the cat is out of the bag . . .

[stuart]

17 minutes ago, Bfg said:

112lbs is a cwt  ! ?    Thanks..  odd thing memory ..I wonder where my 114lbs came from ?   I never used cwt as a unit throughout my career.  It was always something that old magazines used to quote just to confuse simple folk like me.  

XK calipers were supposed to have changed to the bridge type with quick change square pads from November '58.    However from the photo I took the rears on this car appear to be round.  I'll have to check that out.. The handbrake looks similar to that on my Daimler. It works well but again I don't know without looking if it's self adjusting. 

Thanks for the advice.  

Pete 

    

Looks like the later type Dunlop "Quick change" calipers, the "Round pad" type still have similar looking caliper bodies , be mindful that those type of calipers do suffer a lot of rot on the pistons and in the caliper bodies themselves (when I ran MK2s as road cars through the seventies it was a regular thing to strip and reseal them until the advent of someone just off the Western avenue in London relining the calipers in stainless) also check the size with reference to my comment about brake balance. MK9 Fronts are 2 1/4". That handbrake is the earlier non self adjusting type as you can see the fork in the picture, self adjust type have a cover over the mechanism.

Stuart.

 

Edited January 28 by stuart

[Bfg]

Many Thanks Stuart.    As always incredibly useful advice.   

I'll add it to my task-list to strip them and clean them.  I'm not sure what you mean by 'reseal them', unless you simply mean to fit new seals ..the English language can render me quite obtuse at times.   The car has only been driven 410 miles over the past 10-years, according to the odometer and MOT history,  so things like this really ought to be checked sooner rather than later. 

If I understand correctly..  you're suggesting upgrading / replacing the rear calipers with the 2-1/4" calipers off the front of a Mk9,  I presume then ; those are a straight fit onto the 1960's XK150 rear brake carriers, which have the handbrake pincers on them.?

Pete

[Bfg]

 

. . . yeah I know.. these XK150's are just so darned commonplace.

 

[stuart]

15 hours ago, Bfg said:

Many Thanks Stuart.    As always incredibly useful advice.   

I'll add it to my task-list to strip them and clean them.  I'm not sure what you mean by 'reseal them', unless you simply mean to fit new seals ..the English language can render me quite obtuse at times.   The car has only been driven 410 miles over the past 10-years, according to the odometer and MOT history,  so things like this really ought to be checked sooner rather than later. 

If I understand correctly..  you're suggesting upgrading / replacing the rear calipers with the 2-1/4" calipers off the front of a Mk9,  I presume then ; those are a straight fit onto the 1960's XK150 rear brake carriers, which have the handbrake pincers on them.?

Pete

Its nearly 40 yrs since I used to do Jaguar stuff but IIRC then do fit as the casting bulge for the piston is bigger but the four mounting holes in the mounting bracket are the same, (Soak those bolts well before trying to remove as theyre only dinky 1/4" UNF)  If your a JEC or JDC member then an ask on there would check.

The seals I refer to are the ones inside the caliper body, theyre like a square section O ring in a slot in the side and the cover seals fit into a slot on the piston and onto a raised lip on the caliper body. The caliper bodies are steel and do rust same as the pistons, there used to be people who relined them in stainless and supplied stainless pistons as I mentioned above so a Google search would turn them up. When pushing calipers back in to fit new pads be careful as they have a "T" shaped button in the piston face that the backing plate on the pad slides onto, they are easily bent.

You mentioned that there is an oil leak at the end of one side of the rear axle, good luck with getting the hub off to fix it as theyre on a tapered shaft with a woodruff key and the hub needs to come off to get to all the bolts. Last one I had to remove needed a 20 ton hydraulic lorry puller wound up tight and a lot of heat and when it went off it buried itself in the workshop wall behind me.

Stuart.

[stuart]

15 minutes ago, Bfg said:

 

. . . yeah I know.. these XK150's are just so darned commonplace.

 

IIRC thats one he drove in the film "Play Misty for me" it was his own car at the time.

