It was a painful thought process. I finally gave up and just started cutting. I wanted the bellmouth for the inlet. I made small relief cuts and rolled the edges. The radiator side 1/2 section of the inlet had too sharp of an edge so I used a piece of 1/4" steel rod. That dressed out the edge. I had to cut out a section of the inner fender to sink the filter can. I used 16ga sheetmetal and rolled it over my air tank and then over a 6" steel pipe to get the curvature. I install a lot of cold air intakes at my work and most for V8s have been 3 1/2". I went with 4" and feel it does not look too bulky. It should be plenty for my mild 350. I need to go through a giant box of rubber/foam stripping remnants at work tomorrow for the filter can's inlet pipe to core support. I'm sure I can find something

 

I have a couple body mod ideas that would be fun but don't know if I'd go through with it. I love the tilt front on the E type. The XJ has a full length rocker panel so building braces and welding in filler plates between the hood sides to fenders would get the mod close. I have a parts car so I have extra fenders and hood. I may need hood clearance for my carb hat. Thought about cutting off the raised center section from the parts cars hood and stacking it. It looks to be only about 1" or less tall so it would barely be noticeable. I don't like big in your face body mods especially on these cars and these two would be subtle. I love a challenge

 

A tilt up bonnet on an Xj6! Oh, the possibilities and ease of access to Everything!
Not to mention the total and complete Uniqueness!!

Now I want one!
(';')

 

Just wanted to give you guys something to check out. Have your torque wrenches calibrated. I just bought a brand new one off the Matco truck. I've had mine since the mid 90s when I was a mechanic at a Chevrolet dealership. I rebuilt a small block a couple months ago and it had a weeping head gasket. I pulled the heads and noticed the head bolts were not very tight. I'm going to pull the rod/main caps to check the bearings and re torque everything with my new torque wrench. This is a mid 80s 350 with flat top pistons and a 488/488 cam. Should help my XJ pass a car though. Lol. I have built at least 12-15 small blocks in just the last 15 years. I have two 400 small blocks and two extra 350s rat holed in my garage.

 

I have a dilemma. I have a brand new in the box pair of Edelbrock aluminum E Street heads. I had bought these for my 55 Belair but just noticed the instruction sheet says NOT FOR USE WITH ROLLER CAMS. The valve angle is different. So I guess I'll get a set of Darts for my 55's roller cam 406sbc. Sooo, I guess I'll be using the Edelbrocks on the XJ. This car is going to be soooo much fun. Should embarrass a few out on the streets at some stop light scuffles.

 

I am just about finished with the cold air system. Decided on building a 16ga sheet metal face for the dash. Going to do woodgrain in paint with candy toners. Follow that up with lots of clear that will be color sanded and buffed. Will also woodgain paint the shift knobs, steering wheel, and other inserts in the dash assembly. I'm replacing all the gauges with Auto Meter Designer Black series gauges including the clock. Same size and same configuration. Will do green LEDs for turn indicators and a blue for high beams. The Auto Meter gauges have chrome bezels which will give it a more classic look. I was in a big truck custom shop a few months ago and found chrome dash vents that look very similar to the stock Jaguar ones. Probably go back and get those.

 

But they came with, or you can easily get real wood in all those places?

Like the leds!

 

That the finish always seems to crack on. I want everything to match including some steel parts.

 

Well, new finishes are much, much more durable than the original lacquer finishes.
But I def respect your ideas and I'm interested to see how this comes out. And after all, I'm the guy that put an sbc in an XjC!

 

Well, to each his own.


1. Way back circa 1949, I bought a "back lot 37 Ford Fordor, to get into the V8 world, after a series of 4's and sixes of various specie!!! Alas, it's wood grained steel dash was gooped up by some "used car lot detailer"!


I got the goop off to find the grain gone... Well, metallic paints were in style. I can do that!!! So, I mixed up some green and silver!!! I brushed it on. Metallic look, no question. OK!! The green, not so much??? Fix delayed by a combination of school, work and an engine fix. Result, never happened!!! After many adventures and travails, it left to end life on the stock car track. Not by me, but it won it's one and only race...Painted silver and wearing "88" in bright red...


Decades later. Project before the Jaguar. Hot rod of the 40's. This area once populated by pear and walnut orchards. I got my hands on two planks of "black walnut", A root stock for the production specie.
Beautiful wood, but hard...


One became the dash for the 27 T roadster body that topped the "A" frame of my flat head V8 powered "rod". Old SW instruments and switches. One of my "successes".


"dash boards' always have impressed me. At times, sold cars and bought others merely to look at a different one.


One of my past favorites, my 49 Mercury, a classic...


Present, my real wood, live instrumented 83 Jaguar.


Carl

 

Dashboards,..the dashboard in the S3 cars is actually plywood cut to copy a pattern (basic shape with all the holes cut out and then finished with a thin layer of book matched veneer) I have a VDP model and the veneer that was used is of the burled variety with the gauges all recessed into the dash - nice touch.

When I re finished my interior, the dash was stained a darker color which brought out the "burl" again. When the dash was out of the car it was easy to see what the original finish color was,... before the sun had faded the exposed face of it. Good reason to tint the windows and keep the sun and heat away from the interior.

Refinishing the ski slope was another matter. It is steel and covered with veneer (86 model year). Mine was cracked and missing small pieces at the back edge. I removed it all down to metal. I found a matching veneer at a woodworker supply shop and used a strong adhesive to attach it permanently. Gorilla glue does NOT work,..because it foams when setting up and appears on the surface as it seeps through any and all small knot holes - which there are many because of the burl effect. What a mess - ask me how I know. Finally the "clear" I used had UV inhibitors ...helps keep the clear from going yellow.

The actual thickness of the veneer on the ski slope (at the front) is critical as it has to fit under the vertical part containing the radio and the red / blue hot and cold lever that directs airflow temp up/down.

Still nice after 5+ years.

 

A lot of ways to go at it. In 84, I left my employer to become an entrepreneur. Not completely my choice. But, it worked out just fine.

I refurbished a back lot building here to become an office. I built a "desk" along two walls. I found a nice veneer to cover the raw wood boards. with a n edge tape, it came out more than decent. it is still there, but now houses spare Jag stuff!!!

My "ski slope" is base car style, black? Add a veneer, mebbe.

Decades ago, son and I stumbled across a "shelf contact paper" that perfectly emulated his 73 Ranchero in Country Squire trim. it would do just fine on the Jaguar's "black" ski slope??

Carl