A Trojan Horse in the Workshop – Workshop Update

I’m going to start this post with an apology. It has been almost two months since we last shared an update with you all, and I aim to publish these once a month or every six weeks at the outside. It has been an exceptionally busy time here in the workshop – and continues to be. The good news is that, as a result, I have lots to share with you in this update. In fact, I couldn’t squeeze everything in, so some of it will have to carry over to next month. I hope, in the meantime, you’ve been enjoying some of the video content we’ve been putting out – more on that later.
With a spectacular spring, it’s been great to see so many people getting out and using their classics as early in the year as possible. We had lots of customers heading to the Members’ Meeting, and quite a few cars to get out ahead of that. We have some excellent cars for sale at the moment – some are already on the website and others are coming soon. There are some really great XKs available right now, and they are more affordable than they have been in over a decade. I believe this is a great time to buy and enjoy something special over the summer.
In this update, we take a look at a Trojan van, visit Jaguar Classic Works for a peek at Type-00, check in on a number of XKs and E-Types in for work – and more.

Trio of Touring XK140s

This trio of XK140s was recently lined up out front awaiting their owners. Interestingly, all three have been restored and maintained here at Twyford Moors, and all three have been extensively used for touring.
At the back of the image is an XK140 OTS, which we restored some 20 years ago and featured in our previous update. It’s been in for a bit of a refresh and is now looking top-notch, ready for action this driving season. It’s a well-known car on the XK scene and has been toured extensively.
In the middle is an XK140 drophead coupé, which we completed a full nut-and-bolt restoration on just a couple of years ago. The chap we restored it for is a true XK enthusiast and has already covered thousands of miles across Europe in it. The car was built with international touring in mind and features many of our upgrades.
In the foreground is an XK which has quite possibly covered more miles than any other – touring all over the world (I can think of one other car that might rival it). It’s been as far afield as South America and Myanmar. Sadly, the owner recently passed away, but he has passed the torch on to his grandson, who will shortly be taking part in his first tour, with his grandmother navigating. I think it’s wonderfully heartening that the car will continue to be used in this way by the family, and I wish them the best of luck.

Jaguar Type-00

A few weeks ago, we were invited to the UK unveiling of Jaguar’s new concept car, the Type-00. There has been a lot of discussion about the unorthodox advertising campaign that accompanied the launch of this car some time ago. I think enough has been said on that subject, so I won’t go into it here.
This launch event (arguably a relaunch) at Jaguar Classic Works seems to mark a significant shift in Jaguar’s messaging. The event saw what Jaguar themselves described as “friends of the brand” treated to a presentation outlining where the company currently stands and the reasoning behind this new direction, followed by the unveiling of the new car. Certainly, there were many familiar faces at the event.
I have to confess I was surprised to find myself impressed by what I heard. It’s clear that Jaguar needed a change of direction to stay relevant, and no one can deny they’ve got people talking about the brand again. This marks a major repositioning, and they now need to deliver some excellent production cars to support this new vision. As a lifelong Jaguar enthusiast, I wish them all the best and hope the brand goes from strength to strength.

Cylinder Head Rebuild

I was recently asked by a customer with a slightly rattly top end on their E-Type whether it was common to get a bit of noise. The simple answer is yes – though there are limits to what you should tolerate. We carry out a significant number of cylinder head rebuilds every year and know exactly what needs to be done to get the very best out of an XK head. It’s worth noting that the cylinder head really is the magic ingredient that makes the XK engine excel. Its twin overhead cam design was right at the cutting edge of engine development when Jaguar introduced it.
One of the most time-consuming tasks when setting up an XK engine is setting the valve clearances. This is done by changing shims, which sit within a ‘bucket’ in the cylinder head. Each time you change the shims, you have to remove the camshafts and then refit them before taking measurements again. A common issue that causes noise from XK cylinder heads is the buckets working their way loose. The solution is to rebuild the head with oversized buckets and, as an extra precaution, we fit hold-downs on the exhaust side (where more heat is generated) to prevent them coming loose in the future.
If you have any concerns about the noises your engine is making, please do get in touch.

