1952 XK120 Restoration Progress Report

Tip to Steven Sokoloff:

it seems like your inidentfied parts list is limitless.

Here's a suggestion: join a local Jaguar club and invite a couple XK120 owners over (preferably ones that have actually restored thier own cars) to help identify loose parts on your 1953 XK120. It appears the car has REALLY been taken apart!

Based your apparant lack of experience and knowlege I also recommend that you consider sending your XK120 body to a restorer who KNOWS what they are doing. It seems you are way over your head.

FYI - I have restored several XK120 roadsters myself starting with a 1951 XK120 that came to me back in 1984 with a Chevy 6-cylinder motor and manual transmission. Believe it or not I traded a running, original un-touched 1933 SSI open tourer for the 1951 XK120. After 2 years of doing most of my own work I received a score of 98 points at Classic Jaguar Association (CJA) concourse in 1986 at Long Beach, California (see picture of my car below).

1952 XK120 Restoration Progress Report:

A couple years ago I bought a 1952 XK120 from a local Austin Healy restorer for $35,000 which had some work already done (chassis and front suspension parts dismantled for acid bath to kill rust then powder coated, lots of welding on the body, etc. I sent ALL usable chrome pieces out for chrome plating and sent out a bucket of nuts, bolts, clips, etc. for CAD plating then sorted 3 buckets of nuts and bolts, etc. into plastic containers by type and sizes.

First Year Parts Purchases:
1) I purchased a LOT of new & rebuilt parts from XK's Unlimited, Moss, Bill Tracy, Welsh Enterprises, Fred Petroski and others
2) I sent gauges to Nisonger in New York for rebuild
3) I had upholstry work done by World Uhholstery in Santa Paula, CA ("excellent work")
4) I spent over a year locating and assembling original XK120 tools and original style canvas tool roll

First Year Restoration Work:
1) Started by putting the chassis on engine stands, then
2) Installed new rear springs
3) Installed rear end and new wire wheel hubs
4) Installed rear brakes
5) Installed front suspension and sway bar (all with new bushings, ball joints, etc.)
6) Installed front steering box
7) Installed front wire wheel hubs, front brakes and new dual master cylinder
8) Installed new brake lines
9) Installed emergency brake and new cable
10) Installed new fuel pump
11) Installed new fuel lines
12) Installed new fuel tank and support pan
13) Installed new fuel gauge
14) Installed rebuilt rear shocks
15) Installed new GAZ front shocks
16) Rebuilt cylinder head, generator and starter, purchased new water pump and fan blade
17) Rebuilt carburetors and electric choke
18) Sent exhaust headers out for new porcelain
19) Sent radiator to be boiled out and tested for leaks
20) Lower engine and transmission appear okay so not rebuilding just now
21) Installed new clutch pad and throw-out bearing
22) Reassembled engine and transmission
23) Installed engine, starter, generator and transmission onto chassis
24) Installed radiator
25) Installed torsion bars (left final adjustments for later when body is back on chassis)
26) Bought stainless steel exhaust system (top header pipes don't fit properly - arggg)
27) At this point I have a rolling chassis
28) Meanwhile, I purchased another bront bonnet to replace my louvered bonnet
29) I had doors and boot rebuilt

I am at a stopping point for a year while I complete new design and programming for new restaurant & retail software version I sell worldwide at www.restaurantplus.com.

In addition to $35,000 paid for the XK120 I have spent over $30,000 in parts and some outside labor. I still have $5000 to $10,000 to go.