Innholdsfortegnelse for Aug/Sep 2022 i Classic Jaguar

This example of a bespoke Classic Reborn E had a high profile baptism of fire, as its first run was to represent the ’60s in the Queens Platinum Jubilee parade – (see the JDHT column on page 36). The 1965 S1 Roadster showcased the capabilities of Jaguar Classic to comprehensively update E-types. The special commissions stunning exterior finish was inspired by the Union Jack and the interior by iconic British pillar boxes. Mechanically, the standard 4.2 XK engine was uprated to 4.7 litre, married to JCs five speed gearbox, plus uprated suspension and brakes. In a nice element of personalisation, the customer requested a car from the year of his birth – JCs sourcing team managed to track a donor vehicle originally built just two days before his birthday! Further…

‘SU’ FUEL INJECTION CONVERSION Over the years, Tom Barclay Racing has fitted an array of EFI conversions for the Jaguar XK Engine. All have worked, well, but they found a number of clients that wanted all the benefits of fuel injection whilst retaining visual originality. This caused them to develop the system pictured here: Injectors are fitted to the original inlet manifold and the carburettors are retained intact, used as throttle bodies. Advantages include easier cold starts, an increase in power and torque, improved driveability and fuel economy; reduced emissions and E10 fuel compatibility. Price for a turnkey installation, including unobtrusive integration of the electronic engine management system and rolling road mapping are in the region of £9k. www.tombarclayracing.co.uk; 01844 274851 3.8 E FUEL PUMP CONVERSION Once again, SNG Barratt…

It has taken a while, but the steel bodied XK8, also known as the X100 from its factory project number, has followed it’s XJ-S predecessor into classic status and collectability. In the world of XJ-S desirability, cars modified by recognised tuners such as TWR and Lister, command premium prices. The same follows for the XK8, so when the opportunity arose to sample an example influenced by Arden GmbH in detail, we didn’t hesitate… THE ARDEN CONNECTION A specialist in Jaguars and TVRs, Racing Green Cars is renowned for its upgrades and workmanship. Back in the early 2000s, it enjoyed a close alliance with Arden and became its main distributor in the UK. All of Racing Green’s workshop facilities were on site, making the fitting, fine tuning and testing of the…

I have always admired Jaguar motor cars since I was a small boy but never had the opportunity to own one until I took the plunge in 1992 buying a 1988 XJ6 Saloon in Moorland Green Metallic with Biscuit interior. Since then, I have bought a 1966 XKE Coupe in 2000 and a 2003 XJ Vanden Plas Saloon in 2004. I have a tendency to retain my cars for a long time as I kept these three vehicles for 12, 18 and 14 years respectively. Fast forward to today and I do not own any of those previous Jaguars but have assembled another trio of Jaguars which I call my ‘Jaguar Royal Family’. Why Royalty? Royalty takes years in the making and my current Jags are no exception and I…

Based on the ‘Sunshine Coast’ of Eastbourne, East Sussex, Michelle Manes has been building a reputation for quality body restoration and paintwork on a vast selection of classic cars since forming Painting Classic Cars in 2017. A car enthusiast of Italian heritage, Michelle states her reason for starting the company as simply wanting “what was agreed to be done, done”. Having taken her classic Mercedes to a garage for restorative repairs, she was disappointed with various delays, excuses, price rises – and ultimately, only a mediocre job completed. ETHOS “A car bodyshop and a classic car bodyshop are two very different things”, says Michelle. “The general bodyshop is accident repair based, with the focus being on swiftly returning transport back to the road and looking undamaged. The processes are very…

If the bloke down the pub is to be believed, we’d all be running our cars with sticky tyres, huge aluminium calipers and dustbin lid sized ventilated discs, suffering as we did so with rocksolid suspension. But it needn’t – and indeed shouldn’t – be like that. I know my way around Jaguars and have owned them since a teenager. But it pays to listen. For me, the oracle in all things E-type, is Paul Brace at Eagle E-types. His sage advice has always been to keep things in balance, where never has cause and effect been more important. Fit huge brakes and ignore the tyres, then you could be in for some interesting skill tests should heavy braking overcome grip. Easy answer, fit super sticky tyres. The dominos are…

Greta Lyons, of all people, knew something was badly wrong. Her husband wasn’t exactly secretive about his work, when things were going well, he was positively gushing. When things were going badly, he simply stopped communicating at normal levels, saying just enough to be polite. Always polite, never angry, she’d only seen him lose his temper two or three times in their whole married life. And they were nearly all to do with cars breaking down at inopportune times. Was there ever a right time? The body parts don’t fit together. Production is at a standstill. That was all he had said to her. She had no answers, she felt powerless to help. All she could do was be there and act as normal as she could. And the fact…

I am frequently told that in my alternative existence as a track instructor, I have “the best job in the world” … now if your idea of ‘best’ is sitting next to people and getting badly killed on a regular basis – that’s your opinion. However, sometimes the stars align, and I was the beneficiary of a particularly rewarding ‘gig’ which gave me the opportunity to experience a Jaguar Classic Works Reborn E-type in a convivial location. To share the story with you, I have hijacked ‘Wish You Were There?’ on page 88. If you can forgive my self-indulgence, I hope you will find much else to interest you in this issue, including (on page 40) the first of a series of self-penned ‘Readers Stories’. Perhaps you have a similar…