Trojan Engine Rebuild

As I’ve said many times before, there’s usually something non-Jaguar somewhere in the workshop. At the moment, we have this rather fascinating Trojan van. Trojan produced vehicles between 1914 and 1965, with the later models being bubble cars built under licence. This particular example is a van that was produced between the First and Second World Wars. I believe these vehicles were built at the Leyland Motors factory in Kingston upon Thames, near London.
The Trojan Utility Car was designed to be extremely affordable, with the company adopting the slogan: “Can you afford to walk?” Trojan used some very unusual designs to achieve low running costs, and allegedly calculated that over 200 miles it would cost more in shoes and socks than it would to travel the same distance in a Trojan. The engine, in particular, is a very unorthodox arrangement: a four-cylinder, two-stroke engine with the pistons arranged in pairs sharing combustion chambers. Each pair of pistons shares a con rod, which is designed to flex.
The owner of this wonderful example had been suffering from some running issues and struggled to find someone both willing and able to look at it. When collecting his E-Type, he asked on the off-chance whether we would be interested in taking a look – and the rest is history.

Video Content

For several years now, we’ve been producing these regular updates for the website, and they’ve proved extremely popular. I often receive requests to cover particular topics, which I always try to respond to. Some topics, however, just don’t lend themselves to this format – sometimes they’re simply too complex to explain with text and a single photo.
To remedy this, we are now posting regular videos on our YouTube channel – so please pop over and subscribe to stay up to date. You can expect a few short videos each month. These will mostly be tips and tricks to help make living with your classic Jaguar as enjoyable as possible, along with the occasional review or opinion piece.
I’d love to hear from you if there are any particular subjects you’d like me to cover in these videos. I’m open to all suggestions. If there’s some aspect of restoration that you’ve always wondered about, just let me know. If you’re dealing with a particular ongoing issue with your car and would like more information, I’ll do my best to help. In particular, if you know any hints or tricks that you feel should be shared with our wonderful community of enthusiasts, I’d love to hear them.

European Visitor

This photo was taken at the request of the owner of this delightful XK140 DHC. The car came over to us from Germany for some extensive work over the winter, including the installation of a brake servo to improve the existing disc brake upgrade. We also attended to a number of other issues that had been bothering him but had proven difficult to resolve on the continent. Pictured here, he was about to set off for a weekend at the Members’ Meeting at Goodwood before driving the car back to Germany.
Prior to 2016, as much as a third of our work was undertaken for European customers. After the Brexit vote, the subsequent negotiations, and various agreements, demand from our continental friends dropped considerably. We’re pleased to say that, with more certainty and clarity now surrounding our relationship with Europe, we’re seeing the return of customers from across the Channel. We hope this trend will continue and that trade and the movement of cars across borders will become increasingly straightforward.
We would like to thank all of you who trust us with your cherished cars, particularly those of you from further afield. Parting with your car and placing it in the hands of a specialist you cannot quickly or easily visit shows great faith, and we will continue doing our utmost to live up to that trust.

Rover P4

Here’s another non-Jaguar visitor to the workshop. This Rover P4 is with us for a thorough inspection and report for the owner. Sadly, it seems a lot of work was carried out by someone claiming to be a classic car specialist, but the owner felt the quality may not have been up to scratch. Despite spending a significant amount of money, the car still had numerous problems – including brake issues that left the owner lacking confidence in driving it.
Although we encouraged the owner to return the car to the original specialist to have the issues rectified, it appears that business has since closed, so this was no longer an option. We have now carried out an inspection and provided the owner with a detailed report on the car’s condition and the work that had been done. We will now work with the owner to try to resolve the issues.
Sadly, we found some rather poor work on the car. The brakes, in particular – which were supposed to have been fully overhauled – are problematic. When selecting a specialist, we strongly advise doing your research. Marque clubs can be very helpful in recommending someone suitable, or have a chat with fellow enthusiasts at your local classic car meet to find a trusted specialist in your area with a solid reputation.

