Week 5 & 6

For those of you following along, sorry for missing a post last week, I got distracted.  Besides, I had some distraction so its really a 1.5 week posting.

First thing I worked on was trying to finish the cowl supports so I can get the body off to sand blasting.  I finished getting them in and secured but did have a few setbacks along the way.

Cowl supports are in, attached to the frame rails (luckily with screws) and something told me to make sure the vent boxes fit.  DOPE!!!!  Guess this is what happens when you make your own cowl supports and don't buy them.  I took measurements of the old ones but installed the center support backwards.  Had to take the whole support out to fix it.  This is why you only do tack welds or screws until you are POSITIVE you're done.

So, after a few hours of rework, here is the updated cowl supports with the vent box gap correct.

Another comment to make here though I don't have photos.  I recommend keeping ALL metal removed and replaced.  Even though the pieces I removed were in BAD shape, the witness marks of the old metal provided priceless information.  My first test fit of the doors showed promise but they were a little off.  After tack welding the cowl frame in, the door still didn't align the way I would have liked but thought part of it could have been the door itself.  Well, after examining the parts I removed, I noticed the alignment on the center support and the dash weren't the same so more rework.  After ensuring the cowl supports mounted the same as the factory ones, door alignment was much better.  At least on the driver's side.

After spending some time on the cowl support, the driver's door looks pretty good.  Need to work on spacing but door swings well, hinges are tight and both doors clear the sills.

Passenger door aligns well except for the very top.  I tried making some adjustments on the cowl support to see if I could make it any better but nothing helped.  Since the rest of the door aligns really well, I think its a door issue.  I have some ideas on how to test for that but I'll save that for another day.

Just to provide a little motivation for myself, I installed the fender piece, door and bonnet to just see how everything looks.  I'm excited, it all fits pretty well.  The fender piece I cut out lines up well, bonnet fits well.

Here is another view.  It at least looks like the front of a car.

Its now been 6 weeks since I brought the car home and it still hasn't been blasted.  Mostly, this was due to the fact that there wasn't enough support in the body for me to be comfortable sending it out expecting to get it back in the same shape.  The front half was predominately the cowl support so that was my focus.  For the back half, there was structural rust everywhere.  While not completely gone, I've made major head way on getting rid of it.  I've cut out both fender wells and welded them back in.  I replaced most of the rusted metal around the battery boxes.  Enough to give to the blaster to do his damage.

Here is the finished interface between the fender well and fender.  Still have some welding to clean up bot overall, I'm pleased.

Here is a view of the other side with just tack welds on the fender well.

Here is the finished view prior to cleaning up the welds.  When finished, it should look very close to factory.

Outside well welding finished and ground down.

So what can you do with 8 hrs of free time and a heat gun?  Well, if you have a 70 year old XK120 prepping for sand blasting, you can remove all the undercoating.  The following are several pictures of different parts of the car sans undercoating

Front edge of the rear half.  You can see the metal replaced on the front side where the shut panel mounts.

This was the toughest area to get all the undercoating off of.  One thing I can say about undercoating is it protects the metal underneath from corrosion.

Rear fender, flange not fixed yet.

As Monty Python says, "Now for something completely different!".

In addition to the XK project, I've been working on an upgrade for my E-type for some time now.  A couple of years ago, I replaced the distributor with a Megasquirt EDIS system.  The Megasquirt controller can not only drive the EDIS system, it can also drive EFI.  Originally, I thought I was going to be SOOOO smart.  I was going to take a late model XJ FI system and install it my E.  In case you're curious, an XJ FI system will NOT fit in an E.  Obviously, I'm not SOOO smart.

This didn't end my obsession with installing FI though.  Over the last few months I designed a system using 3D CAD and everything looks like it will fit.  I committed and ordered most of the parts but thought I could make a few of them myself.  Turns out I can but it took 2 days.

I'm not extremely creative so I am modeling my system off the Jag design.  The XK motor has the water exit through the intake manifold.  To duplicate that, I have to create some connectors.  Here is my starting point, a block of aluminum.

!st step, remove all the unneeded material.

Next, to get everything to fit, I have to offset the water manifold so the injectors will clear and it will clear the valve covers.

Tada, everything fits.  The blue parts are 3d printed and waiting on the machined pieces.  Far right is the XJ thermostat housing interface.  Its not exactly in the same location as factory but close enough to use factory hoses to connect it up.

Here is a close up of one set of cylinders.  Since this is my prototype, I need to experiment with intake runner lengths.  I'm using collars so I can test different lengths.  Using the bolt on FI mounts, I can design a system that uses a lot of factory XJ parts or brand new.

