MadaboutKitcars

Hey Retroman, I just followed that link and it looks good stuff.

How on earth did you discover it?
Have you used it yourself, and how does it come packaged,and in what sizes?

I will keep that stuff in mind Retroman.
I you use it before me give me a sit-rep on how good/bad it is.

Okay, today I did the drivers side trans tunnel panel, and for once did not do a cardboard pattern, I just measured up and cut the thing out.

I am sick of cardboard patterns, but sometimes they have to be made. Got away with it this time, and will make the passengers side panel the same way.

I also sourced out a lump of wood for the trans tunnel top, which will be easier to work to the complex shape it will need to be, to fit around the handbrake and look good.

I can't wait to do that, as now the car is starting to look like it should, and I'll be covering the trans top in red leather soon.

Some pics to look at:

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Wednesday

I have now got to the stage in the build where I can really see the light at the end of the tunnel shining quite brightly.

It has given me a second wind if you like, and the stuff I am currently doing, I am really enjoying. And believe me, that does make a change!

Today I cut out and built the nearside trans tunnel panel. It was straightforward to do and almost a mirror image of the drivers side.

I used my air nibbler to make the curvy cut-outs, which made the job really easy.

If anyone out there is thinking of buying one, I can recommend the SP one which I have.

Don't make the same mistake I did and buy the cheaper one. I bought a "Hilka" nibbler, (as I always thought Hilka was a good make) and it well could be, but perhaps mine was a Chinese copy, I don't know.

All I know is that it did work well, but would not cut the thickness it claimed to cut. So I did some more research and for about twice the price, I bought the SP one. Fantastic tool, well built, never let me down.

If anyone wants the Hilka one, its free to a good home, so PM me and its yours.

It does work, but would not cut the stainless steel I bought it to cut.
Whereas the SP romps through the lot.

So I fitted the panel and then started to slice up the wooden beading for the trim on the trans top, at this stage the day was gone.

Oh, I almost forgot, I also marked out the lucky competition winner bit of wood for shaping to fit on the trans top (another day.)


Pics:

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Thursday

Scimjim, Froggyman, Landmannnnnnnn and Paul,
thanks for the positive feedback!

I am starting to feel like I'm on a roll, and while that feels good, I don't want to get over confident and head for a fall!

I have spent most of the morning shaping the wooden trans tunnel top, and the side slats.

I have got it to a nearly finished stage now, so will have some lunch and see how I feel after that. Normal life has to go on in between the build!

Pics:

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Thursday

Scimjim, Froggyman, Landmannnnnnnn and Paul,
thanks for the positive feedback!

I am starting to feel like I'm on a roll, and while that feels good, I don't want to get over confident and head for a fall!

I have spent most of the morning shaping the wooden trans tunnel top, and the side slats.

I have got it to a nearly finished stage now, so will have some lunch and see how I feel after that. Normal life has to go on in between the build!

Pics:

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Hi Scimjim,

I did the mod well over a year ago, and at the time put the handbrake where it is now for several reasons.

Not in any order of importance:

Yes, I left the cable original and the same length, an easy option if it ever needs replacing, the lever felt really functional and comfortable in its present position.

I put the lever closer to the centre than the XKSS, as my car is narrower and the lever would have intruded into the passengers
leg area had it been further left.

All in all, I still feel that the handbrake is in the best position it can be, given the cockpit confines, and after all the engineering and fabrication it took to move it and also shaping the wooden top around it, that is how it will remain.

Having studied an awful lot of XKSS interiors, (before I started on mine) I noticed that the handbrakes in all of them varied in position quite a lot, and mine does not look out of place, and will be okay when its all finished.

Watch this space!

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Love it all!!

Later on thursday

I finished off the wood bit and measured up and cut the metal strips which will
have to go on it, so it can be securely screwed in place.


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Wow! What can I say!!

Looking at something like that can have two effects, one is to go out side and set fire to the build, and the other is to re-double the effort to finish it!

No prizes for guessing my choice.
I worked til bloody midnight last night and will post a bit later.

I am sure you are right, Oxford. and that is precisely the driving force which does keep me going.

I constantly imagine roaring around my favourite roads in it, and all the fun I will have just doing that!

Here is what kept me working til midnight.

