Concours Sportscar Restoration

XK120 OTS 661123 "The Crocodile Car"

The classic "Found in a Barn" XK120 roadster. This is chassis number S661123, a very late RHD XK120 roadster that found its way into this barn in Rural NSW until uncovered in early 1996. The car was exceptionally complete and original having never been restored, but was certainly in need of restoration. The car had had numerous coats of paint throughout its life and then presumably left out in the open causing the paint to crack deeply through all of the paint layers, creating an exterior very reminisant of crocodile skin hence the car was quickly known as "The Crocodile Car"!

Complete in every respect including original hose clamps, ignition leads and exhaust system. Numerous rolls of film were shot to capture the exact location of every conceivable component to enable us to refer to when the assembly of the car begins. It is not often you come across a car that has not been touched since it left the factory some 50 years earlier.

The "Crocodile Skin" is clearly evident in these shots, as is the obvious need for restoration.

As is the case with all vehicles that come to Concours Sportscar Restoration for a full restoration, the chassis and body are sent to be dipped to remove all traces of paint, filler and rust. This process provides us with a perfectly clean panel, inside and out, that is easy to assess properly and then allows a coat of primer to be applied to prevent surface rust starting.

The first task with any XK restoration is to establish the condition of the chassis as it is vitally important that the chassis is sound and 100% true. The chassis is used as the basis for the body to be restored on which ensures that the fit and accuracy of the body and related components is absolutely perfect. This car had not suffered any accident damage, but had certainly suffered from rust! An entire new front of the chassis had to be made along with new legs at the rear. The front is vitally important as the front suspension, engine, radiator and other components are mounted directly to the chassis and the precise location of these components is paramount.

With the chassis now restored and primed, it was then set level on stands and the body reunited and also set level. Then the 100's of hours of bodywork begins. With a major body restoration such as this, we always start with the sills, which provides a datum for the rest of the body, then the door hinge/firewall/bulkhead area and then on to the front guards. These three photos show the new sill panels and new door hinge panels that have been made, the repaired bulkhead primed before the guards go back on and then the guards back on with the rear section cut off ready for a replacement.

Now that there is a restored and accurate base to work from, the front guards can be located and screwed back on to the bulkhead. These guards needed extensive repairs including replacement sides, new fronts and other repairs.

The bonnet was then trial fitted, the headlight and sidelight pods repaired and then the entire front end lead wiped as original and file finished. The last photo shows the completed front half of the body along side the just completed body of one of our C Type replicas. XK120 and XK120C. With the front finished, we then move to the back of the body.

The rear end of the body is also very rusted although no past repairs have been performed so at least we don't have to fix them! The centre of the rear tonneau panel, the side screen storage panel and most of the inner guards will be saved, the rest will be made new.

The first task with the rear end was to accurately position the body onto the chassis and then fabricate jigs to hold the body in place as sections are removed. New outer edge strips of the rear body were made and welded in, then the entire back end jigged and all internals removed, ready to begin the resurrection.

These photos show the process taken to reconstruct the rear end of the body. After the critical alignment jigs are fitted to the chassis, the battery box / rear bulkhead section was fabricated and fitted into position. The next step was to make new inner rear quarter panels and then these are fitted to the chassis and aligned with the jigs. The outer skin was repaired with new sides made and fitted and then this was trial fitted. A new lower boot floor was fabricated and screwed into position. Once accurate fit was confirmed, the entire rear body was welded together. The next step was to make new shut faces, which were then located and welded on.

Once the rear body was back together, the rear guards, doors and spats could be attended to. The rear guards were salvageable but needed major work. Two new doors were made from scratch, as were two new spats.

With careful attention to alignment, gaps and fit, the doors, rear guards and spats are all trial fitted. Attention then turned to making new wooden floors and bootfloors before the task of making a new bootlid begins.

It was necessary to make a completely new woodash bootlid frame as the original was too badly deteriorated to restore. Once the new frame was made and fitted to the car, a new aluminium bootlid skin could then be fabricated to suit.

With the new skin fitted to the frame, the locks were fitted and a new number plate panel made and trial fitted. This was the final job before the body could be separated from the chassis ready for painting.

The chassis could now be prepared and painted in semi-gloss two pack, along with all of the suspension, steering, brakes and numerous other chassis related parts. The original differential was rebuilt with new bearings and seals and the suspension assembled up onto the chassis with all new bushes and ball joints.

Attention then turned to the painting of the body. This is an extremely time-consuming process on an XK as there are numerous compound curves that are difficult to rub down and get symmetrical. The process includes the reassembly of the body on our alignment jig so as the panels can be blocked as one with the shell, ensuring that when the car is assembled following painting, the panel fit is perfect.

Lavender grey was the chosen colour and was matched in modern two pack from an original 1950's Jaguar colour sample book.

As the body was being painted, attention turned to the engine and gearbox. Unlike the body, these major mechanical components were relatively straightforward to restore. The gearbox needed a new 2nd gear syncro cone and new bearings and was in very good condition for its age. The engine needed resleeving and it was decided to use 3.8 sleeves and 9.0:1 powermax pistons for a good increase in power. The cylinder head was fitted with larger unleaded valves and 3/8 lift camshafts were fitted. A replica SE twin exhaust and 2in sandcast carbs will be fitted to the car when it is retired from the concours circuit and coupled with these engine mods will make for a spritely XK!

With the chassis painted, the rebuilt engine, gearbox and differential were refitted to the chaises along with the mandatory rebuild of the suspension, brakes and steering - all using correct fasteners of course.

The body was finally re-united with the chassis and the assembly continues.

Time for trim. With the new dash facia, the restored instruments were fitted and the whole assembly then fitted to the car ready for wiring connection.