Jaguar XK150 Restoration EP3

[@gazzafloss]

"Everything you wanted to know about XK150 wiper motors but were afraid to ask... " Fantastic detail Richard.

[@jbuckley2546]

As a Brit, it's great to see in such detail, how we used to build our motors. Baffling at times, but who can deny how beautiful they were. English eccentricity as it's best.

[@ronmudd8023]

The Trafficator turn signal switch and wiper motor are identical to my 60’ MGA. Same issues too!

[@Vintageguy73]

Interesting alternator conversion. Nothing ruins a beautiful vintage restoration quicker than a shiny GM alternator in place of the original generator.

[@pauloconnor7951]

Only in America John !. :)

[@Vintageguy73]

@@pauloconnor7951 In any country!

[@jeremymasterson5818]

A tip for preventing the "Lucas" disease: When you are reassembling the various electrical connections, use a dab of Anhydrous Lanolin as an assembly grease. We used to use this product to prevent similar corrosion problems on marine electrical systems. Salt water, of course, is far more damaging to the brass, copper and other metals used in electrical systems so something very effective was needed. Its good for your skin as well. Many pharmacies carry it or you can get it on line. I am greatly appreciating your attention to detail. Watching you work with the turn signal switch and wiper motor bring back memories of my Jaguar days. Comparable components in today's world are not repairable - just throw it out and get another one.

[@steveroark4023]

Most enjoyable series. I truly enjoy your automotive archeology, history and forensics into details I would have otherwise totally missed. Thanks so much!

[@tcolinryan]

its so great to see you going through some of the fine details with us

[@brynvjones6679]

Truly awesome. You're scaring me with the work involved and the car's nothing to do with me. Need a beer!

[@robertsalanon2909]

Un superbe travail !! fou amoureux des Jaguars...Fasciné par la qualité de ses restaurations ..Merci Michael ...

[@steveturpin4242]

Interesting details...very British wiring design. Thanks for that vid. Did not think about the headlight nacelle being leaded in, but now " of course".....

[@milorubin4331]

Epic detail on the wiper motor, amazing job there. Cant wait for the next episode!

[@Tom-Lahaye]

I just like the way things were made back then, they can be disassembled and refurbished, unlike the modern plastic crap you find in cars now. It's similar to the old 1950's diesel locomotives I work on, where literally every valve, solenoid and relay can be taken apart and cleaned, equipped with new springs, seals etc. and reassembled. It's just finding proper replacement parts, and sometimes you have to make them yourselves, like gaskets.

[@philtucker1224]

Truly a thing of beauty, thank you for sharing this journey with us Richard, and best regards to your Dad.

[@paulsutton5896]

It is fantastic to watch these videos with the meticulous attention to detail. I would not worry about exact originality - for instance, the use of a generator instead of the alternator, or replacing the wiring with pvc. A modern fuse unit would be ok, too.

[@jettrink7510]

Interesting, enjoyable video... three hundred parts and pieces

[@regsparkes6507]

It always amazes me that Lucas has been ( seemingly ) the only supplier of electrics to most British built car in those day. It's as if they had a monopoly on Automotive Wiring in the British Isles. Having said that,..most problems with British Cars can be found starting, and in most cases too, ending with the Lucas supplied wiring systems. This is a very interesting epic of restoration, you are taking us on Richard,..most enjoyable. Thank you!

[@2541968joey]

I just replaced all 10 rocker switches on my 2/68 E Type OTS. Simple job? Not really as original switches had lets say 4 spade connectors & replacement switches would come with 8 spade connectors. Using an ohm indicator on my multimeter I mapped the old switch then mapped the new switch to match the factory wires. Took awhile but got it done. Enjoying your videos. Thanks

[@walterwilliamson3113]

Mr. Owen, thank you so much for the content. I really enjoy watching your craftsmanship and the logical way that you approach problems. Cant wait till your next jag episode.

[@jimf5160]

great work...a friend from Victoria recommended your series. fascinating work.

