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They have made so many one off machined, 3-D parts then used to CNC one off parts it is just amazing. It is too bad some of those creations are not sold to us. Take a look at the custom bumpers with hidden turning light indicators that look like a stock piece but it is just stunning. All of the dash is one off custom parts and the list goes crazy. They are taking the approach of how picky an concourse person is and blending that attention to detail to create one off custom everything to take the Jaguar to an amazing level of quality.
The UK has some of the best craftsman and this shop has the best of the best. The more I watch the more my head is spinning. I know there will be at least a couple more videos before it is done but the episode #9 is amazing. Holly crap, just saw their explanation and details of the center consul and the attention to perfection is just insane! and the owner must be super **** and fussy which is cool. They even argued about the font on the custom gauges which look like they could have come stock but not since Jaguar never had gauges of that high of a quality. I know all of us are happy with the many steering wheels available for our cars, yet they were not happy with any available so they waterjet cut their own one off, wow! They must have a hundred hours in just the steering wheel!
I would be scared to know what that car will cost the owner but to build something like this, money is clearly of no relevance. There are so many crazy details that it will blow your mind... I just finished watching the entire video twice and I think this is a million dollar build no joke...
Thanks Primaz, What a fantastic project with money no object. true craftsmen here.
Bob
For you Jaguar MKII owners, as Retropower has done on every nut and bolt, they re-engineered everything to crazy quality and craftmanship, take a look at this episode #4.
They made the best looking combs rear fender enhancements for the MKII I have ever seen. They are smooth and look better than any of the available ones and are easy to remove/reattach via clean "zeus" fasteners. It looks cool in raw aluminum, wait until they finally show it off painted which will probably be in episode #10?
That is just one of the many custom metal work items that they have done in the Jaguar. There are a ton of cool modifications, features, custom parts, etc. There is almost no part on this build that was not improved, just stunning! While it is way beyond the reach of most of us, it is so cool how far you can improve on the classic Jag, and this build like the Beacham's only increases the value of all of our Jag sedan regardless if your flavor is stock or modified, etc. This is definitely an extreme show car quality build yet engineered to be reliable and with great high performance.
Having spent some time visiting Aston Martin's plant at Newport Pagnell, I am always fascinated at the highly skilled use of an English Wheel. Amazing!
I've been following the project from its start. Some of the details may be a matter of taste, but the skill, quality and overall effect are incredible.
Also, it's nice to hear a commentary that's generally competent, rather than random buzz words aimed to impress an audience that's never seen a car before.
Don't get it.
Don't get me wrong the work is fantastic but................
Apart from the shell which has been highly fiddled with there is nothing left of the original car. This is no longer a Mk2 Jaguar but someones interpretation of what a 2021 Mk 2 Jaguar might have looked like. The wood is fake, Not the original iconic XK Engine, Dash is not as per the original, XJ40 seats, even the glass is new. This is a Mk2 look a like with its soul ripped out. A Mk2 had imperfections which gave it soul and character, which are both lacking in abundance in this look a like. At least Coombs and Beechams keep a lot of the original parts.
This is truly soulless.
Would I have it instead of a stock original 3.8 Mk2. No.
Would I like it in my garage . Yes but not at what is thought to be the price and it would have to be a longside an Original Mk2 not instead of.
Didn't the original Bentley R- type Continentals have fake wood? To be precise a photo printed on aluminium with the intention of saving weight. As the Mk2 dash sections are remarkably light, I'm doubtful that it was worth the effort.
The wood is a screen water dip on a metal backing.
The analogy I would like to use for this would be the following and I am sorry if there are those that disagree.
There is a cover band called "The Beetles". The band members are Paulie, Jonno, Georgie and Ringa. They are all fantastic musicians who know all the original "Beatles " songs. They play better and faster with modern instruments. They are playing in a local theater which has really comfortable seats and the ecoustics are to die for. Tickets cost £30 each.
At the end of the concert you walk out and say to your partner.
"They were good but I wish I had heard the original Beatles playing in the Cavern in Liverpool for 10 shillings entry. The atmosphere must have been fantastic with the kids packed in, standing right in front of the staged and the girls screaming so loud you could hardly hear the songs. That must have been fantastic!"
More modern and copies are not always better no matter how much you spend.
