheels. Two items, the grease gun and oil can are additional in the Jaguar which are needed to carry out the (very frequent service of some items) while in the BMW there is no need of greasing anywhere except maybe the sunroof rails. This omission of lubricating paraphernalia in the BMW is a result of advances in technology. So in conclusion, I would say that quality cars do come with a decent set of tools.
The other comment was on the material I used on the lid of the tool locker. At the time I restored the tool lid locker, I replaced the original pea green felt lining with a much bright almost parrot green material used on billiards tables. This was immediately noted by a visitor to the car and I think he had a valid point. Billiard table cloth was not the right choice. I have been hunting for the right cloth and finally by accident found the right cloth in (almost) the right colour a few days ago. Soon I’ll be replacing the tool locker cloth and share the pictures here.
Actually, receiving comments from experienced visitors is always welcome and many times opens a door to further improving the restoration. Of course there are many silly comments too but all comments are welcome.
