After the best part of two years researching, digging up more documentary material and chasing down surviving parts, things are beginning to gather pace in my XJ13 project. I hope you find the following YouTube videos interesting.

As you may know, my aim is to exactly recreate the XJ13 as it was in 1966 and before it was rebuilt following its crash in 1971. The dream is to see it carry on where Jaguar left off and see it on a track with the GT40s, Ferraris etc. There is still an enormous amount to do but here's the first two videos of its build. A lot has happened since I took these videos and as soon as I can make time and get my a**e in gear I will continue the series.

Building the Legend - Part 1

Building the Legend - Part 2

One of the "problems" of using modern CAD/CAM/laser-cutting etc is that a replica can end up being truer to the original plans/dimensions than a 1960s hand-made original can be. However I don't plan to introduce any assymetry of the one-and-only original! The original was at JD Classics recently and Jaguar Heritage presumably gave permission for it to be measured to help with a new post-1973 body for the "Walter Hill" replica they have there (a bit strange when Jaguar Heritage have always asserted they will never allow for this to happen). It seems the "original" differs right-to-left by as much as an inch in some dimensions. Think I'll stick with Sayer's original 1966 version!

The monocoque you see in the video is the first all-steel "trial" version. Once we are happy all is as it should be we will set it aside and make the aluminium/steel final version. While this is going on, the body outer surfaces are being fabricated in original-spec aluminium so they can be fitted to the "trial monocoque" just to verify all is as it should be.

Hi Roger. Nice car

As I am sure you know better than most, registering a similar car for the road can be an absolute nightmare nowadays. It would be good to think I could take it on the road but my main ambition is to see it on a track so this is only of secondary importance. The finished car will only have around 4" ground clearance and will be as stiff as a board so it would probably not be the most comfortable car to drive on the road anyway. It also looks as if it will be well-nigh impossible to get road-legal tyres in the original sizes (to fit 7" rims on the front and 9 3/8" on the back) so I might have to limit it to a track anyway.

SVA rules seem to be getting sillier by the week so I might choose to not venture down that path at all. There are other ways ...

Just keep those videos coming! One of my favourite albums too!

Really want to see you forming the body to fit the buck....

Hocus Pocus?

Or is it a live version?

Great stuff.