Alloy bodied Jaguar XK120 roadster

Project Specification:

Total restoration of an alloy bodied Jaguar XK120
back to original factory livery of black coachwork
over 2 tone biscuit and tan trim.

Known history of chassis # 670131

Update report - February 1, 2020

I am delighted to report that we have now completed this exciting restoration project. The following photographs were taken during the final test drive yesterday afternoon.


This shot could have been taken 70 years ago





	Hopefully the last time the convertible top will ever be raised!












	2 tone tan and biscuit interior is stunning


	This is the original shifter knob, restored for you by Chris Scarborough


Installing the restored and re-chromed convertible top frame


Jake and Carlos working together on the mohair convertible top installation


	Fitted luggage is trimmed in biscuit hide with tan interior trim to compliment the car's interior


	Fitted luggage is an exquisite finishing touch to this restoration

I am delighted to report that the 120 is now running and driving and actually ventured outside for a trip to the gas station earlier today! So far it only has 100 yards under its belt, but so far so good!


Always exciting when one of the restorations embarks upon its maiden voyage!


	These cars must have been an amazing sight at the 1948 Earls Court Motor Show


	Bonnet louvers were a feature of several (but not all) of the early alloy cars


Note SU carbs visible through the bonnet louvers	Two tone tan and biscuit interior is a nice contrast to the black coachwork


Carlos did a beautiful job with the interior of this car





The underside of this car is literally as new	Note side exiting exhaust, another feature of the early alloy cars


	Leather gaiters buckled around leaf springs

We finally received the last of the chrome back and have assembled and installed the screen. The restored and re-plated seat frames and beautiful NOS tripod headlamps have also now been installed. The car's maiden voyage is just around the corner!


Beautiful NOS 'tripod' headlamps installed


	Seat frames and backs have now been installed

Carlos trial fitting the transmission tunnel, center arm rest and carpeting.

Installing the boot lid, bonnet, floor boards and steering wheel.





Trial fitting the dash and gauge cluster

Exciting to have this beautiful car getting so close to completion. Did a more elegant car ever emerge from Browns Lane?

The following sequence of photographs show Jake and his team installing the body onto the chassis. Always an exciting stage of any restoration, I am pleased to report that everything went very smoothly and the restored body fits perfectly!


The chassis has been tuned and run-in on the Dyno and is now ready to receive the restored body


	Jake assembled a highly trained team of athletes for the body installation!





	Lowering the body onto the chassis


Jake removing the tach drive for an extra couple of inches of clearance at the rear of the engine


Body now resting on the chassis	Unmasking the engine





Alex starting to secure the body to the chassis	Car will now be moved to the trim room for final assembly

The chassis is now almost fully assembled and we will be test running the engine in the next couple of days.

Repairing and reconstructing the fuel tank, original steering wheel restored to new condition, continued chassis assembly.


Original fuel tank will be repaired	Inner baffles removed





Fabricating a new inner tank baffle


	New baffle welding in place


Francis welding the tank side panels back in position	Very early starter motors and generators were cad plated


Installing leather gaiters on new rear leaf springs


	Original steering wheel restored to new condition

Sterling made some great progress last week and now has the front suspension installed as well as the rebuilt engine and transmission. Over the next few days he will be installing the rear axle, brakes and wiring loom.


Preparing to install the restored and rebuilt front suspension





	TCJ 6 bolt billet steel flywheel made specially for this project


Engine and transmission now installed

It is now time to assemble the chassis. Once it is rolling with the engine and drive train installed, we will install the repainted body.


Chassis will be fully assembled over the next few weeks


	Many of the original fasteners have been blasted and plated

Gerardo has now finished applying the second round of clear coat and the finished result looks truly spectacular.

I am delighted to report that we have now painted the car and applied the first coat of clear and everything looks absolutely beautiful. Gerardo is applying a second coat of clear as I write this report. We will then let everything cure for a couple of weeks before sanding with 1000 grit paper and applying a further 2 coats of clear.


The first coat of black base	Gerardo applied a total of 4 coats of base color


First coat of clear coat now applied

Perhaps the most exciting part of any restoration is the painting stage. Over the next couple of days we will be painting all the outer panels of our alloy XK120 project.


Lining the CJ booth with 3M dirt trap





	Painting will begin first thing in the morning!

Lifting the main body section from the chassis and placing it on the XK jig table for painting.


Many hands make light work!


	Chassis will be painted semi-gloss black before being reunited with the freshly painted body


All inner panels and surfaces on the alloy 120s were painted semi-gloss black, regardless of body color

After months of blocking and prep work, it is now time to paint our alloy 120 project! The first step in the process will be to paint all of the inner panels and cabin in satin black. We will be painting continuously for the next several days. Look for lots more photographs soon!




	To be continued!

I am pleased to report that Jake has now finished with his part of this project and the 120 is now ready to be prepped for paint.


Jake's last job was to plot the position of the rear license plate panel


With the license plate panel in place, Jake's work is complete!


The flowing lines of the alloy XK120 body are especially evident in this form





	Time to prep for paint!

The grille surround and thirteen vanes have now been metal finished, copper plated and returned to us for welding. Once assembled the grill will be chrome plated. The distinctive bevel on the leading edge of the early 120 grille vanes is clearly visible in the second photograph below.

