LagondaNet

[jonc]

So, reassembly. The car has polished stainless steel tread plates:





Door seals next give some protection while inside work continues:





Preparation for the headlining:



which mean removing the old, deteriorated foam.













Working on a nice, straight car you forget where we came from. Some bits still need straightening!







The car has been retrimmed in the past so the headlining is black leather.




and now the interior wiring loom which was removed for painting the interior.



There are other issues with the wiring to sort out too - the loom butchering for installation of the alarm and hifi system.

[jonc]

On to the fuel fillers and flap mechanisms:









This is the remains of the fuel flap switch for the dash warning light.



Replacement fitted:





Now to test the fuel tank, but first the fuel filter needs replacing.





The filter doesn't look quite the right colour:



and this is why:



I think the red is a lead-replacement additive which the previous owner used. These V8 engines were designed for lead-free petrol so there was no need..



and this is the colour of a new filter:



All looking good. And this was the completely squashed side:

[Vrije]

Jonathan, be advised to check/replace the one inch piece of hose on the fuel pump inside the tank.

[jonc]

Thanks Harry - something else to look into.

Here is how the dash is looking at the moment. My 'conversion loom' has been fitted along with the touch switch interface I made and the restored binnacles. This has allowed the testing of various electrics.



In fact, the instrument panel has also been in too:



and some of the lights are back in, after various connections have been cleaned and have contact grease applied for future reliability.





The car was converted to a simpler heating/AC system by Works Service in the '90s but it is now being returned to original. WS told the previous owner that the system was unreliable 'due to the type of internal controls and construction of the system' and 'Unfortunately, a number of parts are unavailable, so we have modified the system using parts which are readily available'.

Well, I have managed to get the parts, and also managed to make the system reliable on 277, so we are doing the same here.

First David tests the actuators with a vacuum pump. This shows that there is a leak in the face vent actuator which is the one buried inside the system - to fix it the system has to come apart. While there is no interior in the car, this is the ideal time do it.





More testing as we go. This is the footwell flaps:





You can see here that the steering column and dash crossmember needed to be removed. The top of the heater box is the hot air which is now dismantled. You can see the heater matrix at the top and the blend flap on the front to mix the hot and cold air which comes out of the centre vent.





Next the front panel comes off. To remove this the crossmember had to be removed.



And now we can see why the face vent flaps weren't working. There is no pipe inside!



I wonder if there ever was? It's not inside the unit..

More dismantling - next the blend flap:







The foam seals are poor and so will be replaced while we are in here.



So, missing pipe is fitted and tested:





New foam for the demist flap:







the blend flap:





And the drain holes cleared:





and finally its back together:

[jonc]

The sound insulation is all in a poor state so we are taking the opportunity to replace it.



We are using a lead-foam sandwich which is as close to the original as we can get. It is sold by Car Builder Solutions in the UK.



Cut ready to apply. It is supposed to be self-adhesive but this doesn't work well so it is being held in place with contact adhesive:







This car has a foot operated parking brake, like a Rolls-Royce of the same period. The release pull is damaged and David has managed to find a replacement:



Here it is back in place:



The car has a standard interior loom, which expects the handbrake to be next to the driver''s seat. This is where the wires for the warning light are, and here is how they were extended to the parking brake on the dash:



David is doing a proper job, in a standard production way - using bullet connectors. Here is the switch with its new connectors under test:



Another job while we are at the front - the analogue instrument panel has no warning indicators for low coolant or low washer fluid. I thought these had just been missed off, but there are no Radolarm sensor modules in the passenger footwell.



The loom wires are there, but with insulation over the ends of them. They haven't been removed because there are actually no mounting points for them on the chassis. We are taking the opportunity to fit them while we are here so David has installed rivnuts in the chassis using another car as reference.



And with more insulation installed, here is how the inside is looking:

[jonc]

And now for something completely different.

Remember I said the car seemed to have clear sun roof glass? (page 2 of this thread).



David and I have had much discussion about the tint in roof glasses. There are a number of variations. My 277 and 379 both had a bronze tint but there also seems to have been a dark green one, and even a clear. Here is another photo - it looks clear:



And here it is, out of the car (on the right) with a clear salvaged/damaged one, plus a piece of the side window glass above:



So, it was coloured to match the side glass.

However, none are available - in any colour. AML don't have it, nor Puddleduck. Fortunately, David has arranged for his one remaining damaged sample to be used as a template to have a new one made. In fact, a batch of them. For this car, the colour is matched to the original, and for standard cars the bronze colour. This has been a long process which started last year, but here is the result:



Here you can see the difference between the standard bronze one and the lighter green tint made specially for this car:





On to fitting. First the frame is bonded to the glass:







The frame is then painted before they are bonded into the car.







The same applies to the rear window, which I was able to buy new from AML.



With the slight added complication of the wiring.

[jonc]

Now some work at the front:



The front undertrays have an unusual heatsink fitted to them, which sticks down into the airflow next to the oil cooler.





The heatsink is a standard part used for large power transistors - I used them to make a power amplifier in the early '80s. Here is what is on the other side of the heatsink:



A few chunky wires, now cut off. It looks like a power regulator to me. I looked up Roband - they are a UK defence and avionics power supply manufacturer. This looks like an artefact from the Cranfield dash.

[jonc]

Getting ready for the front screen now. The wiper mechanism wasn't particularly well located and while poking around, a rust hole was found:









Might as well do the job properly:





and while we are in the area:





The scuttle gutter below the windscreen has a stonechip finish:



as does the front panel:



..but not the scuttle inside the car, which gets a smooth finish:







and while the black paint is out, the boot hinges are returned to the correct colour:

[Jas13141]

Masterful work, wow ! Where did you source the front windscreen ? Mine has a crack and needs to be replaced
_________________
Jas Dhillon
13141

[jonc]

Thanks, although this is David's work not mine - I am just here telling the story.

