Author Topic: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car  (Read 73984 times)

Offline millwright

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #25 on: October 29, 2013, 04:36:56 PM »
David what a great link, thanks i had forgotten about that one.
John

Offline krv3000

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #26 on: October 29, 2013, 06:49:49 PM »
well dun

Offline Mayhem

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #27 on: November 03, 2013, 12:52:25 AM »
I'll be watching this one with interest.

Offline AdeV

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #28 on: November 03, 2013, 05:34:05 AM »
Thank for the interest guys - I guess it just goes to show that the old XJS, after a decidedly lukewarm welcome following the E-type, has matured into the classic it always should have been.

The project is temporarily paused while I clear a backlog of smaller projects for the Capri that's being resurrected, some of these will appear in due course in the Gallery (they're not big enough to be project logs), also whilst I wait for the steel to build my proper engine workbench.

I need to make a couple of camshaft location tools first; although this time I'm going for a total strip down, in future I'll need to be able to put the cams back in the same place I took 'em out, so this will be good practice for me.
Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline mattinker

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #29 on: November 03, 2013, 08:26:24 AM »
I had one of those jag cam timing tools in my tool box for years, I don't know what happened to it!

Regards, Matthew

Offline AdeV

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #30 on: September 29, 2014, 12:30:28 PM »
11 months later......

Oh, my. As George Takei might say, it's been nearly a year since I updated this thread, which means it's now been somewhat over a year since I bought the old XJS. Predictably, the project has been ambling along gently, with work occurring in fits & starts. The car is now completely stripped to a bare shell - no wiring, no ancillaries, absoluetely zip. All the glass, doors, removable panels are all off.... and now the state of the shell can be seen in all its horror.... and yes, it's pretty rusty. The 2 pics show the chassis rails under the nearside rear arch - this section of chassis will be taking the full brunt of any acceleration and hard cornering, so it needs to be rock solid. Not mostly made of iron oxide, as it is just now...
Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline AdeV

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #31 on: September 29, 2014, 12:32:49 PM »
So, several happy (ahem) hours later, and I've scraped most of the underseal off, and used one of those rusty metal bashing air tools to knock out the holes to their full extent.

Pics to follow.

Ah, underseal scraping. Probably the second worst job in the world ever..... the worst being, anything your Mum told you to do when you were 10 years old...
Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline AdeV

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #32 on: September 29, 2014, 12:36:16 PM »
Meanwhile, over on the engine bench, the manifold adapters are starting to take shape. As ever, a wax prototype is called into existence, it's cheaper than trying in aluminium, and if the tool paths go a bit awry, you don't damage your cutter.... It's not really visible in the finished item, but the left-hand intake hole actually started cutting half-way down - a 10mm plunge which would have destroyed the cutter bit or the workpiece - or both - had it been aluminium...
Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline AdeV

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #33 on: September 29, 2014, 12:40:32 PM »
There's a bit more to do on those adapters yet - there's another "layer" to go on top which will hold the ITBs; the two layers will then be bolted together. The reason for all this malarkey is, the bolt patterns of the Jag head & the BMW ITBs interfere something chronic. A single piece adapter is not possible because the Jag head bolts interfere as well. It's almost like it wasn't meant to be...



...but by 'eck I'll make the damn things fit.


Obviously the final version will have smoothed & gas flowed profiles; depending on the flow testing (bench is on the project list), the final shapes might end up being hand-cut rather than CNC machined.

2 pics showing (approximately) how they'll be installed. Note the new distraction in the corner of one of the pictures....
Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline DavidA

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #34 on: September 29, 2014, 01:04:46 PM »
Ade,

You've been busy.  It looks as if you have much more welding to do than me.

How are you doing it,  MIG TIG or gas ?

Dave.

Offline AdeV

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #35 on: September 29, 2014, 01:17:20 PM »
Hi Dave,

At least your car has green on it... mine only has brown...  :ddb:

Welding will be a mixture of TIG and MIG - mig for the easy stuff, tig for any aluminium welding I might need to do. My mig welder is a bit fierce for thin BL sheet metal, so I might TIG some of the body stuff as well, for better control.
Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline DavidA

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #36 on: September 29, 2014, 01:37:42 PM »
...At least your car has green on it... mine only has brown...


Problem is that the green has small live critters living in it.

Like you,  I will be using a mix of welding methods. I used to do a lot of welding,  mostly gas. I did some TIG at the chicken factory,  but it was mostly stainless;  and quite thick (AKA easy).  I do have both MIG and TIG, The TIG is a scratch start.  May change it for an hf machine.

But watching how the guys on these tv reconstruction documentaries I see that they tend to use MIG in a pulsed mode.  Lots of small spots along a butt seam. Doesn't give the metal time to warp.

I'm looking forward to the challenge.

Dave. :dremel:

Offline Kjelle

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #37 on: September 29, 2014, 11:19:59 PM »
Dave, those guys are simulating spot welding... I think it's called "plug welding" in the trade...

Kjelle

Offline AdeV

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #38 on: September 30, 2014, 05:57:45 AM »
Dave, those guys are simulating spot welding... I think it's called "plug welding" in the trade...