The following sequence of photos show Jake fabricating and welding a new repair panel in place at the lower edge of the aluminum boot lid skin.


Planishing the boot lid skin after cutting away the corroded lower section





Welding the repair panel in place


	Planishing the TIG bead


	Ash boot lid frame has been repaired


	Boot lid frame is now sealed in epoxy

The following sequence of photographs show how Jake straightened and restored the grille vanes. Corey (CJ machinist) fabricated a special curved dolly which allowed Jake to hammer the vanes back into their original shape and contour. Jake also made a jig which enabled him to install each of the restored vanes in perfectly spaced configuration within the grille surround.


Corey made a custom dolly with a curved blade replicating the shape of the grille vanes	Using the custom dolly to return the grille vanes to their original shape and contour





	All 12 vanes now restored


Jake then fabricated a jig so that he could assemble the grille with the vanes perfectly spaced


	Restored grille now ready for chrome plating

Jake has now completed all the major repairs along the left side of the car.


This is the point where we left the rear wing repairs last time	TIG welding the seam between the old and new panels


After planishing and metal finishing	Next task is to repair and fit the wheel spat


Trial fitting the wheel spat frame


Heavy lifting is now done on the left side of the car

Jake has been busy fabricating and installing a replacement panel to replace a damaged section behind the left rear wheel.


Using the Pullmax to form the wheel arch lip	Rear wheel spat will sit in this groove


Trial fitting the new panel	Cutting away the damaged original panel


Steel wire will add rigidity at the bottom edge of the new panel


Alloy skin hammered around the steel wire





Tack welding the new panel in place


	TIG welding the joint between the old and new panels

Jake has been busy fabricating and welding repair panels for the left hand rear wing and the left hand door skin.


Fabricating a new end flange where LH rear wing meets the B pillar	Working the new panel on the Pullmax machine


Annealing the alloy prior to shaping


Trial fitting the new panel	Preparing to weld the new panel to the leading edge of the LH rear wing


	New panel tack welded in place


TIG welding the new panel in place	Fabricating a repair panel for the lower edge of the LH rear wing


Once again, the new panel is worked and shaped on the Pullmax machine	Trial fitting the new panel


Preparing to weld the new panel in place on the LH rear wing


	Fabricating and installing a repair panel to the bottom of the LH door skin





Preparing to weld the lower skin repair panel	Panel is first tack welded in place


The seam is then TIG welded	To be continued!

The wonderful works by Bernard Viart (XK120 explored) and the late Urs Schmid (Anatomy of a Cult Object) have been an invaluable resource as we try to get every little detail of this special restoration correct.

The following sequence of images show Jake skinning the rear of the body. The aluminum skin is laid over the Ash frame, the edges are then hammered over and secured with panel nails, exactly as it would have been done at the factory almost 70 years ago.


After countless rounds of trial fitting, the repaired alloy panel fits perfectly over the Ash frame	Securing the skin with the first of many panel nails


Hammering the leading edge of the skin over the Ash frame


Rear skin is now permanently installed

Jake has been making great progress with the alloy 120 over the last few weeks. The following sequence of photos show the restored rear Ash frame being permanently installed to the surrounding steel structure. The rear Ash canopy is now ready to receive the alloy skin, which will happen in the next week or so. He has also finished reconstructing the front wings, which are also almost ready to connect to one another and install for the last time.


Rear Ash frame canopy has been installed for the final time	Gas filler box has also been permanently installed





	Edge beading now installed in both front wings


	Almost ready to permanently install both front wings


	Alloy rear panel will be skinned in next few days

The following sequence of photos show the rear canopy Ash frame sealed with black epoxy. They also show the fitment of the brace which attaches to the beam where the boot lid hinges attach. Without this brace, the boot lid hinge beam would not be strong enough to support the boot lid assembly without deflecting.

We have seen photos of this brace installed in different ways, although the way we have it installed has the smooth side of the brace facing towards the inner skin of the rear canopy, which we feel is the most logical configuration. Furthermore, if the panel was installed the other way around, it would not be possible to install or remove any of the shims, or access the 4 screws which hold the brace and shims in place, without removing the entire aluminum rear canopy skin.


Underside of rear canopy has been sealed with epoxy primer	Note the alloy brace (with 3 circular holes) that adds strength to the beam for the boot lid hinges


The Ash frame has also been sealed in epoxy	Trial fitting the fuel filler box


The boot lid hinge beam brace viewed here from the underside (note shims at top)	Brace is shimmed so it fits the gap perfectly and doesn't distort the Ash frame

Rebuilding the bonnet latch mechanism, fabricating a replacement panel that joins the front wings beneath the grille and installing the fender edge beading into one of the newly fabricated front wings.


Disassembling the bonnet latch mechanism





The original mounting plate (top) did not center the closed bonnet, so we made a new plate


The new plate allowed us to position the bonnet perfectly central when closed


Trial fitting the panel that joins the two wings beneath the grille











	The new panel welded to the left hand wing





	New beading wire for the fender edge


	Jake hammering the edge of the wing over the new beading wire

If you look closely at many Jaguar XK120 sports cars, whether alloy or steel bodied, you will see that very often the bonnet is not symmetrical to the sides and beneath the chrome front grille. Our car is no exception, with the width of the alloy panels either side of the grille being significantly different from one another (see photos below). As our goal with this project is perfection, Jake will address and correct these flaws during the process of restoring and trial fitting the grille.

