XKs of every variety - workshop update

With Mondays' announcement from the UK Government of a roadmap out of lockdown we are starting to look forward to a summer of classic motoring. We remain cautious and will maintain our tried and tested Covid-safe working practices for as long as required. It does finally feel as though we may be moving towards a more sustainable new normal. What better way to make the most of a slow easing of restrictions and the great British staycation than to cruise around in a classic British motorcar? Our showroom is fully stocked with an XK to suit every buyer so please do get in touch to discuss your needs. Pictured here we have the full line up of Jaguar XK140 body styles. From left to right we have an open two-seater (OTS), drophead coupe (DHC) and a fixedhead coupe (FHC) all ready for a new owner to enjoy.
In this weeks' update we have a pair of E-Types, we discuss seatbelt options and we look back at an XK140 barn find.

 

Jaguar XK140 DHC, FHC, OTS in Hampshire showroom

Jaguar E-Type V12 starting problems

This stunning Jaguar E-Type V12 is in immaculate condition. It has just had a new hood fitted by our friends at Mike Thomas trimming and it really is a sharp looking motorcar. The car had developed a starting fault, which is not uncommon for V12 E-Types. This is particularly true if they are used infrequently or have been started and run for short periods as cars often are when kept in storage over winter.
Once we got the car in our mechanic found that the starting problem was due to a weak spark. The car was fitted with some rather poor-quality spark plugs so these were replaced with good quality NGK plugs. The source of the poor spark was then traced back to a faulty coil. This was promptly replaced with one of our uprated coils. The car now starts on the button and runs sweetly on all 12 cylinders.

 

Jaguar V12 E-Type specialist

Jaguar XK140 barn find

Ok, so it's not a barn.... but this XK140 drophead coupe had been buried under all sorts of junk for decades in this Oxford garage. We featured this XK140 last week in its fully restored state so we thought it would be nice to share how it started out. This photo was taken back in 2013 when we were contacted regarding "an old jag" in a council lockup. We headed over there in our van with the trailer to have a look and were delighted to find a 100% complete XK140 drophead in rather sad condition with the front end of a Mini sat on top of it.
This XK has since been restored to the new owner's specification and is out being enjoyed. It is becoming increasingly rare to find these kinds of cars and those that we do find are rarely so complete. Fortunately, we have earned a reputation for treating people fairly and most importantly paying a fair price for such cars when we find them. As such we are often peoples first port of call when valuing a barn find and are always happy to help.

 

Jaguar XK140 barn find

Seat belts

We take our customers safety extremely seriously. As such we offer a range of seatbelts to help make these lovely classic cars safer. Although it is not a legal requirement to have seatbelts fitted to cars of this age there is an overwhelming body of evidence which shows their effectiveness in the event of an accident. We therefore feel it is common sense to have them fitted.
We can fit a variety of different seatbelt solutions to suit almost every application or need. Over the years we have fitted everything from five-point racing safety harnesses to static lap belts to XKs in a whole host of different colours. Our most popular option is pictured here fitted to an XK140 drophead coupe. These are three-point inertia seatbelts which are up to modern standards using webbing chosen to compliment the interior and a beautiful chrome buckle featuring a leaping cat. The webbing colour can be chosen from a range of options available to suit your tastes.

 

Jaguar XK140 seat belts

Jaguar E-Type - new purchase inspection

This lovely Jaguar E-type Series 1 is a 4.2 roadster. It has recently been purchased by one of our long-standing customers who has brought the car into us to be checked over and brought up Twyford Moors standards. We have carried out a detailed inspection of the car, reported back to the owner and are now commencing a series of work agreed with him.
The car is in overall very nice condition but has a number of electrical faults to be attended to. This is quite common to see where little niggling faults which aren't easily or obviously fixed build up over the years. In this case its mostly minor problems like the interior lights, map light, time clock and brake fluid level warning light which aren't working. There are also a few more major issues such as the side lights and ignition warning light to attend to.
Beyond the electrics there is a series of mechanical items to attend to, a few upgrades to be fitted and some cosmetic matters to be looked at.

 

Jaguar E-Type specialist Hampshire

Jaguar XK150 aluminium radiator

I think we can all sympathise with becoming a little leaky after over 60 years on this earth. This XK150 still had its original radiator fitted having never been overhauled or re-cored. As such we would say it has done rather well lasting for over 62 years. Unfortunately, it had held on for as long as it could and finally sprung a leak.
We have a range of options to deal with such radiator faults. We can repair small leaks depending on their size and locations. We can also re-core original radiators if the owner is particularly keen on originality. In this case the owner opted to upgrade with an aluminium radiator. These aluminium radiators increase cooling efficiency, have mounting points to secure an electric fan to the rear of the radiator and have an integrated thermostatic switch for the cooling fan fitted to the bottom of the radiator in a hidden location. This new radiator, combined with an expansion (or header) tank and an electric cooling fan give an XK a much more efficient cooling system, well suited to modern motoring. 

 

Jaguar XK150 aluminium radiator

Classic car servicing

Our diary is rapidly filling up with cars coming in for work ahead of the driving season. We are delighted to see that people are planning to get out and enjoy their classic cars once restrictions allow. After so many cars saw very little use last year it is more important than ever to ensure your classic is in good condition ahead of getting out to enjoy the Spring and Summer weather. We offer a comprehensive range of services from a quick check over and advise to full service and oil change or even a few upgrades to improve comfort or reliability. Although we specialise in Jaguar XKs and E-Types our experienced staff have a huge amount of classic car knowledge between them and we take care of a wide variety of cars. Whatever your car and whatever you need doing please give us a call for a chat to see what we can do to help.

Classic car servicing Hampshrie