Project Journals

Here is a link to "Part 1" of the project:
[forum.britishv8.org]

Here is a link to "Part 2" of the project:
[forum.britishv8.org]

Here is a link to "Part 3" of the project:
[forum.britishv8.org]

Here is a link to "Part 4" of the project:
[forum.britishv8.org]

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Outer Sills

One of the many components on this car either missing or badly rusted was the outer sills. The Jaguar E-types Monocoque body relies on the inner and outer sills to form a sort of chassis rail tying the A post and the B post together with the floors in between. I now have 2”X3” chassis rails running through the sills but will still have to replace the outer sills to complete the body. The inner sills were salvageable for my purposes and although good original replacement outer sills are available, they wouldn’t work on my car because I’ve lowered the floors by 1”. Up until now, I considered sourcing the use of a slip roller to form the 66” length of curved sheet metal but figured I’d first try bending them by hand.

My outer sill needed a frame work. The bottom was already there with the modified 2”X2” tube mounted below the frame rails. The corner cut out on the tube, accounts for the sill curvature. For a top frame work, I found 3/4X1/16” wall square tubing, if sliced open, would form a channel to house the proper E-type door weather seal. The sheet metal could be mounted to this. I split a few of these tubes to make an assembly that could be mounted to the B post, inner sill, A post and extend forward beyond the firewall to support the 18” length under the bonnet.

With no doors to measure from and only a vague idea of where the original sills were, I set out some dimensions and always measured from the level chassis table or a spirit level. Invaluable! The sills are level but came up ½” wider at the front than the rear. I was surprised at this but wasn’t going to argue with what works on this car.

Car as purchased. Outer sills mostly missing:


Left side inner sill. Outer edge missing:


Sill supports:


Left side B post rust damage. Sill also deformed downward:


Right side - had something to measure from:


I clamped one side of the 66" length of 20 gauge to the table and pulled up on the other tube clamped side:


Bent edges on each side now in place:


End view of 3/4 inch "sill channel" mounted and sheet metal sitting in it:


Both sill channels and outer sills fabricated:


I made some intermediate sill supports to give some added strength to the 20 gauge metal. It gave me an opportunity to use my Eastwood metal shrinker. Shrinker/stretcher...they're so cool.

When it's time to install the sills, I'll use an automotive adhesive to secure them to the supports.

Shrinking:


Parts fabricated:


Assembled:


Mounted:


Two plus two end plates each side:


Test fit, (view from inside):


Post repair and sill end closing panels

Fixing the rust at both A posts and both B posts required the usual cut and replace method.

Driver's side B post cut:


Plate fabricated:


Welded in:


In preparation for installing the sills, I needed to fabricate the closing panels. The rear tied into the wheel wells, the front into the sill extension framework. Each end of the sills have 1/4" round rod welded to them.

Right side rear prepared:


Test fit:


Front sill extension framework:


Test fit:


Brake and Fuel Lines

Since I planned on running the rear brake and fuel lines through the sills, I would have to fabricate those lines before I could close up the sills. I'm using the stock GM in tank fuel pump which has the pressure regulator in it so all I needed to run was a single 3/8" line. My route was up and over the top of the rear wheel well, between that and the rear fender.

For now, I'm terminating both lines in front of the firewall. For the rear calipers, I could have used a hard line to both but opted on a flex line to make maintenance and removal of the IRS easier.

Lines fabricated:


Routing at left wheel well. Will be mostly sheeted in.


Both rear calipers:


Flex line will use automotive frame clip:


Mounted the master cylinder and bled/tested the brakes before closing them off.


Sill Assembly

Sills on an E-Type are notorious for rusting out, returning to the earth. I wanted to make sure these would outlast me so I gave all internal surfaces a liberal coating of primer and color coat. After the car is painted, I'll use my access holes to spray in a wax like barrier coating. In both left and right sills, I added a conduit between the A post and the B post to run my wiring. From the A post, I can access the under dash area and B post, the back half of the car.

Black flexible conduit:


Sill before adhesive applied on supports,(looks like red primer but is red color over grey primer):


Top is bead welded, bottom, plug welded.
Using jack to ensure close fit:


Cleaned up the weld in the weather strip channel:


Front top corner will be finished to match the bonnet:


CAD rear fender shapes

I started experimenting with different rear fender designs. I installed lengths of coat hanger wire in position to clear the wheel's full travel, then covered it with cardboard, I haven't decided on a final shape yet but this is a start.

Wheel at ride height:


This wheel at full jounce travel needs a much higher fender because of its larger size and lower ride height:


Old door skin is taped in place:


I plan to reshape the front fender then finalize the rear fender:


Finishing Exhaust System

When I worked on the exhaust system last, I couldn't finish it because I needed two 18 degree bends for the tips. With those in hand, I found the resonators were at 15 degrees off level so I had to wedge cut the bends to 15 degrees to get them level.


