Discussion
Not bad as an effort, but things that stand out are the chrome rings around the headlamps (too wide), five speed box, key closure to the spare wheel, and most of all - and I hate this - 15" and not 16" wheels. Ohter things are not right but those are the major ones. At the price though, not a bad effort, but I'd like to see the suspension setup which looks more likie coil over than torsion bar; a cheap alternative.
Latest is that the tail is off - again - and the fuel tank is now being modified since it sits too high for an XKSS tail and the fuel neck would be like a beanstalk. I have to go to the UK to get a new passport (the embassy here won't help since it expires in less than a month) so I'll take some photos.
The tank is now finished. Firstly the tank had to be cut open and reprofiled:-
Then, because the neck was too long, shortened somewhat. You'll note the extra filler cap iside the Monza one, and the reason isn't to stop people stealing fuel but simply to stop me getting a soaking from fuel venting when braking hard:-
The finished article closed\;-
Elsewhere things are progressing too. The luggage rack is being offered up and the hood frame is now there:-
Then, because the neck was too long, shortened somewhat. You'll note the extra filler cap iside the Monza one, and the reason isn't to stop people stealing fuel but simply to stop me getting a soaking from fuel venting when braking hard:-
The finished article closed\;-
Elsewhere things are progressing too. The luggage rack is being offered up and the hood frame is now there:-
LordBretSinclair said:
Tony, do my eyes deceive me or is this first time we have seen the glass being "offered up" into place in the front screen surround??
Looks good from the photos, any info you want to add??
Yes, it is the first time the glass has been offered up but then it will be in and out faster than a reunion of the actress and the bishop for the moment. My only comments are humble, in that I really had no idea, even after the building of the C-type, just how much work and effort they have had to put in to make this as near as possible to a real XKSS from the outside. Yes, under the skin it will be different as we all know, but from the outside you'll have a job to tell. Here is the latest photo of the front bumpers, and this is the latest economy fitting measure we have taken.Looks good from the photos, any info you want to add??
Edit: RichB, the windows, like the sidescreens before when it was a D-type, are fixed. In fact, it is no different to drive than a long nose D-type (larger side screens than a short nose) really, and doesn't impact on the driving pleasure. Your elbow falls naturally onto the sill of the car when driving. We all know that Steve McQueen took them off (they are bolted) and removed the hood too, but then he lived in California, not northern Europe.
Edited by lowdrag on Friday 13th April 17:44
vvt said:
Lowdrag, old fruity, I have just had an epiphany - looking back on your posts about the sublime XKSS I was surprised to learn that your starting point was actually an aluminium replica loosely based on the D-Type? I wonder how it is described on it’s logbook?
Have I got this right, are you in fact, turning one replica into another AND using the services of one of the most expensive Jaguar specialists in the business to boot?
Hmm, well, as far as I am concerned Lynx cars (Wingfield too) are now considered collectors items in themselves, and it would cost around £300,000 to have a Lynx XKSS built today by CKL. I cannot for the life of me see how you consider CKL to be "one of the most expensive Jaguar specialists in the business" since their hourly rate is considerably cheaper than that charged by JD Classics for example as well as many others, and as ex-Lynx directors they are the only people who have the true expertise to do the conversion. Many of the parts used are real XKSS parts, the Dzus for example being almost pure unobtanium these days, the bumpers actually being the spare set from the McQueen car, the screen frame found on a shelf where it had lain mouldering for years, the new squared-off tunnel being copied from an actual XKSS tunnel, and so on. CKL are world renowned for looking after real racing Jaguars and their expertise is second to none. I have bought cars through them, sold them through them, they built my C-type (on which subject see page 37 of the current Classic and Sports Car) which has twice been invited to participate at Goodwood and now will be racing at the Le Mans Classic, they rebuilt the engine of my D/XKSS to provide over 300bhp and 400lb/ft of torque, and we are the best of friends. I wouldn't consider taking my cars anywhere else for such a job. If you reflect and consider that a Lynx XKSS is now in the region of £250,000, it pays to have the history of the car done by the best for its future value. It is not money wasted, but well spent.Have I got this right, are you in fact, turning one replica into another AND using the services of one of the most expensive Jaguar specialists in the business to boot?
