1962 E Type FHC - 886015 Full Team CJ (modified) restoration

The finished car will feature just about every Team CJ performance and reliability upgrade available - with significant creative in-put from the owner himself.

Sam goes for a ride..	Under a beautiful Texas sky	Jim Duran pointing out the  Team CJ logo on his shirt!
A relieved smile from Sam with car safely loaded!		This truck has been here before!

I am pleased to report that the mechanical shakedown is now complete and your car will be with Intercity Transport in the next few days. I hope you have enjoyed watching your car come together as much as we have enjoyed building it for you!

Thank you, Bob, and best regards from everybody at Team CJ.

Merry Christmas, Bob. I believe I can hear the fat lady singing!

Although it has a few road miles under her belt, it still doesn't look too shabby underneath!

I took the following shots for you while your car was up on a workshop lift, so the lighting was less than ideal. Hopefully you can see the additional contour we put into the seat backs, as well as the custom steering wheel you designed. Notice in the final photograph that the Talbot wing mirrors have been removed, per your instructions.

Untypically cold and wet Texas weather has been hindering the road testing process somewhat, but I am pleased to report that the final shakedown is going very well. Not long now, Bob!

I apologise for the fact that the latest photographs are somewhat blurred, but at least they show how close this project is moving to completion. Not long now.

Screen chrome installed	Assembling door panels..
	Doors complete
Talbot mirror installed	Rear screen chrome...
Heated rear window 'plugged in'

Lots of progress to report today, including the execution of a number of custom ideas that came from the customer himself.

Another batch of interior shots to take you into the weekend thoroughly encouraged that we are pressing on relentlessly with your project!

Trimming out the rear flank fillet panels	Top side...........
Making an incision	Installing fillet
Runners (4.2 style) will protect hides back in fawlty acres.....	Another view of same...
Installing rubber strips to chrome runners	The finished job
Grimy hatch latches	Ready to install....
Installed...	Trimming out cantrails is a tricky job
Foam padding on screen pillar section	Trimmed out and ready for chrome finisher
Chrome trim finishes the job off	Ready to install
New hide gearlever gaitor	Designed for shorter shifter
Hinge covers trimmed out	David makes the very difficult look routine...
Latch covers installed...	On both sides
Time for some door handles!	We hope this one will get lots of use!
Note shorter shifter	Install B pillar trim..

This might very well be the biggest single workshop update ever! I think this report includes some 60 photographs showing David's truly magnificent trim work. Some of the photographs are a little out of sequence as they are being published retrospectively in response to a specific request. I hope you enjoy the show!

Note heavy contour to back rest	Sculptured by Mr Suffolk himself
Insulating the transmission cover...	Masking off the paint
Trip to Home Depot	What it looked like after curing overnight
Should be a great heat barrier	Old boot boards to use as templates
Trimming the dash fascia with suede	Rear view of same
Ready to install	Foam padding the rear arches
Installing the vinyl arch covers	Carefully marking where hatch latching mechanism  will attach
Headliner and trimmed out  visors installed	Boot release catch
Dome light installed	Hinge covers blasted...
Hinge covers primed	About to make the new boot boards....
And the parcel fold down shelf	A work of art in wood....
David seals up the new boards  in epoxy primer	Before trimming them out in acres of hide
Ultimately we will install 4.2 style  runners and rubber strips	Trimming out the rear bulkhead
Trimming out parcel cubby	Trimming out sills
Foam padding same....	Before installing yet more hiide..
Chrome strip finished the job beautifully	This stuff is supposed to be a  great heat barrrier
We put it around the trans and  along the firewall	Starting to go in with the carpeting
Nice pedals...	Can you see....
....the attention to detail under here?	Passenger footwell.....
Starting to trim out the  custom centre console	Foam and hides cut to shape
Hides down the sides	4.2 style cubby box offered into place
This might just work....	Looks like it was meant to be...
Attention to detail - note the piping around the back edge of the aluminium	Even the inside of the cubby is trimmed in hide...
Ready to install	et voila!
Folding parcel shelf	From the other side
Installed...	From the front view....
Laid flat...	and upright...check out the beautiful detail

Proving emphatically that we have not lost any focus or direction with this very difficult and extremely challenging project, I am pleased to provide you with the following extensive photographic update.

