1967 E Type FHC (Skip)
Full restoration


 

 
Specification (briefly) for this project is as follows:

Another Team CJ special!
 

 
 

 
 
 


 

Photo taken June, 2004



 
 
 

1/4 light windows installed
Screen pillar chrome in place


More AC progress....
Firewall couplings neatly installed 
through RHD blanking plates
Console coming together
 Dryer will live behind
RH mudguard


We now have all the AC components we need to finish the installation.

 

 


We have now modified and trimmed out the new AC panel that you bought from England and installed the stereo speakers and tweeters, etc. The car is progressing very nicely.
Door panels now installed
 
Modified and retrimmed
AC console

 

   
 
Speakers installed in footwells
Tweeters discretely installed
 


As you can see, the interior installation is now almost completed. We are currently installing the door panels and trimming out the custom AC console - all of which should be installed early next week.
     

 

   
   
     


Moving ahead with the interior installation...
     

 

   
     


At the time of writing there is still no sign of the AC components from England, although we are pressing on and getting as much of the interior retrimmed as possible. The photographs are a little dark as it is difficult taking bright pictures inside a black coupe!
Rear bulkhead is trimmed first
Followed by rear wheel arches
Trial fitting cubby panels

 

   
Rear floor boards going
into place
 Carpeting glued into cubby
 Sam trimming out cubby 
flap

 

   
Lining up the luggage runners 
from one panel to the next
As with most things, the finished
result is worth the extra effort
I forgot to mention that we
have now installed your new HRW


Maiden voyage time! I am happy to report that the first test drive passed without incident and all systems seem to be functioning perfectly. Click on the largest photograph to view a short video clip of the car moving under its own steam for the first time in many months. Notice also that the seats and centre console are also now retrimmed in their new bisuit hides.


Temporary seat installed
One final check of all the
major operating systems
Maiden voyage time!

 
   
     

 
   
 
     


Time to put the car up in the air and to finish off the underside. This gave me an opportunity to photograph the oil cooler kit we installed last week!
Aluminium scoop is actually
higher than the exhaust
Modified sump oil line
Horns had to be relocated to
make room for scoop

 
   
A few shots of the IRS from beneath
Changed out to 9" springs
Another view of the scoop

 
   
Another worm's eye views of
the oil filter
Not a drop of oil in sight
Pro-Race dampner

 
   
Underside of your car is
as nice as the topside!
   

 
   
   
Installing stainless clamps to
the new fuel line



 


Air scoop for Beere oil
cooler kit
I couldn't bring myself to
use the blue oil line - sorry!
Everything fits together
very nicely

 
   
We will make our own
mounting brackets
Fittings don't fit cooler so
we will obtain alternatives
Trial fitting under car


We are still waiting for the AC system from England and can't go too far with the interior installation until we know what the AC kit entails. In the mean time we have been installing the remainder of your new glass, including the new Triplex screen. After a further attempt at saving your front bumpers we decided to replace them altogether.
 Installing door glass
 Heated rear window
switch now installed
New Triplex screen 

 
 
 
 Re-plated bonnet latch
hardware now installed
Installing front lights
Note fit between door
window frame and quarter light


Your IRS is now completely rebuilt and reinstalled under the car. Despite the fact that it had been reworked recently, I'm glad we decided not to take a chance with it.


More shiny stuff....
Tailgate now in place
Tex S2 style door mirrors
look good
Installing rear quarter
windows

 
   
 
Gas flap installed
Starting to look like 
something now!
 


More shiny stuff going into place....


Andy says I have to put you out of your misery and show you your engine running!
More Dynamat....
Fire in the hole!




As we approach the initial firing later today, the guys in the CJ workshop prove they have a sense of humor. Check out the simulated burn out!

 
 


Your car continues to swallow up Dynamat XTREME at an amazing rate. We have so far installed 56 square feet and we are still not done! As we wait for reinforcements from Dynamat, we have turned our attention to the wiring.
New alternator shields
This car may be TOO quiet and TOO 
cool when we are done!
Dynamat EXTREME is very
easy to work with

 
   
A shame to cover up all
Mike's paintwork
Wiring in the handbrake
switch harness
Wiring in the dashboard


Time for some sparks!