Jaguar E-Type Five-Speed Gearbox Upgrade

Our five-speed gearboxes remain one of our most popular upgrades. Pictured here is a 3.8-litre Series 1 E-Type, ready to have its engine refitted along with a new five-speed gearbox. We find the best way to remove and fit an E-Type engine and gearbox is by removing the inlet and exhaust manifolds and dropping the assembly out beneath the car. This process is made much easier thanks to our adjustable-height trolley and two-post car lifts.
Whenever we post something like this about an E-Type, we receive a number of comments suggesting that it’s possible to remove an E-Type gearbox without removing the engine. While I believe this might be possible on a 2+2, I’ve yet to see any evidence that it can be done on a roadster or coupé – certainly not without some significant modifications to the car. I would be fascinated to hear from anyone who has managed this and, in particular, to see photos.
Returning to the five-speed gearbox going into this E-Type – we find this upgrade really enhances the driving experience. No longer will you find yourself on the motorway searching for that elusive extra gear to make it cruise comfortably at 70 mph. Please get in touch if you’d like more information.

SS100 Replica

We’ve earned something of a reputation for our work on SS Cars in recent years – particularly the SS100. We now have several original SS100s that have become annual visitors for servicing and other work, and we've really grown to love them. Although we’ve worked on many a replica C-Type and D-Type over the years, the car photographed here is the first SS100 replica ever to grace our workshop. I was fascinated to give this car the once-over and see how it drove. Pairing the breathtaking styling of the pre-war SS100 with the performance of an XK straight-six engine and other mechanical improvements has to be a winning formula.
Following its purchase, the car spent the winter in our storage facility, after which the owner asked us to inspect it, carry out a service, and add a few creature comforts – including some discreetly fitted USB charging points. We found the car to be well built and in overall good condition. Having attended to a few minor items, it’s now ready to be enjoyed this summer. If you have a classic Jaguar replica, please don’t hesitate to get in touch for servicing. We’d love to see it in the workshop among the XKs and E-Types.

XJ6 Series 1

A customer for whom we recently completed an extensive programme of work on their XK120 asked, upon collection, whether we might be willing to take a look at his XJ6. We’re seeing increasing demand for us to work on more modern Jaguars – from this relatively early XJ6 to XJS models and even 1990s XKs. With main dealers no longer catering to such vehicles and many local garages lacking the skills and expertise required, there does appear to be a lack of support for these cars.
Unfortunately, we’re already operating at capacity to support our XK and E-Type customers, so it can be difficult to fit everyone in. However, we’ll always do our very best. If you own a modern classic and would be interested in us looking after it, we’d love to hear from you. It would help us gauge the level of demand and understand what kind of work these cars typically require.
Anyway, back to the XJ6 – this car is stunning! It’s incredibly original and has exceptionally low mileage. It has to be one of the nicest and cleanest examples I’ve ever seen – an absolute pleasure to have in the workshop.

Jaguar XK150 S

I wanted to share a photo of this Jaguar XK150 S fixedhead simply because it’s such a lovely car. I feel the XK150 fixedheads are often underappreciated within the XK range. They are extraordinarily capable and practical classic cars, and I personally believe they are the best-looking of the XK150 body styles. The wider, more muscular proportions of the XK150 are complemented by the hardtop and the extra chrome, giving the car a sporty and purposeful appearance.
What’s more, fixedhead XKs often command significantly lower prices than the equivalent drophead or roadster models, making them exceptional value for a classic that delivers both performance and style.
This particular car is an original right-hand drive 3.8 S – one of just 115 such examples ever built. It was one of 51 cars exported to Australia and was brought back to the UK around 10 to 15 years ago. Over the past two decades, we’ve seen quite a few XKs returning from the Southern Hemisphere to the UK, which is great for us – though I imagine it must be frustrating for enthusiasts in that part of the world. I suspect this trend is exacerbated by the strength of the Great British Pound against the Australian Dollar.