I was fortunate to get a non-sunstrip screen from Puddleduck last year. I think AML have the one with the sunstrip, and also the little square for the stick-on rear view mirror on the S4 cars. All the screens are the same size.

Before the interior is ready to go back in the car, it is professionally cleaned and the leather restored. This also removes the last of the broken glass.







Here you can see the unusual seat base detail with carpet on the side:



The interior refit starts at the rear.



In this corner, the roof was against the seat bolster:









The traditional AML method of using ply wood packing pieces.



And the rear cigar lighters have wires attached to make it easier to connect them at a later date - they were not connected as the standard interior loom has no provision for them.



Rear completed:

[Vincent]

Restoration ? No...
Resurrection ? No...
Rebuild ? I think so...
Congrats for the huge work !
_________________
Welcome to Paradise ! (FRONT 242)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS30BC3D5WM

[jonc]

Thanks

Now for the front windscreen. As I said, I have been fortunate enough to find a used one without the sun strip at the top.













It's starting to look like a car! All we need now are doors, bonnet, boot, centre console, front seats.. dashboard.. exterior mirror..

Oh, and a return to steel wheels.

The Centra wheels have a different stud pattern (PCD) to the Jaguar-based ones, and so it is not a straight swap back to the steel wheels. At the back, the hubs are different and need replacing, at the front there are convertor plates which attach to the standard hubs. These need to be removed and new Jaguar studs fitted to the hub.

Here is the disk, hub and adapter plate:



First the disk has to be removed:



Which gives access to the bolts which hold on the adapter plate:



Of course these are very tight and removal is difficult. One is stuck and requires a different method:





And here is the plate removed:



Once cleaned, new studs can be fitted to the hub:



Threadlock is applied, then they are knocked into place before final pinching up with a wheelnut.



The vertical links with stub axle were also removed as part of this job. This is because the bottom ball joints needed replacing.





The later sealed for life units are being fitted:



And while in the area, David found this non-standard method of securing the brake hoses, which he is sorting with the correct nut.



Going back together:









Two wheels down, two to go..

[jonc]

Thanks

Now for the front windscreen. As I said, I have been fortunate enough to find a used one without the sun strip at the top.













It's starting to look like a car! All we need now are doors, bonnet, boot, centre console, front seats.. dashboard.. exterior mirror..

Oh, and a return to steel wheels.

The Centra wheels have a different stud pattern (PCD) to the Jaguar-based ones, and so it is not a straight swap back to the steel wheels. At the back, the hubs are different and need replacing, at the front there are convertor plates which attach to the standard hubs. These need to be removed and new Jaguar studs fitted to the hub.

Here is the disk, hub and adapter plate:



First the disk has to be removed:



Which gives access to the bolts which hold on the adapter plate:



Of course these are very tight and removal is difficult. One is stuck and requires a different method:





And here is the plate removed:



Once cleaned, new studs can be fitted to the hub:



Threadlock is applied, then they are knocked into place before final pinching up with a wheelnut.



The vertical links with stub axle were also removed as part of this job. This is because the bottom ball joints needed replacing.





The later sealed for life units are being fitted:



And while in the area, David found this non-standard method of securing the brake hoses, which he is sorting with the correct nut.



Going back together:









Two wheels down, two to go..

[jonc]

Thanks

Now for the front windscreen. As I said, I have been fortunate enough to find a used one without the sun strip at the top.













It's starting to look like a car! All we need now are doors, bonnet, boot, centre console, front seats.. dashboard.. exterior mirror..

Oh, and a return to steel wheels.

The Centra wheels have a different stud pattern (PCD) to the Jaguar-based ones, and so it is not a straight swap back to the steel wheels. At the back, the hubs are different and need replacing, at the front there are convertor plates which attach to the standard hubs. These need to be removed and new Jaguar studs fitted to the hub.

Here is the disk, hub and adapter plate:



First the disk has to be removed:



Which gives access to the bolts which hold on the adapter plate:



Of course these are very tight and removal is difficult. One is stuck and requires a different method:





And here is the plate removed:



Once cleaned, new studs can be fitted to the hub:



Threadlock is applied, then they are knocked into place before final pinching up with a wheelnut.



The vertical links with stub axle were also removed as part of this job. This is because the bottom ball joints needed replacing.





The later sealed for life units are being fitted:



And while in the area, David found this non-standard method of securing the brake hoses, which he is sorting with the correct nut.



Going back together:









Two wheels down, two to go..

[jonc]

Some of the smaller parts, plus the bonnet still need attention. The bonnet front edge needed straightening, and there was one area where the metal had torn.

Here is how it started:



and the repair..











And now getting ready to trial fit the pop-ups; first cleaning out the threads with a tap. You can also see here that there was red paint on the frame. We think that was a mistake and it was then over-painted black:







Looking good so far. The underside of the repair is dressed too:







The headlamp pods and various other small parts including the boot finishing panels need stripping and painting now.








With the fuel flaps, we can reuse one, but the left hand one which was on the most-squashed corner of the car can't be saved. We have a replacement, but there is a difference. AML put a hole on the inside on later flaps. I think this was so there was access to secure the badge where fitted.



The rear of the original fuel flap is being fitted to the replacement:











The bonnet has been trial-fitted to the car here. One problem though - the bonnet won't close properly because it touches the air box. Something is not right - but more of that later..