Installing the new
plug wires
Racing conduit tidies up
wiring very nicely
Crank case breather installed


The reassembly process continues apace....
Radiator was polished
prior to installation
Note compact AC
compressor
 New lifetime silicone 
hoses throughout

 
 
 
 Radiator brackets too flimsy -
we will fabricate new ones
 We upgraded you to some
billet K&N filters
Heater box restored and
now installed

 
   
Engine bay is filling
up rapidly
Dynamat XTREME will be
installed tho'out interior
The best heat/sound
insulation we have found yet

 
   
   
Braided fuel lines will
be used throughout
   


As you can see, we have now installed the engine and JT5 transmission. We could not bring ourselves to re-use your old GTJ flywheel or the strangely mismatched clutch assembly that had been in your car previously. The old JT5 aluminium shift lever was broken (snapped) and the original (modified) bellhousing also failed inspection.

You will see why we made these decisions when you examine the photographs below. Fortunately we had an old stock JT5 bellhousing left over from when we used to sell the JT5, and we will machine you a new shifter out of stainless steel stock.

A few too many holes
cut into old bellhousing
There are four significant
viewing ports!
New bellhousing is the
only way to fly

 
   
1,500 mile GTJ flywheel -
frankly it is absolute junk
Threaded holes almost
break through outer edge
Rather better made Team CJ
aluminium flywheel......

 
   
Your engine deserves a
proper flywheel
10" pressure plate with 9.5" disc 
also headed for dumpster
Engine back where it
belongs!

 
   
JT5 shifter snapped - we will
machine a new one in ss
 New gas tank was stripped 
and painted
Installing the CJ headers 

 
   
 
Installing the rebuilt carbs
A beautiful thing!
 


Bang on schedule, your car is now on all four wheels. Later today we should be installing the rebuilt engine and five speed, etc.
Installing the front end
Uprated fulcrum shafts
Installing one of the doors

 
   
Panel fit is perfect
Fuel and clutch line
being installed
Pedal box and master
cylinders going into place


Time to start the reassembly process! The aim is to have your car on all four (temporary) wheels by Monday afternoon.
Body in an assembly bay
new fuel line is installed
before anything else....
Followed by the IRS


As you can see, the painting of the bodyshell is now complete and I could not be more pleased with the finished result. It is difficult to do justice to the paintwork with photographs taken in the artifical light of the paint booth - but I can assure you the car is absolutely spectacular!

 
   

 
   
 
     


It is now time to start applying the paint! We do this in three distinct stages, starting with the underside and the firewall, the interior, then finally all the outer panels. If we remain on schedule we should be sanding and buffing the car early next week. So far, everything is looking absolutely beautiful.
3mShutz (rocker guard) is applied 
to underside and arches
Seam sealing joints on
bonnet underside
Acid washed interior is
primed then.....

 
   
Painted!
It will be a shame to cover
this up with carpeting!
Worth the extra effort

 
 
 
 
Doors and tailgate are
next......
Bodyshell to follow in
a couple of hours!
 



January 2004
As you can see from the following photographs, we have restored your E Type body using nothing more than sheet metal, lead and primer.

We have approximately two more days of blocking ahead of us before we disassemble everything and start to apply black paint. Look for the car to be rolled into the booth on Wednesday or Thursday of next week.

Final application of 
DP 271 high build primer
At this stage the car is
already very straight
Guide coat applied
for blocking purposes
 
 

 

 
 
 Doors are blocked in their 
latched position
As is the bonnet...
Panels now beautifully
straight
 
 

 

 
 
 
 Awesome panel gaps
throughout this car
 Almost there....
 


The blocking process is now well underway, as well as the all important trial fitment of all the brightwork, lights and bumpers, etc. Notice how Mike has used lead to fine tune the fit of the rear hatch, lamp housings and bumpers. We anticipate the first application of high build (sandable) primer late next week.....followed by more blocking, of course!

As the body is being prepared for paint, all the various mechanical components are being steadily restored and set aside ready for the reassembly stage.

Gauges and switches restored, 
dash retrimmed
Perfect bumper fit
Trial fitting lights

 

 
 
Lead loading for optimum
fit at rear lamps
 More lead loading around
rear hatch
 Trial fitting headlamp
chrome with new glass


The following photographs show Lawrence putting the finishing touches to the bonnet fit. In the first image, Lawrence is also 'sharpening up' the upper edge of the sill. We do this because the replacement panels, while being of perfectly good quality, tend to be a little too rounded straight out of the press. Our objective is to create a look identical to the original sill line - except of course we achieve far better panel gaps than the factory ever did!
Sharpening up the upper
edge of the sill with lead
Nothing but sheet metal 
and lead


