The Upper Krust - a Jaguar custom

@Hellfish I say this with great respect. I wouldn't attempt this but am very interested in the outcome!

 

That is in final ***embly at RetroPower in the UK (great builds on YouTube!). They also built a cool green Mk2 which they kept as a 4-door and installed a Toyota/Lexus 2JZ inline 6. Really high quality builds,

 

I probably shouldn't be, given that I've never attempted anything like this before! I'm very interested in the outcome as well!

 

@Hellfish, any updates on the car? I picked up a pair of MK1's. Your thread has me thinking....

 

2 Mk1s in AK?! If you need parts, I know a guy parting one out in PA. I also have the rear window, surrounding metal and trim, plus a grille... but I haven't decided if I'm going to use them yet.
Thanks for asking! I've been holding off until I finished this section, but that's dragging out because I'm learning as I go, so I might as well post progress.
I replaced the "crow's foot" and supporting structure before working on the fender... sorry, "wing".



I got the rocker ("sill") welded in, and cut out the mess that was the fender. Welded in the patch, repaired the lower A-pillar (twice), repaired the inner fender (twice) and made a patch for the middle, tacked it in, wasn't happy, cut it out again, and am about to weld it in again.




I took my time and had minimal warpage, then bought a hand-held planishing hammer and smoothed it out some more. It will definitely need filler, but not the gallons it had before.

 

Here's a Rik Hoving Photoshop of a MkI if you need more ideas

 

Thank you for the update! I fell into theseMK1's. I knew of the white car for years, it was tucked away in a box van. Come to find out it was finished but never really put back together. It has been sitting 30 years. Owner p***ed away, lots of parts were lost. Engine went out for a rebuild, never came back. I have since found the original engine, puny 2.4, at the shop that it was taken to back then. They still had it and wanted it gone. I bought it for $800 rebuilt, even though I don't plan to use it, I have several 4.2 and 3 sets of E type HD8 carbs. The second car is just a parts car, but still stuff I may need to get the white car back together. I will try to get pics if interested.

 

Nice work on the wing repair. Reminds me of the Nash I've been working on this summer. Chisel off an inch of mud to find a quilt of piecemeal patches everywhere that clearly took a lot of time and effort but done with extremely little talent. Your new pieces will be much cleaner.

 

The white car as I got it. Sorry don't have a pic of the parts car.

 

Another, different version. Don't think I showed this one before. There's a bit more to this. The screen is moved back slightly and raked. gl*** would probably need to be custom. Doubt it would be at all easy to do, but I was interested in styling more of a factory looking coupe than has been done before.

 

I like that version a lot. It reminds me a lot of the Lancia Aurelia B20GT. The front screen doesn't look any more raked than the others you've done, but now that you've mentioned it, it does look more raked than stock. It might save me the trouble of cutting the windshield!


It looks like RJ Panels is taking your ideas for a customer... who plans to fit a v12 in there

https://rjpanels.co.uk/blogs/news/historic-elegance

 

Thanks! I've been following that build. Good stuff!

Wow. Good find! Someone will want that 2.4... but may not be willing to ship it from AK!

 

Interesting. Would be nice to get some credit, but hey ho. I'm reasonably confident they'll screw it up somehow. Those wheels...

Yeah, I might have raked the screen on the other images. Laying the screen back is useful for getting a lower roof line, but also it shortens the roof, which can really help with the coupe style.

 

Don't worry. When my car is on the cover of a magazine I'll give you credit... even if I screw it up.

 

I like this one by James D. I have a 58 parts car that would make a good start, and available 67 XKE 2+2 back haft. Like Hellfish, I have never done anything like this before, do I have it in me?

 

Yes! It would be a crime not to. I would have seriously considered that one if I had spare E-type parts. I watch a lot of videos. The Old Iron Workshop is good
https://www.youtube.com/@Theoldironworkshop/videos

 

Just looking at the build pics. It starts well enough. Not sure where they're going with the work on the front end though.
https://rjpanels.co.uk/blogs/projects/jaguar-mk2-resto-mod-project

 

Go for it.
I'm not sure chopping up an E Type would be much help. I feel like there's a fair chance it's all going to be different enough that you might just wish you'd started from scratch. But if you have the cars and a tape measure, then you'd know more about it than I do.

 

The E I have access to is just the body from the firewall back and rusty. I have my 2+2 sitting next to the white car. I can see right off windshield area will take some major work. Door area I think I could over come, its the wind screen that looks tough for me. I will call my friend and find out what he wants for the back haft.

 

Whatever they're doing to the front does not follow the model!

 

More progress. In believing that it's best to fit the metal to the gl***, not the other way around, because it's easier to work with metal, I watched some videos and read a lot and concluded that I shouldn't cut my own gl***. I contacted Gl*** Guy Brian (Chicago) early in this process and made a plan to drive the gl*** out to him to cut, but after months of working it out, he was planning on being out in Knoxville doing some high-end installs. A 5 hour drive is better than a 12 hour one... 5 hours one way. 10 minutes of work... so now my windshield is ready to go into a chopped Jag... whenever I get to that point.

I'll try to upload the videos

I plan on a ~2" chop which translates to ~1.75" shorter gl***


Marked, cut, corners sanded down.

 

Damn, on the first try too? That's impressive.

 

He says he rarely breaks windshields. It's all in the technique. It helps that I wasn't cutting much off. The more you cut, the greater the risk.

 

Impressive! Yes ,please on the video ..

 

Here are the videos, but there are better ones of him working on YouTube
Initial cuts using oil-filled cutter
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YSMi0wpxfTY
Severing the gl***, using denatured alcohol and a shard of tape measure to cut the laminate. The shard is thinner than a razor blade and won't chip the gl*** like steel will
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BPkcrFHl7rI
Sanding the edge to fit. He used the removed piece as a template to get the shape right, then sanded it (using multiple belts with 2 grits). The key was to keep moving and not stay in one place for long.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tO9uVeb-E1E

 

Very Cool. Thank you!