Greetings to all. Member since 2012. My very long labour of love comes home after nearly 30 years in resto due to my long overseas expat assignment. Restorations are never really finished but I thought I would post a few casual pics taken over the last few months ~ hi res stuff later. In retirement I've been commuting to Johannesburg (where my restorer is) to get her finished. Some pics are work in progress & I still have some corrections to make, decals to attach, fit voltage regulator shroud, breather tube elbows & clips etc. etc. ad infinitum. She is a totally rust free car & came to coast for the first time yesterday since assembly at CDA East London, SA in 1965. Colour is '76 XJ version of BRG. Pictures do not render actual colour well.. More bottle green in real life. Excuse dirty tyres etc. Just done 1300 Km on the back of a transporter & rained on. Thorough detailing required.

 

wonderful !

 

Impressive! Lovely car. The engine detail and interior work are especially nice...

Thanks for sharing!

JR

 

Thanks for the kind words folks!

EDIT: Out of interest every external light on this car is NOS. The originals on the nose were quite sandblasted. Interior lighting was refurbished as were all instruments, switches etc.

 

You're a lucky man to have a car like that.! Beautiful car !!

 

Glyn - that looks fantastic. Having restored a MK2 myself I know that, judging by the standard, you have spent a LOT of time on restoration. That looks better than new !! Well done !!

 

Thanks once again for the kind comments. Lots of time & money ~ getting like the Greece national debt LOL.

One thing that I can recommend is that I had both master cylinders, the hydrostatic long clutch slave cylinder & all calipers stainless steel lined & bored to standard so you can use the genuine rebuild kits. We have found at the southern tip of Africa that for low usage classics this obviates corrosion issues in the hydraulics. Brake & clutch fluid flush every 2 years is still recommended. (sorry ~ the oil man in me)

 

Running backwards & forwards between my upholstery & trim guy & my resto guy. S Type headliner is a pain to install.






Restoration by Viljoen's Classic Auto with endless interference, research & parts sourcing by yours truly (Erens is a saint). I'm an **** Virgo

Upholstery kit by John Skinner UK

Upholstery & trim Master ~ Jan van Zyl ~ Krugersdorp ~ also did an amazing Dynamat job

All hydraulics, stainless sleeving & PAS recon by Summit Brake & Steering, Rivonia, Sandton

99.9% of spares by SNG Barratt UK ~ Thank you Thomas Rochelle for outstanding service

Great local support by Gerald Williams ~ Jagman ~ Somerset West

Chromium Plating by African Electroplating ~ Thank you Peter Posniak

Wheels ~ MWS UK

 

Slowly collecting pics. Early pics are pre digital. I will endeavour to scan. Still have protective film on some chromework & treadplates.

 

Your guys have done a great job for you, it looks fantastic, welcome to the forum.

 

Thank you. I fired my first restorer (claimed to be one of SA's finest ~ he is not). Erens (who is a Studerbaker man) has been an absolute star & in my retirement I've been able to spend plenty of time with him guiding the process towards my goal. He has immense talent in many disciplines. This is his first Jag & first go at doing woodwork. I rest my case. He is now moving to some valuable Benz models/classics. Thanks to all of you for contributing to an Internet Brands Forum. I'm a Mod at MBWorld approaching 20,000 posts helping a wonderful group of people with their cars. I've been very quiet here since 2012 but you guys have helped me immensely for which I'm eternally grateful.

 

This precious document. So much easier to follow than the WS manual B&W horror. Credit ~ Jaguar S Type Register.

See hi-res pdf. attached. I keep a laminated copy handy at all times.

 

That is cool.............. Now your challenge ......... to find me one for a Mk2 as well !

 

here you go TilleyJon, one is .png, one is .jpg format.

 

Thanks Jose, they are well laid out, unfortunately at A3 they are almost unreadable, they are quite fuzzy, can you send them Hi Res ?

 

TilleyJon, I downloaded those online by searching "mk2 electrical chart". There are many sites and images to choose from. There is a site in AU but they sell them.

 

Finishing off underbody ~ the not so pretty side ~ Pics during work in progress ~ lots to do. Checking all torques, fitting all split pins & wiring of bolts, locking all tabs & washers, harness tidy up, mounting & cleaning up pipework ~ removing zip ties, paintwork touch up, final exhaust alignment, fitting new grease nipples & greasing with long life polyurea grease, checking all fluid levels, a few final dents removed etc. etc. & the list goes on. Underside correct ~ body colour over schutz/stonechip.

After this a full underbody wash & clean was done. Guess what? We forgot to take a photograph LOL! I will photograph when she is next on a hoist.

 

I have not decided whether to put the original factory markings on the springs yet. I have seen IRS springs with Blue, Yellow & Red markings. Seems most S Types were Blue. Does anybody know what they mean?

 

Spring colour coding has been used for years and is still used today by some manufacturers for identification, it gives a quick visual check that the correct part is being fitted, as far as I know different manufacturers used different colours for different but similar parts, often with an extra colour for just off tolerance springs, so that matched pairs are fitted to the car on assembly.

It can make a greater difference today as the same car could be fitted with a host of options and its weight would change, so a stiffer spring would be fitted to compensate, was not as critical in the 60's as there were not so many options.

This is my understanding, and may not in reality be fact ! Someone else may well have better info.

 

I thought it must have something to do with matching spring rates on visually similar items. e.g. a 420G would use a different spring rate to an E Type etc.