More photos showing the bonnet restoration and fitting process. Although it is rather difficult to capture on film, I have tried to show you how we deal with ill fitting bonnets in the Team CJ Coachworks. The problem with your car (previously disguised with a generous layer of plastic filler) is that the right hand front wing has less of a contour to it than the side panel of the cowl. The way we remedy this problem is to remove the side brace from the inside of the fender and re-shape both it and the fender itself, before welding the side brace back in place. Hopefully the following photographs will make some sense of this for you!
Installing headlamp panels
Lawrence spent much of yesterday
hiding inside your bonnet!
Installing air intakes

 

 
 
LH wing follows cowl
contour very nicely
Not so with the RH wing
This special tool allows us
to compare contours of
various panels

 

 
 
Checking contour of RH wing...
Comparing it with RH cowl side 
panel. Note the daylight
at the bottom of the panel gauge
This brace will be removed,
re-shaped then reinstalled. Note,
this is not something we recommend
you try at home!

 

 
 
Cutting away part of
RH wing
Looks drastic at this stage!
 Effectively the back half
of the wing will be replaced

 

 
 
A flat piece of sheet metal
is bent to the required shape
The brace will be shaped
then spot welded to the
new sheet metal
 A flange is formed and
holes drilled out for
attachment to centre sction

 

 
 
Bolted in place
Lawrence checks his work
with a straight edge
Fabricating the beading
at the bottom edge of the
new repair panel

 

 
 
This is much harder
than it looks!
Almost ready to be welded
in place on the bonnet
 Welded in place

 

   
   
Back edge of new panel will be 
trimmed for optimum gap, but note
how the wing now follows the 
contour of the cowl perfectly!
   


More progress in the coachworks....
 Restoring the underside of
the bonnet centre section
Applying new bonding agent
to all the joints
Acid washing the main
bodyshell

 

 
 
Almost time to prime the
bodyshell
 Rebuilt doors sealed 
with epoxy primer
Interior of bodyshell
is primed first.....

 

 
 
Assembling the bonnet
 Installing front bumper
attachments
 Priming the outer shell

 

 
 
Almost done...
 Basically, a new FHC
bodyshell
As nice inside as out 


Work continues on your bonnet....
Acid washing centre section
Priming bellypan...
as well as all the other
bonnet componets

 

   
 
Lawrence using a blow torch to
straighten louvres prior to priming
Sealing in DP90 epoxy primer
 


Lawrence has now finished the lead loading on the body and has turned his attentions to the restoration of your bonnet. We had thought that your picture frame and hinge frame might be OK, but they just weren't good enough to be used on a car of this calibre.
Nasty picture frame
Radiator support was paper
thin and badly pitted
Bonnet currently
disassembed
 
 

 

 
 
Lawrence prepares to 
restore the bonnet
 New engine frames and
picture frame for 1E 33287
 


The lead loading process continues....
Lead loading seams
beneath boot floor
Same on the other side
Lead loading above
license plate panel

 

   
After hand filing....
then sanding....
Ready for primer

 

   
Lead loading rear RH
wing and door shut panel
Top edge of doors also
lead loaded for optimum fit
RH rear wing almost
there....


Interesting to note that 145 hours was spent replacing all the sheet metal on the tub. It is now time to start the lead loading process.
Welding of monocoque
now completed
145 hrs spent on sheet metal
replacement
Time to start the lead
loading process
 
 

 

 
 
 No trace of the replacement
panel
Lead loading the cowl and
the side panel
 Almost there....
 
 

 

 
 
Cowl and door shut
panel completed
Rear edge of door fit is
also lead loaded
 One side down, one
to go....


I am delighted to report that we are almost finished the sheet metal replacement on the tub. Next we will be turning our attention to the restoring and fitting the bonnet.
More rust proofing inside
the side cowl panels
And inside the replacement
panel itself
Outer panel welded into
place

 

   
Fabricating and welding a
new license plate panel
After cleaning up the welds
Upper lic plate shroud
spot welded into place

 

   
Rear end cut away
Ready to start trial fitting
the new rear trunk assembly
The old license plate panel

 

   
Replacement trunk ass'y
Offering it into position
Welding it in place


As you can see, Lawrence has been ploughing ahead with your sheet metal replacement. He has been using a variety of Martin Robey panels and hand fabricated panels, as in the case of the LH rear wing repair. Notice how we are rust proofing every enclosed box section (Wurth Body Wax) prior to welding the outer panels into place.
 Rust proofing outer sills
and inner box sections 
We use Wurth Body Wax 