The grille itself is interesting because the early alloy bodied cars had a grille that differed slightly from later production grilles. The 13 folded vanes have a very pronounced 'raised flute' on the leading edge on the early cars, something which gradually disappeared during XK120 production as the manufacturing presses became worn with use. The cast surround and vanes were made of brass which were silver soldered together. Our grille is not in the best of shape, but deserves to be restored rather than simply replaced because of the subtle differences between it and new grilles currently available.


Original grille will be restored	13 vertical vanes are silver soldered to the oval surround





Look closely and you will see the pronounced 'raised flute' on the leading edge of the vanes


	Forward section of bonnet was not symmetrical from the factory


Note differing widths of side panels and also panel beneath the grille


On left side the side panel is 2cm wide	More like 1cm wide on the right side


Illustrating inconsistent shape of panel beneath grille opening	Cast brass surround stripped and straightened


Originally there would have been 10 studs to hold grill to bonnet	Several are missing


	Several different style fasteners have been substituted for the original studs over the years


Fabricating new side panels for leading edge of bonnet grille opening


Tack welding new side panels in place	Jake split the nose of the bonnet down the center line to correct the issues





Trial fitting left side of nose


Two sides now welded together down the center line	To be continued!

Jake has now turned his attention to restoring and fitting the bonnet.


Rear brace also serves as hinge mount


Preparing to spot weld the rear brace in position





	Bolting bonnet to bulkhead to begin fitting process





Several of the alloy cars had bonnet louvers when new	To be continued!

Beautiful hide fitted luggage made for us by Taris Charysyn. Our XK120 interior trim is two tone biscuit and tan, so we decided to do the cases in biscuit hide with tan interior broad cloth. The luggage is stunning quality.

Jake has been busy putting the finishing touches to your right hand front wing...


Flanging the wheel arch edge on the Pullmax	The edge is flanged using several passes on the Pullmax





Flanging the straight bottom edge on the brake





Rear edge was flanged on the bead roller


	Rear edge now hammered over


	Marking low spots for further planishing

The following photos show the rear wooden frame after Jake sealed it with CPES (Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer) from The Rot Doctor. This process really highlighted the new versus old wood, with the latter appearing much darker in the photos below. Once the CPES has been completely absorbed in a few days time, the frame will be sealed with black epoxy primer, as it had been at the factory.

Your flywheel was damaged beyond repair, and new replacements are not available, so we had no choice but to manufacture our own replacement. I am pleased to report that the finished item is a thing of beauty.


New CJ flywheel side by side with the original	We took the opportunity to shave a few lbs from the original's heft


Machine work is absolutely spectacular	6 bolt pattern unique to very early XK engine

This challenging engine rebuild has now been completed.


Crankshaft has been be ground and machined	Early style crank oil galley plugs are pressed in, not threaded


Weight matching crank plugs prior to balancing	Balancing the crankshaft


	Cylinder hone in progress


	Surfacing the deck after cylinder hone


Short block assembly


Assembling the cylinder head


	Note ultra early style head with siamesed spark plug holes and brass allen water plugs





	Note early style 'smooth' valve covers with no studs and acorn nuts on timing chain section


	Rebuild and assembly now complete

I asked Jake to explain in his own words how he fabricated a new boot lid drip rail. It really is a joy to watch him at work.

The original boot lid drip rail was damaged beyond repair so we had no alternative but to fabricate a replacement panel. This required me making a steel fixture that would allow me to create a 'J' profile that would precisely match the original. In order to do this I used 1" x 3/16" steel cold rolled bar stock. Using a hollowed out anvil, I shaped the strap using blacksmith techniques until I had matched the shape and contour of the boot opening. Once this fixture was made, I then took 0.060" thick 3003 aluminum sheet stock and sheared it into 2 3/8" wide x 40" long sheets. I annealed these sheets to allow for the tight radius bends that would be required around the top corners of the boot lid opening.

Taking the freshly annealed sheets, I broke them in our Mittler Bros sheet metal brake to create an 'L' profile. Taking the 'L' profiles I then shaped them to match the shape and contour of the boot opening. This was done in three sections, comprised of the top and two sides. Once the three sections were formed, the next step was to fit the side sections to the upper section and weld them all together, making one continuous 'L' profile. I then clamped the steel fixture I had made earlier inside the new 'L' profile. Using a rawhide hammer, I then hammered over the inner flange which created the correct 'J' profile that exactly matched the original drip rail and fit the bonnet opening perfectly.


Original drip rail was damaged beyond repair


The decision was made to fabricate a new drip rail	Shaping the steel 1" x 3/16" cold rolled bar stock to match the shape and contour of the boot opening


Clamping the steel bar stock in place during the fabrication process


Steel fixture now completed	Note how fixture follows the shape and contours of the opening


L profile 3003 aluminum sheet stock being shaped to fit boot opening	L profile aluminum sheet now shaped to the opening


	Steel fixture now clamped inside the L profile aluminum


Another view of the steel fixture in place inside the L profile aluminum	Jake hammering over the inner flange to create the desired J shape


	Here you can clearly see the steel fixture being sandwiched inside the new drip rail


Old and new drip rails side by side	Job done!

