Grace, Pace and Space ..even more so than the Jaguar.

[Bfg]

6 hours ago, Mally said:

I reckon a non factory roof modification would lower the value dramatically.

Mally, i do hope you recognise the raspberry blowing Alan Alda gif from the MASH series, in my reply, is targetted at the commercial world we live in ..and not at you personally. I really apologise if you felt I was being rude to you. That was not at all my intent. 

Having struggled to afford nice things for almost all of my life, and equally seeing so many others, who work long hours, hard and conscientiously., struggling while rich people walk over them to get fatter and ever more arrogant (as I see it ! ) - I've developed quite an odd distaste for monetary value in everything &/or being motivated by value and profit.  I'd just like what I buy to be enjoyable for me in the few remaining active years I have left (..without my actions or thoughts being hurtful to anybody else),  rather than my feeling compelled to pamper for whatever a next owner (richer-guy who doesn't get his hands dirty) may want. 

I am sorry if my post came across as offensive. 

Pete

[Bfg]

19 hours ago, lesapandre said:

In the US these MK2 sometimes got GM-V8's transplanted in. They occasionally turn up for sale.

..when I was living / working in the States, back in the mid 90's, I bought a XK150s Roadster (project) which had been butcher converted (..hacked firewall with numerous rivetted-on plates to reshape it) to accept a small block Chevrolet lump with automatic transmission.  I then spent $$-thousands on buying the correct engine block, the correct cylinder head and the correct inlet manifolds (with its triple carb setup being similar to the Mk10 but unique to the 150S spec), the gearbox and diff (..I had to buy three of each of these from the seller just to get the one I needed).. only to then be made redundant and have to leave the country within 30 days.!  I sold that car and all the parts for $6,000 in 1999, when the exchange rate was closer to $2 = £1 ..because I couldn't afford to pay for storage nor to ship it back to the UK.  The XK150 car is my all time favourite, which because of their current values led me to start looking for a Mk9 Jaguar. 

The prices for these big saloons is still not so unreasonable (..for driveable project cars) but I was stumped by their size. Way too big to park in 99% of town garages, so I'd need to rent barn space. Considering that impractical I bought the next nearest ..a so called 'compact saloon', albeit of the presently cheaper Daimler brand.  But at least I found a survivor with manual + overdrive. 

I blame it all on my Dad who when I was a boy bought a Mk7 Jaguar   I remember my brothers and I cleaning the car when it rained (Dad was RAF and at that time we lived in Singapore) with me standing on the armrests of the front seats to reach out of the (factory fitted steel) sun-roof to clean other parts of the roof with a sponge.  Yes even this Bfg was once a little boy.!     

 

[New POD]

12 hours ago, Matty said:

Found a good owner this. By the time you're finished with it, it'll be mint.

Or as some might say light green. 

[Mally]

8 hours ago, Bfg said:

Mally, i do hope you recognise the raspberry blowing Alan Alda gif from the MASH series, in my reply, is targetted at the commercial world we live in ..and not at you personally. I really apologise if you felt I was being rude to you. That was not at all my intent. 

Having struggled to afford nice things for almost all of my life, and equally seeing so many others, who work long hours, hard and conscientiously., struggling while rich people walk over them to get fatter and ever more arrogant (as I see it ! ) - I've developed quite an odd distaste for monetary value in everything &/or being motivated by value and profit.  I'd just like what I buy to be enjoyable for me in the few remaining active years I have left (..without my actions or thoughts being hurtful to anybody else),  rather than my feeling compelled to pamper for whatever a next owner (richer-guy who doesn't get his hands dirty) may want. 

I am sorry if my post came across as offensive. 

Pete

No need to apologise.  Although it was a little out of character for you, it was funny.

I've followed all your postings, and everything you do has added value. Intentionally or not.

I've had many convertibles, but learn't with the Dutton that cutting a hole in a sound roof does not always end well.

I believe you can do whatever you like to a  car. I've spent much of my life crashing them.

 

 

 

[lesapandre]

The Daimler brochures of the time show the cars in a very dark metallic grey too.

The 'Webastos' seem to have been fitted from new sometimes - not a factory option I think - but a dealer mod. 

On this 'Coombs' MK2 export in the US they show an original?

My only caveat about them - I had an XJ with one - is the amount of wind 'hiss' they generate inside when closed - which spoils the silence a bit on a long fast trip. That's all - never had a leak.

