This seems to be a fairly common thread so I hope I don't bore you all, but I am embarking on a new restoration, and thought I would share it here as I solicit advice and support.


I recently acquired two 1967 Jaguars. They are mostly complete except for the interior on one. I plan on restoring one, and parting out the other one.


My objective is to completely dis-assemble the car, rebuild the assemblies as necessary, refurbish the body and interior, and end up with a nice driver quality car.


I have not completely decided which one will get the restoration. The first step is to figure out exactly what they are, and all I have at this point is the data plates. What I call twin 1 is a Mk2, 3.8L that seems to be equipped with overdrive. Chassis no is P 213556DN.


Twin 2 has a data plate that says Car No. instead of chassis number, and has a number of P180307. I tried looking it up, but could not figure out what specific model/configuration twin 2 actually is. Any suggestions?


I think I need a few more posts before I can post pictures...

 

Welcome to the forum , where on the planet are you _ comes in handy to know this when others suggest where to find parts ?

Aside from searching the numbers, I would think that the body with the least amount of rust and bondo would be the one to use.

The condition of the jacking points is a good place to start as well as the rear fender skirts.

 

Thank you- I am in San Antonio TX. I did finally figure out the model- the second one is a MK2 3.4. Found the number range in JCNA Judging manual.


So that pretty much confirms I am going to restore the 3.8 with the overdrive. It has the least rust. Its disadvantage is the large dent by the left front headlight, but I can work that out.

 

The overdrive on the 3.8 is very desirable as well.
When you do the engine, be sure all the water galleries are nice and clean.
A re-core of the rad is also recommended, weather it looks like it needs it or not.
The 3.8 has a tendency to run hot _ not from personal experience, but from what I've read on this forum and from what others tell me.
If the cooling system is in good shape, it will be fine.

 

Thanks- good advice. It does seem like a small radiator given the massive size of the engine.

 

It's quite thick, but because of that, the thickness cuts down on the air flow.
In reality a rad would be as thick as 1 or 2 rows of tubes and the surface area would be very big _ but then it wouldn't fit.
There are aluminum aftermarket ones too that seem to work well + electric cooling fans when idling in the heat.

I have no experience with these after market products, but you'll get lots of advice here.

Looking forward to seeing lots of photo's.
If you had to pick a British car to work on, the Jag isn't so bad.

 

OK, I finally figured out how to post pictures.
First one is the car I am going to restore-the ’67 3.8L Mk2, second picture is its engine, and the last picture is the 3.4Lparts car. Despite appearances, the 3.8L car is actually pretty solid- the rockers, jack points, and sub frame parts are in pretty good shape.
The story behind the cars is that they were acquired by a guy here in San Antonio over 10 years ago who intended on restoring one of them. He kept them in a storage unit, fell behind on the bills, and forfeited them to the storage facility. After several years, the storage facility wants to get rid of them, and that is where I come in. The tires on both cars had blown out and they were sitting on the rims. I got one set of new tires mounted so I could move the cars.
While it may appear that I am insane, (jury is still out on that), I really enjoy the challenges of a project car, and prefer a restoration over buying a restored car. I have restored cars in worse condition, so I am confident I can complete the project. I am fortunate to have several excellent shops nearby, so I can outsource those things beyond my skills. Access to this forum is also a great help and I have learned a lot justreading old threads. Most importantly,my wife is an enthusiastic supporter, and participant in the process.
I hope to get the paperwork on the cars wrapped up, get a Heritage Certificate on the 3.8 to see how it is supposed to be outfitted, and wrap up another restoration project by the end of the year so I can get started with this project.

 

Looks like a great project....can I ask you, I see your car has smooth cam covers, I'm re-doing a '68 340 up here in Ontario (Canada), my original engine and a spare that came with it both have ribbed covers. Anyone know when they changed?
Thanks,
Seann

 

My understanding is that they changed in late '67 as part of the conversion from Mk2 to the 340. You see some 340s in late '67 and the smooth covers and other Mk2 parts were used until they ran out, and started using the new ones.

 

Hi Guys,

The 340 version of the Mk2 is identified by these numbers;

Engine Numbers 340 Model 7J50001 Onwards

Chassis Numbers 340 Model RHD 1J50001 Onwards

Chassis Numbers 340 Model LHD 1J80001 Onwards

Suffix DN - Overdrive fitted at factory

Suffix BW - Auto fitted at factory

Prefix P - Power Steering fitted at factory

The 340 had ribbed cam covers.

The head was ported a la the E Type (XKE in USA) so it breathed better.

