1948 Jaguar Mk IV DHC Total body restoration

Specification (briefly) for this project is as follows: Total body restoration Reference photos: DSC05020/44

Darrell has just finished fabricating and installing the complex, box section sill panels.

We have now acid washed the body and all associated panels and sealed everything up with epoxy primer.

Back from the blasters, we clearly have lots of work to do!

With the custom rotisserie completed, we sent the body and all related panels off to be sand blasted back to bare metal...

It is five years since we performed some major mechanical work on this car, so I am delighted to report that we now have the restoration of the body underway. Our first task is to fabricate a custom rotisserie frame jig that will hold the bodyshell in shape while it is disassembled and blasted back to bare metal.

5 years ago....

With a temporary floor board and a piece of rope as a make-shift throttle, it was time for the old car to move under its own steam for the first time in a few decades. Other than a slight problem with first gear selection, and a leaking rebuilt waterpump, the "test drive" went pretty smoothly. It was certainly something of an adventure!

Don fired the car up....	Note temporary gas tank	What can possibly go wrong.....
And it's off to the races!	Cable in my right hand is the make shift throttle....

We have been steadily rebuilding and installing the engine bay ancillary componenets.

More progress.....

Almost ready to lower to the ground	Radiator and gas tank will be  sent out to be cleaned	Back on all four wheels
Time to put the engine and transmission together	Crude mount brackets not the work of CJ!
	Note custom made aluminium spacers  beneath engine mounts	Nearly there...

More progress.....

Test drive not too far off!	Most of the brake linkage is now hooked up	We machined aluminium spacers  to replace the 'original' wooden  engine mounts!

It is time to start re-assembling the Mk IV's chassis, starting with the rebuilt axle, road springs, lever arm shocks, brakes, etc, etc. We will have the old car back on its wheels in no time.

I am pleased to report that we have now finished the rebuilding of your engine. The old cut and welded oilpan was just too ugly to put back on the beautifully restored engine. We found a good used one from a 50s saloon that looks much better.

We paint the inside of the block with Glyptol	All new sleeves were installed during the machining process	Installing the new pistons
Later style composite head gasket was used	The cylinder head scrubbed up pretty nice!	Looking much better
We retro fitted lifting rings	We upgraded to a Teflon front seal	Old oilpan was in terrible shape
It had to go!	One from a MK I saloon
		The finished article!

We now have the engine machine work well underway and have also received your shocks back from the rebuilders. The leaf springs have been repaired and are currently being powder coated. In the next couple of weeks we will be able to return the chassis to its wheels and start building the car back up mechanically.

We have been steadily rebuilding your mechanical components over the last few weeks, including the transmission, brakes, steering, etc. We also have your engine rebuild well underway and I will be uploading some photographs of the machine work in progress in the next few days.

We have now blasted the chassis, carried out a few weld repairs, repaired all the threaded mounting holes and fixtures, acid washed it, primed it and painted it!

	RF shock has home made lower arm (marked X in enlarged pic)	Road springs are all in very poor condition
		Axle shaft previously broken and weld repaired!
Differential being rebuilt	Blasted chassis is repaired and has all new threads cut/installed	It is placed on makeshift rotisserie and acid washed
	Corrosion resistant primer....	Painted black and baking in the Texas sun!

I think this is one of my biggest single photographic updates ever! As you can see, we already have the body safely removed from the chassis. Per our discussions, we will rebuild the car mechanically first and we have set the body aside for later consideration.

Engine was stuck
A 1961 penny and a .22 bullet  were under the rear seat	Portable TV on offer in 1967!
		Oil pan was full of gas (petrol)
Gas tank is rotten and pretty beaten up
		Strange pedal extensions - for a very short driver?
		XK140 trans
	Doors are braced before lifting body off chassis	Body comes off and on the chassis very easily with these cars
Chassis is going to need some  repairs	Body has been set aside while we address the mechanicals

It is time to get this project underway. We hope you enjoy watching the restoration unfold over the coming months!

As she looked on Day One
Non-original XK140 engine will be retained	Fabulous front aspect
Original chassis plates are intact	Cool art deco interior
Original rear seat well preserved...		Radiator and grille removed
More appropriate carbs found in boot!	Empty tool tray	The fan belt tells the story of how long since the engine ran
	Doors are the biggest problem	Seat adjustment handles still work like new!
Incorrect overriders
Air conditioning, Mk IV style...