Jake has now finished fabricating and welding the repair panels for the ends of the rear side panels. He has now turned his attention to fabricating a new drip rail for the boot aperture, which will be the subject of the next update.


	Clamping the RH panel in place for welding


	LH repair panel has already been welded in place


After metal finishing the welded seam, the repairs are invisible	Both repair panels have now been welded and metal finished


	Front suspension and brakes will need a bit of a scrub!


This will be a great 'before' shot once we have everything restored and rebuilt!	Original Girling lever arm shocks will be rebuilt

The first two photos in the following sequence may not look like much, but they are actually cause for much celebration. As you know, we have been chasing internal cracks and porosity issues in this delicate cylinder head casting for several months, and I can finally report that the head has now survived multiple heat cycles and pressure tests, passing them all with flying colors! Getting to this point has involved countless hours hooked up to a TIG welder in the CJ Coachworks, some intensive sonic cleaning, and finally a vacuum impregnation sealing process performed by the casting porosity experts at Baron Industries in Michigan.

In our quest to keep our 120 as original as possible, we went to extraordinary lengths to save the original cylinder head, and I am delighted to say we have been able to achieve our goal.


Pressure testing in progress


Honing new valve guides	Surfacing intake flange


Original 'smooth' valve covers repaired and polished	Front of head prior to sanding and polishing

Rebuild and restoration of the rear axle and ENV (Eaton Number V, London) differential underway.


Tear down of rear axle underway	Rear cover is welded to the casing on ENV differential


	Differential looks like it may have been recovered from the Titanic


Ratio and serial numbers stamped on housing	Note original brass filler plug and dipstick


Brass dipstick removed from the filler plug


Differential unbolted from casing	Standard 3.64 gearing stamped on crown wheel


Old damage to cover will be repaired	Drain hole has been added - will be welded up


Scrubbing away decades of dirt and grime from axle housing	Note green paint on top side of diff case

Lots of progress in the Coachworks over the last few weeks..


Planishing another new alloy panel	Trial fitting new panel


Preparing to weld new panel in place


Lower extremities of both rear side panels will be replaced


Shaping the left hand repair panel on the wheel


	New panel starting to take shape





Note early style 6 bolt flywheel	Flywheel is damaged in several places so we will make a new one

Installing rear bumper brackets...


	Drilling holes for bumper bracket pots


	One of the brackets slightly mishapen


A few minutes on the anvil straightened things out


	Trial fitting straightened bracket





Trial fitting fuel filler box	Fuel filler box viewed from beneath

Jake fabricating and welding a new closing panel for the rear canopy where it meets the driver's door shut face panel.

More progress in the Coachworks...


The two outer beams will be filled to provide a smooth foundation for outer alloy panel


	Boot frame now trial fitted complete with latching mechanism


	Note filled and smoothed outer beams


	RH shut face panel also needs slight modification


	Note how panel now fits neatly against rocker panel


	Leading edge of rear wing will eventually be secured against shut face panels

Putting the finishing touches to the rear canopy and boot lid opening ash framing.


West System epoxy wood repair








Prior to sanding	After sanding








	Trial fitting boot lid frame

I am delighted to report that Jason (Texas Heritage Woodworks) has now finished the restoration of the Ash framing. The following photos show Jason and Jake doing an initial trial fit of the rear canopy and boot lid frame.


Jason and Jake performing an initial trial fit of the rear canopy	Original wood was retained whenever possible, although rear canopy needed a lot of new Ash


Curved rear wing sections fit beautifully


	Trial fitting upper skin to Ash canopy frame


	Only lower rear edge of boot lid frame required new wood - rest of frame was very solid

Most of the time, we dictate how our work piece will be held. Simple enough when dealing with flat stock. On something large and complex like this Jaguar XK120 rear body support structure, the work piece dictates how it will be held. There is a curved section along the inside of the outer rail, the bent laminated components I made need to be shaped to fit this curve. The easiest solution I found was to cut several kerfs along this curve, with plans to knock out most of the waste with a chisel afterwards. While this is most definitely not ideal posture for using a handsaw, it works well for a few reasons. First and foremost, my handsaw is in optimum condition. This is my brand new @badaxe6 Bayonet crosscut saw. A thin saw plate and sharp teeth are essential for an awkward cut like this. Secondly, I'm keeping my eye directly in line with the saw back as I use light pressure in the cut. Keeping my eye lined up with the saw back helps me track straight and true through the cut. It took about three minutes to cut 20+ kerfs this way. The end is in sight now, this challenging and amazing project is nearing completion.

The following sequence of photos show the fabrication of the new left front wing, and in particular the outer flange that will eventually be hammered over a wire beading.


Working the flange on the Pullmax machine	Using the bead roller


On the metal brake


New panel tack welded to front section	This photo shows the flange that will eventually be hammered over new wire


	New wing now almost completed

Earlier today Carlos put the finishing touches to your seats...

Lots of progress in the Coachworks and the trim room over the last couple of weeks...


