le Mans 2006

[SimonR]

I'm just booking my outward journey via EuroTunnel and wondered if anyone on these forums was going to the 24 hour race at Le Mans next year. It will be the first trip outside the UK for my Jaguar, certainly since I bought it and probably for many years.

It would be good to meet other XJSs and their owners out there if any are going.

[SimonR]

Well, the response to that post was overwhelming

Anyway, I'm getting all the finer details sorted and it's been recommended to me to take a spare bulb set. To avoid taking every bulb out in turn, does anyone have a list of the exterior bulbs that might needed to make an XJ-S bulb set?

I'll start the bidding at two pairs of H4s....

Failing that I'll just have to get the screwdriver out.

BTW, the list of car-related things currently stands at:

GB Stickers
Warning Triangle
Headlight beam deflectors
Hi-vis jackets (not essential but recommended)
Bulb set

Does anyone have anything to add?

[dhdove]

Simon
I believe you can buy a complete spare bulb set for the xjs at Halfords - no honestly!
Cant advise re year applicability but I'm sure I saw them in their "bulb catalogue flip-page book thingy" not too long ago and not too dear, from memory about £14.00?
Regards
DH Dove
PS Love your signature, wish I'd thought of it

[JulesJag]

Hi,
The handbook has details of all the bulbs.

Maybe add a first aid kit to your list ?

Regards, Julian

[ng4xjs]

A Fire extinguisher would be good.

Also the boring bits. Remember to take copies of your Registration Document, Insurance and MOT. I am reliably informed that you can end up in all sorts of difficulties without these (impounded car etc.). I would add that in over thirty years of driving in France I have yet been required to produce any of these, but there is always a first time!

Make sure your spare wheel/tyre is up to it. Also when was the last time you had the wheels off and copper greased them (so that you can get them off easily the next time when you would actually like to complete the job quite quickly, side of a French Motorway for instance).

Opinion is divided on whether the originals or copies will do (the law requires originals but as I understand it most take copies for obvious reasons).

Good luck and lets us know how you get on.

Nick

[SimonR]

The handbook has details of all the bulbs.

Maybe add a first aid kit to your list ?


Both good ideas, thanks! I must get around to sourcing a decent XJ-S handbook. I kept mine on the window sill all winter and recently found that the condensation had run off the window and stuck all the pages together. Grrr!

Maybe I'll just roll up at Halfrauds and see if the bulbset is still available.


A Fire extinguisher would be good.

Also ... take copies of your Registration Document, Insurance and MOT.

Make sure your spare wheel/tyre is up to it. Also when was the last time you had the wheels off and copper greased them?

Good Luck and let us know how you get on.

Thanks for jogging the memory - I do have a fire extinguisher for the car but must remember to transfer it from Jag2 to Jag1 - (I was thinking it more likely that my £100 Daimler would catch fire, you see )

Other people have also told me to take all the documentation so I'll make sure I do. Actually I've just arranged European cover on my insurance (£22) and also Euro breakdown cover (£72) so hopefully the S will be safe whatever happens.

I had the wheels off not so long ago because I had to clean the backs of them before the MoT. The lattice wheels are very pretty but they are a real pest to keep clean.

I'm also taking a small selection of tools such as a socket set, pliars and screwdrivers. Even if I don't use them other people might be thankful!

Not long until we go now and I can't wait

[ptjs1]

Simon,

I've got a Jaguar bulb set for a facelift car, so don't really know if that helps. I'll be back home on Sunday and will list the contents for you then, if you like.

Just looked in the toolkit that I carry in the boot and I reckon that the most useful items are:

- A set of spare blade fuses
- a multitool with pliers and screwdriver
- very strong gaffa / duck tape that can hold anything incl. temp repair of split coolant hoses
- roll of garden wire - great for tying up exhaust hangers etc
- disposable latex gloves
- big roll of paper towel
- a small multimeter
- superglue!
- small socket set
- spanner set
- screwdriver set
- spare spark plug
- puncture sealant can

If I had an early car, I'd also carry a very long HT lead (mine has separate coils)

Anything that lot can't fix, I think I'd call in the AA!

Have a great trip! I've been meaning to go for years and am now determined to go in 2007.

Regards,

[webman]

Most of the foregoing suggestions are very sensible, some suggestions are in fact mandatory:

Fire extinguisher
First Aid Kit
and Hi-vis jacket.

Bon voyage.

