I am now at a cross roads. When I removed the battery tray I found some bad rust through at the firewall. When I started removing the old seam sealer in places across the firewall, I found more holes. To repair this correctly I need to remove stuff behind this as to not catch fire and have a burnt stinch inside the car. I really want to paint the entire car silver and will need to remove the glasses. I have a few rust bubbles around the front and rear window seals. So I have officially made this another major project

 

Oh boy, cast off and away from the dock. Adventure on the high seas aplenty...


Materials glue metal to metal are now available. The battery
box repair might be a good place to use some. So much stuff that
could get damaged by the heat of welding there. Would might be a better word than could!!


Clean the area well of goop and rusty metal. Acid burn
or water migrating from the glass to metal "seal".


Cut out fresh steel. Coat it well. Glue it on. Apply an
acid "resistant" coating and good for another 30 or 40!!


We will watch your progress with great interest and help where we can.


Carl

 

:icon_worth y:

 

I have been busting my butt on my 78 442 but burnt myself out. Today I pulled the XJ under the car port and in two hours had the V8 conversion engine/trans mounts installed and mocked up a bare engine block to a rebuilt turbo 350 trans and set them in the car. I have a guy delivering a used good running 400 sbc tomorrow that I will put in after a gasket refresh. I'm trying to get the car to be able to move around under its own power so I don't have to push it. I had a drive shaft from a 55 Chevy car here and it takes the same U joints as the XJ. This was surprising. I will take it Monday to a drive shaft shop and have it cut down one inch, rebalanced, and new U joints installed. I bolted up my reproduction ram horn exhaust manifolds but the bolts that came with them are too long. I need to go buy some bolts for those. I have some ideas that will require a lot of sheet metal and standard fabrication. Going to try some 1970 Camaro split front bumpers on the front and possibly a 1967-68 Camaro rear bumper. I need to call a friend that has a 68 Camaro to have him measure the rear bumper width. I went with a fuel cell so no need for the removeable lower rear quarter panels. Going to cut the folds out and butt weld those together. It will be smooth one piece rear quarter panels. I'm also thinking about using chrome pot metal rectangular door mirrors for early 70s Chevelles. I think the stock mirrors are bulky looking. Hate to loose the electric but they have to go.

 

Did some metal work on the radiator support to use the 82-92 F body radiator. Used a piece of 3 1/2" muffler pipe to plate the notch for radiator cap access. Had to relocate the two outer mounting holes for the top core support plate. I welded 5/16x24 nuts in so it could use the factory hardware but will upgrade to ARP after the paint work. I hole sawed the core support top plate and used a 3/8" wide piece of muffler pipe for an edge. Looks a bit more finished and less likely to loose some skin removing/installing radiator cap.

 

I'm kicking around the idea of getting this car driveable to take a 4 1/2 hour trip to my brother in laws for Halloween. It would help me really get on it. I want to rip it apart after mock up for a repaint with color change but don't have the room with two others torn down. It's a heck of a lot nicer than the ratty @$$ El Camino I'm driving daily

 

That opening for access to the radiator cap is among the neatest, I've ever seen. Great work.


As to the bolts for the Ram Hons? To the heads or to attach the down pipes?


If the former, I'd be tempted to cut them off in my HF sourced power band saw. If I needed more threads, I'd break out my tap and die boxes. Probably a very popular thread. I'd guess NC.


My Ram horns came with longish studs for the outlets. I found them useful and non intrusive. Installed he down pipes with brass nuts and a gob of antiseize. Star washers to secure the nuts... so far, just fine.


Enjoy....


Carl

 

One of the things I wanted to do to the interior was get the chrome speaker trim rings. I was surfing ebay a couple days ago and found them. I clicked the BUY IT NOW. I also got some new emblems for the rear of the car. I got a leaper and the JAGUAR letters for a new model Jaguar. Also got a new style XJ and a new style V8. Now the really funny thing. Bought an engine from a guy Saturday who delivered it to my house. He tells me he has one of those Jaguars at the recycling center he works at. Just got home from there. It had the chrome speaker rings . I got all 4 speakers, housings, chrome rings, and grilles for $5 each. I also got all 4 door sill scuff plates that are solid stainless that I will sand and polish for $10. He gave me the plastic end caps for the dash pad. Mine are cracked. I also got a nice door for my 81 El Camino cause mine is smacked.