As you can see, David has been working away diligently at your highly customized interior and making excellent progress. For my part I meet with him daily in my best attempt at meeting all your special needs, requests and design preferences.
 

However glamerous the specs.....	Nasty components still need to be stripped....
....and restored	We have had to supply a great deal of the interior trim pieces for your car as much was missing as received
Spare wheel hold down	Grab handle
4.2 style cubby box	Ash tray panel
Centre console as received	Blasting and priming all the carious interior panels prior to trimming
	The ash tray panel again....
Epoxy primer...	The ash tray panel again....
	Note heated rear window switch
HRW switch behind the suede covered dash...	Wiring for HRW and dome light
Internal window regulators and door latching mechanisms about to be restored
We had to dye the rear hatch seal	Wool headliner about to be installed
In process....	Centre section in place
Applying glue to side panels	Side panels and dome light installed
Close up of rear dome light	Restored regulators
Centre console in epoxy primer	Cubby box and misc panels in primer
Cantrail panels stripped and primed	New Triplex screen installed
Padding the glove box per your request
Using same suede as used in dash top  and fascia panels	In situ....
Note heavily padded suede dash top	Dash now almost complete...

Here you can see the infamous puke tank going into place, as well as the transmission cover and cross drilled pedals. Later today we will be test running the new Auto Meter speedo and tach afterwhich the car will be ready for David (trim room).

Puke tank...	mounts neatly in the place of the air filter canister
Red Top Optima battery	Trans cover (4.2)

The following photographs show the exhaust layout beneath the car and also the padded suede dash we have now received from Eric Suffolk.

I am delighted to report that the all important maiden voyage passed withjout negative incident. A major milestone achieved.

This how the Borla mufflers fit	Lawrence created some V12 style hangers
Suede dash from England	Nicely restored above and below decks..
Extra padding per your instructions

I am delighted to report that we have now test run the engine and everything is AOK. John and Sam have both worked extremely hard on your car over the last week or so.

All the gauges are functioning normally and really only positive things to report today. I couldn't resist a little bit of video film making.....

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Glad to report that we are now pressing ahead with this project once more. The following photographs show the Webers and also the braided fuel lines that you specified. With any luck we hope to fire the car up for the first time next week.

A lot of work behind the scenes this week, much of it effectively beyond the reach of my camera lense. Hopefully the following photographs will encourage you that we are still making steady progress!

Installing sugar scoops and Halogen sealed beans	Looking more like the finished article every day
Installing restored bonnet hinges and Wilwood brakes	Nore spring hinges top left
A hint at what is to come next week - the brown box contains the braided fuel lines	The car has been moved to the regular workshop to have the exhaust installed
Although the headlight looks great in the photograph, I have actually rejected the installation.....	A little more work to do before I will be satisfied with the fit
Sam restoring your handbrake assembly

I have included more photographs than I normally would of the front lamps and bumpers going into place as I know you have expressed a particular interest in this area. If I get time later today I will add some photographs showing the headlights and glass covers going into place.

In due course David will be adding suede to the corners of the centre dash panel, per your design, but we wanted to get all the gauges wired in at this stage to make sure we wouldn't have a problem either with the custom units themselves or the relocation of th headlamp switch, etc. Sam tells me that he didn't have much room to work with behind the panel....but he had just enough!

To say that I am delighted with our progress on this particular project is an understatement. Glance back through the update reports below and you will see that we we only began reassembly in mid February. This car is going together beautifully.

Wiring in headlights	Starting to go on with the front bumpers
Special gauges wired in
Bumpers fit perfectly having been trial fitted by Lawrence
Lawrence gets in on the act, assisting Sam with the bumper installation	Almost there....
Sam installs side lamps	Notice grey stone guard in front of radiator
One of the most famous noses in the world - sorry about the bolt cabinets in the background!
	Side light in place - note clear lense hiding orange bulb...