Working the spare wheel well floor on the English wheel	Both edges of the spare wheel well floor are corroded and will be repaired


	Wheel well side walls also have some corrosion


Close up of the electrolysis damage on wheel well side walls


	Fabricating new side walls


	Trial fitting the new side walls





Fabricating repair panels for the edges of the spare wheel well floor	Offering the new panels in place








After metal finishing the welds are invisible


Trial fitting the gas tank





	Time to fabricate repair panels for front section of right hand wing


Planishing welds	Shaping the repair panel on the wheel


	First repair section welded in place


Trial fitting second repair panel	Note 3D wire template behind new repair panels


	Second repair panel tack welded in position





	Panel beneath the grill is in poor shape





Marking vent hole for front of right hand wing


	Carlos and Hector have been busy in the trim room


Seat backs starting to take shape	Seat backs are complicated in their construction





Both seat bottoms have now been trimmed

Another great update from Jason at Texas Heritage Woodworks.

It's back to work on the Jaguar XK120 restoration today. We are now addressing issues with the rear body support
frame. The four main runners (for lack of a better term) are completely rotten at the rear, which is where they are
exposed to moisture from the wheel wells. The runners are all bent laminated construction, using Ash like the rest
of the wooden components. These four runners provide all of the strength in this structure. Because of this, they will be
getting replaced. The connecting pieces in between can all be reused. The first step in all of this is to label each
individual component. Some blue painter's tape and a permanent marker work well for me. After everything is labeled,
the detailed work begins. Each joint must be thoroughly documented with measurements, photographs, and notes
on each section. I don't have another XK120 handy for comparison, my notes and my photos are all I'll have. This is
probably the most important step of this entire rebuild process. Once I'm happy with my documentation, I'll begin taking
this apart, assessing the condition of each individual piece. Most will just need the old glue scraped off, a few might
need some checks and cracks fixed.

Here's one of the close up shots I was talking about earlier on the Jaguar XK120. This particular joint was
photographed from all angles, making sure any important detail was captured. When the time comes to put the entire
structure back together, having this photographic breakdown will be very important.

Here it is, fully disassembled. This part actually took around 12 hours to complete. Not one screw was broken and
every component that needed to be saved, was. All in all it was a very successful tear down, though a tad longer than
I anticipated. My biggest concern up to this point was whether the four runners had identical curves or not. The
two outer runners and the two inner runners looked identical. Once I had them separated I was able to lay one
on top of the other and verify that the curves are the same. This means that I only need to make two bending
forms as opposed to four separate ones. It appears that these were made in the same forms at Jaguar all those
years ago. I kind of figured that would be the case, but until I was able to verify it, I couldn't be sure.

The bent lamination forms for the Jaguar XK120 have been finished and the first dry run was successful. These 3mm
thick Ash laminations bend really well. Now that I know the forms are tuned up, I'll cover the faces of each form with
clear packing tape so that the plastic resin adhesive doesn't stick. After that, it'll be time for the first glue up. Shop
temp is steady at 75 so we are ready to go!

Did a test run with the other bent lamination form, this one is for the pair of inner runners on the Jaguar XK120 rear
support structure. After clamping up all ten 3mm laminations, I check the overall shape against the original piece.
It was absolutely spot on. I'll do the glue up in the morning.

Plastic resin glue can be a pain to remove. It's really hard stuff that's tough on blades. I found my Stanley No. 80
cabinet scraper to be the best tool for this job. The thicker @hocktools blade holds an
edge well and is quick and easy to resharpen.

Here are the four bent lamination pieces, two of each shape. They have had all of the squeeze out removed and have
been inspected, looks like all of the seams are nice and tight. I'm very happy with how each of these turned out. Now
I'll let them sit in the shop for a few days before tackling the joinery and final shaping. This was a big step in this
Jaguar XK120 project. Can't wait to start the final stages!

Today I'm back to work on the Jaguar XK120 rear frame, starting the process of transferring layout points from
the original pieces to their replacements. Here I have both inner runners and one of the originals stacked
on top of each other, being very careful to match up the curves before securing them all down with
holdfasts. Once they are held down, I can start transferring points.

Assembling the firewall, sills and door frames...


Securing the firewall in place on the chassis	Ash sill covers bolted in place over steel rocker panels


	Preparing to assemble door latch mechanism








Driver's door frame bolted in position

Various restored ash, aluminum and steel items sealed with Spies Hecker Priomat 'red oxide' primer.


Ash sill top covers	Door frames


	Driveshaft tunnel


	Top cowl panel


A post panels	Front wing support brackets





Front bulkhead and rocker panels

The following sequence of photographs show the restoration of the wooden door frames. In our efforts to retain as much of the original car as possible, we decided to repair the original door frames, rather than simply replace them. Our friend Jason Thigpen at Texas Heritage Woodworks replaced the lower section of the frames with new seasoned Ash, but the rest of the frame was deemed salvageable.

Jake has been using West System 105 epoxy resin filler to repair and re-shape damaged areas, and Kwik Poly epoxy filler to fill the smaller imperfections and nail holes. The wooden door frames were originally painted black at the factory. Once we do the same, our repaired frames will look absolutely brand new.

We recently acquired these absolutely beautiful, mint condition (never installed), NOS Lucas tripod headlamps for our 120 project

Jake has finished trimming and trial fitting the new Ash panels and rebuilt door hinges. He has also begun fabricating the new left hand wing repair panel. The Ash has been sealed with a special epoxy, and will eventually be painted black, as it was when the car was new.