[@malcolmnicholls2893]

Fascinating. Quite a few strange and fancy gimmicks for a car which was a sports model.

[@johngarrott5933]

Thanks for sharing this restoration Richard. Looking forward to future progress!

[@16927si]

Really enjoying this restoration! Looking forward to the next installment...

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

Thanks for watching Simon, great to have you along

[@deanjones722]

Great show Richard. Nice clear info, great shots, feels like I'm there with you.. I'm stay'n till the end!.

[@allanconnor1013]

Impressed by your courage and confidence that you can reassemble all that has been dismantled.

[@adamskikijowski9139]

The indicator switch works like a leaking bicycle pump that you preload with the lever and the air leaks past the seal(screw at end) and it pops back. Do not remove the seal, Just some leather oil and white grease will have it working. You get indicators for about 20 secs. and usually you have to operate it again, Half way through a turn! I have the same. Later cars had a column stalk. It will work again with some TLC. The heater tap is just an on or off scenario. the engine gives a lot of heat into the cabin anyway, The heater matrix is replaceable from early Land Rover but not exactly right,thicker. Look up Jake Wright Land over if I remember. or the specialists will charge a lot for an exact replacement. The flaps should be vertical,his,hers or screen.Advise a later switch with rheostat as the noise is deafening of the fan. Later models had a heater box in the engine bay bulkhead.

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

Thanks, for the tip. Have to order one of those fan switches

[@bigredc222]

That spring looks like it's seen better days.

[@gavinconvery5104]

Beautiful car! It just goes to show that despite it looking pristine there is still so much needing attention. Love the content, keep it up!

[@ClassicCarCave]

Richard, The water tap is original as i have the same on my car, The side and main light pods get really bad corrosion under the pod flanges where they where welded on and lead loaded, I made a jig similar to the one in your book. Cheers Dave

[@ziomotosan1529]

Very interesting. I worked for a few years at citroen workshop. When I see mechanics stuff videos I get tired too 😂

[@caicaraskiki]

"in situ." Love you guys.

[@mds2465]

Perhaps once you get the body refinished you can figure out a way to install some new water drains in the car for enclosed spaces like the headlights and taillights where moisture gets trapped inside and then rusts out. Would be useful to prevent that sort of thing from happening in the future.

[@Rovinman]

I have this type of wiper motor on my car (1960 Rover P4 100). With my car, the parking function is designed to take my wipers completely OFF the screen. The knurled nut on the outside of the wiper motor, adjacent to the parking switch adjusts the amount of parking, the wipers achieve. I have special rollers on my wipers, to lift the wipers OVER the screen onto a chrome runner on the body. Switch on and the wipers do a quarter movement and then work normally. The Body of my Wiper motor is painted plain gloss black, NOT a wrinkly finish ! Next Video please ! !

[@kittonsmitton]

Great content thank you

[@lasalleman]

Nice. Could use a souped-up Chevrolet V6. We put one in a 1962 Mark II sedan. In any event, tremendous amount of labor setting this one up. Good job.

[@Mercmad]

looks like Bondo dust behind the instruments. I had to recommission a merc 280SE 3.5 a few years back which had been soda blasted ...Not good,the damn soda was every where and in everything. It took months of work to clean it out and replace the engine which had been run at the soda blasters place,with the air cleaner off. I still have the dead engine here,it's seized solid. The axle grease in the wiper motor is hilarious. It should have white lithium grease and not quite that much either.

[@garystarr-mees5885]

the switch removal tool is also available from the Jaguar Enthusiast Club in England.