Over the weekend of May 14th & 15th, Brooklands (or more accurately, the museum grounds) was the main venue for the Jaguar Centenary Celebrations. In addition to race cars, there was much to see – as the images convey. Instead of a conventional report, enjoy Louise’s perspective: Iwanted to write this piece to say for once, I really enjoyed a Jaguar gathering -Iam not a petrolhead, my partner certainly is… (most weekends), and I frankly dread accompanying him. Most events involve sitting in a field with a couple of deck chairs and a picnic, and I must admit that after the first hour, when maybe a fresh car will make an appearance, I am bored and feel I could be doing something more constructive. This event was so different and…

The world was still recovering from the worst hostilities the globe had seen, and although World War 2 had been over for ten years, reminders of the conflict was everywhere. Rationing had finally ended in the UK late in 1954 but the Brits faced another challenge as fuel was rationed from the end of ’56 until May 1957 as the Suez crisis gripped. Britain then lurched from one catastrophe to another. But the light of hope glowed; dimly at first but soon the warmth of that glow was to bathe a nation in a light of success. A BRAVE NEW WORLD Aldous Huxley anticipated a future where humanity would be effectively hatched into divergent roles, each destined to adopt its own function in the future. Jaguar’s brave new world could…

With so much already written about the Jaguar Drivers’ Club’s amazing Centenary event at Brooklands (see page 8), it’s enough to say that around 1000 cars joined the wonderful displays laid on by the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, including the XJR-9 that the previous night’s guests of honour – Andy Wallace and Jan Lammers – drove to victory in 1988 with the late Johnny Dumfries. It was nonstop from then on, with events every weekend throughout May, including a special day out at the Shuttleworth Collection in Bedfordshire and another at the Jaguar Forums annual event at Denbies vineyard near Dorking. Coming soon is the JDC’s big national weekend on 23-24 July, this year featuring a morning tour on the Saturday followed by a gala dinner at Wroxall Abbey Hotel…

It took Jaguar some years to perfect a five-speed gearbox installation. There was the cumbersome ZF manufactured unit as fitted to the low run lightweight E-types, before they adopted the Rover derived LT77 unit for the Series 3 XJ6, and subsequently harnessed the Getrag for the 3.6 XJ-S. Way back in the seventies though, Jaguar came very close to manufacturing their very own. A few prototype examples made their way into road going versions - one was fitted to a customer Series 3 E-type, that has a back story so fascinating, that the story almost masks the Jaguar development story. It all began during World War 2. It was an audacious attempt. Five prisoners of war in Oflag V11B variously dressed as a Nazi officer, his adjutant, batman and Red…

Sussex based classic car paint and bodywork specialists Painting Classic Cars (who we visit on page 70) have recently been awarded the Novol Golden Partner accreditation. This recognises the companies’ abilities to provide the highest quality of work, using Novols unique paint systems that are designed specifically for the Classic Car industry. Of great importance to the customer, the award offers a 5 year product guarantee on all works completed with the full Novol For Classic Car range – afirst in the industry. PCC was established in 2017 by enthusiast and owner Michelle Manes, and painter Brad Strevett. The metal restoration is now handled by former Jaguar Enthusiast Club paint and body co-ordinator, and owner of XjRestorations Ltd, Keith Parrington. PCC are certainly not brand specific, with a range of…

In the last issue, we focused on how the Jaguar E-type has captivated celebrities over the years, right from its very launch. But for many, many millions more, who might never have seen an E-type in the metal and certainly have little hope of ever owning one, it’s via the big and small screens that they’ve been seduced by Jaguar’s sexiest ever creation. The presence of an E-type in a film or TV programme confers a sense of style and speed that’s arguably only comparable to a silver Aston Martin. And, as the car has aged, it’s also become a way of rooting a production to a particular era; nothing says the Swinging ‘60s quite like having an E-type pop up and steal the scene. The list of movies and…

There are few car events that can match up to the warm, welcoming, and celebratory atmosphere of the Summer Jaguar Festival on a warm sunny day. This is a car show, but like no other with a total focus on the car’s we love and an opportunity to see the most famous icons from Jaguar’s history in action, in stunning surroundings. If I sound a little more excitable than usual about the Summer Jaguar Festival, this year it is because we have a lot to celebrate! Not only do we have the opportunity to mark the centenary of the origins of Jaguar, but also, we can do it in fine style, by seeing our transport heritage as it should be seen – on the move! This year incredibly marks 100…

In the last issue, we looked into the theories that lie behind the subject of wheel alignment, we now consider the areas and means of adjustment that Jaguar have provided for us, and with them, how to achieve the perfect set up. Why bother? Optimised alignment will at the very least, reward us with minimised tyre wear, affording consequent running cost advantages – to this end, fuel will also be conserved if rolling resistance is as low as possible. A consideration gaining importance by the day! Beyond this, handling and braking performance will be consistent, and thus may one day save us from an accident situation. Finally, it will imbue the car with that indefinable ‘correct’ feel that only a well set up car can provide – the steering wheel…

Or send by post to: The Editor, Classic Jaguar, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6AL Sometimes in life, you realise that an experience will become a treasured memory, so before Alzheimer’s sets in, I thought I’d exercise the power vested in me and record it here for posterity. THE BACK STORY In real life, as opposed to the virtual word of journalism, I hold an ARDS race instructor licence – this has been my key to many cool jobs (not to mention a few tedious ones…). My recent venture fell squarely into the former camp. I was contacted, at short notice, to ask if I could work a week for JLR supporting their Formula E program. The venue? Monaco! The majority of…