There are a couple of techniques - plug welds are the large circular ones which simulate spots; but pulse mode is basically seam welding, but leaving gaps. A good welding machine will let you set both the pulse and off durations so you can fine tune the amount of weld on any given length. Personally, I prefer a seam weld to be literally welded end-to-end, but I will manually pulse the machine rather than use its pulse feature, I guess I just prefer to be in control...
Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline DavidA

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #39 on: September 30, 2014, 06:18:40 AM »
Kjelle,

I know the technique you are thinking of,  and use it a lot.  But it is used where,  as you say,  you would preferably use a spot welder but either can't get to both sides of the job or,  like me,  haven't got a spot welder.  It also needs an overlap at the joint so you can drill a series of holes in one side of the joint.

As Ade says,  the other technique,  the one I will use,  allows you to butt the edges together (leaving a small gap) and then apply a series of quick spots of weld to bridge the gap. I usually place them about an inch apart.  Then either seam weld between them or carry on filling in with more spots.

There are two advantages to this method, First it allows you to retain the original contour (no overlap) and second it greatly educes the risk of the metal warping with the heat.

It's tedious,  but very satisfying when you finish the weld and it is invisible.

Dave

Offline AdeV

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #40 on: September 30, 2014, 07:16:45 AM »
OK, so I managed a bit more time on the old girl yesterday. First up, plenty of heat-gun action on the underseal, followed up with a paint scraper - and, where necessary, use of the plastic mallet to help the paint scraper along. This is tedious mud-in-the-eye rust-in-the-hair above shoulder height work which leaves you knackered, aching and wondering if it was worth it after all.... since it tends to reveal even bigger scabs and holes.

The attached photos are what's left of the nearside rear chassis rail as it passes over the rear subframe. The suspension is mounted to the big plug shaped piece that the car is currently sitting on; if I'd left the chassis alone, this area would be taking some massive forces just in normal racing, let alone taking the odd tap or bash.... An MoT man would have kittens if presented with this much rust to look at...
« Last Edit: September 30, 2014, 07:50:34 AM by AdeV »
Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline AdeV

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #41 on: September 30, 2014, 07:54:07 AM »
The rust is not confined to the chassis either.... the valance/windscreen pillar bases have taken a hit, and there's more grot around the back  where the rear deck attaches to the buttresses. The first photo shows the problem, the 2nd & 3rd show some repair panels going in place. 4th & 5th show the repair panel that used to be covered by the heater unit - obviously it leaked at some time...
Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline AdeV

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #42 on: September 30, 2014, 07:55:05 AM »
This is what the Big Cat looks like, once you've taken everything out...
Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline AdeV

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #43 on: September 30, 2014, 07:57:31 AM »
Last one for now.... car swarf doesn't look quite like lathe swarf.......  :lol:

For now, I will be carrying on stripping underseal off. When I get completely fed up of that, I will switch to doing more engine work. At least I've no shortage of things to do...

Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #44 on: September 30, 2014, 08:06:01 AM »
By 'ek. Ade!  :bugeye:

You've quite a mountain to climb.........  :palm:

Good luck!  :thumbup:

David D

David.

Still drilling holes... Sometimes, in the right place!

Still modifying bits of metal... Occasionally, making an improvement!

Offline DavidA

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #45 on: September 30, 2014, 02:14:27 PM »
Hell, Ade.

Mine is a walk in the park compared with what you have signed up for.

Hope you have plenty of welding wire.

Dave. :proj:

Offline AdeV

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #46 on: October 01, 2014, 08:43:32 AM »
Hi David - It looks like a shedload of work (and, well, it is....), but I have the advantage in some respects. e.g. none of the original interior is going back in. Also, with the removal of all the old electrics, a much simplified loom will be required; and hopefully the engine bay will also be a lot less crowded, lacking all the old Jaguar plumbing. I might even have room for a dry sump!
Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline shipto

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #47 on: October 01, 2014, 10:34:39 AM »
good god I thought i had taken on a big mission repairing a campervan but it was no where near as bad as that I probably would have shifted the problem elsewhere if it had been. good luck to you.
Turns out this life c**p is just one big distraction from death but a good one. For the love of god dont give yourself time to think.
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Offline Brass_Machine

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #48 on: October 03, 2014, 12:50:38 AM »
Glad to see this hasn't died and you are still at it Ade!

Science is fun.

We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.

Offline AdeV

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Re: Jaguar XJS V12 racing car
« Reply #49 on: October 05, 2014, 04:25:46 PM »
Thanks all! Yeah, this shell is probably little better than scrap - and the more underseal and/or paint and/or gobbo (filler, bondo, various other names few of them polite) I remove, the scarier the story gets. Still, it's not all bad. Today, I actually welded something back onto it!

Unfortunately, I only have the "before" photo on my phone (careless!), I will take an "after" photo in a day or so and post them both up at the same time.

I've owned the car a little over a year now. I always reckoned it'd take 3 years to rebuild, but that was without a major (aborted) move in the middle of proceedings... So, full steam ahead now... I want the shell ready for caging by Christmas at the latest!
Cheers!
Ade.
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Location: Wallasey, Merseyside. A long way from anywhere.
Occasionally: Zhengzhou, China. An even longer way from anywhere...