1952 Jaguar XK120 restoration

Well 4-2 I vote for you to install the gearbox oil dipstick access cover.
Super impressed by the quality of your work. Keep it up.

Its looking fantastic, you must be really chuffed with it :-)

Velcro?

You mean after all this work you're actually going to drive it rather than trailering it to shows for a load of sad acts to pick apart? The JOC will be very disappointed.

I can't imagine there are nicer cars in the club, or in many other places for that matter!

Lots of little jobs, not many photo worthy.

Still waiting on battery terminals so I can’t attempt a start.
Other than installing the seats, I think I can declare the interior finished.
I made a panel (out of my favourite signboard material ) to cover the underside of the cowl. It was a heap of work, particularly as there was nothing there before, just painted ( barely ) metal. So I had no template.
Here it is installed. It’s covered in moquette, a sort of wool velour. It makes the interior a nicer place to be.







Of course I forgot about the bonnet release so it had to come back out so I could fit a pair of rivnuts. Previously it was mounted with a couple of bolts but unfortunately without captive nuts.

Finished. I’m still undecided about the gearbox dipstick cover.








Finally found the cajones to sand and compound the bonnet. It’s all ok, so I put the badge on it.










The floors have holes that the jack goes through. In this photo you can see the box section on the chassis that the jack engages with (arrow).
The timber on the right is the fill-in piece. I made new retainers ( circled) from some stainless sheet, because I couldn’t find the originals. Thought they’d turn up as soon as I finished the replacements, but no. So they must be really, really lost. Another dimension even.









Here’s one in place.










Also installed the fan switch for the yet to be installed electric rad blower.






That’s all for now.
Cheers

Got the steering wheel finished and in the car.







The manette, as it is known, is fairly complicated. It has the indicator switch and horn button.
These don’t turn with the wheel.
Plus the wheel is adjustable for in and out, though I cannot imagine someone with arms short enough to want it anywhere but as far forward as possible. Which also helps to get the chest piercing horn button a bit further away.
I used the assembly from a Mk IV parts car that I have. The internals were very slightly different but in much better order than my originals. It also had the four wires attached and in good order so that saved me some work as that wasn’t part of the new wiring harness.
This is it as viewed from the steering wheel side. The chrome outer ring is die cast and in pretty bad condition. I can’t plate die cast so I went with black gloss. I quite like the look.











Also made some brackets to mount the electric fan.
Folded up some 2.5mm ally and used the leftover black paint from the steering wheel.








Fan is in and working.








That’s all for now.
Cheers

This is the original fan, no shroud.
Cooling was ok, the electric is just for a bit of help. I don’t drive it on hot days, I don’t like getting cooked!