It is impossible to convert a fibreglass car to an XKSS, nor really a Wingfield without serious expense since they only made long nose cars, but a Lynx has been converted quite a few times. It is the quality of the conversion I am paying for, so that the car will have the feel of a real car (IRS excepting) and not a banale mock-up that is never pleasing to the eye.
I agree, but there is one comment to make since it is provenly inaccurate. The XKSS sold by Martin Daly at The School Garage was sold by Frank Sytner for £40,000 in 1997 (I think), then appeared in Belgium for £80,000 and was sold by Martin Daley two years back to Canada for around £140,000. What he clearly doesn't know is that it was resold by Roy Kent last year for £235,000. I've followed that car for years since I failed to buy it once, and saw the car at CKL with the new owner last year and we chatted about it. However, it's back on the market again with Roy Kent. For the rest it's all plain wind-up, so I'll just post pix as they arive.
It has been a while since I posted, and that is because we needed to do more research on the original cars. it would seem (I am open to be proved wrong) that some of the first cars did not have chromed screen frames since such technology was in it's infancy/non-existent at the time. So the decision has been taken to leave the screen as polished alloy but chrome the bumpers and rear lights. The headlamp bezels were polished alloy anyway, before anyone asks. Now this makes life a lot easier since finding someone to linish and chrome the surround is proving very difficult, given that it is easy to over-buff and distort the surround. No photos are available for the moment, but I'll post as and when.
And so it goes on. Jaguar did what was expedient (like the last 3.8 E-types having the 4.2 dashboard and door cards with arm rests and even the synchro box at the very end), and even amongst the Lynx replica XKSS's I have seen some with chromed and some with polished screens and bumpers. OHV 7 has no chrome except the rear lights for example, but others are shown as fully chromed. Possibly customer choice or again expediency.
We are in the finishing straight it seems. The rear end has gone off to the painters, as have the parts for chroming:-
The wiper motor (now there's a luxury!) is in situ:-
The exhaust shield is on the car but will be removed to be buffed:-
And the tunnel is taking shape. Not much room left for the passenger!
The trimmer is already staring on the door cards and the seats (suede green) and will only have the dashboard, sills and hood to do when the car is fully painted. Expect to see her at Le Mans and the Classic!
The wiper motor (now there's a luxury!) is in situ:-
The exhaust shield is on the car but will be removed to be buffed:-
And the tunnel is taking shape. Not much room left for the passenger!
The trimmer is already staring on the door cards and the seats (suede green) and will only have the dashboard, sills and hood to do when the car is fully painted. Expect to see her at Le Mans and the Classic!
Welcome to the forum. I am lucky to have bought a Lynx when prices were - er - "reasonable" - and in converting the car to an XKSS I am trying to make it as lookalike as possible. That's me - I love a project and a challenge. But my old mate Tim (God rest his soul) - built a lovely Realm and used it regularly and we all loved him and it to death. So if your heart says an XKSS go with it - otherwise you may regret it for the rest of your life. Good ones are to be found or can be bult for you if you can't do it yourself, and it'll give you immense pleasure. It'll cost you a lot less than buying an E-type or restoring a doggy one too!
Le Mans Visitor said:
Anymore pictures yet Tony?
Frankly, no. It is crunch time since the ACO want to display the car at the annual garden aprty on the Friday evening and I have no idea when the car will be ready. Each time I am assured it will be ready for this event but I don't know whether they have had the chroming back, whether they have even got the car back from the painters, whether the trimmer has started if they have got it and so on. It is a bloody nightmare. I can't go later than the Tuesday of Le Mans, returning the wednesday since from the Wednesday evening I have friends here so the plan is to go over the Tuesday on LD arriving at 21.30, get up early the next morning and travel Dover/Clais with the trailer and get home late afternoon, but who knows? How long is a piece of string?greenrat said:
lowdrag said:
Update: they haven't even got tyhe bonnet and tail back from the painter's yet, so basically it seems that the chances are about the square root of - you know what.
Your pain comes through your words. If I dared suggest that it's better to get it back right than to get it back quickly, would you hunt me down and beat me to death?
The paint is supposed to be like that, to replicate the paint of old. It needs a bit of attention, but will look patinated from the outset because 20% of matt paint is mixed in. I chose that - like the C-type before - because I hate "chocolate box" cars, and prefer my cars to look older than they are. I only ask you to wait to see it when it is finished and I, as a photographer, have had the time to take some pictures myself.
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