Sam is making great headway and really doing a superb job. With regard to the silicone hoses: we started installing the blue hoses but really didn't like the way they looked against the various other coloured items in the engine bay. I took an executive decision and went with the black. If you absolutely insist on the blue, I will change them back over for you in my own time.

The unmistakable......	E Type shape
Bonnet installed	Cooling system going into place
Bit of gratuitous CJ advertising (I think they call this shameless product placement)	Soon we will have to work out how to install these Borla mufflers under the car
Over exposed under the flash, and showing all the dust, etc, but X marks the location of the new sway bar reinforcement blocks	New 5 speed surrounded by Brown Bread insulating material
Wiper and washer assemblies being installed behind the dash

The following photographs show the 'Brown Bread' insulating material being installed, as well as a rather fuller engine bay than you had seen up until now!

Over the next week or so we will be installing the new gas tank, exhaust, bonnet, etc with a view to firing her up in a couple of weeks time.

Very Barbarella	We are putting the insulating material everywhere we possibly can!
105 amp alternator now installed

I am delighted to report excellent progress since our last update. As you can see in the following photographs, the engine and JT5 five speed have now been installed and the car is back on all four wheels for the first time.

My thanks to Justine for taking this sequence of photographs during my enforced absence from CJ.

On with the cross-drilled rotors and new splined hubs
Sam installing brake lines and new brake line switch	New booster and master cylinder
The one and only, JT5 five speed gearbox	Brake vacuum reservoir goes into place, along with RHD blanking plates
Engine back where it belongs
	Back on all fours...a major  milestone achieved
Not sure what this picture is all about, but I figured it must have amounted to such an effort on Justine's part that I'd better include it in the ensemble........

After a slight technology afflicted delay, for which I apologize, here are some photographs of the wiring harness starting to go into place.

	Steering rack going into place
Routing wiring harness	Fuse blocks installed

Per your emailed questions of yesterday, the following photographs are intended to explain a little more about the front suspension geometry as it relates to your E Type. If you require any further clarification, don't hesitate to contact me.

To adjust castor, the bolts at A and B are loosened and the fulcrum shaft can then be rotated by gripping the shaft at the flattened area of the shaft (C)	We generally use a base (starting point) setting at the midpoint of the threaded adjustment (note  threads beneath bolt labeled B in previous photograph
The rear mounting point for the upper control arm (RH) - the shims behind each of the upper control arm mounting points adjust the camber	A view of the other side of the car coming together
The mounting point for the lower control arm - notice how at the front it is anchored at the bottom corner of the picture frame	And rear mounting point shown from the  back of the car - the splined attachment you see at the front is the forward mounting point for the torsion bars
Fuel filter bowl and line goes into place	Note centre lace 'Borrani' style wheels shod with Yokohama 215/65 tyres
Although the gas tank is brand new it still has the junk primer applied by Martin Robey Ltd removed.....	and is properly painted prior to installation

Checking all the nuts and bolts one last time	We lower the car onto the IRS
	Everything lined up beautifully
Back on its wheels again!
Sam installing the fuel line	I get trigger happy with the camera
Looks great from any angle
	Sam installing the front suspension so fast he is a bit blurred.......

If you have ever wondered how an E Type is bolted together, watch as we start assembling our 1962 FHC project.

The starting point.	Take the time to tap out all the threads on the firewall
Drilling holes for the new data plate	New data plate stamped and installed
Frames going into place	Before getting too gung ho tightening all the bolts, remember that certain suspension components are an integral part of the frame assembly
Only top quality Grade 8 harware is used	Remember to install camber shims  at this stage - we use 3 shims as a starting point
Poly bushings throughout
Billet aluminium rack mounts
Updated (4.2) brake booster installed

I thought you might like to see Cosme in action...so to speak.

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Cosme has now finished block sanding the entire car and is well into the buffing process. As you can see, the bonnet is pretty much completed and he is working on the main roof panel and the rear tailgate. So far everything is looking perfect.

