Mk2 Jaguar Restoration (Practical Classics & Car Restorer)

Published by Kelsey Publishing, Softbound, 102 Pages ISBN: 9781873098073 - 2005 Reprint of 1989 classic

Following the restoration of 'KEX' was a fascinating exercise, particularly for me as a Jaguar enthusiast. On this typically rusty old Mk 2 we saw all the type's usual faults put right and a gleaming - but still very original - vehicle emerge at the end of it.

The restored car also proved to me how delightful a properly rebuilt Mk 2 still is to drive with its ample performance and still-impressive ride and refinement.

As we explain in the episodes which follow, the intention was not to produce a totally new car rather one which performed like new but which retained the ambience of the original Browns Lane product. Essentially this meant such as restoring the leather upholstery nstead of replacing it - not only cheaper but more authentic! Wire wheels were fitted because many owners like to do this and we felt that to explain the procedure would be -seful. But they don't exactly mar the car's looks!

Both Peter Simpson (whose lucid account of the work makes easy reading of what is actually a complex series of operations) and I were impressed by Geof Maycock's nonsense approach to restoration-as befits someone who's owned, rebuilt and raced Mk 2s 'Of many years.

Thanks to Autocats, therefore, for a job done with competence and good humour; that the car was finished dead on time (or even early!) was a bonus.

Thanks are also due to Clan Pipe Tobacco whose sponsorship made the project possible and enabled Ls to do the job properly without cutting corners.

In the long line of Practical Classics project cars, the Mk 2 Jaguar will remain one of the most enjoyable for us to look back on. We hope that if you're embarking on a Mk 2 restoration, you'll be able to do the same with yours too. And if this book makes your task a e easier, then KEX will more than have proved her worth - and we'll be delighted.

- Paul Skilleter