Note bronze bushings pressed into the old cast iron hinges


Machined stainless steel hinge pin


All four hinges now have zero play and are operating perfectly


	Trial fitting inner left front wing








The majority of the front left wing will be fabricated








Wood is sealed with Smith's two part epoxy	Jake sealing one of the door pillars and sill panels


Wood will eventually be painted black	Welding two parts of LH wing back together


	After metal finishing, the welded seam is invisble


	Repair panel taking shape


Important that the lower edge of the front wing, door and rear wing form a straight line	The top edge of the rule will be the body line


Welding the front wing repair panel in place


	To be continued...

Jake has been pressing ahead with the trial fit of the new Ash sill and A pillar panels...


Hinges have been rebuilt using custom machined pins and bronze bushings	Driver's side A pillar now fits perfectly with the original dash support wood





Using a chisel to cut the required relief for the A pillar support bracket


Trial fitting the A pillar support bracket


	Both panels being trial fitted together


	New Ash A pillar and sill panels now fit together perfectly

Jake has completed the modification and trial fit of the new Ash panels on the passenger side of the car.


Machining a new countersink in hinge plate


Passenger side wood sill panel and A pillar now installed


	View from beneath passenger side sill

Lots of progress in the Coachworks. Jake has been fabricating new alloy repair panels, and fine tuning the fit of the new Ash panels.


Side panel of the LH wing will be replaced	Fabricating the new panel





Forward lower panel of the RH wing will also be replaced


Cutting away the damaged section





	Making another 3D template


B pillar panels


Measuring required angles between B pillar and original wooden sill panel


New upper B pillar panel fabricated


Trial fitting new A post Ash panel


	New A post panel connected to original dash top frame


	To be continued...

Jason has now delivered the first of the completed Ash panels.

Another fascinating update from Jason Thigpen of Texas Heritage Woodworks. Great stuff!

As I carefully work up to my line on the Jaguar XK120 B-Pillar supports, certain spots call for specialty tools.
This small section was giving me trouble when trying to use my spokeshave or block planes. A little work
with my rasp, followed by fine tuning with a @lienielsentoolworks plane maker's float worked perfectly.

Finding common reference points along the perimeter of the old and new B-Pillar supports is the first step. I set my
dividers to a 1" spacing and proceeded to walk them along the edge, starting at the same point on the old and new
components. This gives me accurate and precise layout marks on all of the pieces, setting me up for the next step.

Now that I've got my layout determined, I use my @sterlingtoolworks saddle tail to clearly define my reference
points along the face and side. Having each section clearly defined is a good visual for me.

Next I go along the perimeter, placing my Brown & Sharpe machinist's square at each layout line. I barely touch the
square to the wood, then I use my smallest pair of Starrett dividers to measure the gap. I transfer that measurement
to the corresponding layout line on the replacement B-Pillar support. I work my way along, stopping at each mark
to transfer the measurement. Once this is done it's time to revert to a childhood favorite, connect the dots.

Now that the marks for the angled edges have been established, it's time to connect the dots and create my actual line
that I will cut to. The straight sections are easy enough for a guy like me. When it comes to the curved areas I need a
little help. My @sterlingtoolworks French Curves are the ideal tool for this job. It's easy to find sections of the French
Curves that perfectly match the area I'm working on. This keeps my lines crisp and clean.

I use my Stanley 151 spokeshave to establish the angle. I've used a pencil to color in the waste on the edge, up to my
layout line on the face of the board. My goal now is to work towards my layout line on the face, and the opposite corner
on the edge. I keep my eye on the reference marks on the edge and my line on the face. If I do this correctly, the final
pass should remove the last of both lines simultaneously.

I'm using my @lienielsentoolworks plane maker float to smooth out any bumpy or irregular spots that I find. When
operated at a skew, this float is leaving a wonderfully smooth and flat surface. And it makes some really unique
shavings. Almost like a mini spill plane, it's pretty cool!

Here I am using my Stanley 9 1/2 block plane. This thing is a beast. It's been a big help in shaping the taper on the
sides of the A-Pillar supports for the XK120. I can set the blade for a fairly heavy cut, the mass of the plane makes
it easy to hog off material quickly. Once I get close to the line, I'll switch over to a spokeshave or rasp.

Using the rounded face of a fine rasp is the best way I've found to tackle these inside curves. It leaves a fine finish that
cleans up with a few passes of a scraper. It's important to use a light touch. Too much pressure can cause the rasp to
flex, rounding over the edge. By making light passes, the edge remains dead flat.

Now on to the interesting part of the B-Pillar replacements. The sides of both supports are angled to fit the curves of
the body. The issue is that the angle isn't consistent, it varies along the entire length of the support. You can see
how it changes in the photos. I've been brainstorming ways to replicate this angle as accurately as possible and I
figured out a simple and accurate way to reproduce it. To be continued!

Jake has been busy repairing the left hand headlamp pod and he has also begun the process of fabricating a new skin for the lower front valance that includes the air intake vent. This panel is actually a fairly complex shape, with a distinct curve along the lower edge towards the center-line of the car. In order to achieve precisely the correct contour, Jake is using a 3D template made from copper plated 1/8" steel welding rod.


