The Upper Krust - a Jaguar custom

Since Ryan has decided to recognize traditional customs and hot rods based on foreign car platforms (see his blog post), I'd like to be the first one to test his patience.

Introducing the Upper Krust ('cuz UK, get it?) my full custom Jaguar Mk2. About 10 years ago, JamesD posted a Photoshopped version of this car and I haven't been able to get it out of my head, so here we are. The plan is to convert it to a 2 door and give it a mild chop. Why mild? Because that matches JamesD's rendering, and I'm 6'5" and would like to be able to drive it comfortably! It's a "big" British car, but really is closer to a Corvair in size.




Before you say "foreign cars aren't traditional", there are a lot of good examples to the contrary, not to mention all the things that happened in the HAMB era overseas. Feel free to debate amongst yourselves in another thread.

My kid and I drove from VA to FL to pick up a complete 1965 Jaguar MkX 4.2 L (about 256 CI) engine with triple SU HD8 carbs. 9:1 compression. It turned out to be junk, but the intake manifold and carbs alone are worth what I paid for the engine and drive, plus it was a fun trip with the kid. So, I found another one. We rebuilt it with a slight overbore and reassembled it ourselves, added a 4-speed manual with overdrive. Due to a mix match of parts, I had to make a few parts, including a A/C-Alternator bracket. The engine+trans are about 6' long.







My kids helped strip down and reassemble the front suspension and engine, and they helped polish miles of aluminum... but didn't always wear garage-appropriate clothes. One of them starts autobody classes in high school next year.







The car has 60,000 original miles on it. A USAF service member stationed in Italy bought it and shipped it to TX in 1980... where it sat until I bought it. He had apparently pulled the puny 3.4L engine and disassembled it. I left that in TX because I have a 4.2. No rust. It looks like it was smacked in the front. Someone beat out the metal and covered it with filler, but did a decent job. I need to strip all of that off.






The front suspension now has lowered springs. Koppy lowered the rear (attempts were made to bag it, but it couldn't be done). The rear axle is notoriously difficult to pull apart, so I have a local shop working on it. I need to finish up the rear suspension, then it's on to body work...

 

Koppy's attempt to match the weight of the engine.

Mock up with the junk block

 

Great project, especially when the kids are involved!!

 

The Mark II is on our favorite list of next cars to purchase
I like what you’re doing here
and having the girls involved is so special

 

That is one cool Jaguar and the fact that the kids are working together on it makes it that much more special for you. Cherish the time and memories because as soon as it’s done they’ll have their hands out wanting the keys and you’ll never see that car or them again for a long while

 

Neat project! I fell in love with these little cars about 20 years ago. I was hanging out at my friend Dale's shop back then and he was doing a lot of restoration work on these for a local Jag shop. I always thought one would make an interesting custom.
Here's a video about one in San Diego that is living the "bomb" life. Good luck on the project! E

 

Cool, but that's a MkVII. There's a Mk2 in SoCal that is a lowrider, but it looks a little slapped together up close. They're surprisingly hard to lower without going to large diameter wheels.

 

One of them has already stated that they want to drive it to graduation in 2 years. That might happen, but it definitely won't be "done". The same kid went with me to FL to get the engine and now wants to go into autobody as a career

 

Is it true what they say about there always being a nicked oil painting or silverware in the trunk of a Jaaaag?

 

Watching this one! The Sonic Youth ‘Sister’ poster is a bonus! “runnin on a tuff gnarl…”

 

Very Kool . Good to see that Your Daughters are involved

 

The aristocratic association is an American thing. In the UK Jaguar was always a relatively affordable faster car, like a British Pontiac. The police used a lot of Mk1s and Mk2s. That was William Lyons's concept from the start: the first cars were basically rakish coachwork on downmarket-ish Standard (i.e. Standard-Triumph) chassis.

 

I like the build and rendering. What or where did you get lowering springs for the front? The 2 door conversion will definitely have people scratching their heads. Great seeing your daughters working on it with you.

 

I love Jags. I’m in!

 

Not in this one! Adding to what Ned Ludd said, the Mk2 is known as a gangster/bank robber car in the UK because it was fast and relatively big with 4 doors. Here, it's kinda small.

 

Hell yeah. There's also a Bad Moon Rising poster out of view... and Bauhaus, Pussy Galore, Honeymoon Killers, and Flaming Lips... all from the 80s-90s.