All of the top surface of the clear  coat is blocked using 1500 grit paper	Then Cosme buffs the sanded area using a fine compound
	Show boating, Cosme style..... his version of the Ali shuffle

Having allowed the paint a couple of days to cure, Cosme has now begun the sanding and buffing process. I'm afraid the photographs below really don't do his work justice - the car looks truly magnificent.

Cosme works on the bonnet with the body waiting its turn in the background	A policeman's eye view of the work....
	A peeping Tom's eye view....
	Bonnet fully sanded, ready for the buffing wheel

You will be relieved to see that we decided to let someone who actually knows what they are doing paint all the visible bits of your car! Here you see Cosme putting the finishing touches to some truly awesome paintwork.

Doors and tailgate are put back on for the final shoot - this allows us to achieve a perfectly even finish with the opalescent (metallic) base coat	These are the items you saw Lawrence  trial fitting a couple of weeks ago - now beautifully replated
Cosme begins putting on the base coat
	Base coat is now ready for clear coat
The car immediately starts to look entirely different as the clear coat goes on
	The car is absolutely stunning
	Cosme escapes from the booth - his work done!

Today we are having fun - well I am, anyway. I managed to persuade Cosme to let me have a turn in his paint booth and paint some of the more tricky areas myself.

Frankly, I don't know what all the fuss is about....there doesn't seem to be much to this painting lark.

So, you just point and shoot...	Easy now Cosme, everybody's got to learn sometime......
Not too shabby.....	This guy's a keeper

As I write this, Cosme is painting the interior - the exterior will be painted on Monday

Back on the move with this project! Cosme has now painted the two cars that were ahead of the 62 FHC in the queue for the booth and is back working on your car. I will be posting lots of photographs for you over the next few days.

The following pictures show the painting of the underside of the bonnet.

Applying stone guard to inner arches prior to painting

We always paint the underside of the bonnet at this stage	Opalescent Gunmetal (007)

Not the most exciting stage of the restoration, perhaps, although trial fitting chrome and brightwork before painting (and replating) is nonetheless an essential task which is often overlooked. At CJ we allow 12 hours to trial fit all the chrome on a FHC E Type - 15 hours in the case of a roadster.

Notice the gaps between the top edges of the bumpers and the wings.

Lawrence's work is now done. The body is completely finished, bullet straight, gapped to perfection and (impatiently) awaiting its turn in the paint booth. The following photographs really don't do justice to Lawrence and Cosme's efforts in the week that has passed since my last report. The car is absolutely magnificent and has the best panel gaps that I have ever seen.

Lawrence summed it up simply and succinctly in a statement he made earlier today:

"This is my 25th E Type and I believe it is the best one I have ever done".
 

Well into the sanding and blocking process	Trial fitting bumpers and lights
Beautiful fit after grinding
	E Type panel gaps don't get any better than this.....
Cosme and Lawrence	Amazing bonnet and door fit

The following sequence of photographs show how Lawrence installs the sill end closing panels in relation to the bonnet fit and the air cleaner and battery brackets. The ends of the sills are built up using lead, in the same way it was done at the factory when the cars were new. The bonnet fit is coming along very nicely.....

Trial fitting the sill end panels	Trial fitting (and trimming) the air cleaner bracket
Spot welding the air cleaner  bracket in place	Using lead to build up the front/leading edge of the sill so that it meets the wheelarch
What it looks like from the front (bonnet open)	(bonnet closed)
Filling the bonnet seams with lead

The following photographs show the main bodyshell being epoxy primed and the installation and fitting of the new engine frames and bonnet. As you can see, the bonnet fit 'straight from the crate' was terrible! By the end of today, however, we will have our desired 1/8" gap all the way around the closing panels.

Zinc anti-corrosion/etch primer	Epoxy primer
	Lawrence works on getting the  doors bullet straight with his home made giant block....
Now fully (epoxy) primed	and looking like new...
Starting the frame installation	Repairing the bonnet hinge frame
Straightening the radiator support bracket	All new side and picture frames
Time to get the bonnet out of its crate...	And here it is!
Initial trial fit...	Nasty....
Horrible panel fit!	Lots of work ahead to obtain the desired 1/8" gap
Getting there....	Almost there......

