Not For The Faint-hearted - Part 6

by Peter Mitchell

I mentioned in my last article that I had modified the transmission tunnel to allow for the Jaguar five-speed gearbox to be accommodated. This in turn meant that I had to make a new cover for the tunnel before I could start to re-trim the car. Time and effort were spent getting it to ‘look right’ and now that it has been trimmed with black carpet it does not look out of place. To the uninformed eye it even looks original!

However, there was a problem which arose from removing the air conditioning as well as the changes I had made to the tunnel. This meant that the original fittings below the dashboard for the radio, etc., could not be retained. I therefore had to make a complete section of the facia between the instrument panel and the gearbox cover to house the radio and speakers. While this looks reasonable, it does not have the elegance of the original but the new radio/CD player works well.

Originally the car had beige trim. My intention was to purchase a complete trim kit in black, but, after all the necessary body and mechanical work had been completed, the budget would not extend to this. I therefore re-trimmed the door panels and rear floor with the correct black material which I obtained from CAC. I dyed the seats black, together with new carpets I had purchased, and the overall effect is at best adequate.

Fortunately at the Essen show I bumped into Mick Turley who told me that he had been following my restoration, via the E-type Club magazine, with interest and we discussed the problem of trimming the car. Mick had made a superb job of my XK 150 DHC; the hood he made was a work of art. Apart from looking good, it has never leaked, even in extreme weather. I propose, in due course, to ask Mick if he will re-trim the E-type’s seats.

I booked the car in for an MOT test on April 1 and, as I drove it to the Fleet Main Garage in Coventry, I was hoping there would be no problems. This establishment has, for over 20 years, undertaken the testing on my numerous historic cars and it is always a relief to find that I had not missed anything. I always insist that the inspector brings up any point, no matter how minor, during the test. Far better to be safe than sorry. The E-type passed! However, while the tyres were apparently good, cracks, due to age, were starting to appear between the sidewall and the tread. In view of this shortcoming, there was no way I would use the car to go to the Essen show without buying five new covers.

I was due to leave for Germany on April 3 but, having made several enquires, I was unable to get the quality of tyres I wanted at a price I could afford. This proved to be a benefit, as at the Techno Classica Show I managed to buy five Vredestein 185-70-15RH tyres and tubes for €500. The Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, which had a splendid display there, kindly agreed to bring the tyres back for me. So thanks to the JDHT the car is now well shod and is going through its ‘running-in’ period. Having covered some 550 miles, it seems taut and handles the road well, but the speedo, as one would expect, is showing a very slow reading. I estimate that at 3000 revs the car will be travelling slightly above 90 mph in fifth gear.

The total rebuild was a major task and took one year and two days to complete. It is not a professional or concours restoration, but my Jaguar is mechanically very sound and is an excellent usable, long term, every-day road car that will cope at speed with road and traffic conditions anywhere in the UK or mainland Europe. Soon after its completion, my son commented: “it looks beautiful, but well-used”. That, I think, says it all.

© Peter Mitchell, January 2005.