Angled the ends to 15 degrees and bent some 3/16" 304 SS rod to match the angle cuts. Weld, grind and polish:




Finished Resonator and Tip assembly:


Polished:


Termination point:


Steering Column, Version #2
Installing EPS

After installing electric power steering in my other LBC, I realized I had to have it in this car too.
Initially, a search on Google brought me to a well described EPS installation in a Pontiac Fiero. Perfect for me. This also went through the whole assembly process of the column itself. Included was a link to learning all you ever wanted to know about your tilt column.
EPS install in a 1986 Fiero GT:
[www.fiero.nl]
Inside GM Tilt Column:
[www.fiero.nl]

To fit the EPS to the column in the space available under the dash of my Jaguar, I had two choices, move the GM ignition switch further up the column or notch the firewall support beam. I choose to cut and weld.
Parts collected:


First off was to install the unit on the column.
Cut to length:


I used a fabricated sleeve to adapt the salvaged Saturn Vue 3 hole mounting tube to the cut column:


Assembly:


Fabricated adapter using salvaged female spline and machined tube for steering shaft:




Shaft assembly:


Column complete:




Mounting the column
The top mount stayed the same, the bottom changed.

Old bottom mount:


Cut 1`" clearance in 2X2" firewall tube:


Added torque plate for EPS unit. All the power steering torque force is applied to this bracket:


Tucks up high for clearance:


Salvaged the firewall shaft sealer from the Saturn. Solves that problem:


Finished tilt column:




Boot Repair

Like all other panels on this car, it needed attention.
The outside skin was good, no damage:


Glass mount lip had rust:




Pulled out the shrinker to form a new arch:


The damaged area has a complicated curve that was impossible for me to form in one piece.
I did it in two:




I had the boot sprayed with WD40, inside and out after the initial chemical dip. To remove all this, I gave it a bath in Varsol and Final Wipe, a wax and grease remover:


After a coat of epoxy primer, it'll sit until final body work:




After tiding up some loose ends with the project, I wanted to tackle the rear fenders but I can't determine the shape until I finalize the front fender wheel well shape. The bonnet I got with the car needs a lot of work but it has to be done some time so here goes.

But first, clearance for the front wheels should be done with my final suspension setting. From what I've read and experimented with, 2 degrees camber and 6 degrees castor is a good aggressive setting. The Fast Cars front suspension I'm using, gives some castor adjustment but I can't get 6 from the 3 degrees it came with. That means fabricating new upper control arms.

Replacement Uppper Control Arms

I wasn't going to change the original design much, just move the upper ball joint back 7/16" from stock.
Before photo:


Flat washers are interchanged to move Upper Control Arm forward or aft to adjust castor. Camber is no problem:


DOM tubing cut to fit 1/8" flat bar and plate:




I used a solid bar at the pivot points to keep them in line while welding. Worked well:




New UCA placed on top of old. 7/16" rearward:


Finished:


Bonnet Hinges
The hinges I got with the car were both damaged and due to a different mounting design, I decided to make my own. One feature I wanted was to be able to pull the hinge pins out and have the bonnet remain in place, not dropping down.

Original Jaguar hinge:


I started with a 3X3" block of aluminum. All work was done on the milling machine. First step was to drill the hole for the bronze bushing hinge:


Next I used a boring bar to turn the 2" dia. surface that allows the hinge to rest on the support tube:


All other surfaces were cut out using a fly cutter:


Hinges finished:




The support tube is 2" thin wall. I plan on welding this to two 2X2" tubes coming forward off the frame rails:






#63 Bonnet Reconstruction

Until I bought this car, I really didn’t know what a Jaguar bonnet consisted of. There are 4 essential pieces to it, which are the center section, two wings (fenders) and the valance (belly pan). These all bolt together. The whole assembly hinges forward from a Support Member which is a structure that is welded into the valance. The importance of a sound support member is obvious, however, it is common for it to be compromised due to rust and collision damage. Mine was hopeless. Time to make new.

Support Member

Old support member next to valance:


Used my CAD method to get rough dimensions:


The 62” length bends were a challenge to form. I used heavy wall 1 ½” square tubing and multiple clamps, hammering it down.




Added 14 gauge plate in the hinge area to give the 20 gauge some strength:


I made the captive plates bolt in rather than weld in to facilitate painting. Added gussets for strength:


Finished assembly:




With hinges and tube bolted in:


Valance Repair

I couldn't install the Support Member until I did some basic repairs to the Valance. Going bumperless meant filling the bumper attachment holes. Also needed to replace sections due to rust damage.

Cut out:


Copper backed weld:


Repaired:


Larger cut out:


Repaired:




Thanks for looking.

Here's a link to "Part 6" of the project:
[forum.britishv8.org]
Ken



Edited 17 time(s). Last edit at 03/23/2018 08:27AM by TR6-6SPD.

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