The 340 was the last of the Mk2's built at the factory in 67-68 only

Hope this helps,

Cheers,

Nigel

 

Thanks- that is helpful. I have been doing research on how best to approach this project, andknowing what I am working with is helpful. I found a couple of books that are useful. One was on restoring a MK2 by PracticalClassics, and the second was a factory service manual. The restoration guide was useful in how tosequence the restoration, as well as encouraging on the viability of arestoration. What was interesting on thesequence was to do major frame work like the sills with the major components inthe car- so that you are you don’t weld parts in and then have the weight ofthe engine and axels mess up your panel gaps. I don’t think I have such major rust repair ahead, but will see. I havebeen surveying the cars to start planning the metal repair. The rust is really kind of random between thetwo cars I have. Both cars had rust inthe doors of course, but one has rust in the wheel well, and back seat pan,with no damage to suspension components or jacking points. The other car is almost the opposite.
I am also trying to stabilize the cars to prevent furtherdamage. I put fogging oil in thecylinders to help with the future engine rebuild, and plan on pulling the gastank and radiator to have them cleaned and refurbished. I have been spraying penetrating oil onnuts/bolts to aid in future dis-assembly. Anything else that should be done sooner than later?
I have also been collecting information from this site onrecommendations for parts and services. Any suggestions for sourcing used Mk 2 parts? Trying to find a good US based source.

 

I see the 3.8 has an a/c pump fitted. Factory or after market?

 

No mention on the condition of your wood _ how is it ?
Get the wood into a dry environment where it's heated, you want as much moisture out of it as reasonably possible if it needs re-veneering/refinishing.

 

I assume the AC unit is aftermarket- think the name on it is Air King. It has a huge air handling unit in the trunk under the back shelf, and apparently pumped air from the back window parcel shelf. I know the compressor is frozen, and don't know about the rest. The accumulator and condenser are in the left front wheel well. I will see what is functional, but have RetroAir or some other kits as options. AC in a saloon in South Texas is pretty much required if I want to drive the car June-Sep.
One of the two cars has a complete set of wood. Unfortunately, the way the car had been stored has caused the veneer to delaminate. That is a good point though. I will take the wood off, and store in my (climate controlled) shop until I can work on it. I have quite a bit of experience with woodworking and laminating, so will see if I can get a quality result on a few parts before bailing and sending Madera Concepts a large check. The second car only has the dash wood, and it is in worse condition with even the wood under the veneer delaminating. I did learn something from that though- there are multiple layers of veneer- which is how you get the color difference between the veneer on the sloped edges of the glove box, and the burl which is laid over the center top of that. Honestly, that sounds like fun to re-create. Need to stop by a local wood working place and see what options they have for veneer.

 

There's a guy in the US that has mounds of book matched veneer in huge sections.
His web site is great, everything is photographed so you know exactly what you're going to get _ prices are good too.
I'll find the link and post it later.

 

Thanks- that would be really great. I think one challenge for veneer would be to get a piece that would be long enough to do the whole dash cap- and that sounds like just the right place to find that.

 

Walnut Burl Veneer Stock List

Just like a kid in a candy store _ he'll have book matched pieces to easily fit the dash _ and everything else.
The dash cap is done in two pieces with the seam down the middle.
The door panels just below the mahogany cappings are matched left and right front doors _ the rear doors are the same.
I would have to check to see if they are also book matched.
I'm sure you can figure it out though.

 

Little progress to report. Still finalizing paperwork before I get too involved. Removed the wood from the one car that has it. That was an interesting experience. The wood trim on the back doors is missing the top rail that holds it to the doors, so it was just glued on. I took Jeff's advice and ordered some Walnut burl veneer, and will try to give it a go. A good winter project.
Here is a dumb question. The front hood (engine cover) got closed, and the release cable seems to be broken, as I have a knob in the car with about three feet of cable. Is there a way to release the hood when the cable is broken?

 

Hi csbush,

You will probably find that the cable has worked loose at the other end, so is not broken, just not connected.

Short term fix is to use a medium size screwdriver to operate bonnet (hood) mechanism.

As you stand in front of the car looking at it, at the top left of the grille just inside (underneath) you can see a lever which operates the opening mechanism.

Carefully slide a screwdriver between the slats of the grille and push the lever to the left.

It would help to have someone else to gently put upward pressure on the bonnet, ie. lift the leaper on the bonnet as you do this.

Later, grille out and reconnect cable and tension it.

Cheers,

Nigel

 

excellent- thanks very much!