This update deals with the completion of the lead loading process followed by the treatment, undersealing and painting of the floorpan. As you can see from the sequential photographs, there is a massive amount of ground work to be done before you can think about applying any body colour.

I think you will find this report informative - and very encouraging!

After 2 full days of work, the lead loading process is completed	Welded seam at the lower back corner of the door
In front of the door....	Lead at scuttle and door closing panel
Door shut panels are lead loaded	Zinc based etching and bonding primer (has excellent anti-corrosive properties)
Applying the zinc etching primer to  the floor pan
The area marked in black about to be trimmed to give more room for the 5 speed	The same areas removed
Even the underside of the roof panel is sanded to bare, shiny metal before being primed
Masking off the underside ready for epoxy priming and application of 3M Body Schutz	Seam sealing all welds and joints
This is where I like to 'draw the line' for the 3M body schutz under the boot floor	Starting to apply the epoxy primer
Virginal white epoxy primer	This is the 3M product we use - I like the smooth 'ripple' finish (see below)
Applying the 3M body schutz	A close-up of the body schutz texture
Cosme finishing off the underside	Starting to apply the Opalescent Gunmetal directly on top of the body schutz
	Applying the clearcoat over the Opalescent Gunmetal
	Way, way, way better than new......

Lawrence will spend the next couple of days lead loading the entire bodyshell. This is a fascinating process to watch and I will try to give you a feel for the activity by taking photographs and also including the occasional video clip.

Lead loading body panels is something of a dying art and is of course not practiced by the vast majority of restorers.

Lead loading video clip!

Cleaning the surface with tinning butter
Melting the lead bars...	..to a dough like consistency
Applying with a wooden spoon or paddle
Pushing into the area to be filled	Filing off excess
Finishing touches....	Another invisible (and permanent) mend...

I am delighted to report that all the welding and metalwork has now been completed. Tomorrow Lawrence will be lead loading his creation, making sure that all its many curves and seams are to his liking. The next stage will be to install your new engine frames and fit the new bonnet.

I think you will agree that he has done a tremendous amount of work in a relatively short period of time (remember he only began the body repairs on November 8th).

The first picture in this series is Lawrence 'presenting' you with your 'new' bodyshell ;-)

Stop the clock! Bodywork labour to completion of all panel replacement as shown below, including some preliminary lead work, etc - 104.25 hours

Fabricating and shaping the rear upper cowl for the license plate panel (see video clip below)	Making sure the contour is correct
Installing the previously fabricated license plate surround (LH)	And the RH side.......
Installing the curved panel made on the English wheel	Grinding off the welds
Applying the finishing touches.....	Trial fitting the tailgate

In answer to your question about Lawrence's use of an English wheel, if you click on the following photograph you can watch a short video clip of him shaping a panel he is fabricating for the rear license plate area.

Look for a significant update later today!

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Today's photographs show the boot floor and rear 3/4 panels being replaced.  I was hoping that he might be finished with the welders today - but that was a tad optimistic. He will have to complete the license plate panel repair tomorrow morning. Another excellent day of progress, however.

Bodywork labour to date - 96.5 hours

Cutting out the old boot floor and lower quarter panels
Nasty license plate panel	Fabricating a new panel from scratch
Looking 'up' inside the rear wings (right side)	And inside the left hand wing
Starting to spot weld the rear assembly together	Almost there......

We now have the right hand side of the car completed, as well as a good start on the lead loading process. Tomorrow (11/28/01) we will be removing the old trunk floor and lower 3/4 panels - and hopefully welding the new assembly into place. After that we can put the welders away ready for the next project.