 

Thanks Carl. The manifold studs can be screwed all the way through which I don't like. Today I bought 2 stud kits with brass bolts and the correct stop on the studs. Dorman #03112

 

I have been looking at Summit Racing for round mufflers to go at the rear like stock but in 2 1/4". I'm unsure of diameter to get but all they have looks like it may be more loud and droney than I want. I want them to be pretty quiet. Anyone got suggestions?

 

I dropped off a drive shaft I had here to get cut down one inch, new yoke, new U joints, and a re balance. Going to be just shy of $200. Drive Shafts Inc. in Tulsa has been my drive shaft builders for at least 20 years. Great work and really fast. My Edelbrock EPS 2701 dual plane intake will be here tomorrow. Going to set it on the mock up engine to fabricate my own brackets for the accelerator linkage to carb and transmission kick down cable. I mocked up the mid 80s GM power steering pump and bracket to the engine. Going to take the hose from the rack tomorrow to my local NAPA to see if they can build me a hose. I'm really enjoying the fabrication and customizing. I've messed with small block Chevys since the early 90s. I've rebuilt a BUNCH and have tons of SBC parts and pieces everywhere here.

 

Slick.


1. Yeah, if I'da known of a way to block the studs so that they would be still when I ran the nuts up, I would have done it. My method was a punch and a hammer. Just a couple of dimples at the top opening. Peened the stud in place. It worked and so far so good.


2. El Camino's are desirable and ultra useful. One of the crazy Dallas based car shows featured the fix of a very rusty and beat up El Camino. Not Gas Monkeys, but their off shoot.
Neat to get a decent door.


3. Way back when, I bought a slightly scruffy 71 Mustang. Lergely, because my dear departed was attracted to the red paint!!!! A young couple gathering cash to go back to Oklahoma for a new start.
Going back in a very rough El Camino. But, it sounded good. The Mustang's motor was very tired. Smokey but, ran really well???
Lots to fix. Over paid, but, I hope the young couple made the most of it. I think they were escaping the alcohol, drugs and party scene????


3. You survived the temptation to drag the whole Jaguar home!!!


4. Kinda tight squeeze to get at that cap? My car's filler cap is in an insert in a top hose.

5. I cheated a bit on The pressure hose for the PS. My Johnscars kit had a hose that was jaguar on one end and GM on the other. But, the pipoe end was just a tad tight in radius to insert in the pump. I succeeded in striping it and the pump fitting!!!!


So, I soured a new fitting for the pump. fiddly to install in situ. Iended up pulling it. Needed a special tool, I got one from HF. Used once!!!!
My donor engine "kit" had the GM to GM hose. I cut the GM pump end off. I cut the stripped end off the one in the car. Double flared each cut nd joined them with a coupler. If it is good enough for brake line pressure, it out do for Ps pump pressures. So far, just fine,


Bonuses:


A. No need to snake the hoses off the rack with the engine in place, a toughie.


B. I made the pipe longer and a more gentle turn made feasible to thread in to the pump sans stripped threads.


The double flare tool is very useful.


Carl

 

Picking up my driveshaft today then going to start fabbing my accelerator and detent cable at the carburetor. When that gets done, I'll move on to fabbing the shifter cable bracket. I dug out a few shift levers that fit the TH350 so hopefully one will get me close and spark an idea. I'm going to try steel conduit for the heater hoses. I have a big bender here for steel conduit. Probably use some billet double ring clamps to keep them together as they run around the firewall to the right side inner fender.

 

Good progress. It is satisfying to find ways to fit one part to another and do it neat and functional.