 

I got the front springs from Coil Spring Specialties. They had all the specs for the car, engine etc on file. I think it was about $400 for the pair. There are a few 2-door conversions out there, but most are done poorly, like just welding up the rear door. I figure this will piss off the Jag purists and the traditional hot rodders.

 

Django helped me visualize how much needs to change. Little chop up front, more in the back.


Another JamesD rendering that I seriously considered, but I don't have an E-Type fast back for parts.


Some inspiration from the 1956 Lancia Aurelia 520GT. My idea really is to make this a GT car... fast, but comfortable, and a custom... American combined with European styling and ingenuity.

 

Actually, 'custom coachwork' has a long history on Jags. So that won't be a red flag if properly executed with British restraint as shown. And you've failed to commit the ultimate heresy of replacing the Jag motor with a 'lump' (American V8), so that will please the purists no end. Next up, the joy of discovering the vagaries of Lucas electrics...

Buy yourself one of those funny hats, a tweed jacket, and start smoking a pipe and they'll welcome you with open arms! LOLOL...

 

I love it! I love those cars but would not want to deal with the original drivetrain. It will be interesting to follow.

 

Aw hell yeah! PG from this tour perhaps!? Is it ok to be off topic in the off topic section?

 

This will be cool! I have always like Jags for a couple reasons. First…back when I was drag racing, there was a local high school shop teacher that had a 59 drag/street car. Also, my wife likes Jags so we have had a couple later model ones in the past few years. Anyway, I will be interested to see where this goes.

 

Actually, even stuffing in a 4.2 with triple carbs in place of the 3.8 with 2 carbs causes a lot of groaning. It requires cutting the inner fender, so a not-so-easily-reversible modification. Groaning in snootiness.
The first thing I'm doing is getting rid of everything Lucas.
I've had a pipe collection and have worn flatcaps for years, but very much not in British style

 

Can you be off-off topic? I have Sugarshit Sharp on cassette. The only band daring enough to cover Einsturzende Neubauten and actually succeed. The poster is from Right Now! which I have on the original vinyl. I play them (and old Sonic Youth) on my postpunk radio show, A Glance into the Abyss. I'm doing a tribute to Steve Albini on this week's show. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077568614516

 

Yeah I've been avoiding thinking about Albini, his fingerprints are on SO MUCH music that matters to me. I'll tune in. You a Chicagoan? If so it's fairly likely I spilled beer your direction at some point. Back to scheduled programming, looking forward to where this project goes!

 

I always liked Jags. I had a 1966 4.2 FHC for 30 years that I built as an 8:1 compression motor because they were starting to eliminate leaded gas. I put long tube headers and a triple Weber 45 DCOE intake from XK's unlimited on it. The heels of the cams were ground to increase the lift to 1/2" and my mileage went from 11 mpg with the SU's to 19. As far as electrics, I think there was a Malory kit for the distributor. The most fun car I ever had.

 

Yeah, I lived in Chicago for 30 years, up until 2016-17. I saw TONS of shows. I saw bands playing tiny clubs that would eventually fill stadiums. I saw Nirvana at Cabaret Metro with maybe 100 other people. Talked to the band after the show. I saw Shellac at a roller rink. Anyway...

My plan, if I can raise the money, is to replace the SU HD8s with a Jenvey Heritage fuel injection set up, either ITBs (individual throttle bodies) or the injectors that look like Weber DCOE, but those are significantly more $$$$. The ITBs produce a truly vintage race car sound and the FI eliminates any issues with keeping 3 carbs going smoothly.

This is the Jenvey fuel injection set up

 

So cool!
I'm not at all familiar with the back end/underside of these early cars, so I'll ask a stupid question; How crazy would it be to swap in a Jag IRS? It looks from this picture you posted that it's got unibody and quarter elliptic springs.
Found this pic while looking at mounting the IRS here on the HAMB (post #13) of a swap in.
https://jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/drag-link-placement.987471/

 

The IRS would be great, although I imagine that car had a pretty decent ride already. The later Jag IRSs like the XJ6 had a wider track so they might fit better. I put a 3.55 XKE IRS in the Devon because it had a 52" track so I did not have to change the frame rails. I just added a upper crossmember and made radius rods and torque braces.

 

The factory did that in 1963, producing the S-Type:

They restyled the rear at the same time.

The Mk1/Mk2's rear springs weren't quarter-elliptics but cantilever semi-elliptics, IIRC.