Stuart.

[Bfg]

   ..Clint Eastwood - Play Misty For Me. 1971

 

Apparently ... " Clint's own XK 150 was a white roadster, registered PXK 328, possibly 3.8 and 1960.  He liked XK 150s so chose this DHC for the film role, but it doesn't appear to have been his.  I can't ID this one further, other than saying it has the early small rear lights (before late '59), and it's not badged as an S, so probably a standard 3.4.  . . .   as an irrelevant p.s.   he also owned a dark green "Morris Mini Countryman" fitted with the oily bits from a Cooper S 1275."

 

 

 

Edited January 29 by Bfg

[Tony_C]

On 1/27/2026 at 2:26 PM, Bfg said:

^  Thanks Tony 

👍….

 And now for a complete change of tack (whilst fully keeping within the thread title) with further reference to your good point very well made concerning boats….

You will recognise this as one you helped design and build; round the world capabilities and it has never left the dock in all the years we have been coming to this sailing paradise, which is the Caribbean.

 

My wife is absolutely adamant that we will not be buying another boat at this stage of life and I am finding it difficult to argue with her logic that hire/charter is the way to go - despite my heart, soul along with all the associated angst yearning however impractical- which currently finds this old sea dog improbably learning new tricks…. Messing about here on a catamaran I’m finding that the slower you tack = the better in flaky winds; what is this voodoo magic with two hull’s?

 

[RogerH]

Ahh,life in Oz

[Lebro]

[RAHTR4]

Pete,

You have a P.M.

Regards, Richard

[PaulAnderson]

Well done Pete on buying such a cracking car.  I’ve always liked the looks of an XK150 but have never been in one.  Mind I also like the look of that yacht and would love to sail off in her.

Paul

[Z320]

Hi Pete,

a good friend of mine bought 3 XK projects in a bundle, his idea was to make one and do what ever with the rest.

BUT last information was, they are all to good to go that way, he wants the get all 3 of them back on the road.....

This is the worst one, not that bad as it looks like. It's stored try.

 

[Bfg]

That doesn't at all look bad to me Marco.  With the paint having been stripped - it's more honest than many with a glossy paint job.   Like many 19440 and 50's cars the metal is thick and the chassis is big and heavy. The footwell floors are wood, and so they are very easily replaced. The technology is simple and mostly commonplace British Car Industry components ..so more-often-than-not repairable. 

Perhaps you should take one car for yourself ?  I think you would very much enjoy the restoration and driving of such a car.  

I like the subliminal message ..clothes hangers in dry store  

Pete

 

[Bfg]

Such a shame to have such a lovely and seaworthy vessel just sitting there.  Of course many of us let life and work get in the way.  At least it's in the Caribbean and not Blackpool.!

The technique for tacking a catamaran is to bear away, and wait to pick up a little momentum before tacking. With a larger headsail than main she'll go around.  Those who try to pinch close before they tack get into trouble.  

Tony, You're a very fortunate man to enjoy such magic in paradice. 

 Pete

[Bfg]

7.

My notes from 21st January '26   "Up until Matt, the driver of the vehicle transport phoned me at 11:45 this morning, I still couldn't believe it was really happening. But, he'd be with me - in one hour.

It must be 30 years since I first encountered and drove an Xk150 for the first time. That was while working for Spaulding Motor Cars, Manassas, VA ..in a big empty shell of a building ..which had formerly been a timber mill alongside the railway track.  That car was a scruffy cream & brown coloured FHC, but the feel and sound of it I still recall. Clearly something about it stuck with me.

And today.., I've finally got one of my own.

Wow.. it's really happened ..to me.. and such a gorgeous creature too. Why should she want to be seen with me ?

I don't know the answer to that one, but while she does, and while I've still got blood pumping in me bones, I going to enjoy the relationship. !

p. "

Sorry, but not so very good quality, from my camera, and my first time video, but let's see if it uploads to this forum. 

NB. on my computer I turn the video's volume down to about a quarter, which is very much more realistic. 

