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]

Here is a link to "Part 5" of the project:
[forum.britishv8.org]

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

Here is a link to "Part 7" of the project:
[forum.britishv8.org]

Here is a link to "Part 8" of the project:
[forum.britishv8.org]


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Interior Panels

Even though the interior of a car is installed after the body work and paint is finished, I wanted to do as much prep work for this as possible. I had some of the original interior panels from the car but they were all in pitiful condition. Besides, with all the changes I’ve done, I would need to fabricate my own anyway. I’m using 1/8” ABS plastic and Au-ve-co trim fasteners.

I had to do some cutting and welding before making the door panel. Previously, I had planned on fabricating my own arm rests, working around the protruding power window motor. I abandoned that plan, set the motor 3/8” into the door framework so it sat flush and I could use the original style E-type arm rest.

The easiest way to fabricate door panel is to tape a sheet of heavy duty clear plastic to the door frame and mark the cutouts and existing mounting holes. You then transfer that to the ABS plastic sheet that has masking tape applied to it, trace the cutouts and center punch the holes. A jig saw does quick work of the plastic. Photos in collage:

Previous to cutting door frame for motor
After cutting
Clear plastic on door frame
Door panel cut


The E-type door panel has a couple of bends in it. I found the safest way to make an accurate bend is to clamp one side to the table and cover the other side, top and bottom, with plate aluminum, leaving only about a 1” strip of ABS exposed. Warm this with a heat gun and you can control where your bend with be.
Bending ABS:


Collection of panels fabricated:


Door panel mounted including release handle, power window switch, speaker, courtesy lamp and arm rest:


Back to the Boot

I had a couple of things to do in the boot to make it more liveable and now was the time to construct.

The first was to make a divider, separating the fuel tank from the spare tire area. Since I had no plans to ever carry a spare tire, this would now be the “trunk”. A divider would help contain things.

Fabricated from 1/16” aluminum:


Installed:


The other thing I wanted to do, was to provide a hinged hatch to access this trunk area using quick release latches.

Panel hinged and latched:


Quick release latch:




Opened and propped with rod:


Stainless Steel Trim

Jaguar had metal trim on the door panels and what could be called luggage runners in the boot. I received none of these when I got this car. I’ll have to make my own.

I choose 3/8” dia., 0.049 wall, 304 stainless tubing. With a zip saw, I cut it in half, then welded a trimmed 6/32 nut to the inside for mounting purposes. The upper pieces on the door panel had to be mitered to create an angle. Other pieces required a slight bend to follow the panel shape.

To split the tube, I clamped one end in a table vise and secured the other end to the table. Following the marked masking tape, the saw cut went quickly.

Cut setup:


Resulting cut:


6/32 nut tacked in place:


End cap welded and polished:


Luggage runners polished and ready for installation:


Finished:


The whole job was quite time consuming. The zip cut and welding would distort the thin wall tube and the tack would create a raised section. All that would require a file for leveling and various grades of sandpaper and buffing to gain the look of chrome. A job I wouldn’t want to do full time…

Third Brake Light

A third brake light is always a good idea. I acquired one that doubled with directional lights.

The first job was to fabricate a housing to put it in and add tabs for mounting. The rear hatch door sits at 23 degrees off level in the car, so I set it up on the bench at that angle, then leveled the housing for the light.

Lamp, housing and mounted:


Housing fastened to stand offs, welded to hatch door:


Thanks for looking
Ken



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/2024 11:26AM by TR6-6SPD.