Bodywork labour to date - 87.5 hours

4.2 style kick panel ready to  receive later brake booster	This is the weld at the top of the LH cowl panel - it will eventually be lead loaded....
Making sure everything will line up!	Fabricating the RH side panel
	The insert at the top of the RH side panel
Offering it into place.......	....then welded into place
	Invisible mending, CJ style....and lead loading still to come.....
Lawrence will fabricate a panel for this area	The floor support welded into place
We inverted the body so we could apply body wax deep inside the reach arch/wing	Difficult to photograph upside down!
Offering the patch into place	Lead loading the LH side panel
Doesn't look much yet....	But the finished panel is beautiful...
Right floors and sills now in place....	Left side now lead loaded. The welded seam indicated by the letter 'A' in the photograph will not be lead loaded until the bonnet is fitted.....

Lawrence now has the left side of the car 'bottoned up' and has turned his attenion to the installation of the right hand sill. He fabricated insertion panels for the top of the left hand front side cowl panel - and also the place where the upper back edge of the left hand sill meets the left hand cowl (forward wheel arch) section.

Notice how he had to re-skin the right hand door and install same before he could begin aligning the sill and bulkhead panels. If you are going to obtain perfect panel gaps, you really have no choice but to follow this sequence. Many restorers, both amateur and professional alike, don't touch the doors until the floors and sills have all been repaired.

Bodywork labour to date - 69 hours

11/23/01	New LH cowl side panel installed
Starting to come together nicely...	RH door offered into place
This door has been re-skinned - notice how clean it is inside and out....	A man happy in his work!

Lawrence made great progress yesterday (11/21) and actually started installing (as opposed to removing) sheet metal. This is always a good sign!

The following photographs do not do justice to the time and effort spent aligning all the various panels before they were finally welded into place. Notice how the doors have to be reassembled and installed before the sills and cowl panel can be permanently affixed.

The finished results are truly exceptional.

Bodywork labour to date - 59 hours

Driver's side footwell	Where new floor meets repaired inner sill
Mounting point for lower LH engine frame	Floors being spot welded into place
More spot welding....	Even more spot welding....
Spot welding trans tunnel area (bolts  are temporary)	Checking alignment of rear floor support
Remember the rusty door skin flange? It has  now been stripped, treated and rewelded	Another view of the repaired door flange
Doors must be fitted ahead of sills to obtain  desired panel gaps	Trial fittting the LH sill - this is a lengthy process  where the sill is installed and removed a number of  times before finally reaching for the spot welder
Lawrence admires his own work!	What the sill looks like from the front...
Applying weld thru primer to the inner sill	Applying Wurth Body Wax to inner  surface of the sill
Sopt welds between floor and sill	Lawrence makes it look easy - it isn't...
Sill and floor attachments (rear)	LH sill now fully installed - to me, this is art

Good news, bad news today. The first photographs in today's sequence (the bad news) show various corroded areas in the rear quarters, boot floor and license plate panel. Although Lawrence is naturally quite capable of performing localized repairs to the problem areas shown, in the end I decided to replace the entire rear section with a new (pre-made) Martin Robey assembly (shown in photograph # 5 below). Using this panel represents a significant saving in labour hours - and therefore makes good financial sense (the good news).

The later photographs show Lawrence closing up the antenna hole on the front scuttle (we are going to use a concealed ribbon antenna behind the dash), lead loading the earlier repair to the inner sill and applying the Wurth Body Wax to the inner box sections.

The work scheduled for today (11/21/01) will represent a huge leap forward in the bodywork restoration process. Watch this space!

Bodywork labour to date - 49.5 hours

Corrosion where the rear 3/4 panel meets the boot floor	and in the license plate panel.....
and in the 3/4 panel itself....	and in the boot floor....
the solution.....new sheet metal for the rear end	remember the surface rust we found under the door skin flanges?
the old antenna hole	patching it #1
patching it #2	gone for ever...
lead loading the earlier sill repair
applying the Wurth Body Wax	this car will never rust again....

The following photographs show Lawrence trial fitting and welding together the new floors, installing the radius arm cups, preparing metal surfaces, disassembling the doors prior to re-skinning same...and generally putting in a good day's work!

