Description
Author: Bob Exelby, Hardbound, 304 Pages, ISBN: 9781907085352, 1st Edition, May 2016
Restoring classic cars has been Bob Exelby's hobby and passion for the last 50 years. As his restorations become his daily drivers, they have to be both usable and reliable. The discipline of his day job, with constant schedules and targets, was carried through to this Jaguar XK 120 rebuild: stalling, or failing to complete, was not an option.
Compiled first as a blog and then a monthly column in the Jaguar XK Club's magazine, the XK Gazette, this book records not only the progress of the 120's restoration but also all the minutia surrounding the day-to-day life of an amateur
classic car restorer, including his relationships with suppliers, contractors and other old car enthusiasts.
Bob's knowledge of the processes involved in completing a total nut-and-bolt restoration have come from years of experience and a thirst to read anything and everything relating to the workings of old motors.
Over the years, it became clear which tasks could be completed to the required standard and which are better left to professionals. With limited funds, it also became clear how best to avoid the pitfalls and financial disasters that so often befall those who have little more than an abundance of enthusiasm.
Bob is meticulous and ruthless in detailing the costs, in both time and money, of each stage of the project. He analyses not just the parts of the car but the tools, equipment and consumables he used, invaluable for anyone contemplating the restoration of any classic car, not just a classic XK Jaguar.