To wrap up the weekend, I'm also installing a Classic Auto A/C system in my E Type.  While they have instructions on how to install their system, they don't really provide much assistance in finishing of the installation.  The factory console topper won't work after installing the A/C so I decided to make my own.  Not finished but I have the design worked out.

Well, when you're driving at 70 with the windows down, speakers are pointless.  Now with A/C, I should be able to drive with the windows up.  The A/C vents are in the way so I have to make a new place for the speaker.

Just enough room for the radio on the front.

Final thing of the weekend, body on the trailer ready to go to the sand blaster.

 

Week 4

Four weeks into this project and I'm accomplishing more than I thought I would at this point.  Part of my progress I owe to COVID-19.  Depending on when you're reading this, it might be a major pandemic or the farse of 2020, time will tell.  Anyway, I digress.

This week I continued........RUST removal (how strange).  Having received the frame rails last week and mounting them, I'm getting really anxious to try them out.  After extensive reading, I have been convinced I need to mount the whole body on the frame before permanently welding anything together.  Since the rear fender mounts are either rusted away or have broken studs are completely unusable.  If I'm going to align the fenders and shut panels with the doors and rails, I have to work on the fender mounts.

As you can see, the rust is BAD.  There is supposed to be a bolt at the top of this picture but its gone.  I took this picture after cutting out the piece.  I cut down the inside edge so everything will be hidden upon final assembly.  I measured 2" in from there and cut from the center all the way to the back end

Another shot of the underside of the fender mount looking at the taillight section

Here is the same view as the first pic with the rust section cutout.  The area to the left of the cutout isn't more rust, its undercoating.  This will not be fun to remove.  I think I'm going to have to get it out before I send the body out for blasting.

Interesting, it seems Jaguar must have negotiated a great price on 18ga steel.  After cutting out the rust, I discovered there is two layers of metal.  One layer has the captive nuts and the other is the actual inner fender panel.

Since all the nuts were either rusted or seized, I need new ones.  Since no one is going to see them when I'm done, they don't need to be perfect.  I was able to salvage one to use as a model, I made a few more.  Not perfect but functional.  I found some 5/16-24 square nuts at McMaster.  The weldable ones looked just like originals

Here is the finished nut panel.

Here is another view of the back end.  I pulled the spacing of the nuts by laying the panel over the fender and marking bolt locations.

Having spent almost a whole day working on the inner fender and the fender itself.  Maybe pictures of that later.  I needed a break from welding so I turned my focus back to the hinges and doors.  I again neglected to take as many pictures as I should have so I'll have to explain what I did.

When removing the hinge boxes, like most people restoring these, I discovered the hinge bolts were seized in the hinges.  To get them out, I cut the bolts off even with the hinge box and drilled down far enough to free the hinges.  Once the hinges were out, I was able to heat them with a torch and drive the remnants of the bolts out of the hinges.

Next step was to press in new bushings and hinge pins.  I wanted to stick with the 5/16" diameter pin so bought some 3/8"OD x 5/16"ID bushings, once again from McMaster.  In addition, I bought some flange bushings too.  They were 7/16"OD x 5/16"ID.

Since the flanged bushings are thicker than the hinge box, I am adding some steel stock to make sure everything is tight.

Here is a picture of the hinge pin

More about the screw sticking out of the hinge later, thats on a different picture.  The purpose here is to show the hinge box opened to 7/16" to receive the flanged bushing

As promised, more on the screw or more apropos, all thread.  This may have been overkill but I read many warnings about hinges not being aligned and the door binding up.  To make sure they are aligned, I ran a 5/16" all thread all the way through and tightened the steel stock pieces with the flanges to the top and bottom of each hinge.

In addition, I clamped a reinforced flat bar to the hinge plate faces to ensure free movement.  After comfortable with movement, I welded the steel spacers to the hinge plate and removed the all thread. 

These cars were hand built so no too were the same. Because of this. all the XK experts will tell you to take measurements of sill height, number of spacers, cowl location, firewall height/ location, etc before taking the car apart.  Its impossible to do that if you buy the car already apart.  Fortunately, the PO did it (at some point).  I spent several hours taking measurements and making adjustments until everything matched.

Just to appease myself, I put the floor panels in just to see how everything fit.  Panel mounting holes line up and if you look closely, the rear of the panels are aligned.  Just waiting for the rear half to be installed.

Next step was installing the doors to see how they fit.  I hope but I doubt I will ever leave such useful information behind for someone else.  I'll just leave 50 plastic totes full of unmarked parts for someone to sort through.  It is still possible because I've done one of those projects too.  Takes a lot longer when you have to figure out what a part is prior to knowing where to install it.