Lots of MK2's have had minor mods over the years - I don't myself thinks it diminishes desirability. 

Great project 👍 

[Bfg]

Well you know me...

... despite meaning well & kindly warnings . . . .

 

       n.o.s. ! 

 

   

  

 

 

Nuff said  ?

 

[High Jetter]

Are you brave enough to nibble it?

[Bfg]

59 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Are you brave enough to nibble it?

Sure, why not ?   I'm sure it'll all be fine by the time the big 'voiced' lady sings.! 

true, I may not get it as perfect as a seasoned professional might, but I've certainly done very much more risky things than this.  

Have faith my friend.  

[Bfg]

For your delight and delectation I give you . . . 

1958 Motor show feature

 

      

from 1923                                              1936                                            and  1944

                

.                                        From 1954                                                            and 1966

 

..so do you reckon they've got much experience in making weather resistant roofs ?

 

[Bfg]

14 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Are you brave enough to nibble it?

Tudor_Websasto_sunroof_manual_part 1, page 2

" Pass the cold chisel Fred ..and a big 'ammer  ..got to make an 'ole in this nice Daimler's roof "

🤓

[Bfg]

 

Today, I was down at the barn and looking at a sliding sunroof I'd like to fit. It's a Weathershield (UK made) rather than Wabasto (a German company) and I bought it new-old-stock via a contact I'd made on facebook ..Thanks Alan. It didn't come with a cutting template nor instructions but I've found a generic version of the latter on-line.

 

 

The sliding-fabric sunroof is approximately 35” square (outside dimensions) and I’m pretty certain it was shaped to fit a Rover P6, which has a flatter roof than the 1960’s Jaguar compact saloon.

The attached pictures show the sunroof’s runners / frame, as bought, masking taped in position on the car. The curvature of those aluminium pieces being too flat with 1” gap under the rear corners and 2” or so under the front corners. Carefully bending those aluminium sections, by hand against carpet to prevent bruising at the ends, was reasonably successful in reshaped them, without closing down the hood’s slider tracks very much at all. I’ll readjust those when the frame is dry fitted.

 

    

Those photos hopefully show how these parts now closely follow the roof’s curvature. I have in fact very slightly over-bent them, for sake of a slightly better final roof shape.

Once they were shaped and taped back into position - I set about making templates of the roof’s curvature, because I’d like to have some steel roof beams rolled, to be welded in place all around the cut edge.

 

    

I used the aluminium frame to position a piece of ¼” plywood, while marking the curve to cut. So far I’ve only cut the templates for the front & rear across-beams. The sides I hope to template later in the week (pending daylight & weather).

 

As you might have noticed ; the black paint on this car (over an original silver-grey) isn’t so beautiful insomuch as it’s shrunk and cracked. My friend Mathew is going to paint the car for me (very likely a fetching shade of Terry Wogan beige) ..so it’ll be a few months yet before the sunroof is finally fitted.

 

I’ve never done one before so it’ll be exciting to cut the hole. Hope it’ll be of interest to yourselves to see progress and the finished job..

 

Pete.

 

[Matty]

Sooner you than me Pete, by God that looks complicated. Good luck with it, sure it'll come out well 👍

[Bfg]

Happy Christmas to one & All.

As a single fella without family I've been avoiding shops and instead been playing in the barn with my Daimler.

I've never liked the chinless void (..and exposed chassis member) under the front bumper of the slim bumper cars (including the Jaguar 240, 340 and S-type) so am experimenting with adding a lower valance to my car.

Photos show just a mock up and to my eyes this valance is presently too deep, but with a little remodelling I think it'll work quite nicely, especially when repainted in body colour.

Pete

[Asimo]

Looking good!

[Bfg]

Following the preliminary reshaping & fitting of a front under-bumper valance panel / skirt, two days ago, I've proceeded to slim it down quite a bit.

Firstly I raised the whole panel by 30mm across the front and 20mm at its rear corner by the wheel arch. In did this by folding its top edge outwards as a flange. This then facilitates bolting it in place (to the crow's feet). When repositioned, I used black electrical tape to redefine the panel's bottom line.

  

Allowing 3/4" for a bottom flange (folded back) for stiffness, I cut the skirt shorter, and cut darts upwards to close around the corner.

   

I've tried to shape the panels so as to complement the curves of the front wing. I don't want it to project further forward nor to be wider than the body. It's intended to tuck under.