Pete

 

didn't work so let's try a link . . .  nope sorry but that doesn't work either. 

 

Edited February 22 by Bfg

[Bfg]

8.

Just in case you're concerned that I'm loosing it ...  here's a couple of photos I took on that same day   ... literally within minutes of delivery ! 

    

..which was because of this  ^ 

. . . and my being 6' 5" tall. 

 

 

 

Edited February 22 by Bfg

[Tony_C]

2 hours ago, Bfg said:

Such a shame to have such a lovely and seaworthy vessel just sitting there.  Of course many of us let life and work get in the way.  At least it's in the Caribbean and not Blackpool.!

The technique for tacking a catamaran is to bear away, and wait to pick up a little momentum before tacking. With a larger headsail than main she'll go around.  Those who try to pinch close before they tack get into trouble.  

Tony, You're a very fortunate man to enjoy such magic in paradice. 

 Pete

Yep Pete, and to be fair, far from the only boat to be under utilised - I acquired my last (two) with round the world pedigree and history and barely actually got out of the bay. - I think this one strikes a bit of a chord knowing what great events Oyster arrange and that, with a few likely lads (& definitely lasses), you could step aboard and more than hold your own; having a great deal of fun doing it…

 

That’s the modus-operandi / technique we used to use to get a lumbering old long keel gaffer majestically through the wind.. The ‘cat is now also out of the bag’ that the twin hull Johnny come lately sailors have copied and refined? 🤔😎….. You are 100% correct concerning trying to pinch close but, hasn’t every reasonably competitive sailor been guilty of that throughout history and in every type of sail vessels? … America Cup etc guys I used to know spent boggling amounts in the quest to sail fractions closer to the wind.. My hard earned belated takeaway is that the slower and steadier I went about it equated to the quicker result; which I am just about getting my head around.

 

Yep, on a final note, agree very, very fortunate on so many levels…

 

Cheers and enjoy that car……You do know that it will look magnificent, from any angle, on the Marina dock when you sail out and back?!

 

 

 

[BRENDA1]

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

4 hours ago, Bfg said:

Just in case you're concerned that I'm loosing it ...  here's a couple of photos I took on that same day   ... literally within minutes of delivery ! 

    

..which was because of this  ^ 

. . . and my being 6' 5" tall. 

 

 

 

Do you want to borrow my body dozer to ‘shift’ the B post?

 

 

[Bfg]

Thanks again Gents  ..clearly my time with Katie earned me brownie points of empathy and 'have patience with the daft old sod'...  I'll try not to use them all at once.! 

9.

I've most likely already said that Carmen was, according to factory records, dispatched from Coventry on 13th July 1960.  She has the 3.8 ltr straight-six, double-overhead-camshaft XK engine, with suffix '9' which indicates its compression ratio (standard was 8:1).  The engine & cylinder head numbers do match the chassis. It is only the automatic gearbox which has been swapped out for a 4-speed + overdrive assembly which I understand is from an early XJ6.  The XK overdrive is 28%, and I might only presume the XJ6 was the same.  I don't yet know if the rear axle was also changed ..as the ratio differs between that of the automatic and the manual + overdrive.  The standard diff ratio for the XK automatic and 4-speed gearbox was lowered from 3.54: to 4.09:1 when overdrive was fitted. 

The car was originally black with biscuit interior.  It was shipped to Jaguar cars Ltd, New York, and the first owner was a Margaret J. Pattengill.  The Pattengill family is known to include an educator & congressman in the c.18th, and also a William Brewer Pattengill - who was a prolific Animator (comics and films) and Director perhaps best known for Charlotte's Web and a series of Popeye feature length cartoon films.  I believe he produced something over 200 animated films. He must have been very well regarded. 

I do not know the family relationship between the aforementioned first owner ; Margaret and these Pattengill's save that various of the Pattengill family were frequently mentioned in the press, in relation to high-society activities, and that Popeye the Sailor was also from 1960.  

