Historic Site Blog

Morning/afternoon members accross the world. Can someone please identify the following part for me. I am restoring a flat floor chassis ni 860064 which was semi srtipped down. Thank you.Andre

Greetings,

Took my 1970 E-type series 2 out for a drive and had to get transported back home due to loss of brakes.

They were fine to start. Well almost fine. I noticed a slight pull to the left and was able to pump once and get more brake peddle by a small amount.

Then I stepped on brakes and peddle went half way down, full and firm if pumped a couple times. It then got progressively worse, to the point that I had to pull over. 

No leaks that I could see. Reservoirs were full. 

Calipers on front had recently been rebuilt and pads replaced. 

Any thoughts on what might have failed? Sounds like the master cylinder or power assist.

Dan..

I understand that it is downloadable.  Where is it?

I just took delivery of my '70 E-type roadster and haven't a clue where the radiator fan hook up to power. 

I found they were disconnected.

Any help would be appreciated.

Dan..

A lovely DIY project for young kids or adults who always wanted a E-TYPE underneath their Christmas tree. All you need is paper, a good printer and some basic supplies. There are 2 PDF files to download. (1) The E-TYPE TEMPLATES & (2) ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS. To DOWNLOAD simply click on the TWO images below. You can also WATCH A VIDEO.

FIRST IMAGE

 SECOND IMAGE

We are very proud to present to our Facebook Fans the World's FIRST Jaguar App. Developed for lovers of Classic Jags. Just CLICK on the image to use it on Facebook. You can use it to UPDATE YOUR STATUS or  INSTANT MESSAGES to Groups and Friends. We welcome your comments and feedback.

CLICK ON IMAGE.

A new addition to our family of Jaguar scale models. It is the XK 180 by MAISTO 1:18 Scale.

XK 180 HISTORY http://www.jaguarheritage.com/t/othercars_039

WOW! FANTASTIC VIDEO DOCUMENTARY by Jaguar Cars North America of an E-Type S1.5 being delivered and driven across Europe and the US.  Part 1 &2

PART 1

PART 2

By far the best visual Jaguar presentation we have ever seen on the Web. SIX STUNNING SLIDE-SHOWS on two pages. 

FIRST PAGE (Click on EACH of the FOUR photos to watch the automated slide-show)

(1) 1936 SS 100, (2) 1953 XK 120 Roadster, (3) 1956 XK 140 Coupe, (4) 1959 XK 150 S Roadster,

SECOND PAGE (Click on EACH of the TWO photos to watch the automated slide-show)

(5) 1962 E-Type Roadster,  (6) 1966 E-Type Coupe 4.2L

CLICK ON THE PHOTO BELOW TO WATCH THE SLIDESHOWS

Sixty-one amazing pages of E-Type, photos, facts and values in this PDF booklet that you can read or download for free. Just CLICK on the photo. ENJOY. HAPPY NEW YEAR.

PLEASE HELP US BY SHARING THIS BLOG POST WITH YOUR FRIENDS. CLICK on one of the SHARE BUTTONS on the RIGHT HAND SIDE. THANKS.

Read THE VERY FUNNY LYRICS as the Jaguar wins the race by beating the Thunderbird in the end.  The song is track #10 on the album Chuck Berry on Stage. It was written by Chuck Berry 

FIRST VERSION

Of interest at least one photo in the 2nd version of this song was STOLEN from our FACEBOOK PAGE.

SECOND VERSION

Ever since we started our Website more than 5 years ago we have been fascinated by Marc Vorgers' artistic photography of cars. His photos are a cut above the rest. Marc is the Owner of CLASSICARGARAGE in The Netherlands. 4 of the cars featured in this Blog post are FOR SALE  and 1 has been SOLD. If you are interested in any of them please contact Marc by E-mail: info@ClassicarGarage.com. To view each Photo Essay just CLICK on each photo.

