ELEANOR;

THE QUICKENING

Eleanor carries a hell of a reputation, a dominant force at the front of the grid for the past 4 or 5 years, but there is a great deal more to the truth.

Born in 2005, at great expense and with a vast amount of time and expertise expended, she raised the bar somewhat when she first appeared. A seam-welded shell was unheard of for an old Jag back then. Now, with three more Kutuka cars following her lead, that stiff shell and shiny paintjob is not quite so novel, but this was the machine that set that template.

7 years later though, she has race car fatigue. Lack of investment and maintenance has seen her become increasingly problematic, and it is time to fix her.

The 5.3 litre engine, once proudly boasting 350bhp from a hunk of scrap yanked from a junker, donated for free and uprated only in the most peripheral sense, has seen better days. Tired and leaking power like there is a surfeit of it, she is these days incapable of matching some of the six cylinder cars in a straight line.

The 2012 shopping list therefore includes a serious look at the engine. Whilst he's at it, the gearbox is also completely knackered, and that needs replacement. Anyone who has ever heard the wail of her in-car footage would assume that's a straight-cut gear set. It's not, that's the sound of a Getrag box that is very unhappy.

Next on the list is the fuel system. Having to run the car brim-full to get 20 minutes' range out of her because the tank won't supply everything it's carrying is no way to go racing.

The tank also leaks, the filters clog because the foam filling has broken down, and some of the fittings are suspect.

Add a tank to the repair bill.

There's suspension to consider. New shocks are likely to be needed. A number of components need looking at, the car had a broken rear end for most of 2010, and the repairs for 2011 were hardly intended to be permanent.

The cooling system is shot, the radiator is 25 years old, a spare that fell out of a road car we broke in 2009, which had most of the fins missing even then and has now been thoroughly bullet-holed by track debris. She ended 2011 with the core plugged trackside with epoxy, and anyone peering under the bonnet could not fail to spot that rust-stained steam-blasted mess that marked her water leaks.

New wheels to take bigger rubber are in order. 235 tyres are not as big as you can go, but wider rubber demands wider rims.

The car has been on stock XJS brakes since birth, and they are only just able to cope. Any increase in grip will demand an upgrade at least to the front calipers and discs.

The bodykit demands repair, and the bonnet has been broken since 2008.

Finally, what about doing a few other tweaks to allow the car to run in other series. JEC doesn't take us to many tracks, and there are some great places to race out there, we don't have to only go where we're led. Interchanging body panels and parts is no real chore if you build the car to take it from the outset, and allow a few more wild modifications.

So, the shopping list includes:

Engine

Gearbox

Suspension

Radiator

Fuel tank

Wheels

Body panels and spoilers.

Hair gel.

The work of mere moments....

Part 2 to follow.

"Lezzer" at the wheel, preparing for Eleanor's last stand. Snetterton 2011

A general tidy is in order, that rust can't be allowed to stay. The whole car wants a careful once-over. Take everything off, and put it back.

The fuel tank hides in here. Proper race car stuff this concept, balance-neutral. But time to tear it out.

What lies beneath.

Nasty. Tank on the way out to be sent for repair.

And what about a general clean up?

7 years of track grime soon adds up. What you can't see here is the kilo of rubber in the passenger footwell.

Non-JEC races allow a great variety of extras to be fitted.

Like this dining table and oven.