There's still a bit more smoothing of the corner shapes, as n' when I get the welder out, but in the meantime I'm happy with its more discrete size. 😎

I'm now proceeding to match the right-hand side to this one.

Pete

  

  

[lesapandre]

Looking good. Jaguar was run on a tight budget and it's no surprise that they did not attempt a valance to reduce costs.

Interesting and well researched article here - about the working methods at Browns Lane in the 60's to take MKII to S-Type:

https://prestigeandperformancecar.com/jaguar/jaguar-s-type-xj3-model-guide/

[Matty]

What was the valance off in the first place Pete? Having looked at the initial mockup photos again it's a staggeringly close match in the first place. I'm assuming a fair bit of research went in initially?

[Bfg]

14 hours ago, Matty said:

What was the valance off in the first place Pete? Having looked at the initial mock-up photos again it's a staggeringly close match in the first place. I'm assuming a fair bit of research went in initially?

Research        ..no not really much choice ..not at least since chrome bumpers and under valance panels went out of fashion 45 years ago. 

Most everything since went American rubber bumper, Euro rubber spoiler, or plastic. And even those cars (in the UK) which had valance panels / skirts under their front bumper were often limited in dimension. My TR4, and also the TR6, is just 48" wide O/A and their front-valance-panel only goes from inner wing to inner wing. And although the MGB has bulbous doors, that only adds another 3" to the car's overall width. The MK2 Jaguar / Daimler compact saloons may be diminutive by today's standards - but its almost a foot-and-a-half wider than the TR4.  If I could have found one off an Austin 1800 Landcrab then I would have thought I'd won the lottery ..as it was I bought an MGB one, via ebay for £30+ postage.  I always have been a big spender

 

^ common as mustard, but I always liked the look of these.

 

  

Matty.. "a staggeringly close match in the first place" .. The length forward from wheel arch cutout to the front corner of the car is massively different between many a front wheel drive car, or the British sports cars with a wheel at each corner, and a compact saloon like the Jaguar-Daimler.

   

So I cut it down the middle and re-bent it so its end reached around further to the wheel arch.

But even then, there are brackets and strengthening webs in the way. There's a real reason the Jaguar-Daimler saloon weighs more than half-a-ton more than a 'sports' car of the period is that it's built to crush anything upon impact. 

      

Nevertheless, issue by issue is tackled in turn, even though it's a challenge to hold the thing in place, so I could can stand back to assess how things are shaping up, without drilling holes either in the car or the panel.  But then it's 3:30pm and quickly turning too dark to work in a barn.  Anyway, the tools you need are at home,  and ...no, I really cannot be bothered to drive out to the storage container to look for the rivet gun ..I'll make do. 

Still., in time, and with a positive outlook, a mind's-eye impression of how it might possibly look, cuts are made, flanges are bent, the panel's corner reshaped around my knee ( literally laying on my back with feet in the air at 67 years old -  its child's play !  ..And then after re-straighten that flange out again before folding it 10mm lower down.., things begin to come together. 

And so was born the initial mock-up. 

 

[Matty]

So not just a stroke of luck then 🤣. Patience is always a virtue with jobs like these and evidently you have more than enough. Amazing work pal, I hope a bit rubs off. I'm still very much a hit and hope man myself!

[Bfg]

11 minutes ago, Matty said:

So not just a stroke of luck then 🤣. Patience is always a virtue with jobs like these and evidently you have more than enough. Amazing work pal, I hope a bit rubs off. I'm still very much a hit and hope man myself!

[Bfg]

21 hours ago, Bfg said:

The valance is quite tight to, just 1/8" away from, the chassis cross-member's bracket for the side bumper irons, so its rounded corner cannot go inwards any further, but.. to better follow the down-sweep curve of the wheel-arch - I can see that its rear bottom corner (immediately above the corner of the ramp) needs to come back another 1/2" and also be twisted outwards quite a bit further.

Taking the time to review photos, in the comfort of one's home and over a cup of coffee, is very often useful. The author of a blogger who was building a light aircraft - perhaps 20 years ago, called it "taking a Jenny" (after his wife) ..who would bring him a coffee and together they would stop and have a look ..and share the progress being made. I liked that and so likewise call my stopping for five, to stand back and look from different angles 'just taking a Jenny' after that good woman.

Pete

[Bfg]

Minor progress yesterday, just getting on with remaking the LHS valance.. trying to match it to the RHS  . . 

