Back to the workshop after Goodwood - Workshop update
With the Goodwood Revival now firmly in the rear-view mirror we are back in the workshop cracking on with restorations and servicing. We still have a full workshop and we are continuing to work our way through what has been an unrivalled level of demand this year. The recent fuel supply problems have impacted on our ability to collect and deliver customers cars so we would like to apologise to them for the inconvenience. As soon as the situation returns to something close to normal our Discovery and tailer will be back out on the road collecting and delivering cars across the country.
In this weeks' update we take a look back at a couple of Goodwood highlights as well as updating you on a few projects in the workshop.
A new restoration to start
Alongside the fully restored cars we took to the Goodwood Revival we had this rather charming Jaguar XK140 restoration project. We are delighted to report a buyer fell in love with it at the Revival and we will now be restoring it for them. It is an original Special Equipment (SE) car. It has matching numbers and an original C-Type cylinder head.
The car was shipped to Jaguar Cars in New York USA in August 1956 and was finished in Carmen Red with a Black interior. Although in need of full restoration the car is remarkably complete which is a real bonus when it comes to restoring an XK. It still has its rare automatic gearbox although this can be replaced or upgraded with the buyer's choice of gearbox. The full restoration will be carried out to the buyer's specification. With the new owner's permission, we will share updates as we progress with this car over the coming months.
Winter storage
As we move into the Autumn and there are fewer car shows many of our customers are starting to put their cars away for the Winter. Storing your cherished classic properly is vital to the car's health. It is important to check the car over and store it in a clean and dry condition. Possibly even more importantly is that the car is properly checked over and recommissioned for the road after an extended period of storage.
We can offer safe and secure classic car storage for those looking to keep their car safe and in top condition. We can then collect the car for you in the Spring, check it over and prepare it for the road again leaving you safe in the knowledge that everything is as it should be and ready to go. If you would like to discuss storage please get in touch.
Jaguar E-Type restoration
We continue to make progress with this Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5. As we mentioned when we shared a photo of this car a month or so ago when it first came in, this car had started its restoration journey elsewhere. The car had been stripped, repainted and then progress came to a halt. In recent weeks we have been working our way through the boxes of filthy and corroded parts, refurbishing them as required and are now making good progress putting the car back together.
As can be seen in the picture, the front subframe and suspension are built up and the rear subframe is waiting to be fitted just out of shot to the top left. We are progressing with wiring the car up, running in brake pipes and starting to fit some trim whilst the engine parts are being machined. We are working to rebuild the car in line with the owner's vision as it was never intended to be a full restoration. More updates will follow in the coming weeks.
Historic and Classic Vehicle Alliance
We were delighted to host the Historic and Classic Vehicle Alliance (HCVA) on our stand for the Goodwood Revival for the weekend. We were joined by Henry Pearman (of Eagle E-Types) and Shan Stokes from the team who spent the weekend promoting the HCVA mission and signing up new members. As founding members, we are thrilled to be a part of an organisation working in such a positive way for the classic car industry.
If you are yet to come across the HCVA they aim to create a powerful voice for everyone who has an interest in protecting the future of classic and historic vehicles. To do this, they are building a broad base of membership from across the industry, owners and the public. This will be the launching pad to engage decision makers and address those in power to ensure there is a viable future for all. For more information, please visit their website and sign up to their newsletter.
Jaguar MK2 overhaul
This Jaguar MK2 saloon is a very desirable 3.8 litre manual overdrive car. When it comes to Jaguar saloons it doesn't get much better than this. Although the car was in overall sound condition it had suffered with a lack of maintenance over the years. The owner brought it in to us to be checked over and for a programme of improvement work to be planned out for it. We found quite an extensive list of improvements to be made. These ranged from the usual issues we see on Jaguar saloons such a worn subframe and suspension bushes to a faulty wiper motor which barely worked.
We discussed an extensive list of work with the owner, who we are pleased to report approved all, allowing us to get to work on this fabulous MK2. It will soon once again be the reliable sporting saloon which it was built to be!
Jaguar XK150 electrical upgrades
This Jaguar XK150 is with us for an extensive list of upgrades with the aim to make it as usable, reliable and comfortable as possible. The owner bought the car in pretty much standard form but wanted it to be brought up to the specification of many of our cars. As such we have set about fitting an electric cooling fan and header tank to improve cooling when in traffic. Electronic ignition and a modern solid state fuel pump will ensure the car starts on the button and removes the need for regular maintenance of these items. The owner was not keen on the short sweep of the windscreen wipers so has opted to have our upgraded wiper system fitted. Finally, inside the car we are fitting electric power steering and a modern radio with four hidden speakers to make those long journeys comfortable and enjoyable. All these upgrades will be powered by an alternator as the original dynamo would struggle to keep up with all this extra demand on the electrical system.