1) Jaguar Mk IV 3.5 Litre Drophead Coupe, 1947 (FOR SALE)

2) Jaguar XK 120 Fixed Head Coupe, 1952 (FOR SALE)

3) Jaguar E-type 4.2 Litre FHC series 1, 1966 (FOR SALE)

4) Jaguar Mk II 3.8 Litre, 1960 (FOR SALE)

5) Jaguar E-type 4.2 Litre OTS, 1969 (SOLD)

One of the worthiest car related charitable causes on the Web is DRIVE AWAY CANCER NOW. During July 2014 through this Website and our Facebook Page THE JAGUAR SOCIAL NETWORK WEBSITE we are hoping to raise at least $500 to donate to their cause via PayPal. To donate simply click on the photo. Minimum donation $5. Thank you to all those that donate and support this wonderful cause.

CLICK on PHOTO to DONATE

Rafe, I think ebay # 181416999073 is bogus, the VIN is 1E34694, this auction doesn't give a VIN or location starting bid is unrealistic, photos are the same as used in an auction 2 years ago. http://www.xkedata.com/cars/detail/?car=1E34694.

FREE DOWNLOAD 20 page Adobe  PDF booklet "Restoration Tips" by GUY BROAD. Guy Broad is one of the world's leading experts on Jaguar XK 120/140/150.

CLICK on the photo to start downloading this EXCELLENT FREE booklet. The name of the file is "Guy-Broad-Restoration-Tips.pdf"

.CLICK ON PHOTO TO START YOUR DOWNLOAD

FREE DOWNLOAD of this excellent 34 page book in  Adobe PDF format . Loads of fabulous photos and historical details.

Just click on the photo to start your download. The name of the file you are downloading is "Jaguar_75_Book.pdf" and is about 26.1 Megabytes.

Here are the new pics of the V-8 FI '63 E-type CAT

residing at home. Riggs' Brothers upholstery really did a great job in making the custom console look not so custom; as was requested by the Jag's owner. The alloy shift tower proved to be the most challenging. Recall: moved back 4" to accomodate Ford Tremec 5sp.

(Still the best rock crusher I've driven!) A center console box was added from a '67 E-type as cellphones, door remotes, etc. have now become standard.

I drove the Cat 20 miles from ZZAAPP Vintage to Riggs' Bros.

this past Fall; got no speeding tickets. Now that this project is completed, save a few trim items, it looks to be quite natural in stance, as well as, appearance.

Note the short exhaust exits-less resonators-as their inlet diameter was far too restrictive for 365

H.P.! One suggestion to owner:

Vanity plate should read this way: FOMOCAT. With the price of E-types abiding in the 100K range, I still would advise that the 2+2 versions & the incomplete parts car coupes be given towards the V-8 project.

One of the finer decisions was to install new H.D. subframes throughout. I would advocate that all restorations do likewise, as I have seen very well maintained E's with frame rust holes! Dangerous!

If so interested, ZZAAPP Vintage is on hand to consult or construct such a project. FYI: Using a carburetor reduces initial cost, build time & research. ZZAAPP did make a daydream a reality and we do thank: AutoMachine, St. Chas., IL., Riggs' Brothers Upholstery, St. Chas. IL., Bassett's restorations, Rhode Island, Engel Imports, Grand Rapids, MI, Simply British, N.Y. (R.I.P.(my friend) Fred Petrosky), Gordon Hardware, DeKalb,IL., Lovell Exhaust, DeKalb, IL.(Hutch 'da Man!) and lastly:

young project assistant, Justin Burke. (Mr. 60135).

Dear all,

I have received quite some help from this Social Network and would like to thank you for that. Unfortunately I had a very bad surprise at the beginning of 2014 and my Jaguar has been stolen out of my garage. The XK 120FHC was completely disassembled, the Body was taken of the chassis and the chassis was jacked up without wheels on. All this didn't stop the thief's to remove the car and almost all parts.

If anybody should hear anything about this car or should get parts offered parts which can't be traced clearly I would be glad to hear about it. These are the Serial numbers I have from the main components:

Chassis: 680381

Engine: W-3963-8

Gearboxnumber: JL13923

Bodynumber: J 2391

The car is missing the following parts:

- original rear shock absorbers

- the engine has no carburetors and the manifold is missing

- no alternator and no starter motor

- the inside chrome window frame is missing and only the right outside one is with the car

- no exhaust system

- no bumpers, only the irons of the rear bumper were stolen

- no grill

- no front hatch lock

If anyone should spot parts from car or receive some requests for above parts, I am more than happy to get some informations which could help to track down the thief's. The car is been stolen in the north of Germany in Wismar and I can be contacted through the Network or via email: To.Graf@gmail.com

Thank you and kind regards

Tobias

This Blog Post has been reproduced in part from the WIKIPEDIA JAGUAR XK 120 entry. 