Carmen was privately repatriated to Britain at the end of October 1989.  The car came from Monterey Jaguar Rolls-Royce Ferrari, Del Monte Avenue, Monterey, California 93940 and was shipped over to ..the almost as glamorous Felixstowe Docks ..not many miles from where I'm presently sitting. 

The car's declared purchase cost was $15,500.  It's destination and new owner was Mr Eric Bridgestock of Hope in Derbyshire.  At the time of shipping - the vehicle's license plate was LFN 089.   Shipping cost + $1500 + insurance at $238.50.  According to the web ; a dollar at that time in 1989 was fluctuating around the equivalent $1 = £0.6331  ..so this XK150 cost Mr Bridgestock around about £10,910.  I recall from years ago when I personally imported a UK vehicle from the US the import tax was 5%   so £10,910 x 1.05 = £11,455  plus any dock fees + UK transport + DVLA costs.  You can decide for yourself whether you think that was a fair investment.   

Mr. Bridgestock appears to have been the Chairman and Managing Director of the Fusion Group PLC. and it was not for another 8 months before he was faxing Jaguar's Record Department for 'sufficient information for registration of my XK150, recently imported from the USA'    XSV 299 was UK registered for the first time a week later on the 9th July 1990.  The first MoT is from June 26th 1990 (using the chassis number) recorded her mileage as 66,976.  According to the sequence of MoT certificates in Sept 2000 it was 67,850 miles. In October 2019 (the last MoT on record) the mileage was 68,243.  As bought, by me, the odometer reading is 68,368.  These records ; between October 1989 and January 2026 show a use of just 1,392 miles, excluding sea-miles when crossing the Atlantic.  

Being ‘a dry State’ California car with just sixty-seven-thousand miles on the odometer sounds great, but of course we don’t know if she was raced and rallied around around New York State, nor do we know if the mileage had been around the clock twice while she was over there in the United States, after all she is a 65 year old motor .. all we can do is to look through the car’s history file we now have, to see what’s been done, and when, in terms of reconditioning, since 1989. . .

Mr Bridgestock had a lot of work done through 1996, by Derek Watson Jaguar Restoration in Derbyshire. 

She was converted to RH drive and the manual gearbox was fitted. The standard rack & pinion steering rack was converted to power steering. While the engine and rack was out her suspension was rebuilt with polybushes, new ball joints, hub bearings & shock absorbers. Similarly the anti-roll-bar bushes were replaced.

The rear axle and suspension were likewise rebuilt with new oil seals and Koni shock absorbers. The springs were replaced.  Brakes were rebuilt front and rear with new cylinders, and the original brake pipes replaced with cupronickel. The brake servo was renewed. The clutch and brake pedal box was converted to RHD and their master cylinders rebuilt.

Presumably as part of the conversion, with the steering column moving across to the RHS, pancake air filters were fitted ..and Jaguar Mk.2 exhaust manifolds fitted. The latter necessitated the exhaust down-pipes had to be cut and rewelded to suit. Additional spacers for the engine mounts were needed, for those manifolds to clear the bulkhead.

The twin SU - HD carburettors were rebuilt with new diaphragms and needles. The throttle linkages were replaced for RHD. The fuel tank was removed and flushed out. And the fuel pump rebuilt. 

A used gearbox + overdrive were bought, and then reconditioned. The flywheel was skimmed, 

Of course changes to the car interior were made to suit both the RHD conversion and the manual gearbox. The wiring loom was replaced with new, and new ignition components fitted. The voltage regulator was new, and the dynamo and starter motor were reconditioned, as was the distributor’s advance mechanism. 

522+ man-hours + over £6000 in parts and materials,  together with advice that the fuel and temperature gauges are not working and that the 215 width tyres ought to be changed.  

Derek Watson Restorations recorded many additional labour hours for rectification of seized bolts, particularly regarding the rear axle and springs. It’s odd then that they should have put everything together again without Copaslip or painting over those springs or fastenings.  I guess I’ll need pull it all apart again to rectify the subsequent corrosion ..which was very avoidable.  Likewise with the car’s dry wiring connections.

