1959
Jaguar XK150 roadster (MM)
Team CJ restoration (modified) |
We were delighted to hear that this Team CJ restoration won its class at the exclusive National British Meet in Hot Springs, Arkansas over the weekend (May 2015). The Crown Jewels Concours at this event is an invitation only show limited to 100 invitees, and only one example of each model is selected. The Crown Jewels Concours is hosted by TV 'car guy' Dennis Gage.
Car ready for judging!
Great achievement to win at this exclusive
invitation only event
Dennis Gage adds his seal of approval!
One gorgeous Imperial Maroon XK150 roadster and two very happy customers!
More road testing today, dodging rain storms..
Putting the finishing touches to this restoration...
Installing the new convertible top tonneau cover extension flap..
Installing the custom AC unit beneath the dash...
More progress in the trim room...
Preparing to install the convertible top |
Jack refinished |
Restored spare wheel cover now installed |
Budget key clamped in place |
Carlos has been busy installing your dash and trimming out your doors...
Installing the demister vents and trimming out the hide dash pad..
Laying hide dash cover in place |
Hide dash top carefully trimmed around
demister vents |
Pulling hide tight demonstrates what the
finished dash will look like |
Specially made canvas tonneau cover |
Fabricating a new aluminum spare wheel cover from scratch..
Trial fitting the new panel |
|
New Triplex screen installed |
|
Unpacking the new convertible top |
Fawn top offers nice contrast against
Imperial Maroon coachwork |
Doors now permanently installed and adjusted..
Assembling the dash..
Your car has been moved into the trim room for the final push to completion.
The shelves in the background contain the
last few items left to be installed |
|
Rear bumper now installed |
Restored grill fitted to bonnet |
We have been running and tuning your XK150 on the Dyno for the last couple of days and I am pleased to report that everything is working perfectly. Next week the car will be moved to the trim room for the final push to completion.
Custom center armrest and cubby finishes off the Mk VII interior conversion..
|
|
Lots of progress in the last few days. The electronic seat adjustment controls and the adjustable heating elements have all been wired in and are all functioning perfectly. The only thing left to do is to secure the front seats to the floor, and select an appropriate center console, which we recommend should be trimmed in red hide to match the seats.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The following sequence of photos show Carlos fabricating and sewing up the rear cover for your front seat backs, and the first of the front seats completed. He is working on the second seat today.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The following two photographs show the new hide seat covers we bought to trim the 2000 Vanden Plas seats (front and rear) that we will be installing in your Mk VII. It is actually quite amazing how well the rear seat fits!
|
|
existing interior trim very well |
parts car fits in your Mk VII |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
More progress in the trim room..
|
|
Carlos has now finished trimming your seats and dash panels with the new exquisite Suffolk & Turley hide..
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Restoring your seat frames and trimming your seats with beautiful new Suffolk & Turley hides...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Installing chrome, wiring in lights..
|
|
|
|
Installing the new wiring harness, custom walnut gauge panel....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
gauge panel to the steering wheel |
I am pleased to report that we have now received all of your chrome plating back and the finish is absolutely spectacular. We sent your center gauge panel to Madera Concepts to have them apply a custom walnut veneer to match your woodrim steering wheel.
|
|
for a custom walnut veneer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Trial fitting the battery box and inner wing panels prior to painting and installing them permanently...
|
|
and installing them permanently |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reuniting the body with the chassis...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The following photos show your AC kit, which arrived yesterday. Tomorrow morning we will be reuniting the body with the chassis...
|
|
|
|
Gerardo is currently busy sanding and buffing your new paintwork...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We have now painted the outer body panels Imperial Maroon....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Applying the first of the Imperial Maroon...
|
|
|
in B pillars, firewall and inner wheel arches |
|
|
|
|
and entire underside of bodyshell |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
color than earlier images in artifical light of booth |
Gorgeous Suffolk & Turley hides...