OMG, the door FREELY opens and closes AND clears the sill.  Not perfect yet but very encouraging.  The driver side isn't quite as nice but still not bad.  The driver's door frame needs some attention so I think there's more of issue with it then the hinge panel

Not bad door gaps without trying.  I think I'll be able to make them look good.  The door hinges are very solid with minimal slack so once I get them set they will stay that way.

Further motivation, its starting to look kind of like a car.  Part of me wants to install the floor pans back in, seats and steering just so I can really get the car vibe.  Either way, small victories keep me motivated to keep going.

Side view with doors installed

 After mounting the body and ensuring everything was aligned according to the sketch I found, I was very excited to install the doors.  They fit fairly well but the top edge of the door was crashing into the windshield pillar.  A little bit discouraging to think you've done everything right and it not be quite there.  I expected to have to add or delete shims but with the correct gap at the top of the door, I didn't see how that would help.  After thinking about it, I began to suspect the dash panel wasn't aligned with the cowl support and hinge box.  This would be a big job and virtually starting over.  This would be a job for next week.

Or so I though.  Feeling dejected, I went in the house and then I had an epiphany.  When measuring the alignment of the body to the frame, there was one measurement that I made some assumptions.  The measurement in question was tie rod to frame (16-1/2").  The sketch showed the measurement from the center down to the frame.  When I took my measurement, I was getting 17-1/2" but I noticed the tie rod is kicked up on each end so I thought maybe the measurement was from the tie rod mounting hole, not tie rod itself. 

With the door crashing into the cowl at the top and thinking about the assumed measurement origin, I decided to take another look.  Upon further examination, I realized the fender connecting plate (the bonnet latch plate that ties the fenders together) at the front slides under a piece of metal and bolts to the plate underneath.  When I mounted the body, I rested it on top of the metal, not underneath.  Not knowing where it was supposed to go, I assumed it had to go on top because the body wouldn't go down further.  This was because there was a 3/8" thick plate welded to the bottom of the frame.  I don't know why its there and have no one to ask.  With it removed, I was able to slide the front down where it is supposed to be.  Now the measurement from the center of the tie rod to the frame is exactly what it is supposed to be.  Making this change, the doors no longer crash into the windshield.  There is still a slight alignment issue but not top to bottom, its front to back.  The top of the door protrudes out slight from the cowl.  I have some ideas but that will wait until next week.

I don't know how the body actually fit on the frame with this piece of steel mounted underneath.  Makes it really seem like a tractor frame not a car.  A few minutes with a cutting torch and its gone.

Before calling it a weekend, I decided to cut out the rusted metal on the other side of the rear body.  Same processes as the other side.  Cut from the inside edge of the fender lip and 2" in front to back.

Here is the view with the rust cut out.  I have to make a few more captive nut holders and then weld this side up.  I think then I'll be able to mount the rear on the frame and then it WILL look like an XK120.  I expect that to be next week and then off to the sandblaster.

Week 3

Another week and guess what, more rust removal.  Having tackled the cowls last week, I returned my attention to the back half.  As I am still new at this blogging thing, I dove into the work and forgot to take pictures throughout the process.  I will try to do better as I move forward.  At the rate I'm going, there might only be a couple more weeks of rust removal before I can move to mechanical work.  The rust removal has gone much quicker than I anticipated.  Of course I've not tried painting and sanding so I may still end up with a lot more work to clean everything up.  So far though, almost all that I have done is either underneath or hidden.  It doesn't have to be pristine.  Soon I will have to work on fenders.  I will be taking my time then to ensure they are perfect.  I will not glob on body filler, even if I have to weld and grind for days.

Door shut area outside view with the door shut already removed

Door shut area inside view

The bottom of the door shut area is the bottom of the inner wheel well so needs to have a radius flange.  How do you make a radius flange if you don't have a bead roller?  Well, I cut slices in the flange.

The slices allow the metal to be shaped to match the contour.

After the metal has been shaped properly, I weld in the gaps between the slices and then grind back down to appear as a single piece of metal again.  Time consuming vs. the proper equipment but I don't do enough of this to justify buying EVERY tool (just most of them).

The frame rails did finally arrive and fit pretty well.  Its also nice that the previous owner took measurements for spacing, height of spacers and location of cowl.

After leveling the frame, mounting the rails on the obligatory spacers, rails are level too.

With the rails mounted, I can move the cowl back onto the frame to see just how it fits.

Like a glove.  Well like a glove after several hours of tweaks and adjustments.  Next week, hinges and doors installed.  By then, I will hopefully have enough of the rust removed from the rear to ensure gaps are correct front and back.