Dale Fraser's Mk II Project

jamcath@ozemail.com.au

JAGUAR MK 11 PROJECT

The car (chassis no: 155191-DN eng no: BG55038) was purchased in November 1996 from Stewart Harrison in Sanctuary Point. Included in the price was a 3.8 litre engine (eng.no.32049-8) a 2.8 litre (eng.no.69060-8), a 3_ l block (d1424-7) & a 4.2l block(7054127-8) 2x spare straight port heads, manual g'box (37294) auto g'box spare exhaust manifolds sump crankshaft 2 spare cams prop shafts 2 spare wheels & tyres box of various carbies & other bits & pieces including a towbar.

The car had been paint stripped so you could see where the rust was (apart from the gaping holes that is!) and has a Webasto sunroof , offering more than the usual opportunities for water leaks.

MARCH -APRIL 97

Started stripping the car- the engine, gearbox & drive shaft were already out & are now stored in what used to be the garden shed. The lights, chrome, interior, front & rear windscreens & window frames all came off easily and are now stored in the attic. The tar sound-deadening material was a bit more difficult until I started using a heat gun to remove most of the mat & then dissolved the remainder with mineral turpsproblem solved.

At a bit of a standstill now as I'm not sure how much more I can confidently remove (or more importantly when the time comes, replace) eg wiring harness & engine bay stuff.

Bought some more bits another sump (?wrong one) set of triple carbies & inlet, spare rear spats, starter motor, brakes & assorted bits from Barrie Peters.

20/04/97

I've decided to be brave(foolhardy?) and take the car back to a shell, that is , strip everything off & get it acid dipped to get rid of all rust. Maybe I should have tackled an MGB instead! No..not nearly as interesting or comfortable.

07/09/97

It's Fathers Day and the Jag club display day so I must get a move on if this is to be finished this century. Travelled up to Roselle for the day & had a great day (as usual) at the display day but didn't get carried away buying bits & pieces. Having talked to a few people in the know I've been convinced not to bother with acid dipping as the hassle is not worth it in the long run.

NOV 97

Time for the Bendigo swap meet again. This makes my 3rd year in a row that I've managed to get down for the swap. It is really a good weekend, though a lot of hard work. I managed to pick up some cams & rocker covers but didn't see a lot more. Thanks to the Berrima District Historic Car Club for organizing a great weekend away.AGAIN!!

24/2/98

Have just returned from a 8 week overseas trip & am still trying to catch up on everything. While in England I managed to fax SC PARTS a list of parts that (hopefully) I will be able to use when the time comesthings like door & windscreen rubbers, body chrome set etc etc .Shame that the exchange rate is so bad at the moment.

I have just read the article in the Jag magazine about the conversion of the MK11 into a 2 door DHC. Very interesting.It may be a good way to go with mine as the car is not in its original configuration so would be a good candidate for conversation.

01/06/98

Decided that it is too much like hard work converting it into a 2 door DHC maybe next time!? I have joined the JagLovers mailing list/chat group & get about 20-50 e-mails every night or two. I have already picked up a couple of good tips & general information on problems & experiences on a variety of topics.

Drove up to Sydney a couple of weeks ago for a Jag club outing at Tony Pallas' repair shop. Was a good day out apart from the torrential rain.One very valuable tip - don't acid dip the door hinges as they dissolve in the acid!!!

I am slowly getting the car stripped down, door handles, wiring , steering, f & r subframes & petrol tank to go.

It's ironic, the Jag as a restoration project sits under the carcover under the carport while the Daimler sits out in the weather slowly trying to catch up with the Jag!

I'm still undecided about the acid dipping.. lots of opinions both fore & against.. will just have to keep on asking. Will put it to the JagLovers group to see what their collective opinion comes up with.