Upgrades, gearboxes and clutches – workshop update
We have had yet another busy month both in the workshop and out. The HCVA (Historic and Classic Vehicle Association) hosted their wonderful ‘Heritage Matters’ day at Bicester Heritage which we attended. It was great to catch up with our friends from across the industry. We also paid a visit to XK and E-Type Club HQ over in Worcestershire and we are hopeful that some exciting new collaborations will come from that. Watch this space for more details but I can say it is a very exciting time to be an XK or E-Type Club member or a Classic Jaguar enthusiast in general.
Back at the workshop, we have been busy with everything from restoration work to upgrades and servicing. As I took this picture we had a great lineup of E-Types on the ramps, but rest assured there are just as many, if not more XKs in the workshop at the moment.
In this week's update, we look forward to the NEC Classic Motor Show, we look at a couple of our gearbox upgrade options, we have a very special XK120 which competed at Le Mans in 1951 and much more.
NEC Classic Motor Show 2023
We are getting ready for the Classic Motor Show at the NEC in Birmingham on the 10th, 11th and 12th of November. This show marks the end of the show season for us and tends to signal that it is time for us to get our heads down and crack on with some restoration work. We will be in our usual location in Hall 2 Stand 550 located close to Iconic Auctioneers (formally known as Silverstone).
This cracking event brings together specialists and clubs from all over the country and attracts a significant number of international visitors. It is always a good opportunity to catch up with customers, suppliers and friends old and new. There is an impressive array of cars to be seen from rusty restoration projects all the way to concourse winners. The variety of cars on show is so impressive so whether you are into Austins or Aston Martins there will be something on show to appeal to you.
It is too soon for us to know exactly which cars we will be taking but watch this space over the coming weeks to find out. Rest assured we will have an interesting array of Classic Jaguars on show. If you make it to the show, please pop by the stand to say hello.
Automatic gearbox upgrade
There has been a lot of interest in our five-speed gearbox upgrades and the workshop has become quite busy with them lately. An upgrade which we haven’t promoted as much but is no less transformational is our automatic gearbox upgrade. Automatic XKs don’t have the best reputation. The original three-speed gearboxes were not great and age does not improve them. They are costly to rebuild and you are still left with slow gear changes, significantly reduced power and less-than-ideal cruising speed. I once heard someone comment that at one end of an automatic gearbox you “put in your hopes and dreams and disappointment comes out at the other end”.
This gearbox upgrade offers several benefits over the original automatic. They have an overdrive fourth gear making the car nicer for motorway cruising and increasing fuel efficiency. They also feature a ‘lock-up’ clutch in the torque converter which gives a solid connection between the engine and gearbox increasing both power and efficiency. Finally, the modern gearbox is smaller and lighter than the original. This not only saves weight but means that these can be fitted into manual cars without excessive modification. Converting an XK from manual to automatic may seem counterintuitive but we are aware that for some customers with mobility issues, this might make the difference between keeping or selling their beloved car.
Le Mans Jaguar XK120
This beautiful XK120 was race-prepared by the Jaguar factory in 1951 for the Le Mans 24hr. It is one of only five XK120s to take part in the event and as such is eligible for some of the world's most prestigious historic motorsport events. The Mille Miglia, Goodwood Revival and Le Mans Classic to name but a few.
In 1951 the car was apparently the first XK120 to run wire wheels. Other upgrades carried out by the factory, at the time included a Le Mans fuel filler, a C-Type cylinder head and three large access holes in the bonnet. At the time it raced wearing number 21 which was in sequence with the works C-Types. It placed an impressive 11th overall making it the highest placed XK120 to take part in Le Mans. Although it was prepared by the factory the car was privately entered by Robert Lawrie who had previously raced an Aston Martin 2-litre Sport and a Riley RMC. Lawrie teamed up with Ivan Waller in 1951 and they completed the race at an average speed of over 80 miles per hour.
This XK120 is of major historical significance and it was a privilege to be trusted to work on it. ‘AEN 546’ is currently available for sale with our friends at Duncan Hamilton ROFGO and offers a unique opportunity to own such an important car.
Jaguar E-Type clutch change
Pictured here are an engine and gearbox that have just been removed from the E-Type up on the ramp. It is unfortunately not a quick and easy job to access the clutch on an E-Type as it requires the engine and gearbox to be removed. Fortunately, through a combination of experience and having the right equipment we can carry out this task in a reasonably swift and efficient manner.
We have in the past seen posts suggesting that the gearbox can be removed without removing the engine. It is conceivable that this is possible on the Series 3 or the 2+2s but we cannot see how this can be done on a Series 1 without significantly compromising the structure of the car. Indeed, we are yet to see any form of proof that this can be done. Most importantly we believe that if a job is worth doing then it is worth doing right. These are rare and valuable cars. They are loved by their owners and are a part of our history as a nation. We therefore believe they should be treated with care and respect.
If you are looking to have work done on your classic Jaguar and want to know that it will be done with a little care please do get in touch. We will look after your car as if it were our own.
MGB ‘barn find’
Along with our compliment of Jaguars, we usually have a few other classic cars in the workshop. This week we have had this cracking little MGB in for inspection. It has been off the road for some decades and as can be seen from the photo it is suffering with more than its fair share of corrosion. Interestingly it appears to be a Costello V8 conversion which we understand are quite rare and desirable cars.