	Trial fitting the repair panel fabricated for the LH headlamp pod


Tack welding the repair panel in place


	The seam is then TIG welded


	Trial fitting bumper brackets


	Damaged lower left front panel cut away


	A replacement panel will be fabricated


Note the distinct curve at the lower edge of the front panel


Another image showing the distinct curve that will be incorporated in the new panel





Creating a 3D template using copper plated 1/8" steel welding rod


	Laying the paper template over the 3D wire template


A new piece of aluminum is cut to the required shape


	Starting the trial fitting and shaping process

The following sequence of photographs show Jake fabricating new rocker panels and beginning the restoration of the front wings.


Forming the new rocker panels on the finger brake	Wheeling the folded edges of the new panel








Trial fitting the new rocker panels





	New inner braces fabricated


	New panel now virtually complete


	Cast alloy B-pillar shut face panels were hand cut when new


Recesses for latches etc were chiseled out by hand	Note the hinge holes in the A-pillar panels were also cut by hand


Close up of the chiseled recess


Front wings have been split along the factory welded seam


	Marking an area of damaged aluminum to be replaced


	Damaged area cut away


With the wing split in two, it is more manageable on the English wheel	Marking out the repair panel in piece of fresh new aluminum


	Repair panel starting to take shape

More wood restoration notes from Jason Thigpen of Texas Heritage Woodworks
_______________________________________________________________________

I've got the A-Pillar panel glued and clamped, so it's time to move on to the B-Pillar supports. Here is what I have to work with, one side is in shambles, the other is about 90% complete. Both sides are almost identical from what I can tell, just mirror images of each other. I'll base my new pieces off of the mostly complete side, making them slightly oversized and fine tuning the fit by hand during install.

The wood that I'm replacing on this Jaguar was last cut and shaped over 65 years ago and is therefore likely to have shrunk slightly from its original size. As a precaution, I'm cutting the new parts out slightly oversized. To accomplish this I'm using a 24" steel rule that is around 1/16" thick. By laying this against the original piece and tracing alongside I end up with an outline that is 1/8" larger in all dimensions. As an added bonus, using the steel rule as a guide eliminates the rough pencil line that would have resulted if I had traced right against the wood. A cleaner layout line makes it a lot easier to make a clean cut.

In the last photo in the sequence below, I am shaping the curves of the B-Pillar supports. I have both sides stuck together with double sided veneer tape. Using my Stanley 151 spokes shave I am removing the marks left from the band saw, slowly working my way down to my pencil line. A razor sharp blade does a nice job on the Ash end grain.

Jason Thigpen

Additional information from Jason Thigpen (Texas Heritage Woodworks) regarding the tools he is using on this project
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the outdoor shot, I'm using my thickness planer to bring the rough lumber down to the correct thickness. I have the planer set up on my portable workbench outdoors. Just too nice outside to not take advantage! In the photo with me at my workbench, I'm using a hand plane to initially flatten and remove twist from one side of the lumber. Once that side is perfectly flat, that's when it goes to the thickness planer for further work. The planer is one of the few power tools I regularly employ. To bring the stock down to proper thickness by hand is just way too labor intensive.

In the picture of the board with the square on it, I'm just checking that my hand planing was accurate and that the board is indeed square. Incidentally, the square I'm using is made by Chris Vesper, an Australian toolmaker who is one of the top two or three toolmakers alive today. He custom made that square for me using some highly figured Mesquite from our ranch and a piece of Eastern Dead Finish, a dense Australian hardwood. That square was certified accurate to 0.12 microns - so it is extremely close!

The other photos illustrate the work required to prep tough stock by hand. I love using my handsaws to break the rough lumber down. In the picture of the hand plane on the board, I am squaring up the edge of the board with the face of the board. All of the saws and hand planes shown in the photographs are late 19th century or early 20th century items.

I will now let the wood sit for a week or so to acclimate before going to the next stage. I will re-check it is all perfectly square and make any necessary adjustments before proceeding.

Jason Thigpen

The following sequence of photographs show how Jake restored the rear support bracket on the underside of the bonnet. As well as acting as a stiffener for the rear edge of the bonnet, this panel serves as the mounting panel for the bonnet hinges. Originally the hinges were simply bolted to this singe sheet of aluminum, which flexed every time the bonnet was opened. This led to deformation and cracking. Having repaired the damage, Jake reinforced the (hidden) underside of the panel with a second layer of aluminum, which he bonded in place using 3M Panel Bonding Adhesive. The result is a much stronger panel that will be far less prone to flexing, while still looking identical to the original panel.


Support brackets removed from the underside of the bonnet	The 3 vertically aligned holes are for the bonnet hinges


The main panel needed significant repairs


Note cracks at the top edge of the panel where the hinges had caused flexing


	Welding up the various cracks


	Plugging the holes left after all the spot welds were drilled out


	After metal finishing, the old spot weld holes are invisible


Reshaping the holes in the rear panel with a dimple die	The holes all look new once more


Fabricating reinforcement panels for the backside of the hinge mounting points	Trial fitting reinforcement plates


Plates bonded in place with 3M Panel Bonding Adhesive	Close-up of the reinforcement panels

Repairing and restoring the forward sections of the aluminum front wing support brackets.