The engine’s core plugs were replaced and the block flushed out and the radiator and heater matrix pressure tested.   

Addition tasks included fitting the radio and speakers, and removing the existing seatbelts and fitting inertia-reels. (..that have subsequently gone again).  

Still the car wasn’t used.  Two years later (Oct ‘98) there was a bill from another garage for collecting the car, stripping and freeing off the brakes, reconditioning the water pump, checking for starting fault (rotor arm replaced) servicing the fuel pump & an MoT  ..at a recorded 67,452 miles. 

MoT in ’99 recorded 67,631 miles, in 2000 ; 67,850 miles, and then there’s a break, in 2003 MoT reads 67,896 miles, and again another break in the MoT records, until August 2015 ; 67,970 miles.

However, back in October 2007 there’s receipts addressed to Mr Roger Mills, of Abbotts Bromley, Staffs.

A whole sequence starts off for a crankshaft damper + chrome windscreen trim for front and rear screens, and the leather bonnet strap amongst other things.  Two months later there’s an invoice for cylinder head gasket sets and ‘D’-type production spec Camshafts £430.55 +VAT, as well as a pedal box assembly ..which on its own cost £650 + VAT !

Three months later again - Mr Mills receives ‘the registration book for the XK150 you purchased from me on 6th March 2008’   It appears that Mr Bridgestock car had been sold to Mr. Gerald Bennett of Thuro, in January 2004, and she was again passing hands.

Mr Mills receipts through ‘08 include lesser items like a battery, indicator lenses and brake hoses.  However from June 2009 are handwritten notes concerning blast cleaning items from under the car ..like the battery box, bumper ironware, and the vacuum tank shield) as well as chrome plating of the bumpers, headlamp rims and radiator grille,  handles and side window frames.  In Sept ’09 there’s an SNG Barratt invoice for Polybush kit. And from David Manner were 4 brake discs.  And the callipers were zinc plated. The rear seal kit for the callipers is for the XK150 / Mk.X 3.8 / DR450.  In November suspension ball joints were being serviced with new gaiters and minor hardware fittings. 

2010 started off with new engine valve springs 24 off,  the solid steering-rack mounts, water hoses inc heater + a heater valve.  In May there was from Leaping Cats Ltd ; 1 sill, 1 lower door repair panel, and “2.00 Pot Caliper 12/40 mnt plate”,  which cost £195+VAT.  I don’t know what this refers to as the upgrade to Coopercraft twin-pot front brake callipers happened in 2016.

Leaping Cats also did the 24 bonnet louvers while David Manners Ltd supplied a new clutch cover assembly - Diaphragm type.  I checking the part number on-line, because it feels like a competition clutch, and it seems that this is the standard 9.5” clutch for the XK 3.8 ltr.  At the time (Jun 2010) it was £65 + VAT, and now it’s £175 + VAT.

At the end of that month the steering rack was replaced, for standard XK150 rebuilt unit .. no longer of the power-assisted type.  That purchase was reversed and a credit note paid.

By July ;  Mr. Mills was delving into the engine with a new spacer ‘on front of crank’ and an ‘engine lock tab set’ and a ‘dist./oil pump lock-tab’, x7 core plugs, and various miscellaneous clips, nipples and grommets.  Back in Oct ’07 he’d bought ‘S’ type door badges, now he bought ‘C’ type cam cover badges for the engine.  Neither are any longer on the car. 

He also bought a pair of camshaft sprockets, an idler sprocket, an ‘Int. chain sprocket’, and a ‘crank chain gear’.  Both upper and lower timing chains were replaced.  He also bought a set of 14 chromed cylinder head, and 26 rocker cover acorn nuts with copper washers.  

New Pistons were bought, part # 20615 KR +020” which according to MossMmotors.com are for 3.8 ltr. 9:1 compression.  They show exactly the same photo but a different part number for 3.8 ltr. 8:1 compression pistons.  After the rebore to +0.20” the block was steam cleaned.  Std sized thrust bearings were new, and there is no mention of big end or main bearings, but there is an instruction sheet for fitting a rear crank seal conversion, which tells me that the crank must be ground to 75mm.