  

^  You can see how the MGB panel was a little too narrow, which after being cut in half, down the centre, and spreading it - I had the length to wrap further around the sides. The gap (yet to be joined) being neatly hidden under the number plate.

I like it !  

Even with the car up on ramps, the ugly chassis and suspension 'lumps' are neatly tucked away.  And I'm happy with its more discrete size and tighter shape now. 

Next I'll need to strip off its paint and get the welder set up. I've not used that in two years as I've given up paying BOC bottle rental, so I'm going to try Clark's small gas bottles together with a cheapo plastic regulator.  But even when welded up and beaten smooth shaped, the final flange fitting cannot happen until the underside of the body ..where this panel will be bolted onto, is repaired.

 

I've removed the horn grilles from under the headlamps - to see how the front of the car looks with less chrome.  I think, without them, the front of the car looks lighter, more sporty, wider and less cluttered. Of course, the mass of chrome will look very different when this car is repainted beige.

A few of you may also have noticed that I've swapped out the radiator grille for a Jaguar one, without the Daimler fluting across its top (..that being a stately radiator grille to vie with Rolls Royce ?).  I'm not intending to rebadge the car as a Jagwaar  but to my eyes the lighter grille header & its body colour surround is a better compliment to this car's slimline bumpers.   Is less, not sometimes more ! ?

     

^ As she was, elegant but perhaps rather over-adorned with chrome.                            ^^ Conversely (..here & barn-photo above) the much slimmer rim of the Jaguar grille.

The horn grilles (see above) are 6" diameter, and the spot-lamps which otherwise fit in those recesses are even more oTT, but perhaps 4" diameter spots would be more in proportion to the rather confined space between the headlamps and the grille.    What do you think ? 

I'm just playing around, and everything is easily reversible. Even the radiator grilles are interchangeable. 

I'll keep the Daimler's bonnet-top D,  rather than using the much more interesting and attractive leaping cat mascot.  And in place of the Jaguar (2.4, 3.4, or 3.8) grille badges, I'm on the lookout for a nice condition D horn push button (below) to use as this car's grille badge.

I want to keep the unique character of the Daimler, but to me that lies with the V8 and the way she drives, rather than on badge-engineering and bling. Other than that I like an understated Jaguar.

Pete

 

[Matty]

God, what it must be like to have that much space to work in. Well jell! 

[lesapandre]

On 26/12/2023 at 23:07, Matty said:

So not just a stroke of luck then 🤣. Patience is always a virtue with jobs like these and evidently you have more than enough. Amazing work pal, I hope a bit rubs off. I'm still very much a hit and hope man myself!

One of the clever things about really good design and craftsman is to make it look like it's always been like that. A comment like "that was not so difficult to do" by an onlooker is often a real compliment.

[Matty]

17 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

One of the clever things about really good design and craftsman is to make it look like it's always been like that. A comment like "that was not so difficult to do" by an onlooker is often a real compliment.

Yeah. I feel even dafter now reading that one back!

[Bfg]

1 hour ago, lesapandre said:

One of the clever things about really good design and craftsman is to make it look like it's always been like that. A comment like "that was not so difficult to do" by an onlooker is often a real compliment.

Funny that, as a design professional - I never made the headlines or got noticed very much, because I focused on integrating my design work into what was being developed or else what the rest of the design team were creating.  Altogether a pretty counter-productive in terms of promotion, fame or fortune. 

[Dobloseven]

Be interested to find how you get on with the disposable gas bottles.Use them myself after many years of BOC rental.One advantage I found is if you run out, it's easy to get new ones 7 days a week.What did you do with the BOC bottle?Mines still outside!

[Mr Pastry]

3 minutes ago, Dobloseven said:

Be interested to find how you get on with the disposable gas bottles.Use them myself after many years of BOC rental.One advantage I found is if you run out, it's easy to get new ones 7 days a week.What did you do with the BOC bottle?Mines still outside!

I think you'll find that any BOC depot will take their own bottles back, and possibly collect them, even very old ones, with no questions asked.  I now use Hobbyweld which are small refillable bottles, readily available,  and I would think cheaper than disposable ones. 

[Rusty Pelican]

Valance does wonders for the overall look - top modding

[Bfg]

On 30/12/2023 at 10:58, Dobloseven said:

Be interested to find how you get on with the disposable gas bottles.Use them myself after many years of BOC rental.One advantage I found is if you run out, it's easy to get new ones 7 days a week.What did you do with the BOC bottle?Mines still outside!

Took the bottle back to get the deposit refunded.