When one gets to this point in a long project — it’s been about two years so far — an historical view can put some of the small setbacks into a comforting perspective. There are many ways to think about automotive evolution since 1885; clumping into nine eras helps simplify......
In the United States, the first seat belts were introduced by Nash (1948) and then Ford in the mid-1950s. The public resoundly rejected these safety devices, however, and only a small minority actually buckled up well into the 1980s. In 1984, the state of New York passed the first mandatory......
See also prior front grille and bumper test fit. The front grille attaches to the chassis with four retaining clips that resemble those used for storm and screen windows. Over the years, the metal opening around these clips eroded somewhat, leaving less and less metal for the clip to grip......
Front bumper Assembly of the front bumper is rather straightforward: two front studs and two bolts on either side provide a robust mount. Rear bumper See also mount modification and bumper seal. Apart from getting the nuts and bolts into position given the limited space between the bumper and chassis,......
See also the wire wheels post. In the Operating, Maintenance and Service Handbook that came with the Mk2, Jaguar specifies 6.00/6.40 x 15 tubed tires (spelled tyres in Britain) and suggests pressures of 24 PSI (front) and 22 PSI (rear) for “normal driving”. However, in the Service Manual (fourth edition)......
See also discussion of chrome fasteners. Jaguar used a number of different methods for holding chrome mounting to the body. For example, the short chrome bead from the A-post to the trailing edge of the hood is attached with three special clips that screw into the body. Some moulding uses......
One might hope that the fastening system for the exterior chrome was designed around a few basic components to insure a simple installation procedure. Sorry … hopes dashed. Instead, we face a bewildering assortment of odd metal bits put together in what almost seems to be a random pattern. There......
Our front and rear windows have been packed up for about two years, but it’s now time to clean them up and get ready for the windscreen and backlight installation. The rear window is installed with the seal on the glass. The old seal was scraped off with a razor......
Installing the front and rear glass (the windscreen and the backlight, respectively) is one of those terror-filled but exhilarating milestones, like removing/installing the engine, the first engine start, and the first test drive. Backlight The initial step is to ignore the Jaguar Service Manual recommendation that sealer and chrome strip......
After 25 months, the exterior front end is substantially complete. By comparison, the front end back in 2014:...
