After over thirty years on the road the then owner decided to restore the Jaguar. He moved the car to a barn where it was partly dismantled and stripped of paint. For some reason the owner changed his mind. He left the car alone and the next twenty years the Jaguar sat quietly in it’s Christchurch barn. After discovery by a local restorer in the year 2002 the car was acquired and an extensive restoration followed.

Before restoration the car was studied in detail. Crucial information was found in books and in old photographs. All original parts were put together to see if the car was still complete. It was complete, even the side screens were still around. The hood frame was found to be heavily twisted, and the boot lid had been exchanged with a badly fitting XK 140 item in the past.

The Jaguar was fully dismantled in a photographic recorded process and the body was taken off the chassis. The body and chassis were stripped off paint completely and the bright work was stripped of old chrome. Some of the aluminium body panels were to brittle to be repaired. The rear wings, the doors, the lower halves of the front wings, the boot lid and the bonnet had to be remade.

The ash frame has been fully restored and conserved. The original body panels were repaired and new panels were hand beaten from aluminium sheet. The body job was carried out meticulously, the shape had to be perfect in this phase. All panels and bright work were mounted to check for perfect fit.

The body base structure and the panels were primed with special epoxy for aluminium.
Epoxy is the best primer to protect and conserve the metal. After that a layer of spray filler was applied and sanded way down to smoothen the body. The restoration has been carried out with a minimal amount of filler (thin and crisp restoration). The bodywork was primed, sanded, painted cream white (glasslike).

All chrome parts, including the special Abbott windscreen frame and grille, were stripped of old chrome and triple plated to perfection.

The chassis was sand blasted inside and out, meticulously cleaned, primed and spray painted black according to original specifications. The inside of the tubular chassis was extensively corrosion proofed. Fuel tank has been recreated using the original example.
All mechanics, engine, gearbox, rear axle, steering gear and brake system were fully restored and overhauled within the smallest tolerances. The engine was given some mechanical upgrades like forged pistons. Dyno-tested for three hours before it was mounted to the car.

A new walnut veneer varnished wooden dashboard was fabricated, as original. All gauges like the odometer, speedometer, rev. counter and all switches have been taken apart for full restoration, overhaul, and calibration.

The seat frames, springs and inner material were fully restored and renewed. The seats, rear bench, door panels, dash top and bottom were upholstered with first class red Connolly leather. The floor was upholstered with fine red wool carpet.

The hood frame was stripped of paint repaired and fully restored as were the side screen frames. The soft top, side screen trim and the tonneau cover have been crafted from the highest quality mohair.

The Jaguar has been built up to the highest possible standards. Perfect inside and out. All new wiring was fitted. Nuts and bolts, screws, washers and other small parts of the original type were used.

The restoration took about 5.000 hours of work.
The old brittle aluminium body parts which were not used were kept and come with the car.
More than a 1000 digital pictures are available.