In Sept ’10 ;  there’s a hand written invoice for 2 cam covers, oil filler cap, breather x2 air balance pipes, 1 water rail, 1 thermostat housing’ and 3 inlet manifolds.   Three ?

The same month there’s an invoice invoice for windscreen wiper box parts, seals for under the lamps, and various minor exterior trim bits, as well as a clutch slave cylinder and return springs. And another hand written invoice for 2 bumpers, 4 overridders and an XK150 grille. As Inlet Manifold polish only was scribbled out I might assume that this was a professional polisher or perhaps plating ..again ?   says Payed : £740.   (..old English spelling there )    

Still in September, from SNG Barratt, we have Electronic Ignition kit Most 6-cyl models, although on their current website it states ; “Electronic Ignition Kit - XJ6 S3 4.2 complete kit with amplifier”  Suitable for 1 model ;   XJ series 1-3  ..and then lists just the Series 3.  Life is confusing with listings like these ! ..but at least I have a part number RTC2641 and a hope to get some sort of instructions.  There was also a Lucas coil ‘for use on Opus type ignition’  which I understood was a Lucas ignition system for Jaguar V12’s without PI. ie., cars like the V12 E-type. 

Lucas Opus ; “The distributor timing rotor and pick-up module generate an electronic timing signal, which activates the amplifier unit via exteroal cables of a specified type and length.”

Moving on… to October ’10 and we have a clutch release bearing + a new steering rack ; Manual E 6cyl RHD.  (no longer power steering, let alone being driven !) + master cylinder repair kits for brake and clutch.  Also a High Torque starter motor .. AND THEN on the 27th an invoice from Head First in Rugely, Staffs ; Completely Strip down to bare metal, Prepare and Repaint in Jaguar Carmen Red..  £2,300 + £402.50 in VAT.  “Thank you for your business”. . .  I’m thinking that 15+ years ago, for a 2-door coupe - that wasn’t a cheap paint job, especially as it didn’t include the engine bay.   Anyone know of this company ? which although still listed in directories has no website.

Anyhow..  I don’t know when but the original black paint had given over to a silver (roof) over maroon colour (or perhaps color) scheme.  Now she was to have a new party dress !   …Mind you they never updated the DVLA who still has the car recorded as being Silver.

In December she was treated to a new number plate plinth .. the magnificent shiny chrome top to the rear number plate surround.  By January Mr. Mills was refitting bumpers and rebuilding the (E-type triple) HD8 carbs.   In February the gentleman was buying magnolia faced instruments ; ammeter, voltmeter, oil temp, and clock.  There’s then a break of a year in the invoices.

In March 2012 ;  an oil filter and a composite cyl head gasket 1.75mm - by Payen ..with bonded on gasket sealant.  Thereafter followed interior switches and in June the new 17” wood rim steering wheel.  Front and rear screen rubbers followed the following month. 

In November 2012 ; there’s been a whole lot of rechroming done by ACF Howell. It mainly the door handles and side window frames with their quarter light and catches, rear side window frames and their latches, as well as various items from the interior.  Lots of little bits that added up to almost £1000 inc tax.  Such is the cost of classic car restoration. Eight months later Howell’s rechromed the rear lights.

Wool carpets followed in March 2013.  There was also an estimate for work, from Classic Motor Cars, Bridgenorth ; including refitting the front and rear screens, and a lot of work to correct the door shuts. It also include a price for Hardura boot mat, and in the rear seat space.  The estimate totalled another £5875, but I think it might never have happened. (the door shuts on this car are not very good). Instead there’s an invoice from the same company totalled £220 + VAT.. I suspect this was for the boot and rear seat space Hardura mats. 

July 2013 ; Brakes & clutch hydraulics again !  with new master cylinders for each, and a clutch slave cylinder.

