DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

That’s better!
Thanks for all that.

That’s a substantial engine and gearbox unit!

Thanks for the update

heavy is definitely an appropriate term…. apparently an XK engine with all ancillaries weighs about 600 lb… So 272 kg…. but when you add on the gearbox which must be in the order of 50 kg then we’re a bit more than 300..!….

..

If I remember correctly, the cast iron block on its own weighs ~ 70 kg - & the crank must be another ~ 25-30kg !


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Part 18

This is not the space to debate the attitude of the DVLA to historic vehicles, that has been and continues to be debated on a plethora of forums ….for me it was a simple worry….the car was being restored and we were making a number of eminently sensible upgrades to safety…but were we at risk

I consulted and joined the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club (JEC) as I knew they had many years of experience in these matters, but I also knew that the DVLA with their curious 8 point rule system were known to be a law unto themselves….

So the fundamental risk was to continue too far which could result in a rejection of its historical status….or try to have the car inspected earlier….however they didn’t like the idea of inspecting a car in parts….

What to do…..

Not exactly much of a choice…we agreed that I would apply to register the car and anticipated that would give us a window of 4-6 weeks before we could expect the earliest date for an inspection….this would give Barry sufficient time to try and complete as much work as we deemed necessary without committing too much of his time and wasting money

I was wasting enough money as the repeated transportations of the car were adding up…..

The rear lights were glued into place, a semblance of the interior was mocked up in plywood with the original seats installed….all chassis and drivetrain identity plates were cleaned up and I also had the original gearbox on hand if the inspector asked for it











In some respects it was also a good test run of mating body to chassis, as it had to be done in a certain way (with the body raised more at the front for the necessary clearance of front bulkhead to rear of the engine), which meant that in the future when we were doing this with a painted shell we had experience of what not to do……and did at least give us the moral boost of seeing that lovely engine nestled in place….and see how the car sat with the new dampers and bushes….and in the process allowed us to design and refine the hoist framework, and test it in practice, as the final assembly had to be done without any damage to the paintwork…..

All rather lovely it has to be said…..







And whilst we were at it we tried the new door handles, which in true Jaguar fashion had to have the spindles prepped to ensure they were perfectly horizontal in the normal condition…and slice the end spindle to accept a locking set screw…both of which were perfect challenges for the ever inventive Mr Carter…….















It was a gamble as the car would not be in paint and hardly ready to drive, which had been mentioned in correspondence with the DVLA …but that simply wasn’t an option…..

I wasn’t far off with my finger in the air at 300kgs then. It is heavy, but much of it behind the front axle line

Looks beautiful on the chassis - breath taking.


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Looking forward to the bottom line from the DVLA process.

How does Barry get such a body onto the chassis?
Is there a gantry crane which i have not spotted in his shop?

Part 19

Apologies for the suspense….I just had to do that…… in truth the inspector was a really decent chap and knew his classic cars… We had a good chat for the briefest of 15 minutes in which time he was perfectly satisfied that we were building a genuine car, was very happy to hear it would be trimmed and painted in the original colours, complemented us on the quality of the bodywork and the lovely engine and fully appreciated the use of a 5 speed gearbox for economy and driving in todays roads….

True to his promise, the resultant certificate of registration….otherwise known as a new V5 arrived within a couple of weeks….further pleasure derived from the fact that they assigned a lovely plate




That was a very good day…..

The internal frame was designed specifically so we could use a standard engine hoist crane…accessed through the side windows….keeping it all very straightforward….with the nose of the car tilted upwards 10/15 degrees or so it dropped fairly easily into place…

As for the number plate number perhaps 120 would have been even better…..but there again that would be a bit predictable……for me all those characters are clean looking…no serifs or awkward format of letters…I dislike B or D as they have additional extensions for example and letters like R or K are not that elegant

So with that process out of the way the shell remained at Barry’s for a few more months for certain fettling……

Excellent result, nice to read some clear understanding via the DVLA.

Part 20

Fettling….


The noun fettle is found most often in the stock phrase in fine fettle “in a good state or condition.” Fettle is originally a British dialect word (Lancashire in northwest England), a verb meaning “to shape, prepare, fix, arrange.” Further origin is obscure: fettle may come from Middle English fetlen…..

Well…at least I was in good company as my family originates from Wigan….


And boy did we have a degree of fettling to deal with…..


The relief that the inspection was a success is difficult to convey…I had invested a considerable amount of money into the car, and more was required…so the confirmation that an age related plate was to be granted was a real boost to the project

Over the time that Barry was working on the car, due to the fact that it was not only a great deal of time, but that it demanded an extreme level of creativity to solve unique problems it oscillated between his favourite project but also one he was arguably fed up with

Of all the cars he has worked on it was the one he always loved the look of, and was the one car that drew the most complementary comments from visitors to the workshop…but we were both aware that we needed to draw some kind of closure to the metalworking….but there were still a number of finishing touches required…and bespoke designs in need of solutions



It’s not that Barry’s work is in any way incomplete or lacking in refinement….but when the client is somewhat troubled with OCD issues…well….perhaps the client ( for once) needs to sort that out


In other words we agreed that Barry would complete the more challenging remaining items and then I would have a few weeks over the Christmas of 2023 to grind/fill/sand/polish/weld and tweak all that which I wished to….before (finally) the wheel moved to East Sussex and the warm embrace of DC…..

So what exactly was left….

Boot lid …rear lights and number plate


Sounds simple doesn’t it…….except ……

Original lid was a timber frame…which I wanted to be replaced with a bespoke aluminium structure….





























Original locking mechanism was an external handle which I wanted replaced with an internal pull mechanism to copy the same as my E Type….which then meant I had to source and Barry had to modify a completely different locking catch system….











The original number plate mounting system is medieval in concept and had to be replaced requiring a bespoke solution in the form of a perfectly proportioned recess, tailored to suit the 6 digit licence plate then to be illuminated by integrating the lifting handle and lighting system….a gorgeous crafted item that Barry suggested and fabricated from scratch….

















And the rear lights being originally a bolt on design, about as welcome as a boil on the bum of a medieval monk had to be designed from scratch …mocked up and then fabricated….







And finally…as we had changed the steering column system…there was a need to firstly form an elegant cover plate at the main bulkhead…..(I had seen too many cars modified from LHD to RHD with dreadful solutions…..)….and then craft the most perfect lower steering column from a few items…instead of the often seen lash up that everyone else seems to use….






















What could possibly be difficult about all of that….


Oh…and I had an idea that the front grille could be changed from the vertical parallel slats to a mesh infill…same as the protective cover grilles that adorn headlamps of a vintage era….so I needed a bespoke former…to profile a brass mesh…..(that’s me who’s going to do this….)













Time to get this car off and into paint……







Thanks for looking….

Stunning JP

That is an interesting insight on the project so far.

I'm sure the body shop will process the shell quickly as it is already looking so straight.
When it is back finally on the chassis you will be on the home straight!
Thanks for the posts as ever.

Wonderful stuff JP

911hillclimber wrote:I'm sure the body shop will process the shell quickly as it is already looking so straight.

‘Quick’ and ‘DC’ don’t sit comfortably in the same sentence, but it’s worth it