 

 
 
Spot welding cross-member
into place on new floors
Installing rear bulkhead
panels
New wing being fabricated
from flat sheet metal

 

 
 
Rebuilding the Coopercraft 
brakes 
Rebuild kits arrived
from England
We slotted and drilled your
Coopercraft rotors

 

 
 
Lawrence installing new
door skins
 No lead yet, just an English wheel,
a lot of hammering and a few welds
Trial fitting newly
skinned doors

 

   
 
Door top was rotten....
So Lawrence made a new one
 



 Trial fitting new floors
Inner sills being spot welded
into place
Trial fitting trans tunnel, trans
mount and floor cross-member

 

 
 
 A little elbow grease....
To finish off the engine 
 Door skins are both rough

 

   
Rusted at the flanges
Holes in bottom RH corner
More small holes down rear edges

 

   
   
New door skins the only solution
 
 


What a difference a day makes! As you can see, we have already begun cutting away all the corroded and damaged sheet metal. The car will look a lot worse before it starts to look better - so don't panic!
 Cutting away RH floor
Typical rust in box sections 
 Removing LH floor
 
 

 

 
 
 Lots of daylight...
More rusted box sections
Rear bulkhead will be
replaced
 
 

 

 
 
Trans tunnel has been
butchered
Hit hard at one time on LHS
Removing outer sills 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 Apparently Lawrence & Mike want a
trip to Monterey, CA !!!
 
 


I am delighted to report that your bodyshell is now on one of the rotisseries in the Team CJ Coachworks and we are about to start the sheet metal replacement. Watch this space!

 

 


It is difficult to photograph the beautiful machine work that will be forever hidden inside your engine.....but hopefully the following pictures will give you some idea!
 Bottom end fully rebuilt
Billet pulleys
New HP cams 

 

 

 
 
Tappet hold down kits 
Large valves, spectacular
machine work
Instake ports polished

 

 
 
Exhaust ports also cleaned up
Compression now 9.25:1
 Installing new head studs

 

   
New head gasket
Installing the cyl head
Time for some new 
chrome hardware


I thought you might like to see your Nickel plated and reassembled front suspension. Notice also the later style collapsible steering column that we will use during the reassembly stage.


All in all, a very good tub has been revealed by the plastic media blasting process. Nothing too horrible to report, and certainly nothing that we weren't expecting.
Overall - very nice
Lots of 'non-factory' lead
Nasty corrosion at LH
subframe mountin point

 

   
New floors will be installed
Lead all over the doors
Strange corrosion at RH
firewall seam

 

   
Bellypan is really excellent
Centre section is corrosion free
but will need a lot of work
Both front wings excellent


Disassembling the front suspension prior to Nickel plating. Front splined hubs are pretty worn so will be replaced during the rebuilding process (spline edges are sharp).
Control arms fairly pitted
Ready for Nickel plating
Front hubs are worn - will
be replaced

 

   
 
 
 
Front calipers will also be plated
 


Bang on schedule - your car is now fully disassembled and off to the bead blaster. On Thursday I will have John Claydon pull the cylinder head and investigate the cause of the strange compression test results.
Sam and Ray removing engine
Not much left now!
We will check engine on 
Thursday

 

   
Interior totally stripped
Firewall stripped bare
Off to the blaster


As you can see, your car is rapidly coming apart and finding its way (in component form) into one of the upstairs store rooms! We expect to ship your bodyshell off to the bead blaster on Monday of next week.
Staring to come apart
Grey spots are goop filling 
rust holes
Interior being removed

 

 
 
Custom AC system
Neat mounting of compressor
Taking the bonnet apart

 

 
 
Done!
About to drop the IRS
Compression test means we will
have to go into the head

 

 
 
Your own CJ office on the balcony!
Components to be re-used
are inspected and stored
Front end coming apart

 

 
 
Removing intake and carbs
Carbs will obviously be
completely rebuilt
Ray removing the brake booster

 

 
 
Difficult to photograph, but 'X'
marks carbon build up on valves
 LH frame rail badly kinked
More mess! 

 

 
 
 Not much left inside
Picture frame sound, but
needs cosmetic make-over
Underside of bonnet
centre section


I am pleased to report that your car made it safely across country arriving at Classic Jaguar earlier today. I hope you enjoy watching the restoration unfold and I thank you for entrusting this important project to Team CJ.
Welcome to Team CJ!
Partially disassembled
Team CJ goodies in boot!

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