1955 XK 140 roadster (CK) Total Team CJ restoration

Specification (briefly) for this project is as follows: Another total CJ restoration to be finished in Pacific Blue with biscuit hides and a number of Team CJ reliability and performance upgrades, including a CJ5 transmission, uprated brakes, cooling, ignition, etc, etc.

Update report - April 11, 2008

Building up the restored chassis ....

Yesterday evening we finished painting the body and doors. I think the Pacific Blue looks absolutely spectacular - I hope you like it!

Yesterday saw the first of the Pacific Blue paint being applied. It is difficult to represent the true color in the photographs, although I would describe it as being slightly lighter than the more common Indigo Blue. I think it is going to look beautiful.

The cylinder head has some serious issues due to extensive corrosion damage. We can save it, although it is going to be a challenge!

Cleaning the head	Extensive corrosion damage on this particular cylinder head	Water jackets are really nasty
Pressure testing in process		No leaks!
Installing and honing new guides	Rock Guard is applied to the inside of the front wings....	...and the lower section of the firewall
....and up inside rear wheel arches	The first of the Pacific Blue is applied
	This car is as nice underneath as it is on top!
Cabin also painted at this stage
	I hope you like the color!

 
The final push to paint includes meticulous trial fit of the chrome and brightwork.

Windscreen and glass is trial fitted	Grill and bonnet center chrome finisher are  trimmed to fit perfectly with each other
	Almost ready for paint!

After a lengthy break in the action (at our customer's request) I am pleased to report that we now have this project back underway. First up, a complete engine rebuild.

Rare and desirable 2 inch 'sand cast' carbs	Neither of the two manifolds we have are serviceable	Unfortunately the spare is also junk
We have a choice of two cylinder heads, neither of which is very pretty	Unfortunately, even the better head will need  some pretty extensive weld repairs

Your chassis has now been stripped, blasted and powder coated - and looks absolutely brand new.

With the sheet metal replacement and the vast majority of the lead loading completed, the car went onto the alignment jig and was sealed with BASF etching primer.

Bonnet had lost of stress cracks that needed repair	Assembling the driver's door
Trial fitted numerous times thro'out fabrication process
Lead loading LH front wing		Almost ready to go back on the jig for priming

This is used to stamp out the footwell vent
More lead loading

The following sequence shows the fabrication not only of a new RH front wing, but also a new headlamp pod.

This area of the RH wing will be replaced	Fabricating the new wing	Trial fitting
Hammering it into shape....	A new headlamp pod will be fabricated
Welding up the new h/lamp pod	What it looked like before the front was cut out	After welding the new pod in place, it is lead loaded
	Wurth Body Wax	Reconstructed wing now installed

The following photographs show the completion and installation of the LH front wing. Note that the body has been put back on the chassis temporarily while we fit the doors and wings, etc.

	Offring the newly fabricated panel into place	Wurth Body Wax
	Grinding the welds	A CJ invisible mend....
Back on the body (note vent has not been cut yet)

We don't expect to see Lawrence today, at least not until after the Brazil v Ghana World Cup match   The following photographs show what he was he was up to yesterday....

Passenger footwell now replaced	Viewed from the inside	RH inner A post structure completely rebuilt
Installing newly fabricated LH  B pillar support	Fllors and sill panels now welded into place	Front wings will be tackled  next

Making a paper template for one of the front wings	New sheet metal being cut to size	Shaped appropriately.....
Installing the beading is fun to watch
	Inner A section being re-constructed
New boot floor re-assembled	B pillar repaired
Trial fitting the first of the doors		New forward shut panel has now been welded in place

With the main tub sand blasted clean, it is now time to start attaching some of the panels we have fabricated over the last week or so.

This week we have been busy fabricating all the various sheet metal panels we need to restore the tub. Check out your new floors, firewall, boot compartment, etc, etc.

Cutting away old boot compartment panels		Floors removed
All these panels will be fabricated and replaced	Passenger footwell also has to go	Boot floor removed
	First card templates are drawn up and cut to size	New rocker panels have been fabricated
Making boot side wall panels		Forming the new driveshaft tunnel
	New floor panel taking shape	Finished boot side wall panels
Making new boot floor
Floors now completed	Boot floor completed
Underside of the new floors	We have now turned out attention to the firewall and A post rames	More fabrication underway!

All the various panels for the LH door have now been fabricated. The door will not be assembled until that can be done in conjunction with the restored tub/door apertures. The right hand door is thankfully in much better condition and only needed a new side latch panel. We have now turned our attention to body. Watch this space...

New RH side latch panel screwed  and riveted in place	New door top panel fabricated	New door bottom panel
	Door skin was bent and stretched into shape
Door top, skin and leading face panels all now fabricated

Hinges being rebuilt		Both doors have some structural problems
Passenger door skin is in very poor condition
First the door is disassembled....	Then all the various panels are fabricated using new aluminum	Making the new door skin

Time to get another CJ body restoration underway!

Body will be removed and put on a special jig for blasting
	There is corrosion in the inner A posts
Inner B pillars also have some corrosion issues	Jury is out on the front wings until they are blasted
Chassis looks pretty solid		Ready for media blasting
RH sill is rusty		LH sill will also be replaced
Crude patch panel in lower  RH bulkhead

The following photographs show our latest project car, as delivered. Basically, a once proud 1955 XK140 roadster in kit form! I hope you enjoy following the restoration process unfold - and thank you for entrusting this important project to the Classic Jaguar team.