Never thought I would say this... The project is finished!
Bought the XJ12C as a project in 2018 never really expecting to finish it, rather tear it a part to learn and then sell it as scrap.
Now, 7 years later, more time and money than reasonable spent, it is finally finished (until it breaks down). Passed control last week and could drive it for the first time ever. Strange feeling.
Was the last day before winter came here in my part of Switzerland.
It has been many ups and downs during the years. Ignoring it for many months at times, never wanting to see it again. Especially in winter time when garage temperature drops below freezing.
What I have done:
- rebuild of front and rear suspension
- stripped down body to bare metal -> sent for acid bath / de-rusting
- learning basic welding -> exchanged floor pans, inner / outer sills on left side and smaller patch work
- Paint job (not done by me)
- exchange most hoses and sealings.
- Finally got professional help to do all the last settings and last finish go get it to run / steer and brake properly

Most time I think was spent moving things around, packing, labelling and store. The garage is large enough for the car + 1 meter all around. Cant even open a door fully inside the garage

Thanks to all of you for the help during the years!
/Marcus

 

It looks great Marcus, well done and in almost record time for a big resto!!

Cheers,
Jeff.

 

Looks superb. Many congratulations.

 

Well done indeed.

Much more satisfying than the "scrap" option.

 

Looking great…well done!

 

Congratulations!! Beautiful with the wire wheels.

 

Wow, fantastic job! What a nice car.

 

Seven years is not unusual. I think I read somewhere that the average restoration project takes a little over three years and that's probably about my average (but as I get older, they take longer and longer.) But much acclamation to you and all those who endeavor to do it in a little one-car garage or any tiny space!
My little antique house has a 1-car garage but in order to safely do any work in it, I had to practically wear a crash helmet from constantly tripping over stuff. I constructed a metal shop building in my back yard 25 years ago because its amazing how much space a vehicle can take up when you break it all down into its components; rolling chassis in garage bay 1, car body in garage bay 2, engine/transmission plus boxes and boxes of parts in garage bay 3, and then of course you have a bunch of tools and equipment and need space to work so that's another garage bay. And I still need a crash helmet!

 

Good Job!!
Any fool can Scrap a car, but it takes real Talent, Tenacity and Patience to "bring one back from the dead" to look like this one does.
Congratulations!!
(';')

 

One more classic Jaguar saved for future generations to appreciate!

 

Well done !! I took 7 years to restore my Mark 2 starting in late 1980. I got married in April 1981 and we were still married when the car was completed in 1987 !
I did all the interior trimming myself. I still have the staple gun I bought to fit the headlining and the furflex door trims. The body shell I bought had never been made into a car, and there were no tacking strips fitted, so I had to take these off the old shell. They were secured in place by screwnails, a rather brutal securing method. A screw nail has a very course pitch screw and is made of hard steel like a tack and hammered into position and it cuts its own hole in the steel of the bodyshell. I refitted the tacking strips with countersunk screws and threw away the screwnails.