Don't get it.
Don't get me wrong the work is fantastic but................
Apart from the shell which has been highly fiddled with there is nothing left of the original car. This is no longer a Mk2 Jaguar but someones interpretation of what a 2021 Mk 2 Jaguar might have looked like. The wood is fake, Not the original iconic XK Engine, Dash is not as per the original, XJ40 seats, even the glass is new. This is a Mk2 look a like with its soul ripped out. A Mk2 had imperfections which gave it soul and character, which are both lacking in abundance in this look a like. At least Coombs and Beechams keep a lot of the original parts.
This is truly soulless.
Would I have it instead of a stock original 3.8 Mk2. No.
Would I like it in my garage . Yes but not at what is thought to be the price and it would have to be a longside an Original Mk2 not instead of.
To each his own opinions. To me I am a big fan of the twin cam Japanese inline 6 engines, personally I would have preferred the Nissan Skyline RB instead but both that and the JZ are vastly superior to the Jaguar. They both easily put down two times the power in virtually stock form and are reliable even when built to 1200 HP and they both sound way better than the Jag engine. Those twin cam 6 engines are incredibly reliable and so powerful that it leaves the Jag motor in the dust. The JZ and RB engines are two of the most popular engine swaps for good reason.
I too prefer real wood but when you watch the video the owner the they wanted very specific bezel shape and style that do not lend it to be 100% wood and the finished result is beautiful. This is a car built to the highest standards but also built for an individual's taste. If any of us had that crazy amount of funds I am sure we would each tweak the build for our own unique desires; that was the way cars used to be made where you would be able to have a coach builder give you that flexibility which is almost never done anymore due to cutting corners to get the cost down.
I never got biased with the MKII via British movies or the amount of them used for racing. I researched Jaguars and without those bias, my personal choice was the 3.8s as to me it has nicer lines, and much better technology with independent rear IRS, better interior wood, etc. To me they greatly improved on the lines of the MKII and they fixed the flaws of the MKII and took it to another level. The new Beacham MKII has greatly exceeded their original versions and I like that car as well but I would definitely rather have this car over a stock MKII or the 2021 Beacham MKII. A stock MKII for me is just too slow and the performance is just not there. A Beacham provides the more stock look with all of the modern luxury and performance which is very cool. This car takes the Jaguar to the highest show quality custom level and for me would be hands down the best, although I would have opted for the turbo as a JZ turbo is easily in mild form a 700HP engine and can be reliable to over 1000HP.
To me the MKII has a big following but I really think it is because it was the poor man's performance 4 door back in the day and models like the 3.8s are better but are also a less produced niche variant. If Jaguar were to do a restomod the Retropower to me is perfect.
Your missing the point again Alan. If you replace the Engine and the Interior and the suspension and the Brakes and the Gearbox it is no longer a Jaguar but a car made up with parts from other manufactures bolted to a Jaguar body. The soul has gone from it but you are right everyone has their own opinion and although I am not a concourse freak, I do like to have a car that has all the original Jaguar components still attached to it. I am not trying to get into Pebble beach with a trailer queen but neither am I trying to get a 50 year old car to do a 0 to 60 in 4 seconds and over 150 miles per hour. We both want a car that turns peoples heads, my people just do it a little slower as my S Type cruises by rather than snapping their necks with a "WTF was that" as your S Types speeds by in a blurr..
Your missing the point again Alan. If you replace the Engine and the Interior and the suspension and the Brakes and the Gearbox it is no longer a Jaguar but a car made up with parts from other manufactures bolted to a Jaguar body. The soul has gone from it but you are right everyone has their own opinion and although I am not a concourse freak, I do like to have a car that has all the original Jaguar components still attached to it. I am not trying to get into Pebble beach with a trailer queen but neither am I trying to get a 50 year old car to do a 0 to 60 in 4 seconds and over 150 miles per hour. We both want a car that turns peoples heads, my people just do it a little slower as my S Type cruises by rather than snapping their necks with a "WTF was that" as your S Types speeds by in a blurr..
To me it still is a Jaguar just a better Jaguar with a revitalized soul If you have ever drive a JZ engine it is a fantastic experience, couple that with suspension/brake upgrades to handle the power and it is an even better experience to me. The Jag has a great look but the old half back seats are not comfortable, the engine is not enough power.
