Our doors are open once more - Workshop update
Our doors are open again in more ways than one. With the nation merrily skipping along the Governments 'roadmap' without so much as a stumble so far, we are delighted to now be able to reopen our showroom. Measures remain in place to keep everyone safe so viewings are by appointment only, face masks are to be worn and social distancing should be maintained. With these measures in place, we are delighted to be welcoming customers back into the showroom.
As for the workshop, busy does not begin to do justice to the workload our chaps are diligently making their way through. We are inundated with both servicing work and bigger jobs but with our workforce back at full strength' we are all happily working our way through it. We are also enjoying the diversity of cars we have in at the moment as shown in this weeks' update ranging from XKs and E-Types to Daimlers and Fiats.
Philip Porter chats with our director Nik Rochez
Philip Porter, founder of the E-Type Club, XK Club and Porter Press, had a zoom chat with our director Nik Rochez last week in the build up to E-Type 60. They discuss the event, look back at the success of XK70 and talk about some of the wonderful cars which will be present at E-Type 60. Please click on the video to watch the interview.
E-Type 60 is a celebration of the Jaguar E-Types 60th anniversary. The event will take place at the historic Shelsley Walsh on the 12th and 13th of June. As well as a huge gathering of E-Types, the XK Club is being incorporated so there will be a good showing of XKs. Beyond that there will be Minis, music, food, a competitive hillclimb in which you can enter your own car and many exhibitors. Visit the E-Type 60 website to book your tickets.
Jaguar XK140 DHC - Sold
Another week and another beautiful car on its way to a new owner. We are sure they will be delighted with this stunning car. This Jaguar XK140 drophead coupe is an original UK, right-hand drive car and is finished in its original colour scheme of Suede Green with a Fawn hood. The car is an older restoration but has been maintained to an extremely high standard. It has also been upgraded over the years to suit modern tastes and driving conditions.
We have several lovely XKs in stock so please have a look at our cars for sale. If you cannot see the model or specification you desire, please get in touch. We can source cars to order or advise on suitable car which could be upgraded to your specification. If you would like to book an appointment to view our cars in the showroom, please call or email.
Fiat 124
Amongst the non-XK visitors to us of late is this Fiat 124. It is powered by the delightful 1600cc Fiat Twin-Cam engine and is a super fun little car. It has just been purchased by the new owner and we trailered it to our workshop to give it a thorough check thought for him.
We offer a full service to prospective classic car buyers. If you are looking to buy a classic Jaguar and would like an expert opinion, we offer an inspection service. We can also arrange collection and deliver of cars across the country, and indeed internationally. We also provide a full inspection and check over service if you have recently purchased a classic car and wish to have a full assessment of its condition. Our detailed report will help to guide you on any future work or improvements the car might require.
Jaguar XK150 wiper upgrade
This Jaguar XK150 visited us for its annual service and MOT. The wiper system has never been satisfactory on it. The wipers did not auto park, the sweep was poor and the power output was inadequate.
This is a common story with XKs and there are two solutions. One is to rebuild the original wiper motor. It is common for wiper motors to be overlooked during a restoration, receiving little more than an external clean and a puff of spray paint. As such most of the wiper motors we rebuild have never been touched since they left the factory. Rebuilt motors work well; however, they do still have certain limitations such as the limited sweep resulting from the XK wiper park mechanism and the inherent lack of power from an older style electric motor.
On this occasion the owner opted for the second option which is to have our uprated wiper system fitted. This system uses a modern and more powerful motor. It provides a full sweep across the screen and is exceptionally reliable. The nature of the upgrade is such that this work can only be carried out in house so please get in touch to discuss having your wiper system upgraded.
Daimler Sovereign
This magnificent Daimler Sovereign was another non-Jaguar visitor this week although an awfully close relation. This stunning car has been in the same family for many decades and still sees regular use. It has had much work carried out over the years and it is rather rare to see one of these in such fine condition.
We look after a number of these style saloons, be they Daimler Sovereigns or Jaguar S-Types, and we think they really are rather underrated cars. The offer tremendous value for money when compared to a Jaguar MK2 saloon (another wonderful car) and have several advantages. Chief amongst these advantages is the independent rear suspension setup as per the E-Type which really makes they cars handle and ride very nicely. Some people are not so keen on the styling but we think these are very handsome cars.
Jaguar XK140 OTS restoration
This very sporty Jaguar XK140 OTS (or roadster) was fully restored by Twyford Moors over twenty years ago. The car was built to an extremely high specification, including a fast road engine, five speed gearbox, pedal box, disc brakes, uprated suspension and much more. She is a real driving machine.
Since completing the restoration, we have serviced the car every year. It is a joy to see how well our restorations age and the car really is as good now as it was the day we finished it. The owner was so pleased with this restoration that we nearly ten years after we had finished this XK140, he asked us to restore an XK120 drophead for him. If you are interested in having your perfect XK built please get in touch to discuss our restoration options.