[JulesJag]

Hi again Simon,
I've given it more thought, and also consulted my own holiday list. In addition to what we've already come up with I'd advise:


Footpump & guage

Torch (I bought one of those wind-up ones)

Red triangle

Fuel can

WD40

Re: Fire extinguisher - HAS IT DATE EXPIRED ? Also, if it has a pressure guage fitted then check it's still within acceptable limits.

A bit of sandpaper (for those corroded electrical connections)

A bit of string (yes, I needed it 2 years ago in another car, when I noticed that the alternator belt was sawing its way through a couple of electric wires which were touching it. I had to tie them away from it)

Insulating tape (see previous item!)

Spare engine oil & auto transmission top-ups?

Water-hose repair kit (I think it's a tape you wind round)

Emergency escape hammer (breaks window & cuts seatbelt web)

GB sticker

Headlight beam converter fitted

High-vis vests. ESSENTIAL in some countries (fine-able!). My understanding is that really you'd need one each, as anyone who gets out of the vehicle must have one. I got a load for my relatives from Poundland - yes, £1 each ! Store in the car, not the boot.

Screen/side window shades

Plug-in fridge picnic box ? (but don't run your car battery flat)

the new 'European Health Insurance Card' (which replaced the E111)

Driving licence

Plenty of music to listen to

Good maps - I've found the big yellow Michelin 'Tourist & Motoring Atlas' of France extremely good. Very detailed.
Also get a less detailed map book, for an overall perspective of your general route.

A portable radio ? Does anyone know whether there is English radio commentary of the race there ?

Funnily enough there's an article on touring tips, and another about insurance, on page 9 on June 2006 JEC Magazine.

With all that lot you'll just have room for a small overnight sports bag of clothes, etc

Camera - we want to see the pics !

I'm green with envy about your trip. I hope to make it to Le Mans sometime. 2007 ?

Must go, England match is about to start.

All the best, Julian

[SimonR]

Hey, many thanks everyone.

I've taken notes so will hopefully be prepared when I leave for Folkstone at 03:30 on Wednesday morning! I've taken Tuesday off work to get ready.

Interestingly my local Motorfactors had a generic bulbset that covers the XJ-S so I got one of those for £10 and I'm going to use some electrical tape to convert my headlights.

I've taken a note of all the other bits and bobs and will make up a toolkit on Tuesday so that I'm prepared. As I say - thanks for the advice. Oh, I also managed to pick up a pair of hi-vis jackets on a market in London so it's all good.

As an aside, the other Jag (the £100 Daimler) has had a very difficult weekend: a coolant hose split twice (and was repaired twice by the RAC, leaving my housemate stranded at South Mimms twice!), the air con broke and the windscreen decided to crack from corner to corner.

At least it didn't catch fire I suppose .

The S did 140 miles to London and back without skipping a beat, so it's all good I suppose

[JulesJag]

Bon voyage

[poprivet]

Have a great time Simon. Looking forward to a write-up and gallery photos when you return
Pop

[poprivet]

LeMans coverage on Sky 413 MotorsTV
If you don't have Sky
Pop

[SimonR]

Hi Guys!

What a wonderful experience that was. I had no idea that there would be so many brits there and also so many rare and high performance cars. There were countless unforgettable experiences but perhaps the most memorable was the sound of the Corvettes echoing off the trees as they blatted down Mulsanne Straight. What a sound!

The S went superbly and didn't skip a beat the whole time. It was also greatly admired by a lot of people. On the way down I passed the local police in a layby, hoping to trap speeding Brits, but at the sight of the S he took the camera from his eye for a better look! Then, one afternoon I was driving back from the supermarket on a bit of dual carriageway and was overtaken by a French Man in a renault, hanging out of the window shouting 'Bravo' at me as he went by.

So, congratulations to Audi who managed to hussle their tractor-engined cars to victory, I'm sad that Corvette beat Aston but the Corvettes sounded amazing so it wasn't all bad.

I've uploaded a few photos to my photobucket account:

http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y291/W ... Le%20Mans/

Enjoy. I'll add a few more in a little while, there's the obligatory 'posing on Mulsanne straight' shot yet to be downloaded from another camera.

Thanks for all the advice and help - due to the workings of murphy's law I'm sure that all the stuff I took kept me well out of trouble

[JulesJag]

Hi Simon,

I'm very pleased you had a great trip and that the car behaved itself.
Your photos capture the event well (I have now signed up to Photobucket). Well done with the action shots.
I assume the weather stayed good too.

Some questions:

Which racing team did you support - Aston, Corvette?
Did you camp on-site ?
Did you stay up to watch the race all night ?
Was there English radio commentary ?
Best places to watch from ?
Any handy tips to get the maximum out of the occasion, if I can go another year?

Regards, Julian