Too bad many of those one off parts are not offered for sale as a bet there are parts most of us would love to buy and they did all the engineering to make them work but only that one lucky Project Utah owner will get them
Didn't the original Bentley R- type Continentals have fake wood? To be precise a photo printed on aluminium with the intention of saving weight. As the Mk2 dash sections are remarkably light, I'm doubtful that it was worth the effort.
I've worked on one 54 R Type Continental, it had real wood and Bur Walnut.
I've seen three others, none of them had "photo-finished" wood.
They did save weight, but not that way.
I couldn't see any coach builder at the time using phony wood, people wouldn't tolerate it.
As Peter says the standard of workmanship is superb but the mods to the shell etc. are a matter of taste. Not for me. Cass ~ I agree with you it is certainly no longer a Jaguar. It's a rough silhouette that has lost the charm, character & allure. It's a Bitsa. If it was put into volume production it could not be called a Jaguar unless built by Jaguar Landrover and they would not. The rear & spats are particularly bad.
Its like the Speedback GT. (modern Aston DB5 rip off). It is a beautiful car, superbly built & I would love to own one but it will never be an Aston Martin or worth what a properly restored DB5 is. It is an 8000 hour build priced at over £500,000. All on Jaguar underpinnings. A recent sale of one of the DB5 movie cars went for 6.4 million. Aston Martin will build you a brand new 1965 Aston Martin DB5 for about half that amount — or around $3.5 million.
At least the Speedback captures the essence of DB5 styling.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; Aug 13, 2021 at 07:50 AM.
Interesting conceptual drawings (watched a little more of the video).
The rear end makes me think of some sort of insect, a kind of beetle to be precise.
It's just too "hot rodded" for my taste.
That seems to be the norm these days, everyone rounds, and chops off all the original bits and integrates things away trying to go for some minimalistic look.
In the end it's way over done, to me it looks like a hot rod shop got a hold of it and buggered it all up.
I've worked on one 54 R Type Continental, it had real wood and Bur Walnut.
I've seen three others, none of them had "photo-finished" wood.
They did save weight, but not that way.
I couldn't see any coach builder at the time using phony wood, people wouldn't tolerate it.
Jeff, I can't remember where I read about the painted or printed veneer. I think it would have been an article on wood re-finishing that mentioned someone applying paint stripper and ending up with bare aluminium. I'm fairly sure that the car was an early Bentley Continental - of course it could have been one that someone had already 'improved.'
To me I am a big fan of the twin cam Japanese inline 6 engines, personally I would have preferred the Nissan Skyline RB instead but both that and the JZ are vastly superior to the Jaguar. They both easily put down two times the power in virtually stock form and are reliable even when built to 1200 HP and they both sound way better than the Jag engine. Those twin cam 6 engines are incredibly reliable and so powerful that it leaves the Jag motor in the dust
I am a big fan of the XK engine. Designed during the "Blitz" in Coventry in 1944 the 3.8 version was producing 220 bhp as standard straight out of the box. Show me an American or Japanese engine built in the 1940s that produces anywhere near 200 hp. Nissan or Datsun as it was in 1968 bought out the 6 cylinder 240Z engine and it was only producing 128bhp. Like all good engines and the XK was good if not exceptional and hand it over to a good race engine builder, add modern materials for the crank, conrods and pistons, refine the tolerances, add high lift cams, throttle bodies and a Turbo and you would be looking at the same figures of HP as you would with your JZ. It just costs money. I would love to know what HP the fire breathing Mk2 Jaguars you see running around Goodwood produce these days but I will lay my house on the fact that it is more than the standard 220hp. The XK engine in 3.4 was doing 150 mph down the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans in 1951 with the C Type. In 1954 in the D Type Jaguar, still with a 3.4 XK engine, with Sir Stirling Moss driving hit 172 mph at Le Mans. The XK engine was still being used in 1992 in the Daimler DS420.
Yep big fan of the XK engine.
One of the best Jaguar builds is almost done...
If you have ever drive a JZ engine it is a fantastic experience, couple that with suspension/brake upgrades to handle the power and it is an even better experience to me. The Jag has a great look but the old half back seats are not comfortable, the engine is not enough power. 