|
|
The following sequence shows the chrome trial fitting process, as well as trial fitting the convertible top frame...
|
|
|
|
|
|
screen chrome trim fit like this |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
dents hammered out! |
I am pleased to report that we have now completed the bodywork stage and your car has been put into high build primer. The panel fit on your car is as good as you will ever see on a Jaguar XK.
|
|
of the work they have done to your Jaguar |
car has been primed |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We have spent the last several weeks blocking and perfecting the panel fit on the XK150. All panel gaps throughout the car are absolutely spectacular.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Installing drivetrain to chassis, fitting doors, etc...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
More lead loading progress...
|
|
issues that need attention |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lead loading in progress, chassis assembly underway...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Welding and sheet metal replacement is now virtually complete, chassis has been blasted and powder coated. Next task - rebuilding the rear axle and front suspension...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Almost finished with the boot compartment....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Removing the body from the chassis...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
on the frame jig |
needed and powder coated |
Jake has been busy the last couple of weeks dealing with rust in the boot compartment and on the rear lamp panels. Next week we will be placing the body on a precision jig, and the original chassis will be stripped, media blasted and powder coated, ready for reassembly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
formed on the shrink/stretch machine |
|
|
|
|
|
original perfectly |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
With the doors now rebuilt, Jake has turned his attention to the boot compartment. The boot lid itself is in good condition, needing only some minor repairs to the wooden frame. Unfortunately, we found a fair amount of rust previously concealed by the spare wheel tray.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reconstructing your doors...
|
|
cracked after apparent failure of door check straps |
|
|
|
|
|
were repaired |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
With the front and rear floors now largely restored, Jake has turned his attention to the doors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Restoring the passenger side A and B pillars, rocker assembly, etc...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We have now finished reconstructing the driver's side A and B pillars, the shut face panel and the rocker panel. It is now time to repeat the process on the passenger side of the car.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reconstructing the driver's side B pillar and shut face panel..
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Starting to go back together with lots of new sheet metal...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
precisely the correct position |
|
|
|
|
|
|
More rust repairs...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dealing with extensive rust in left hand rocker panel as well as both A and B pillars....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
More progress in the Coachworks...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Repairing rusty headlamp pods....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Both headlamp pods had rust issues that required attention in the CJ Coachworks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
With side lamp pods replaced, we turn our attention to the rust repairs needed at the base of both headlamps.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stage One engine rebuild completed, more rust repairs on front wings.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Assembling the short block...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The following sequence of photos show Jake replacing one of the front marker lamp housings. There was significant rust in the housing and the sheet metal beneath.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
and will have to be modified |
|
|
|
|
match the top of the wing perfectly |
|
|
|
|
|
first tacked into place |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
lead loaded in due course. |
More progress in the Coachworks....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
a number of locations around the body |
|
|
|
|
|
|
We now have the body restoration underway. The photos below might look a little scary, but there really isn't anything for you to worry about. Everything is very easily fixed
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I am pleased to report that we have now rebuilt and flow tested your cylinder head. We kept the intake valve size at 1.75" but still picked up around 40 cfm, which should make for some great power at lower rpm.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Your cylinder head needed some major repairs!
|
|
up and re-cut |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The outer body panels have now been blasted back to bare metal and sealed with Glasurit primer. The car will need some extensive repairs in the boot compartment, as well as the replacement of both door skins and both sill panels. Having said that, things really aren't looking too bad. All four wings, as well as most of the main floor and firewall section, are in surprisingly good shape!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Your car is now largely disassembled and we have completed the machine work to the short block.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
metal repairs, although nothing too serious |
|
This engine came to us in very poor shape and needs significant repairs above and beyond a normal rebuild.
|
|
align honed |
|
|
|
|
|
|
chambers |
|
|
|
|
is clearly visible |
I am pleased to report thatyour car is now safely in the CJ workshops and we will have the project underway in the next few days.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|