I stand corrected, Classic Motor Cars estimate was accepted, work carried out and invoiced in March 2014.  The windscreen was replaced and the left side of the vehicle resprayed ..which was included in the estimate, the bill now totalled £9532.89 ..some £3657 more than the estimate, but with the same work done.  And I still say the door gaps and door shuts are not very good.!

Another ignition coil two months later, together with another 2metres of new Rr wing piping.  In July 2015 Mr Mills bought a new set of wire wheels (painted silver) from MWS. They’re correctly 16” x 6”,  but 72 spoke in place of the original 60 spoke wheels.      

October 2016 ; Invoice from SNG Barratt for Coopercraft 4-pot front carriers in Black alloy finish.  

August 2017 records a fuel pump kit and 5-litres of Miller’s engine oil.  And on the 3rd Sept and MoT which records 68,201 miles. A grand total of 1225 miles driven since she had been repatriated.    

The same month the seatbelts were changed again to Luke G-Max Range 3 point 50/50 harness in grey.  Plus another Smith’s volts meter in magnolia was bought.

And then at the end of the month, an invoice from Denis Welch to supply & fit CSI Distributor - E-type with vacuum, negative earth, as well as ‘Jag Competition’ spark plug leads.  

A month later was a new brake servo (which is the same as I have on the Daimler). 

I wonder if this is a case of  “You tune the engine and the brakes aren’t up to the job, so you upgrade the brakes …and then want more power”  ? J

Big jump then to January ’22 when a new Yuasa YUA3096 battery was fitted. It’s lasted four years but no longer holds its charge.  I gather Yuasa have replaced it with a 76Ah 680 CCA which is a small battery with a powerful punch.  3000 series batteries are reckoned to offer 3000 starts. I doubt if Carmen has been started that many times over the past 20 years.

Four new tyres 205/70-16 97H Continental Premium CT 2 TY in May ’22.  the tyres were DoT dated eight months earlier.  

In August ’22 ; there’s no mention of converting back from triple carbs to twin, but there are invoices for needles, repair kits and insulator blocks for twin HD6 carburettors. And for vapour blasting and nickel plating of pipes & linkages.

November ’22 and Mr Mills is having the cylinder head gasket changed again, due to low compression, along with x12 K-line guides and the 6 inlet valves.  They also remade the throttle linkage, freed the clutch off, and ‘paint the bonnet and refit’. All for another £2,901. And again, another radiator top hose and bypass hose.

In May ’23 ; he’s still tidying the car up with new chrome for the roof gutters. And yet again track rod ends.   Wide tyres are clearly taking a toll here ! Those tyres should be no more than 185's on a 6-inch rim.

There’s also hand written note by Mr. Mills surmising the car’s history which adds details that are not found in the invoices. He summarises ;

“ Briefly ;  Total strip down to bare shell and painted. Complete trim in biscuit hide. No vinyl. Rewire. Total re-chrome of everything. New radiator, SS exhaust, polybushes & ball joints, brake discs & callipers (Coopercraft frnt).”

I find it rather sad for Mr Mills.  He clearly spent a huge amount of time, thought and effort ..and despite doing a lot of the work himself (no receipts for most of the labour) he also paid out a lot to try and restore this car.  But barely used it -  just 335 miles between 2015 and when it was being advertised by Runneymede on 29/11/2024. According to the DVLA ; XSV 299 had been taken into the motor trade in October 2023.

- - -

I apologise for this being so long .. I wasn’t planning on copying all my notes onto the forum, and indeed I’m not mentioning the countless small items recorded in the file,  but perhaps some of us might read through this with an interest in the technical, while others might scan through it and perhaps hear a message. ? 

I’m sure there was great deal of satisfaction in Mr Mills restoring the car, but personally speaking I sincerely hope to drive her.  Clearly there's some gentle waking-up to do first, and a snag list along with a whole lot of checking, lubricating and protecting from the elements ..before I venture very far.  But this summer I’d like to enjoy her as a thoroughbred and not just as a job list.

