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XK140SE ROADSTER RESTORATION
Every once in a while a truly special Jaguar is found, and this is one of them. Not only is this car one of 73 right hand drive XK140 roadsters built, but it is one of only four delivered to Sydney and one of two known in the world ordered specially for racing with a 9.0:1 compression engine, C Type cylinder head and 2in sandcast carburettors. Combined with these desirable options, the car was also ordered as a special equipment model with chrome wire wheels, foglamps, twin exhaust system and windscreen washers. The car was raced successfully between 1956 and 1958.
This actual car being raced by Alan Gray when almost new.
In 1991 the owner for the previous 10 years decided a restoration was due and the car was completely dismantled and some restoration work undertaken. But, as so often happens, the restoration was abandoned and the car was stored in a barn in rural Victoria until found by the current owner. The car was transported to Concours Sportscar Restoration in May 2000 and restoration began.
As found in a barn, XK140 roadster chassis number 800040 was complete (except for the grille) and all numbers match.
The first task was to remove all of the old primer and surface rust from the body, which was achieved by immersing the body in an alkaline solution. The result is a bare steel / aluminium body ready to prepare properly and primed ready for restoration. The chassis was checked and was in excellent condition, requiring no work at all. The body required extensive restoration and had suffered some accident damage to the left side, which damaged the guard and the bulkhead. The front guards were removed and the bulkhead dismantled. Whilst the top of the scuttle / bulkhead was restored, an entire new firewall and side bulkhead sections were fabricated. New sills and floors were made, as usual, and then the bulkhead was reunited with the chassis. The rear end was in better shape, needing only a new sparewheel floor, rear bever panel and the remainder was repaired.
These photos show the early stages of the body restoration and the newly fabricated bulkhead.
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Whilst the body was taking shape in the body department, attention turned to the mechanics. The 3.4 C Type headed engine was carefully dismantled, cleaned and assessed. The cylinder head required a full rebuild with new guides, seats and valves, but the very rare 9.0:1 pistons were in excellent condition. The bore was unsatisfactory so we decided to resleeve the block and bore it to suit the pistons. The gearbox was in exceptional condition requiring only new bearings, seals and gaskets. Unfortunately the differential had suffered a small amount of corrosion damage, which necessitated the replacement of the crownwheel and pinion.
These photos show the engine before dismantling, the engine internals (including the 9.0:1 pistons) and the 2in sandcast SU carburettors.
Meanwhile back in the bodyshop, the bonnet, rear guards and bootlid were all in good order, requiring only relatively minor repairs but the doors and front guards were not so good. We fabricated new doors entirely and the majority of the front guards. We also fabricated new door hinge pillars and door shut face pillars.
These three photos show the repaired, lead wiped and file finished rear end, the fabricated front guard repair section and the new door frames under construction.
Very careful attention was made to ensure that all of the fit and alignment of all of the panels was perfect, all body related components were trial fitted and the body was lead wiped as original and file finished.
With the bodywork now completed, the body was removed from the chassis ready for paint. After only minor attention to threads and dents, the chassis was bead blasted and primed ready for painting. As these photos show the primed chassis, the gearbox almost finished and the resleeved and painted engine block, ready for assembly.
The very rare 2in sandcast carburettors were in excellent condition requiring only cosmetic restoration to pristine condition. The original conrods were resized whilst the original 9.0:1 pistons were thoroughly cleaned and reused with new original specification Brico piston rings. The crankshaft required grinding to the first undersize before the whole assembly was then balanced. With the engine components now returned from the machine shop, the cylinder head fully reconditioned and painted in the distinctive C Type red and all of the engine-related ancillaries restored, it was now time to assemble the engine.
The chassis was painted in semi-gloss two pack black to replicate the original finish. All of the steering, suspension and brake components were bead blasted and painted in the same way whilst the original bolts, nuts & washers were cleaned, bead blasted, threads cleaned, wire-wheeled and finally black zinc-plated by QANTAS to their aircraft quality.
Now the chassis assembly could finally begin. The front and rear suspensions were carefully built onto the chassis using all new bushes and ball joints of original specification. The drum brakes were completely rebuilt and fitted to the chassis together with the rebuilt differential.
With the suspension, steering and brakes all complete, the car was rolling for the first time in many years (albeit on a set of old dummy wheels)! The fuel tank and pump, along with the brake master cylinder and piping, were assembled onto the chassis. Then it was time for the engine and gearbox to be bolted together and reunited with the chassis. Now it is truly starting to look like an XK again!
