It's not cosmetically though. Spray some carb cleaner on a paper towel and wipe it. The surface will soften instantly and drag. It is pretty tough for a spray can however.

 

I have done some odds and ends.

I was preparing the front subframe for painting and i noticed that one engine mount had three hairline cracks in it! I welded these back up but it made me nervous for others who have a 350 in their jags. maybe some washers might help spread the load? That said the engine mounts used in mine were pretty rough, that may have played a role.

I also found some rust in the area where the spring seats at the top, funnily enough only on one side. None the less i welded the entire seat area and grinded it smooth again with a die grinder, it was a tedious job but after its painted i dont want to have to pull it out again to fix it.

I also tidied up some of the wiring. I'm removing a lot of it to insert and alternate motor and most of it wont be used. Im also changing the guages so really all i need are the wires for the lights, 5 wires, theres an extra one that i think might be for power. although i labelled everything when i removed the 350 chev, many wires werent connect when i got the car and many disappeared into relays which i understand how they work but dont know how to read them to determine their function.

I also removed the dash and the heater core, the air inlet at the centre of the bonnet has rusted out, i need to replace it and i was hoping by removing the dash i could find an easy-ish option to access it. nope. I have to hack out several bits from the engine bay or the dash in order to replace it. I may end up welding up the 20-30 holes ranging in size from 2mm to 15mm in diametre rather than replacing the hole sheet.

the air vents were feral, if youre a germ-o-phobe dont look at them or you'll find yourself pulling your dash apart.

There are several parts across the car that i want to repaint but mainly the front and rear suspension bits. I bought a $60 sand blaster from Bunnings (Australian hardware store), ive seen the same one sold at 'hardbour freight' in the US. I hoped it would help me get a better finish by removing more rust and getting into the awkward corners. Its great at lifting rust, good at removing paint but it doesnt really do much to caked on grease even though i can scratch the grease off with my finger or screwdriver. It would also take about a day to sandblast most of the front suspension. therefore i'm going to send my bits to be powder coated at a shop, it will cost $300 sand blasted and painted gloss black.

Question: I read that someone installed a torsion bar in the rear of their xj6. Is this something i can do and does anyone know of the kit or car i can buy the pieces from? was it an xjs or xj12?

 

Nice work. Kudos.


Yeah, I did a lot of "sand" blasting on a past project. One was from a "bucket" for doing stuff in the open. The other was a cabinet for smaller stuff.


I leaned the following:


1. Protect your breathing. The stuff is far from good for one's lungs.
2. A minimum 5 HP compressor is needed to keep lots of CFM's and at least 90 PSI
to bite well.
3. True helpless on caked grease. I found Oven Cleaner, a harsh caustic" did that well. Not good for flesh. Caveat. Eats paint as well. But, I found it to do a great job on my Jaguar's front cross member. Clean enough to prime and paint. For stuff like this, I like the Rustoleum product.


Carl

 

You got the heater core out?!! I'm Impressed!
I tried that once, probably won't again.
Yours Does look like its seen better days.
(';')

 

Pesonally I wouldn't mess with the suspension until you have first (and this part is critical) brought it back to a well maintained factory spec, and then driven it for a few weeks.

So many people destroy what was on of the cars best features (it's incredible handeling) by judging it on 30-40 year old bushes, dampers & springs & fitting modern hard after market bushes & bolting additional lumps of scrap metal to it without ever testing it properly in a fresh working condition.

It's safe to use stiffer bushes on the front suspension & steering rack & better (but not supidly stiff) dampening. But the rear suspension needs to move to maintain the camber etc. The movement against the rubber was a critical part of the design.

Pesonally I would renew the bushes, dampers as a minimum, test the springs on a gauge & renew if needed. Then drive it & see how it feels.

If you feel you need something stiffer after that, swap the front anti roll bar out from 0.75 to 1 inch & install a thicker one on the rear too* (sorry can't remember the size & I am in the hot tub & not about to get out & check lol)

*They took the rear anti roll bar off sometime around when the v12HE engine came in, it's well worth putting one back as the holes are there, but that's way after your S1

Cheers

N

 

Lnrb

The heater matrix/core is far more buried in a S1 than your later Jaguar... Note the photos... it was the worst job I have done to any car. It fits
where those two holes are in the second photo... you can see the one fan squirrel cage in the RH top of the first photo for reference where
the heater matrix is located... BURIED... the joke is they laid in the heater matrix/core and wrapped the car around in it!

Plus, they are NLA new and I had to have mine welded/pressure tested at a local radiator shop.

 

Thanks JagCad, i actually started without wearing safety glasses, learnt that lesson quickly ! lol
Thats fair feedback neuro, i'll be doing a fair bit of messing around at the rear suspension and thought i could do it while i'm there. I'll take your advice and wait. Also - project creep is pretty bad, i'll just do X while i'm here, unfortunately i end up doing A to W to get to X
Heater Core job sucked, yep. I'm thinking about putting in reverse cycle aircon.

 

That's probably because A thru W are all in the way of even getting to X!
"While I'm at it I'll just......."
But we're all loving your experiences.
(';')

 

Yeah, creep is a living and breathing thing!! But the A though W path to X is going forward.


Is there a flip side, D. C, B and stall at A? Or worse, behind A!!!


I seem to be on the latter path, at least it is things other than Jeep or Jaguar related.


