Scottie's Tribute A352 build

[Scottie22]

Yesterday I stripped one the worst Jaguar seats from its frame.
It was the driver’s seat I would guess.

I started to clean 40 odd years of grime off it.
I always use gunwash to do stuff like this.
(To those that may not know, gunwash is the cheaper paint thinners normally used to clean your paint gun with.)

To clean the leather, I use my finger and a bit of absorbent rag,
getting in the seams with a toothbrush

It does several things: It cleans off the grime dirt and grease

It takes off some of the original colour

Most importantly, it dries the leather right out, usually a bad thing, but not in this case as that is exactly what is required.
It leaves the leather really “thirsty” so when it comes to
re-colouring it, the leather sucks up the applied colouring
like it’s gagging for a drink, and good adhesion is guaranteed.

I have so much still to. do so I chop an change my tasks to avoid boredom!

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[Scottie22]

Well that's the first seat squab completely clean.

It's taken 40 years of crap off, but more importantly, it's left 40 years
of wonderful creases still present, so that when it is re-coloured and connolised, it would have looked brand new, except for the creases.

So it should look 40 years old but well preserved, hopefully a perfect result.

All I have to do now is strip and clean all the rest of it, re-design it all, recut and stitch them up to look right, fit right, then re-colour etc etc..........

Anyone interested in an unfinished kit car?!!!

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[Paul L]

Nice work on the seat covers.

And the job you did on the speedo was simply outstanding.

Good luck, Paul.

[WorldClassAccident]

If you sent me a parcel I think it has arrived. I got a nice leaflet from the post office telling me they failed to deliver it. I found this when I walked down stairs to answer the doorbell just in time to see a red van speed off!

[Scottie22]

Ifyou hadn't been so busy posting pics of your car all over the forum, you'd have heared the doorbell you bitch! :-)

[Scottie22]

It seems that all the work I have recently done has actually not changed the car's appearance at all.
So I decided to make an effort in that direction.

I needed to make a pattern for the centre section between the seats.
It was a bit fiddly, what with paper patterns then cardboard, but I got there in the end, and now have a reasonable pattern I can use to make an alloy section to graft in.

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[scimjim]

I'm sure you have loads of pictures, so apologies for the lack of detail shots but I took a couple of snaps at Carfest South:

[Scottie22]

Thanks! Those are two I didn't have. :-)

[Scottie22]

Today I am working indoors; I’m cheesed of being out in the cold.


When I eventually get round to doing the dashboard, I will need all the switches and dials ready to fit.

I have taken care of the rev counter and speedo, but want a push button start switch, indicator switch and a few other bits and bobs.

I dug out an old Jag panel and took the main headlight switch off.

It looks very much like the XKSS indicator switch. So that will do.

The switch has seven connections so I am confident that I should be able to configure it to work.

After a bit of testing I figured out that the “headlight on” position could be

used as “off”

The “sidelight on” position as the right indicator

The “fog light on” as the left indicator

Sounds complicated but when you see the pictures it’s not.

Simple no surgery required! ( makes a change)

I now have a simple three connection switch which will look the dog’s danglers. Once installed in the correct place

Working with all this old equipment, taking it apart, Modifying etc
One thing stands out above all else, QUALITY. It screams at you, there is so much copper, brass and solid metal in everything that was made at that time.

Here are the pics:

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[rattler]

his22 just sean your b/head im not copying but its just what I was thinking great minds think alike dave r

[Scottie22]

Well it was a nice day today, so I got the chainsaw out to cut wood for the fire.

In the sunshine, I noticed all the bulbs and new plants springing up in my garden.

They were reminding me that I better get a move on with my build if I'm to finish in three months!!

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[Mister Towed]

Don't worry about deadlines Scottie, my original deadline was to finish the car in January, but it took me until July to get it on the road. It just wasn't the next July...

[Scottie22]

I'm not that bothered really Mr T.

It just would be nice to at least get it driveable to enjoy in the good weather, even if I don't get the side screens and roof sorted out by then.

I would really like to take it to Stoneleigh, which is usually in May.
We'll see.

[Scottie22]

I have put together some pictures to illustrate why I did not want to use the "replica" dials that most builders of XKSS's use.

Firstly the D types and XKSS cars had rev counters and speedos where the "zero" position was at "2 o'clock" whereas most other Jaguars of the period had instruments which had their "zero's" in the normal position of 7 o'clock.

This fact bothers me not, and the pictures will show why I prefer standard Jag dials.

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[Scottie22]

Still desperate to make the dividing part, (which will be a big
Morale booster for me)

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I first had to make a support bracket for the existing overhang.

I want it to be bolt-on, in case I ever need to get the spring out again.

The filler cap on my car will not be on the inside as I intend to leave it where Triumph put it!

Also, looking at the prices of Monza filler caps, mine will remain as Triumph intended as well!


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A little step only, but has to be done before the middle bit goes in.

[garyh]

I think you should have the filler cap, you've come so far... do some welding for someone? to raise the cash.

[Scottie22]

Hi Gary!

All monza filler-cap gifts will certainly NOT be turned down! :-)

[Danny_HUFC]

After following this thread and seen the detail your going through to complete this with such accuracy I don't believe you when you say that your not putting the filler cap where it goes! I'm sure on the finished car the filler cap will be INSIDE the car as per the original!

[Scottie22]

No it bloody well won't Danny!

Sure, there are a lot of features I am going to great lengths to get right,

But there will be several things that are not as the original.

For a start the body is 5 inches narrower than the Jag, that in itself slightly changes the overall body proportions.

I have a boot lid which I made myself because it's practical.

The XKSS had a spare wheel post box!

Before I put the body on, I thought long and hard about repositioning the petrol cap, and again for practical reasons decided not to.

Another difference is, I chose not to have a flip front, I have a bonnet
opening instead. I suppose at a later date if I changed my mind, it would be possible to chop the front off and make it flip!

However, although there are all those differences, when it's finished it
IS going to look very much like the original all the same.

[adventuresoftimtim]

You're making great progress scottie!! i'm looking forward to seeing the roof installed, if you can make the car enjoyable in most, if not all, the british weather has to throw at us then that would be a real success!