Restoration Resources

RESTORATION RESOURCES

This month I’d like to talk about restoration resources. My mother-in-law was telling me the other day that she had struck up a conversation with a man who owned Jaguars. She of course mentioned to him that her son-in-law owned several of these fine cars. One of his questions was where did I find parts? I thought that an odd question, as the UPS truck has the path to my house memorized! But just in case some of you are wondering about what I think are some good resources for owning, maintaining, and working on your Jaguar, here goes.

First, the gentlemen should have been encouraged to join CJC. Anyone with access to our fine newsletter would immediately spot the many advertisers who are ready and willing to help with services and parts. Just to reiterate, we have, in no particular order, Foreign Accents, SNG Barrett, XKs Unlimited, Scott Jaguar, Coventry West, Welsh Enterprises, and Flow Jaguar. I have dealt with most of these firms and have found them to be very helpful. Another outfit that I have had good luck with regarding parts is Terry’s Jaguar. Two very interesting specialists are Joe Curto for SU carb parts and service and John Farrell for an eclectic selection of reproduction parts available nowhere else. All of these firms will “come up” with a web address on Google if you search on “Jaguar” followed by their name. With respect to parts, I always try to establish a relationship with a particular salesperson at the firm. If they know you and your car, sometimes problems can be avoided.

If you are willing to try a trans-Atlantic experience, there are a few firms in the UK that stand out. Almost all older sheet metal parts are available from Martin Robey. Many of the above US suppliers keep high demand sheet metal parts in stock, which saves on shipping. Burlen Fuel Systems supplies parts for SU and Stromberg carbs. I firm that I worship is EtypeFabs. They make frames for E-Types that are works of art. Actually, those of you that make it to the New Hill Garage tour will see that I have one of their frames mounted as “Arial Art” in my shop.

Sometimes a used part is just the ticket. Coventry West has a large selection of used parts. I believe there is a firm in California called Jaguar Heaven, although I have never dealt with them. An elusive supplier of used parts for E-Types is Stephen Roundy. He is located in Virginia. His latest email address is foggylondon2 at hotmail.com. And there is EverydayXJ, just north-east of Charlotte, who specializes in parts for XJ6 Series 1, 2, and 3 cars.

If you are looking for a turn-key restoration, there are a few firms that leap to mind. CJC member Mark Lovello at Jaguar South specializes in restorations. Sport Leicht in West End, NC and Fly Circus in Durham, NC also come to mind.

One exciting new resource that has just been announced is the JCNA Tech Line. You can dial up the main JCNA phone number 888-258-2524 and select option #3 for the Tech Line. At this time, it is for members only so have your JCNA number available. Help with restoration questions to general mechanical help from the factory publications are available.

And then there is the Internet. I frankly don’t know how we got by without it! Following are a few of my favorite web based resources.

• www.jag-lovers.org One of the best resources. You can follow along with the current conversations, post a new question, or use the Search feature.
• www.jcna.org Chock full of useful information http://www.mckennasgarage.com One of my favorite E-Type restoration web sites.
• http://inetogether.net/jaguar A very comprehensive web site. Located in Rougemont, NC. www.xkedata.com An interesting website devoted to tracking E-Types
• http://www.nettally.com/palmk/jaguar.html Kirby Palm has over 700 pages of info on the XJ6
• http://www.team.net/sol/tech/ A fun general resource for British car tech http://www.alldatadiy.com They can provide
• www. newhillgarage.com My personal favorite!

And there are books. These have kind of fallen out of favor. The repair manual that I use for my E-Type is published by Robert Bentley publishers, entitled “The Complete Official Jaguar E”. There are actually a number of hardcopy publications available from JCNA in the “Shoppe” area of their website. I have purchased a number of these. Thanks to George Camp, this service offered by JCNA has been revitalized. Check it out! Paul Skilleter books in the UK is an outstanding source of books regarding the history of Jaguar.