RACE WINS

1949

• First race victory: In the Daily Express-sponsored One-Hour Production Car Race held on 30 August 1949 at Silverstone Circuit, England, Leslie Johnson drove the Jabbeke car to the XK120's first-ever race victory (despite an early collision with a spinning Jowett Javelin which dropped the Jaguar to fifth). The car, road-registered HKV 500, was converted to right-hand drive for Silverstone. Two other XK120s took part. One, driven by Peter Walker, finished second and the other, driven by Prince Bira, spun out of contention when a tyre punctured.

1950

• First victory in America: In January 1950 Johnson also scored the model’s first competition success in America, winning the production class in a race at Palm Beach Shores, Florida with the car that had finished second at Silverstone. The Jaguar lost its brakes but finished fourth overall. John Lea, Jaguar’s Experimental Department mechanic who attended the race, reported: "The conditions at Palm Beach were wet, windy and sandy. Water and sand gained entry into the brake drums at the front, and the mixture had the effect of accelerating the wear very considerably. Our car finished with no linings and with the steel shoes bearing on the brake drums."

In 1950 Jaguar allocated six alloy-bodied XK120s to drivers Johnson, Walker, Nick Haines, Clemente Biondetti, Ian Appleyard and Tommy Wisdom.

• Le Mans: Three of the allocated cars, extensively modified, were entered for the 1950 Le Mans 24 Hours race. Johnson, who spearheaded this factory-supported assault on the race with co-driver Bert Hadley, never ran lower than seventh place, and held second for two hours, but in the 21st hour had to retire from third place with clutch failure caused by using the gears to slow the car in the absence of brakes. (As a result the clutch was revised to a more robust design for production models.) The Jaguar had been closing the gap to leader Louis Rosier, whose Talbot's pace was significantly slower, at a rate that would have secured victory.. Haines, with co-driver Peter Clark, finished 12th, and Walker’s car, driven by Peter Whitehead and John Marshall, was 15th. The results convinced William Lyons it was worth investing in future success at Le Mans..
• Targa Florio: Biondetti's car, the first XK120 to contest the Targa Florio, lay second to Alberto Ascari’s Ferrari when a connecting rod broke, ending the Jaguar’s run.
• Mille Miglia: Johnson took fifth place in the Mille Miglia, with John Lea as his riding mechanic, while Biondetti and co-driver Gino Bronzoni finished eighth. Fifth was an outstanding achievement for a production car, with Johnson's Jaguar beaten only by Fangio's works Alfa Romeo and the works Ferraris of Serafini, Bracco and winner Marzotto. It was Jaguar's best-ever finish in the Mille Miglia; also the best by a British car and driver combination, a feat that only Reg Parnell ever equalled, driving an Aston Martin DB3 in 1953.
• Silverstone Production Car Race: Five XK120s entered the race, which Peter Walker won from Tony Rolt, with Johnson recovering to eighth after spinning on oil. Jaguar won the team prize.
• Tourist Trophy: XK120s also achieved a 1–2–3 victory in the TT, held at Dundrod in heavy rain. On the eve of his 21st birthday Stirling Moss drove Tom Wisdom's car to a brilliant win ahead of Whitehead and Johnson, and Jaguar once again took the team prize.
• Alpine Rally: Ian Appleyard's XK120, road-registered as NUB 120, won the Alpine Rally with his wife Pat, who was the daughter of Sir William Lyons, navigating. They also won a coveted Coupe des Alpes.

1951

• Alpine Rally: NUB 120 and the Appleyards repeated their previous year's success.
• Tulip Rally: The Appleyards took first place in the Tulip Rally, with Swiss fighter pilot Rolf Habisreutinger’s XK120 finishing second.