[@MyLevelheaded]

the nacells of the unit look perfect for 9 lb low expansion polyurethane ....typically it is used around doors and widows and repels water! 6 lb polyurethane is bad because it absorbs water like a sponge...the lower expansion foam or door window foams repel water and also adds some unitizing strengths...This was first discovered in hurricane damaged boats the ones packed with 6 lb foams where water logged and boats were totaled the ones with the 9lb low expansion foam were dry actually less damaged and of course quieter in ride etc...so the 9lb foam if contained fills out and quiets the ride repelling water is a bonus...still install drains but worries about water vapors and condensation are practically nill...This was done by lexus in the 1990s and was found far superior ...so if your restoration offers improvement over factory standards all the better right? This also may be used in problem areas around the body making ride sturdier and quieter...Some models actually plate their rides with a thiner layer of the 9 lb foams sandwiched between for quieter interiors ...quality is long remembered after price is forgotten...This is the business

[@shanehnorman]

Those, like me, who have watched this story from the beginning but asked ourselves: "Why? The car looks great!", should now realise this restoration was undertaken just in time. Another year or so and that rust would really have taken hold, not to mention all of the other faults, such as dodgy paint, sloppy rack, etc, etc. It takes a pro to know this stuff.

[@mds2465]

Another suggestion for the headlights and possibly the taillights as well I have would be to see if there’s any sort of upgraded LED conversion kit that you could install. Preferably something that doesn’t really take away from the originality of the car in terms of it’s style and looks but something that is a bit brighter than the original halogen bulbs and is easier to see at night when driving down the roads. Not sure if that would be a projector high beam kit or maybe it’s just simply a matter of installing LED or xenon bulbs but personally I think it’s definitely something to consider.

[@markxl]

Ether - that's a new one to me.

[@johndavey72]

Hello Richard. That electrical work is not my forté. I'm always amazed you can get new looms. I reckon your body shop can repair the headlamp pods but perhaps replace the side lights. Did you get my comment on your previous show? The drip rails definitely have chrome finishers. Take care and stay safe .

[@MyLevelheaded]

mink oil should bring the leather back and clean it with micro fiber cloth! I think you will be surprised! saving the switch priceless

[@pauloconnor7951]

I'd lube that turnsignal with some silicone spray, or PTFE inside. Yes new seal etc. Agreed; great to se you working and hear your voice after this um "sojourne" BRAVE man is all I can say.

[@peterlangille1622]

Fun to watch you disassemble this car. When you first showed it I was a little shocked you were going to tear it down. But as you get deeper into the project it's clear where the hidden problems lie. I'm fascinated by the power steering rig. Is that system still available to retrofit to almost any car?

[@friguy4444]

You probably know all about this I sure but I thought I'd add this in case you didn't. I don't know if the old technique of spraying oil into the fender wells and enclosed type areas to prevent rust is something that is or would be considered apropos for classic beauties such as this. You may and probably do have another idea as to what you are going to do to keep the rust from returning in those notorious areas that are hard or impossible to easily reach for cleaning etc. But the oil spray (even just new motor oil is fine and works to do the job) really does work. But it can attract dirt to stick to it but water rolls off and the isn't showing as it's all sprayed inside the impossible to reach zones. Just another way of looking at solving the problem that is tried and true. Here's a video showing someone doing this to a truck. Some people use a thin wax to do this too. But I've heard it can sometimes met away or get chipped off. But I've never tried it so I can't say for sure. Here's the video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZKlomqgqdWsjtk

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

Yes, thanks for reminding me, I should record some cavity protection spray being applied. We have the correct 360 degree gun.

[@peterowens290]

I have found sprayed on deodourised fish oil (several coats) to be excellent at protecting difficult to reach areas. It does take ages to become touch dry.

[@chieft3357]

Hello, I know you have specific plans for your XK-150 but I would remove the heater and A/C. I worked on many XK-150's back in the "60's" and "70's" including rewiring (OMG). I wish you the best. You seem to have quite a bit of Jaguar knowledge.

[@deep6thisdeep6this92]

got the same smith's heater in my '53 mg td. i've read they were a dealer installed option. mine is in better condition, but i doubt if it's original to the car. probably installed in the car's 2008 restoration. BTW, a little investigation on bringatrailer indicates this car may have been (i'm pretty sure, actually) purchased for about $90,000 in about 2018. IOW, before this restoration.