Bodywork labour to date - 43.5 hours

Improving the contour of the roof line	Just touching bead blasted metal will cause surface corrosion
So it is cleaned with super strong detergent	And rubbed down with coarse Scotch pads
Welding up the old holes in the tailgate (remember this used to be a 4.2 bodyshell)	Riveting the radius arm cups into place
And welding them for good measure....the edges of the new panels have their factory primer removed and special 'weld thru' primer is used in its place	Trial fitting L & R floors (notice how Lawrence trial fits the reaction plate at this stage)
The floors spot welded together down the centre	Old lead is removed from the join where the roof panel was attached at the factory - corrosion often forms beneath the original lead......
Removing the RH doorskin - first with a cutting wheel around the edges...	Then with a chisel - cutting the welded seams prior to reaching for the hammer and chisel prevents distortion of the door casing
Delicately tapping away the door skin...	With the skin removed, the door internals are exposed....note the rubber drain hose
Old door skin headed for the dumpster	LH door skin looks great, but......
Notice how surface rust has formed between the welded panels at the bottom flange...this will be blasted and treated before it is re-welded	Lawrence always removes this door top panel - even on apparently excellent doors - as surface rust almost always forms between the panel and the door casing

It is vital that proper care and attention is paid at this stage. Nothing very glamorous (or particularly photogenic, alas) about the work Lawrence is currently doing, although it is undoubtedly the most important part of the entire process in terms of longevity and the lasting quality of the restoration.

The following photographs show how Lawrence has cut away every single grain of surface rust, repaired or fabricated all the flanges (to which the new floors will ultimately be welded) and begun treating all the bare metal surfaces. The next stage will be to liberally coat all the internal surfaces of the various box sections with Wurth Body Wax.

As you can see, a Team CJ E Type has had much more than a skin deep make-over. When Lawrence is finished, there will not be a better FHC E Type body in the world.

Bodywork labour to date - 35 hours

	The maestro at work
Fabricating new inner sill flanges (the join will eventually be lead loaded - and invisible)	Replacing lower section of inner sills
	The only good metal is shiny metal....
Sealing innards with epoxy primer with body wax still to come	Flayed to the bone...
This is one of the floor cross-members and the bottom edge of the inner sill - never to be seen again, but beautifully restored, nonetheless	Note all the box sections laid open at this stage - extensive rust proofing will follow next week before the floors are installed

Lawrence does the ground work to replacing your floors, outer sills, front bulkhead 'kick' panels and the right hand door skin. As we discussed on the telephone, despite the fact that we have decided to replace the entire floor section and both outer sills, the structure is in fact quite sound.

Revealing the (excellent) inner sills	Out with the old....

Preparing the mating surfaces ready for the new floors, etc

The following photographs show the soda blasted body after we had placed it on the jig. All in all I am quite pleased with the condition although as we discussed on the telephone, it is going to need at least one sill and a fair amount of massaging in Lawrences capable hands. (I have also included a picture of some of your re-plated chrome).

Can't hide anything in this position...	Beautifully clean inner arches...
Outer sill not so good...	Waiting patiently for Lawrence to work his magic...

David has now modified the centre dash panel and the following photograph shows how the minor gauges will be arranged.

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Trying something different with the dash and gauges......

I thought you might enjoy the following photograph(s).

The most beautiful engine in automotive history. The sharp eyed amongst you will spot the later style waterpump, custom machined crank pulley, high performance damper (balancer), etc, etc.

As you can see in the attached photographs, we have encountered some problems with the original oil pan. There is a serious crack that would undoubtedly have leaked like the proverbial sieve. Difficult to spot these things until the pan is properly cleaned up as happened yesterday afternoon. Although oil pans can be welded, it makes more (economical) sense to replace it with a good used one from stock.

The following photographs show the body (and bonnet) part way through the blasting process. The bodyshell is being soda blasted, although the bonnet required bead blasting due to excessive layers of bondo beneath the primer. I have also included some photographs of your repaired (re-sleeved) engine block and the reassembly process.

We now have the front suspension back from the platers (see below) and we are hoping to get the stripped bodyshell back by the end of the month. I am delighted with the finish on the suspension components - which should look great in the silver engine bay. As you can see, we already have the big bore Borla mufflers in hand and the 2 inch rear pipes and resonators should be here within the next few days.