                                                                                                                                                      This 1950 XK120 roadster won a

                                                                                                                                                      Coupe des Alpes and a Coupe d'Or

1952

• Alpie Rally: Although the Appleyards’ XK120 did not win its third Alpine, it completed the rally without incurring a single penalty point, This 1950 XK120 roadster won a Coupe winning the first-ever Coupe d'Or (Gold Cup).

                                                                                                                                                                                           1954   

• Mount Druitt 24 Hours Road Race: On 1 February 1954, an XK120 FHC driven by Geordie Anderson, Chas Swinburne and Bill Pitt won Australia's first 24-hour motor race, the 1954 Mount Druitt 24 Hours Road Race from a Bristol 400 and a Humber Super Snipe.
• NASCAR road race: In America, an XK120 FHC was the first imported car to achieve victory in NASCAR, when Al Keller won the first NASCAR road race, held at Linden Airport, New Jersey, on 13 June 1954.

HIGH SPEED RUN AND RECORDS

1949

• 132.596 mph (213.393 km/h) through the flying mile: in May, Jaguar demonstrated an XK120 roadster to the press on the high-speed autoroute between Jabbeke and Aeltre in Belgium. The road was closed for the occasion. The white left-hand drive car, chassis number 670002, was the second XK120 built. Jaguar's development engineer Walter Hassan was to have driven but fell ill, so Jaguar test-driver Ron "Soapy" Sutton substituted. With hood and sidescreens erected, and the airflow under the car improved by the addition of a full-length aluminium undertray, the Jaguar was timed through the flying mile by the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium at 126.448 mph (203.498 km/h). With hood, sidescreens and windscreen removed, a metal airflow deflector fitted in front of the driver, and a tonneau cover fastened over the passenger side of the cockpit the speed improved to 132.596 mph (213.393 km/h). The Observer's Book of Automobiles said it was the fastest production car in the world..

1950

• 107.46 mph (172.94 km/h) for 24 hours (including stops for fuel and tyres): Leslie Johnson sharing his XK120 roadster, road-registered JWK 651, with Stirling Moss at the Autodrome de Montlhéry, a steeply banked oval track near Paris. The first time a production car had averaged over 100 mph (160.93 km/h) for 24 hours. Changing drivers every three hours, the Jaguar covered 2579.16 miles, with a best lap of 126.2 mph (203.10 km/h).

1951

• 131.83 mi (212.16 km) for one hour: Johnson solo in JWK 651 at Montlhéry. "No mean feat...driving at almost twice today's maximum (UK) speed limit into a steep turn, assaulted by the G-Force induced by 30 degree banking twice every minute, using Forties technology, leaf spring suspension and narrow crossply tyres...Johnson remarked that the car felt so good it could have gone on for another week, an off-the-cuff comment that sowed the seed for another idea. Flat out for a week...".

This 1952 XK120 fixed-head coupė averaged 100 mph for a week

1952

• 100.31 mph (161.43 km/h) for 7 days and 7 nights, again at Montlhéry: XK120 fixed-head coupé driven by Johnson, Moss, Hadley and Jack Fairman. William Lyons, mindful of the considerable kudos and advertising mileage that had already accrued from Johnson's exploits, commandeered a brand new XK120 FHC for him: bronze-colored, and fitted with wire wheels, it was Jaguar chief engineer Walter Hassan's car, the second right-hand drive coupé made.[13] The car broke a spring on the track's rough concrete surface when already well into the run. No spare was carried, and regulations stipulated that a replacement from outside would make the car ineligible for any further records beyond those already achieved before the repair. Johnson drove nine hours to save the other drivers from added risk while the speed had to be maintained on the broken spring. When he finally stopped to have it replaced, the car had taken the world and Class C 72-hour records at 105.55 mph (169.87 km/h), world and Class C four-day records at 101.17 mph (162.82 km/h), Class C 10,000-kilometer record at 107.031 mph (172.250 km/h), world and Class C 15,000-kilometer records at 101.95 mph (164.07 km/h), and world and Class C 10,000-mile (16,000 km) records at 100.65 mph (161.98 km/h). After the repair the car went on to complete the full seven days and nights, covering a total of 16,851.73 mi (27,120.23 km) at an average speed of 100.31 mph (161.43 km/h).