[@daleolson7205]

When it comes to old cars, the term "rust free" just means you are not getting charged for any existing rust on the vehicle. 😉

[@bokhans]

Dale Olson You mean “rust free” = “rust for free” or “rust is free” or “ rust free of charge” 🤔

[@Pete...NoNotThatOne]

@@bokhans I just go with “free rust.”

[@kensanity178]

Yeah, when my wife bakes brownies for me, I ask her "are these sugar free?"

[@deep6thisdeep6this92]

haha, good one, dale. :)

[@cratecruncher6687]

Next time I laugh at my E-Type switchgear I'll have to remind myself of this episode.

[@achmadosman9807]

The indicator (blinker) switch requires a new spring to fully restore operation.

[@flyingarts6765]

Richard, please tell us some of the pros and cons of the Pirelli CA67 you have on the E Type and other XK. I am considering those or CN36 as replacement on my 64 Giulia

[@paulkirkland1535]

Richard: Was this originally a positive ground electrical system? It seems as if it has been converted to a negative grounded system. Gr8 video and gr8 workmanship. I like and work on British cars too. My favorite is a '71 - '74 Jaguar E type V12 in signal red of coarse. Oh well at least I can dream. Have a gr8 God blessed day.

[@stevehale4712]

The E type V12 is British Leyland mongrel, Jaguar had a real dark period during its state ownership inside the BL group, workforce were so disenchanted by poor management they stopped caring and produced junk. Series 1 1/2 or early series 2 FHC is the one to go for

[@paulsutton5896]

That wiring looks like it is covered in rubberised cotton - probably now, rather brittle. I assume it will all be replaced by modern pvc covered wire. If you added a little to the length of those wires behind the instrument panel, you would help it to fold down in future.

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

Paul the original is like a pvc covered in a woven sheathing. The replacement will be an exact copy from Autosparks. Thanks for watching.

[@peterbrown1477]

Not seeing anything in the UK. Parts 1&2 were OK ?

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

Should be 100% now

[@geofo60]

Same here, notification was there one minute, gone the next. I had to go to Richard’s Y/T channel to find this episode. Well worth the time taken. This project takes me back to my apprenticeship days working on Jaguars bodywork. Loving every bit 👏👏.

[@jonathansmythe6273]

Nice car. Looking forward to seeing the retso. Is that the straight six used in the E type?

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

The engine is very similar, the 1961 E-Type carried on the development from the 3.8 XK150 S with its straight-port head and triple HD8 carbs.

[@TheDanielster]

Another great video! Keep up the great work! Just wondering at 37:30 is that rust pimple underneath the paint? Is that common in this era of vehicles? Cheers

[@richradley2706]

They have a process using Co2 to clean without damaging. The process might be expensive, I would guess, but things will come out clean as new! So I googles this and found: CO2 cleaning uses conventional blasting technology combined with dry ice pellets as the media. These pellets evaporate during the process and produce minimal secondary waste. When the CO2 blast cleaning process is used properly, it is a totally dry process and is environmentally safe and friendly.

[@craigyirush3492]

Curious why you aren’t replacing all the old wiring, for example on the wiper motor, rather than soldering old wiring back on? PS agree with keeping the patina on the motor.

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

Craig. It would be nice to replace all the wiring in the motor, but there is a chance to damage the unit so it's all risk vs reward with these types of fragile motors. Also have to respect the projects budget :) Thanks for watching.

[@craigyirush3492]

Richard Michael Owen thanks for replying and also for making these videos. I’m taking apart my B right now so your XK videos are really helpful. With the B, the new wiring harnesses are pretty reasonable so I’m going to just replace mine.

[@jharloe]

I’ve watched this several times & seen you at a distance during car week in Carmel. What is the work around if your vacuum pump on the Trico water bottle is kaput due to old age?

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

@@jharloe thanks for watching. If the rubber diaphragm is aged, you need new internals. Coventry Auto Components will sell a complete unit, not sure on just the inside, or convert to an electric pump.