Pete

 

Edited February 22 by Bfg

[TR NIALL]

That’s some amount of money,time and effort thats been spent on Carmen with not a whole lot of driving to be had in return.

[stuart]

TBH I think the poor bloke was taken for an awful lot of money for stuff that either wasnt done or was done very badly, I ran Jaguars of all shapes and sizes from the early seventies through to the late nineties and worked on them a lot and there is an unbelievable amount of repeated work there that Im sure even with the car sitting around a lot wasnt either needed or actually carried out.

Stuart.

[Tony_C]

Yes, exactly my thoughts Stuart, many of those (supposedly replaced) components don’t wear out after 30,000 miles never mind 300…

 

Good for you however Pete and thanks for sharing so comprehensively 

[stuart]

Another thought Pete, you say the cams are ticking and you mentioned about follower buckets moving. That only happened on the later XJ series engines from about 69/70 on as they changed the bucket material and the expansion rate was different hence why they tended to come loose on some engines (not all and often only one or two) Pre that era there never used to be a problem with that. I suspect its either the replacement cams werent shimmed properly  (An art in itself and only done when you had easy access to the full range of shims) D type cams will need careful setting up anyway as they are higher lift and different duration, that also can contribute to higher tickover too.

Stuart.

[Bfg]

10.

On 2/2/2026 at 1:27 PM, stuart said:

Another thought Pete, you say the cams are ticking and you mentioned about follower buckets moving. That only happened on the later XJ series engines from about 69/70 on as they changed the bucket material and the expansion rate was different hence why they tended to come loose on some engines (not all and often only one or two) Pre that era there never used to be a problem with that. I suspect its either the replacement cams werent shimmed properly  (An art in itself and only done when you had easy access to the full range of shims) D type cams will need careful setting up anyway as they are higher lift and different duration, that also can contribute to higher tickover too.

Stuart.

Thank you Stuart. 

I heard about the valve seat buckets coming loose and rattling with regard to the Mk.2 XK engines. I didn't know it was an issue with the latter models. 

As It happens ... all too often ! ... User error   ... Unfamiliar with type  as the fly-boys used to say - was, I suspect, most of the issue with this engine noisiness during pre-purchase inspection.  The manual override switch for the starting enrichment device was left on.   

 

The error was perhaps quite understandable for a newbie, anxiously looking at a very expensive and very powerful car, which has been modified from standard.. 

A non-standard push-pull switch is just below the ignition switch, seen above as the silver button to the right of the radio.  When a key is placed in the ignition - the car's other keys and key fob dangle over, and effectively conceal, said push-pull switch.   In this photo it looks quite clear but when sitting in the car the rim of the steering wheel further obscures it.  Not even knowing it was there, nor indeed do I yet know what the other switches on that non-original plinth are for, nor even how to turn the radio on.., I started the car and the tickover was very fast.  I mentioned the very fast tickover to Julian, the classic car dealer, who checked it, said that the choke (override) was switched off, but in fact it wasn't. 

Subsequently, when the car was delivered to me, and unloaded off the back of the haulage vehicle, I started the engine and drove the car around the storage unit to where she'll be temporarily parked.  I recorded the video and only then I noticed that switch.  When pushed in - the tickover dropped to around 3-400rpm.  And of course without the enrichment device - the HD carburettors are pretty close to being balanced.  When blipped the tickover picked up, as the throttle linkage rod is too tight.

Now, there's still a fair amount of induction and fan noise, but the engine's top end now sounds (to me) within normal parameters.  I know nothing about the D-type camshafts save the invoice. I presume they're a fast road cam.?  I didn't note the engine was particularly peaky, but then my pre-purchase test drive was around Kentish country lanes.  

I re-recorded the video.  which I've just up-loaded onto YouTube.  I've never done that before..  And with my laptop computer's volume on maximum, I set the video's volume to 55% which sounds pretty realistic. . .  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeIzZgrRGd8  . . .  please watch to the end !

Cheers,  Pete

. . .

 

Edited February 22 by Bfg