Both forward sections of the alloy front wing support brackets are in need of repair	Note cracks in panel


Separating the forward panel


Making a card template for section to be replaced	Preparing to weld up cracks





Clamping repair panel in place


	Panel is TIG welded in position


After metal finishing, the TIG weld bead is invisible	Plotting the required position of the new hole


New hole cut and beveled precisely as the original had been


	Leading edge of second bracket will also be repaired





Repair panel welded in place on second panel	The patched panel after metal finishing


	Trial fitting the bonnet in conjunction with the repaired wing support brackets


Left forward section clamped in position but not yet welded permanently in place

Repairing the rear bulkhead and battery box surrounding panels..

The following sequence of photos show the restoration of the front bulkhead and firewall. The last few images offer a fascinating and rarely seen view of the alloy front fender support brackets in place, without the front wings.

Jake's first task it to restore the steel firewall, which has picked up a lot of unwanted piercings over the years. Any hole not cut at the factory will be welded up and metal finished. When the cars were first built, the factory technicians did not bother priming between any steel panels they welded together. For that reason, we will remove all the various firewall brackets and braces, clean the mating surfaces back to bare metal before applying weld thru primer to all weld zones, prior to reinstalling the brackets and panels. The last two photos in the following sequence illustrate the value of this additional effort.


Lots of extra screw and drill holes in the firewall	Under dash support braces will be removed


	Bonnet hinge mounting plinths will be removed


	Jake welding up unwanted holes in the firewall


Innocent looking support bracket..	...is actually rusting away from within

With the chassis and bulkheads back from the blaster, I am pleased to report that everything looks to be in exceptional shape.


Front and rear bulkheads are both very solid with only minor issues to remedy	Chassis is 100% rust free and totally straight


	Chassis sealed in Spies Hecker 4500 Epoxy Primer





	Rear section laid in place over the chassis


A couple of minor rust issues in rear blukhead





Battery boxes in great shape


A second hole for an aftermarket twin exhaust torched in the RH side of the cross-member	The hole will be patched


Chassis is in wonderful structural condition





An alloy 120 in kit form

One of the largest project updates I have ever done! The following photos show the dismantling of the body and the tear down of the chassis.

Having separated the rear cowl panel from the wooden support structure, we identified a little more rot than we were expecting to find in the wooden beams that lie beneath the alloy skins. Thankfully, our friend Jason Thigpen (Texas Heritage Woodworks) has agreed to tackle the wood restoration/replacement for us. Jason assures us that the project is nothing more than routine to him...


	Some of the factory construction on these early 120s is pretty basic





	Time to set aside the chassis and focus on the body (Oscar gets to drive)


Lower right front impact damage has left the RH wing sitting a little lower than the left





	Rear cowl panel removed from the body





Rear steel subframe will be cleaned back to bare metal





	Note damaged wood, particularly at the extremities of the frame work











Note how corners of the alloy skin were folded over and tacked in place








Wooden frame separated from the rear cowl panel


Interesting that the underside of the body panels got nothing more than a dusting of oxide primer	Parts of the aluminum skin will have to be replaced





	The frame is laminated and bent to the shape of the corresponding body panel











Our friend Jason Thigpen will be assisting us with the restoration of the wooden frame

Time to get the body restoration underway!





Rear cowl panel will be removed and wooden frame beneath restored

We have been working closely with Eric Suffolk to make sure that your new interior will precisely replicate the original trim in terms of color, texture and fit. There were several differences in the way the alloy cars were trimmed versus the (later) steel bodied production cars. Eric has been careful to capture all of those subtle differences and the resulting kit is a very special piece of work. Eric Suffolk is a true master of his trade and we are privileged to work so closely with him.


Great care was taken in the selection of the hides used for this particular project	Alloy 120 door pockets differ from later production steel bodied cars


Note full grain texture of tan hide


New side screens made in black mohair	Convertible top will also be fabricated from original specification black mohair

Stripping paint continued...





Main body is in exceptional condition


Fair amount of bondo found beneath both headlamp pods


Firewall was originally left in red oxide primer by the factory


Removing filler from beneath the headlamps revealed only very minor damage


	This is the worst damage on the entire body


	Doors, bonnet and boot lid next to be stripped


Alloy skin was installed with countersunk screws at the factory

Earlier today we moved the 120 outside to the parking lot to begin the process of stripping the paint. The 'aircraft stripper' we use to remove paint from alloy bodied cars is nasty stuff that should be used in a well ventilated environment, hence the move outdoors. The top surface of the old paint is first sanded to allow the aircraft stripper to be absorbed and do its work through all the various layers of paint and primer. Interestingly, it appears this car has only ever had one repaint, as we are only finding the factory black paint beneath the current dark green.

Tear down continued..


Engine and transmission now removed








Chassis is in very solid condition








Note wiring harness routed through steel conduit


	Insulation between top surface of chassis and floor boards





	Removing the gas tank


	More of the alloy structure exposed

I am delighted to report that we now have this very special restoration underway.

We managed to track down a rare Tecalemit Plastigun (grease gun) for the tool kit we are putting together for your alloy 120.


This type of grease gun was used in the alloy 120 tool kit	Gun is in fantastic original condition

Inventory of parts that we received with the car.

I am pleased to report that your alloy bodied XK120 arrived safely in the CJ workshops yesterday afternoon and we will have the restoration underway in the next few days.





Interior was originally two tone tan and biscuit


	Chassis is generally straight and sound


Boot floor and under panels generally are in great shape	Rear section of chassis is also in excellent condition

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