[@peterhealey2668]

Hey Richard, I watched your first 2 videos on the 120 but now it says this video is unavailable on this device. Can you re-post it please and make it available to everyone?

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

I have to upload it sorry, my credit card was sitting on my table. doh

[@peterhealey2668]

@@RichardMichaelOwen Thanks Richard, your videos just go to show the huge amount of work involved in a restoration of this standard.

[@JohnSmith-pi4ju]

I have enjoyed many of your videos but it seems you may have changed your format? Error message "This video is unavailable on this device"

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

All fixed, had to make an edit and KZbin took forever to render.

[@JohnSmith-pi4ju]

All good now thanks

[@peterbrown1477]

OK now - thanks.

[@samrobbins5665]

Excuse my ignorance but I noticed on some of the Lucas equipment in this Jag a three pointed-Y-in-a-circle type logo Looks like a Mercedes logo. Is there any connection?

[@praetorious]

Why cut the wires, instead of labeling, taking a picture and disconnecting them at the terminals from the harness?

[@paulmarriner5906]

I don’t think it matters his renewing the looms

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

Definitely a new harness, I will keep everything else original if I can.

[@praetorious]

@@paulmarriner5906 I'm thinking in terms of reconnecting everything after.

[@stevehale4712]

I usually disconnected and labelled but after watching this cutting makes more sense, by cutting you preserve the wire colour position on the device, 12-18 months down the line trying to decipher sketches is a nightmare

[@garethkreike3263]

Mercedes logo on the wiper cover??

[@russnixon6020]

Out with the power steering, out with the Tremec 5-speed and out with the A/C. The car wasn't built with them and it shouldn't be there after a restoration otherwise it's a resto-mod.

[@russnixon6020]

The bracket and valve for the heater are original equipment. Internet search engines are your friends. www.scparts.co.uk/sc_en/british-cars/jaguar/jaguar-xk120-xk140-and-xk150-1949-1961.html

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

Yeah, the bracket was home - made so we got a new one.

[@oxcart4172]

Safety gauge is the water temp gauge?

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

and oil pressure, yes

[@MrCapacitator]

The valve for the heater that you are not sure if it's stock, I don't know for sure but it appears to be as it can be seen in around the 19 minute mark of this walk around video of another XK150, link for video is kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5nVgWaKj6h8g9k

[@gerrard4215]

Can't view it, just get message 'this video is unavailable on this device' trying to view it on my phone. Anything you can do to fix it?

[@paulnewman11]

That is not a stator tube !!

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

you're right, it's a capillary tube

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

​@@johnsmith1474They are bourdon tube type I believe

[@Mercmad]

@@johnsmith1474 The ether expands in a bulb in the water jacket,which causes a brass vessel in the gauge to distort . That in turn is fixed to a gear rack which drives the needle. Simple really...😁

[@kensanity178]

I seriously dont want to criticize anyone with way more skills in this type of endeavor than I, but shouldnt all of these things have been done before the engine and tyranny were re installed?

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

yes, you're right. Just the way it goes sometimes. We didn't do the 5-speed conversion.

[@richardgreene3460]

As a owner of a restored 62 XKE OTS and 56 XK140, I would be afraid if one restoring my car had to ask viewers for answers or having to research answers! Apology for being honest. Personally, I know you are "restoring" the car, but as nice as it was with everything working, it seems counter-productive!

[@johndavey72]

Richard. I understand your comment but l've been restoring for 50+ years and "everyday's a school day" Sometimes you just want someone to give you reassurance. I know l do.

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

The more I know, the more I know I don't know. You have some nice cars, but asking questions should never be a problem.

[@colinjmoore1]

Hi Richard with respect I’d suggest you subscribe and watch the rest of / other RMO’s posted videos . His work is meticulous and shows a depth of knowledge and a willingness to learn from others as well . Every day’s a school day ! Colin

[@bigredc222]

Great video. Thanks.