Whilst the chassis was being assembled, the painters were priming, rubbing and blocking those fabulous XK curves in preparation for the final coating of British Racing Green two pack. We use the "clear over base" painting method whereby the colour is applied in base coat and then clear is applied over the top, giving a much deeper gloss and allows any future scratches or marks to be buffed out of the clear without effecting the colour.
Once the body had been painted, it was finally reunited with the chassis. Now the many hours of assembly and trim work could begin. The interior trimming was entrusted to Gary Penning, who has an intimate knowledge of XK trim. The seats were completely rebuilt with all new wood and foams and a new dash facia was made. Whilst Gary was attending to the trim, Phil set about carefully assembling the car. A new cotton braided loom was firstly wired in along with refitting all of the brightwork. We tried to salvage and restore as much of this car as possible as apposed to simply picking up the telephone and ordering a load of reproduction parts. The original J lamps were restored, as were the original foglamps. The original bumpers, overriders, taillights, headlight surrounds and windscreen frames were all rechromed but the windscreen pillars and bootlid chrome all needed replacing. All of the original instruments were restored.
These photos show the new fabricated dash facia, the assemble instrument panel and the beginnings of the trimming.
Six months of research went into firstly determining the correct trim materials to use and then obtaining them. We were lucky enough to secure the last correct tan hides from Connolly before that companies demise and we are extremely happy to have been able to secure the correct moquette, leathercloth, hardura, mohair and carpets.
We decided to purchase a hood from the UK, but after firstly receiving one with an incorrect plastic rear window and then secondly one made from Everflex instead of Mohair, we decided to entrust Gary to make one. The correct Everflex tonneau cover was purchased out of the UK, but we made our own sidecurtains.
With the car now finally completed, it attended its Concour D'Elegance debut at a local event and finished with "Car of the Show" honours.
The owner, Ken White, having his first brief drive, "Car of the Show", the Concours Sportscar Restoration team responsible for the restoration.
The second event was a much more significant event; the Jaguar Drivers Club of Australia's annual Concour D'Elegance held at Fox Studios in Sydney. With serious competition coming from a MKII Jaguar that we restored 7 years ago and an E Type fresh out of restoration, the task of winning outright was not going to be easy.
To win our class would not be a walk in the park either. In our class was an XK150 roadster that had previously won the 1992 National Concour D'Elegance title and an XK150S roadster that we had finished runner up at the 1995 National Concour D'Elegance (we restored the body and painted this car in 1994).
But the many hours of cleaning and preparation were worth it. We were awarded with a gold trophy, class win and 1st place outright.
To the winner goes the spoils. The perfect pair, XK140 roadster restored by Concours Sportscar Restoration and C Type built by Concours Sportscar Restoration.
The car has now been retired from concour competition after winning the National title.
In May, 2000 an email alerted me that a very rare XK140 OTS SE was for sale. The car was special, being the only original right-hand drive XK140 OTS SE model with a C-Type head, sandcast carburettors and 9:1 compression ratio ever built.
Although being involved as a member and director of the Jaguar Drivers Club of Australia I knew little about XK's, my other Jaguars being a Mark 2, an XJC and an XJS. I did know that I loved the sweeping lines of the XK and I did know just the person to talk to... Gavin King of Concours Sportscar Restoration in Brookvale, Sydney.
Why did I choose Gavin?
From knowing him in the JDCA, I was aware he had an amazing knowledge of XKs and had undertaken successful restorations in the past. Restoration of an XK150, which went on to win many awards at Concours events, was followed by a beautiful restoration of a multiple Concours-winning XK140 DHC. If he could do that 140 so successfully he certainly had the technical skills to do mine.
But there is one thing even more important than technical skills and that is integrity. How many people have been ripped off by restorers overcharging, undertaking unnecessary work or taking shortcuts and not doing the work correctly. I knew I needed someone I could trust and Gavin was such a person.
I knew he would take a personal interest in the vehicle and would assiduously oversee his in-house tradesmen to ensure the work was done correctly. Gavin has a policy of performing only first-class repairs, ensuring that cars they restore will be something special, great to own and drive and will retain the highest possible value commensurate with the work undertaken.
That's why I chose Concours Sportscar Restoration.
Ken White 23rd July, 2002