Door Handles and Speedo Wobbles

G'day all,

Probably best to make yourself a cuppa before reading on any further...I have blabbed on a bit here.

This morning I had to see a client just around the corner from a Vicroads (Our local rego authority) office and got myself an unregistered vehicle permit for the next 7 days as the sun was out and I have been looking at the most gorgeous car just sitting in my factory for a week now. (The car is getting its official inspection on Friday Morning so by this time nest week I hope to have it registered.

It just got the better of me and so today I got to drive my recently acquired 420G for the very first time.

This purchase is just getting better and better for me. I quacked on the car as soon as I saw it, I didn't drive it prior to purchase, I didn't look at it during daylight hours and I couldn't hand over the money quick enough, I was sure this one was going to "bite me in the backside"

I finally mustered up the courage on Sunday to jack it up and have a look underneath, being such a long vehicle I chose to just start at the front and keep going. Blow me down, from front to back it is new underneath. Every bush, the brake lines, the disks, calipers and even the bump stops are fresh, there's a brand new stainless steel exhaust system fitted and the rear end has been just as thoroughly restored as the front, and...Not one single leak.

Back to the drive, Wow, this thing is awsome. It's no V8 monster, but its definately no slouch, it's sure footed and corners like a much smaller and lighter vehicle. It was no shakedown test, just a 30 minute outing to the bank and to get a bit of lunch, but I am cirtainly 100% in love with my Jag.

Just a couple of questions...

1. The passenger side front electric window is playing up and I wanted to take a look at it, but for the life of me I couldn't get the door handle off. I have a plethora of trim removal tools as I do vehicle wraps and am constantly ripping tailgates and doors apart (albeit on more modern machinery). I have owned (still do) Australian, Japanese and American cars and all of them have used an "omega" shaped clip to retain door handles and window winders to their spindles, but I couldn't work out how to get the door handle off the 420G.

How is this done?

2. On my drive the speedometer seems to swing violently in a 20mph range. I was in an 80kph zone and the speedo was swinging between 50mph and 30mph giving me very little indication of how fast I was actually travelling. I just reckond as long as I was travelling a little slower than everyone else I was OK.

Is this normal or should I start looking for a replacement cable now?

Congratulations and thank you for making it to the end of this post.

the 420G has the omega clip in a groove too.

There is a chrome dress ring that gets in the way. The dress ring has 2 locating dowels I think

undoubtedtly the best tool is a spring hook...mine is lost, and I cant buy another locally.

use a thin screwdriver to wedge the dress ring, and a wire hook or thin long nose to get the clip. A proper springhook tool makes getting them back on MUCH easier. A flat steel rule is a poor alternative

if the window motor is whirring, check the rubber bush that joins gearbox to mechanism, it perishes.


pull your speedo cable, remove the inner, clean and oil it, that may fix the issue.

you can get it from under the dash by putting your hand in, undo from the back, nothing else needed removal, I did it last week (for another reason, didnt undo at tranny end.

An ebay Parts & Service CD for $20 is a neccesity

I have had the exact same problem with alot of my older cars and my 420G.

I pulled my cable out and could not see any kinks or flaws, so i degreased it and re-oiled with machine oil. The problem did not go away.

I then pulled the speedo apart to clean and lubricate, this did nothing as well.

The last thing i tried was the answer, i simply sprayed de-greaser into the back of the speedo where the cable fits and added one drop of machine oil.

The problem often is 45 year old oil and grease is binding on the spindle, the same may also be happening inside the cable tube so give that a de-grease as well.

Mine dosen't jump at any speed now.