I have to go out and fit it to the car, and ensure that I can select all 5 gears through the small circle I have cut out, before I cover it with leather.

I know I can get the four forward gears, but reverse is a bit of a pig, and takes the lever over to the right more than I thought it would, and it worries me.

I am dreading it not going well, as it will mean back to the drawing board on the lower gear shaft that took me so long to make! Fingers crossed!


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I am completely with you on that one Mr T!

I once had a turbo car that I used to keep in third gear for as long as I could, as the beautiful throaty noise was absolute music to my ears!

The shops are only a mile away, but you go via Scotland just to enjoy the noise!! Enjoy.

Later on Friday

So, I went out and with my heart in my mouth as they say, put the trans top in place and tried all the gears to see if I had success or failure.

Well, I am please to say it worked fine, and no more hacking, welding etc to be done in that area.

I was quite pleased as when I re-designed the Triumph gear lever to look more like a Jaguar one, I move the bottom of the gearstick 9 inches further back, which I thought may possibly give me problems at the stage I'm at now, but it didn't, and I'm a very happy bunny 'cos of it.

With this good news in mind, I went ahead and stuck the leather in place on the wood, Unfortunately I had to make a join in the leather at one end, but it will be under the dash and not show at all thankfully.

I suppose I did not really need to do that, but I just could not leave it bare wood.

Gotta be done right right?

I also painted the wooden slats which will hold the top on the tunnel.

can't make up my mind on the final colour for them. I initially thought I'd paint them red to match the leather, then I hovered over making them silver, and finally I thought of black.

Anyhow, I have painted them silver to start with, and was pleasantly surprised to note how very much they look like alluminium strips.

Once the leather is the right colour red, I'll fit them and see what they look like.

They will end up red, silver or black, depending which looks right and has the best impact.

I had a couple of soddy little jobs to do in between all this stuff, one of the wood side strips was at the wrong angle and had to be re-done and glued back, and the gearbox top cover was fouling the trans top, so that had to be battered down for a good fit, but its all done now.

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Hey steady on you guys! I have a lot more hair than the Hulk, and don't have to wear a tarts head scarfe to hide the loss!!

Ref the "alloy" side slats Mr Towed, They are something that can be removed from the finished car in minutes and re-coloured, so in order to get on with the build, I'm just going to leave them for now/ever and plod on.

Saturday

I really wanted to fit my trans tunnel top in the car, but realised I had not made the handbrake gaiter.

So I dug out a bit of leather and made one.

Then I fitted the trans top, and all the screws and bits and bobs.
I am pleased with the result, and glad I did not waste time painting the side strips different colours, as the silver paint was the right choice, and it looks right as it is I think.

It complements the alloy sides a treat, so thats that.

The pictures of the trans tunnel do not do it justice, in reality it looks three times better in the flesh, if I ever get to Stoneleigh, you will see what I mean.

Next job is the inner side panels, then that should be the cockpit near on finished.

Pics:

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Scimjim, I only put the tinfoil on because it was an idea I had at the time, but it was a bad idea and it looks awful!

The saving grace is, that it only covers the part of the bulkhead which is behind the top half of the pedals so it cannot be seen, thank God!

Thank you for your kind offer........

Hi Ed, you are right to go for 1 or 1.2mm alloy, that's what I used (depending on where you mic it!)

For the actual seat backs, meaning the bit that has the foam and leather on it, I used a plastic dustbin cut in half. I knew this would fit well, as I first used it as a pattern to form the alloy into curves.

So when I say my car is made from junk and scrap, that's fairly true, but it won't look like it!

Monday

I have spent a lot of time today making the leather bit that goes between the seats, and it is done now. One more fiddly thing sorted.

Before I started on the interior, I did a lot of research to get ideas and to figure out how I wanted it to look.

Keeping in mind Jaguars original idea of a simple sparton sports-car type look, I found loads of replicas with interiors I did not like.

Some of them were so full of opulent leather and padding that they looked
more like saloon interiors, which for me, was too far away from what Jaguar intended.

Obviously an owner is paying for what he wants, and it is all personal taste in the end, but I wanted something a bit like the original, but also a wee bit more striking.

I am pleased with the way it is going at the moment.



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