I used the Jaguar mufflers. The muffler shop made up a connecting system from the down pipes back to them. two cats, just aft of the transmission, the an "H" pipe. Sound and sturdy. The PO had installed two smallish glass packs jut before the "S" tips. welded???


It sounds just right. No drone, not noisy, but a definite SBC purr.
Clearly no longer the DOHC sound... Not SS, merely mild steel, but the clime is dry here for the most part and rust not an issue. so far, they look just like they did on the install.


If you "round up" an XJS shift tower, you can climb three hurdles.
A. It includes a micro switch along side the one for cruise interrupt for starter inhibit.
B. A back light switch on the left side of the tower.
C. As the XJS used a GM TH400, the detents match better.


I think LOKAR makes a lever for the transmission with more than one hole in the arm to ease adjustment of tower to trans shifter throws match.


Caveat: Make sure the bracket that secures the swaged end of the shifter cable does it very securely. Lots of energy transferred here.
coming adrift leaves on near stranded, seldom in a convenient place.


Carl

 

I had a quart of British racing green met. mixed at my paint store a few minutes ago. Going to paint the engine. Want a little bit of flashy under the hood but appear like it could be stock. Using polished ARP bolts on the engine so the green with polished bolts should look great. With all the holes welded up on the inner fenders and the engine bay repainted white, that engine should grab your eyes at shows

 

Carl, the GM cars and trucks with a 400 trans did not have detent cables. I personally don't know about the XJS 400 trans though

 

I'm referring to the detents on the tower! Those aligned for the BVW 66 as opposed to those for the GM transmissions, which the XJS used!!!


Off to lunch BBQ beef brisket, Texas style....


Carl

 

I built a throttle linkage bracket that bolts on the rear carb stud. I shortened the stock accelerator cable and bolted it to the custom bracket. Pedal works all the way to full throttle very smooth and not too stiff. Moved on to under the car. I test fit my shortened driveshaft and they cut off more than they were supposed to. Now I have 1 1/2" hanging out of the tail shaft. Probably going to be a big shouting match Monday when I take it back. It would not fit before cause it was too long. I told them to remove one inch. This would have gave me 1/4" from the tail shaft. I get it back and it's 1 1/4" too short. Huh. Moved on to the transmission shift linkage bracket and got it done. Shifter works from park all the way to 1st gear. I got lucky and found a universal shift lever bracket. It must have been able to fit everything with all the oddball squares and holes in it. I ended up welding a small L bracket to the Jaguar Specialties trans crossmember. I bolted the shift cable mid support clamp to it. Took all day but the big fab things are done. I could technically bolt in my good engine and try to start it. I kinda want to get it driveable to check everything out before final engine bay re paint. I took my power steering hose end from the rack and a brand new O ring hose for the pump to my local NAPA. The guy said he could not build me a new hose. He was wanting to use my old rubber hose and put on a new end with a compression fitting. I'm not wanting to use a 30plus year old rubber hose. Especially on high pressure.

 

Look some more. Perhaps, a place that deals with hydraulic hoses for
construction or farm equipment.


Or, a new GM hose. Then, use the hard end of your Jaguar hose.
Join with a double flared coupler.


CAVEATS:


1. Attach the hoses to the rack before the SBC goes in. O'wise, it is a ....


2. Use a line wrench at the rack. The nuts must be super tight or they will seep.


No guesses as to how I know!!!


Carl

 

I went back to the driveshaft shop today and told him someone cut off too much. He quickly told me that they cut off one inch. I told him it lacked 3/4 from bolting in because it was too long so how come I now have 1 1/2" hanging out of tail shaft? He again said he knows they only done one inch. So I asked him if the piece he cut out was still back there. He said it would probably be tough to find the right one. I told him it does not compute. Tape measures don't lie. He said he would re tube it for free. I said great and left. About 20 minutes later he calls me and tells me that he found the piece they cut out and it's one inch exactly. I said, that's strange how somethings too long but I get it back much shorter. I'm supposed to pick it up Friday but they will probably try to charge me for it.