The following photographs show the IRS rebuild now completed. Note the larger 2 1/8" calipers used for the rear rotors.

The following photographs show the assembly of the rear half shafts, hub carriers, new splined hubs - and the completed differential. Oh yes....and a picture of the new tiled workshop!

The following chart shows speed versus RPM comparisons for the JT5 five speed as opposed to your original Moss gearbox. My calculations are based upon the 215/65/15 tyre and 3:31 final drive ratio combination that I have proposed for your car.

Now all we have to do is recover the JT5 five speed you already bought through your 'previous' restorer.....;-(

Having unpacked and catalogued the incomplete shipment of parts recovered from the previous 'restorer', I am delighted to report that work has now begun in earnest on this project. Work underway at this time includes the following:

• The replacement bodyshell has been completely stripped of all its component parts and trim
• A complete front suspension has been disassembled and sent off for zinc plating
• The engine has been torn down and shipped to the machine shop
• The rear end (IRS) rebuild is in progress
• The body has been booked in for plastic media blasting in the first weekend of September

It is clear that the engine has not been run since it was reassembled. The pistons appear to be new (standard 9:1 compression) and the cylinder walls show evidence of recent rebore and honing. The rods have been shot peened, the chains and tensioners are all new....and the bearings look as if they have only ever been subjected to the crank being turned by hand.

Whilst on the face of it this appears to be good news (and in terms of cost the new parts certainly represent a significant saving over the normal cost of a full engine rebuild) we have, unfortunately, found significant damage to the deck of the block and #4 cylinder sleeve which necessitates re-sleeving at least that cylinder and resurfacing the deck.

Unfortunately, the differential was in very poor condition indeed. It is difficult to capture (photographically) the damaged teeth on the crown wheel and the worn carriers, but I have nonetheless attempted to illustrate some of the problems for you below. As we discussed on the telephone, I have already provided a replacement core differential and we will be assembling the IRS to 4.2 specs.

The engine, as delivered	Damaged deck and sleeve

New pistons and rods

Damage to crown wheel = noise!	Differential as delivered
Also damaged beyond repair	Replacement diff housing after cleaning and painting

A fresh starting point

A rather more solid body than we began with!	Ready for plastic media blasting

For the love of Jags........ Who could do such a thing?

Caveat Emptor

Not for the first time, we have been asked to pick up the pieces (literally) of disastrous project that had previously been entrusted to a high profile, yet totally inept, Jaguar Specialist. A great deal of time and money had already been spent on this car long before its arrival at Classic Jaguar. Indeed, at the time of writing, all we have received is a rotten, stripped out bodyshell that has already been plastered with bondo and paint....and precious little else. The previous restorer has yet to release all the original parts and the many new replacement parts, despite the fact that his ransom (sic) has long since been paid.

When embarking upon a major restoration, enthusiasts owe it to themselves to thoroughly investigate whichever company they might be considering for the project. Visit the company, ask to speak to current customers and examine the work being done at first hand. Alternatively, call me and I will tell you the plain facts. There are many, many honourable and talented craftsmen within the Jaguar restoration industry - but there also some predatory sharks. At Team CJ we are committed to blowing the sharks out of the water.

As mentioned above, the bodyshell we received from the previous restorer is an absolute disaster area. After careful consideration, we have decided to source a replacement shell and use that as the basis for this restoration. The following photographs show some of the problem areas that are clearly evident even before any paint/bondo is removed. For the love of Jaguars, indeed.....

	Disgraceful workmanship
Danger! The left hand lower subframe needs a slightly more substantial anchoring point than this!	Same with the other side of the car!
This is a hole (and about a quarter inch thickness of bondo) in the LH frame rail	This is the RH floor
The floors and cross member supports are completely rotten	Tin foil and bondo floor section....
The inner sills are rusted through everywhere
These two panels are supposed to be joined together!
Someone's first ever go at welding?	This is the original body number... which does not match your data plate....?
Just horrible.....
I suspect the B pillars will be rotten away underneath multiple layers of bondo......	Shameful.....