1. Jungle growing faster than I whack. I'll admit slackening there. Weather very in spring like. And yesterday. A recliner day for the most part. Very good Indy race. An entertaining baseball game. BBQ ribs for lunch, yum.


2. Busted a band saw blade. My spares just a tad short? Why??? Checked local ACE store on line. supposedly the 93 1/2 Olson in stock. Alas, when AI got there, not so.
Guy fought the store computers and found, stock depleted, but could be ordered. done. Expected Wed. Logical,. holiday and the like. Band saw awaits the fix, I hope. guts exposed....


Carl
fix

 

I got rid of more wires.

I'm updating the gauges so all of those wires were removed. I also removed the 'rear window' button wires, presumably for a demister i dont have and the tank switch.
There still seems to be a lot there in order to drive some lights and a horn.

I FINALLY found some series 1 electric windows! I've been inordinately concerned with having power windows. I'm glad to get the bee out of my bonnet!
$20 each, plus $50 postage :/ still, they all even work! although both right hand side mechanisms were rusted stiff. I pulled them apart today. They responded well to a screwdriver to loosen the tangs to remove the large pop-rivet type bits. with this done, a light sand/ rust kill might have done, but i want this to be a great job that i proud of and will last a long time. so i sandblasted them and painted them. I did think about zinc coating them again, maybe i still will, but i have paint, not an electrolysis setup

I love my new sandblaster. Its messier than sandpaper but so much more effective, particularly around the corners and odd shapes. Note to self and others, wear a respirator ( I can hear JagCad's voice in my head chiming in with a timely tale and some advice) my throat feels a bit cough* sandy *cough tonight .

Another new skill i'm learning for kicks is making my own circuit boards. The reverse lights are like a dim candle in a strong wind. I'm having a crack at making some hardcore LEDs that fit within the standard light. no luck yet, but edging closer.

 

My reverse lights are "special" and fit in a Jaguar (or some other car??) at one time. They exist under the rear bumper and have LEDs.

Think about about adding a third brake light in the rear window.. really helps other cars see yours.. S1 XJs have small lights in the rear.

 

Ya know, it's too bad you're not having any fun doing this. LOL
Just think of all the bonding time you're having with this car and how intimately you're getting to know it.
(';')

 

Wow, it seems like slugging one's way through a swamp. But kudos on even entering the swamp and more for the clear progress shown.


1. Got the new band saw blade at ACE, on time as promised. Yup, the new 93 1/2" blade fit right on. Used a spirit level to reestablish the upper wheel as plumb. Minor tweak needed. Set the tension. Put the covers back on. Plugged the electric back in, hit the green "on" button. Yipee, it purred. I made some trial cuts on a stick from my scrap collection. Oh, yeah, much nicer cuts. New blade far sharper than the old. Gained a lot...


Tossed the spares. They just don't fit....


2. Extra snooze this AM!! 6:00 !!! Unusual for me to get up in the light. Used to darkness.


3. Might or might not fix one of the Weed Whackers. The electric one has two issues.
String and electric. I've plans to fix each. And, at last no rain for the month of May.
The whacked remained whacked, at least in part.


Carl

 

I have seen guys make decent sand blasting cabinates out of MDF, they are nothing more than a box with a window, old shop vac for dust extraction & a bit of mesh with a funnel under them for the media to recycle too.

They also sell them dirt cheap in Harbour feight, if nothing else you can wander in & see how they are put together, very simple build & no more mess or dust to breathe.

I have been making my own custom PCB's for decades (I own a recording studio & vintage amp repair is one of the staple services)

The hardest part for sure is drilling the holes, I have a (diy) CNC milling machine that I use for it now, but before that I was going through those tiny carbide drills like crazy. My drill press wasn't amazing at the time, but still scary when they brake. Wear all the protection you can, a 0.8mm drill bit through the cheek smarts something awful.

(Btw. They sell LED bulbs off the shelf that should fit right in, but where is the fun in that)

 

Roger, tell me about your reverse light!, looks nice! what casing is it in?

LnrB, i'll know it very well, some bits i may wish i wasnt so acquainted with like rust

Neuro, the drilling does seem like a difficult part, i was considering putting my drill bit in my dremel if i didnt have any luck with the regular drill. I sold my drill press, regretting that now :/ I certainly need some form of sandblasting box, i'm looking for a second hand one but for irregular use i'm not sure i want it taking up the space!

 

I have no idea where it came from originally.. have never seen a reverse light like it elsewhere... I like it - PO added it... just bolts on the bottom of the license plate light assembly...

I added the third brake light in the rear window years ago... I do not have a good picture right now.. will add one later on.

With the LEDs I can actually see behind the car at night!

 

Sandblasting is sandy

 

Boy Howdy do you ever have a mess!!
Didja have fun though?
(';')

 

Fun, kind of, its very satisfying watching the paint and rust peel off effortlessly, especially in tricky corners and over odd shaped metal!
I've been grumpy this week, disappointed with the lack of progress, project creep makes me feel like i'll never finish it :/ so some restorative work is just going to have to wait until its back on the road. push forward with tidying up engine bay. Rust and paint removed and now some parts primed, some parts bogged to repair dents. in two weeks hopefully i can have the engine bay painted all nice and pretty like.
I have secret fantasies of buying another series 1 shell and acid dipping it, repairing all the rust and swapping over my bits so i can have my running car sooner and then a perfect rust free example for future, but thats a dream, and should probably stay that way

 

+1 on that. I see so many I could rescue....If only I had a 6 car shed.