This MG is with us for a thorough inspection to ascertain what work would be required to recommission it for the road or restore it depending on what work is required. We will go over every aspect of the car to assess its condition and then report back to the owners. It is so special to be entrusted with a car which has such sentimental value to a family and we look forward to seeing it back on the road.
It will be a different challenge for us if we are given the go-ahead to sort this cracking little car out but one we look forward to. It can be quite refreshing to work on something a little different from time to time. Fortunately, we have a few BMC enthusiasts within our staff so we certainly have the skills and knowledge to tackle the project.
Jaguar XK140 touring Spain
This lovely picture was sent to us by a long-standing customer who is enjoying a trip around Spain in their XK140. We fully restored this car a few years back and it is the ideal specification for this kind of touring. It benefits from electric power steering, a five-speed gearbox, front disc brakes, an electric cooling fan and much more. Our intention when we build these kinds of XKs is to create a car which looks every bit a charming 1950s classic but is comfortable and reliable to use in modern driving conditions. We firmly believe that classic cars should be used so do all we can to make them as enjoyable to use as possible.
The car is currently taking part in La Rioja & Spanish Laplands Tour organised by Classics on the Road for the XK Club and E-Type Club. This is a trip focused on enjoying the car with great drives, nice hotels, good food and most of all good company with fellow classic Jaguar owners. The XK and E-Type Clubs put on a great range of events which focus on getting owners out and enjoying their cars. Pop over to their website to find out more about what they have to offer.
Stromberg Carburettor rebuild
When we show carburettors they would usually be SUs as they are most commonly associated with Jaguars. Next up would be an exciting set of Webers as we sometimes find fitted to C or D-Type replicas or sportier XKs and E-Types. We rarely shine a spotlight on Stromberg carburettors though. This is largely because fewer of the cars we work on have Strombergs fitted. With more and more V12 E-Types visiting us we find ourselves rebuilding increasing quantities of these carburettors.
Stromberg carburettors perhaps have an unfair reputation as being inferior in some circles. Certainly, I have often heard comments of people suggesting that they compromise the Series 3 E-Type. This in our opinion is not true and Jaguar chose Stromberg carburettors for the Serie 3 E-Types for good reasons.
What is true is that these carburettors are quite complex and have a lot of seals. As such these seals suffer from wear and age so the carburettors are prone to air leaks if not well maintained. We see this frequently where over the years people have not been willing or in a position to carry out proper maintenance resulting in the car gradually running worse and worse.
If you would like your carburettors to look as good as these, and more importantly your car to run as it should, please get in touch.
Morgan Plus Four
This Morgan Plus Four is another of our regular visitors belonging to a local chap who has owned the car from new. We have been looking after the car for the best part of 15 years and have got to know it very well.
This is a mid-1990’s Plus Four and as such features the much-maligned Rover K-Series engine. In practice, we have seen no issues with the unit fitted in this car though we understand the 2-litre version fitted in this car was more reliable than the smaller 1.6-litre unit. Combined with the five-speed gearbox this car is absolutely fabulous to drive delivering swift, if not mind-blowing, performance through a chassis that gives a real feeling of connection to the road.
These Morgans have become almost timeless in their unchanging consistency through the decades. It is always a pleasure to see this one come in year after year and knowing that it brings its owner so much enjoyment.
Jaguar E-Type five-speed gearbox
Earlier this month we shared a photo of this gearbox and bell housing being prepared to be fitted to the engine. We have had so much interest in our five-speed upgrades lately we thought we would share this shot of the engine and gearbox being prepped to be refitted to the car.
As you may have already spotted this is a V12 engine and the car in question is a Series 3 E-type. This is a great upgrade on these E-Types making them so usable and comfortable for modern motorway driving. The conversion leaves the gearstick in the original location so from the outside no one would know the can has been modified.
We can fit the same five-speed gearbox into many Classic Jaguars from XK120s through to E-Types. We will soon be fitting one to a MK2 saloon. On the earlier cars, these gearboxes have the additional benefit of providing synchromesh on first gear and a much faster gearchange than with the original Moss gearbox.
If originality is more your style, we also have a great deal of experience rebuilding original gearboxes be it a Moss ‘box with overdrive or an all-synchro E-Type gearbox.
Jaguar XK120 windscreen wiper upgrade
One of our most popular but least glamorous upgrades is our windscreen wiper upgrade. Although this is worthwhile on the XK140 and XK150 doing away with the park sweep and the issues caused by the thermal cutout it really comes into its owner when fitted to an XK120. Originally the XK120 had only a single-speed motor with no park. This is at best frustrating, flicking it on and off in light rain, and at worst dangerous in heavy rain where they can’t keep up. Another issue the XK120s face is where the wiper arms fit onto the spindles the shaft is thin and smooth. Later this was revised to a wider, splined shaft which allows the wiper arms to grip on well. As it is XK120 wiper arms tend to work loose and slip.
Our windscreen wiper upgrade replaces every part of the XK120 wipers system with better components from a stronger motor to new wheel boxes. It gives two speeds and park which is a huge improvement over the original set-up. As no two XKs are quite the same each wiper upgrade has to be shaped by hand to fit so we are only able to offer this upgrade in-house.
