Jaguar XK150 Restoration EP1
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.พ. 2025
- Here we begin a rotisserie restoration of a 1957 Jaguar XK150 at Owen Automotive in Sidney, BC, Canada. First we strip off the bumpers and guards and drive them over to Electroshine in my 1967 Jaguar E-Type. Then we strip the interior, carpet, upholstery we also strip the doors including the regulators, tracks and windows.
taking Jaguar parts to the chromer in a Jaguar makes so much sense! loving the videos.
Seriously, best car restoration videos I've ever found on the internet!
My retirement project! I am restoring the same year 1957 FHC same colour and interior only much more of a bucket job and in a lock-up garage so don't have the luxury of body removal. However what began as a straight forward renovation has changed. For instance an improved braking system and a larger 4.2 tri-carb instead of the 3.8 originally fitted. Thanks for the video it is helping me understand my car and one day, if l can get mine looking as good as yours before restoration l will be happy.
As an Englishman I am so happy to see the lengths you go to, to restore these cars to the highest standards. I know these cars will be cherished by their proud owner for decades to come. I love your infectious enthusiasm and the knowledge and skills you bring to your labours of love. Much love to you and your dad and thank you for the hours of enjoyment you bring to your thousands of viewers.
My favourite XK as a 12 yr old kid I used to go to the library to read the Autocar road tests, the ones I
Liked I had photo copies for 2p.
Needless to say I had a stash of road Tests for my fantasy cars this car being my very favourite it was read many times .
Watching this being rebuilt is joy to watch.
Thanks!
The attention to detail was remarkable.
This is the first restoration video that has a keen eye for fine details such as door and hood gaps. A good eye for symmetry and balance of parts. Other videos just slap the panels back on and don't look at the gaps. Very good restore. Very well done. Excellent.
My Dad owned one when I was a kid in Cheshire. It was 10 years old and rusted out. He loved it. I still recall the smell of the leather.
They don't make beautiful cars that have their own look to them like no other. Stylish and elite look.I look forward to the restoration of this beauty.
Hello Mr. Owen, It has been a joy to watch your progress restoring this XK150. The backstory is the experience I have had with a 1955 XK140 drop head coupe that my father took delivery of brand new for $3800 in Orange County California. It was white with Chrome wires, a black moe hair top, and an overdrive sporting a plaque on the rosewood dash advising the driver not to engage the OD at any speed less than 100 miles an hour. I was ten years old at the time, learned to drive in the car, and watched with chagrin as my father unceremoneously sell the car ten years later with only 40k on the clock for $700 dollars, and replacing it with a Mustang fast back w/a 289 cubic inch 4bbl. To my eye it was just a Detroit rattle trap compared to the Jag. How spoiled was I, eh'? Anyway, I learned mechanics on the Jag, and my last gig as a mechanic was working for Rudi at Auto House in Oak Bay, before opening my own shop on SSI in the eighties. What a wonderful car that Jag proved to be. It permanently fixed my aesthetic and engineering expectations, even in the face of Rudi trying to sway my point of view with his bevy of 300SL's he continues to restore to this day at his compound in Sannich (sp). One of my first memories of the car was the electric starting carb. hissing for a minute or so and cutting off returning the idle to 600rpm, the seven quarts of oil it held, the glass ww washer bottle, and the porcelain exhaust manifolds that remained in perfect nick throughout the cars life in our garage. Love to chat sometime, I have a ton of stories as I'm sure you have as well. I live just across the bay from you in Mill Bay at the top of the Malahat. I'm Glenn Miles at yukoner@gmail.com
Oh what a delight to be part of it all!....Thanks for this vid.
Just hit with another memory. Friend of my family named Joan. Live near Interurban and Wilkinson Rd. She had a virgin beautiful Jag Sedan I'm guess now late 50s or early 60s. First time she took it off the island she got rear-ended at that 1st traffic light after leaving the ferry in Twassan (spelling, sorry) where the road narrows, or maybe it doesn't anymore.
Thanks again. Cheers.
What an interesting article! Richard would be my first port of call if I was needing an XK restoration. Just watching this tells me that I would get a thorough, professional job.
Its a rare opportunity to see and hear the details of the restoration of a classic. Good work RMO, im hanging for the next.
I too, like others, am glad I found the beginning of this series. I'm contemplating a restoration of a Jaguar Mark 7M, and will find this a gold mine of information of what to do and look out for. Taking copious notes. Thanks Richard.
I am new to your channel. Looks like I jump on board at the right time. I love the 150's, the lines are the best. Watching intently. Helped my Dad refresh a 62 XKE in 1970-71, teenagers are cheap labor. Broke my heart when he sold it a few years later.
Thank you Richard for a quality video. No electro-musica blasting in the backround and decent videography showing the details. I will be following this one from start to finish. From an Old Fart.
As the owner of a '68 E Type OTS with factory HT for 35 years, I've worked very hard to keep my car on the road & just got back from a 550 mile two day drive. Look forward to further videos on keeping this lovely machine on the road also.
I’ll be watching this one. Old Jaguars are so beautiful, and so British... it’s fascinating to see how they go together. Cheers -
Great videos as always and great to see the E-type again! With the flickering ammeter, as bizarre as it sounds check the ignition switch, it could be faulty with bad connections simply from age and wear. The ammeter could just be reflecting the bad connections within the switch. Keep these videos coming!
Trunk lid is a work of art.
Just now finding you and this is awesome. Thanks for going into so much detail about the imperfections in things like the door and hood gaps. Can't wait to watch the remaining episodes on this and some of your other projects as well. I'm going to "binge" watch this particular restoration. Thanks for such thoroughness and attention to detail. I'm a big Classic Jaguar fan so happy to have found you. Thank.s
This is a great starting point for a beautiful car. You can do the corrosion resistance that they didn't. It wouldn't have survived like this in the U.K. even though it's been done before.
Looks like a great candidate to restore! Really looking forward to this series as I'm currently restoring an xk150 ots here in Burnaby. I've got it in bare metal and am just finishing up the last bit of metal work. I bought it in pieces....so a nice added challenge. Mike Mueller helped out big time with the missing parts. He's such a wealth of knowledge and a genuinely nice, down to earth fellow. Hope to see this beauty at the ABFM in the future.
Great clip, thank you from George Wine Valley Tours South Australia
Hi Richard, looking forward with great anticipation to your especially thorough restoration of this beautiful Jaguar classic, keep the updates coming.
And I love that you're using the E Type as your shop ute to run bits about, priceless!
A bit late, but Happy Birthday XK150 Restoration! Good anybody can see a good Restoration takes it's time and is well worth the effort! Thanks for Sharing, Richard!
Oooh! The 150 and the E-type are the most beautiful of them all.
Two beautiful cars . Lucky guy
Absolutely gorgeous vehicle.
I can see restoring a rough car back to its former glory, but that XK150 has perfect patina and I would be driving it (a lot) just as it sits. It's a shame to me that such a nice runner is about to become show quality, but to each his own. I wish I had means to make such decisions. All the best to Richard, Dad and the new owner. I've always had a thing for the XK150 FHC.
Been missing vids from you Richard. Thrilled to get a new series going!
I carried out a similar in detail bare metal resto on 1958 (early model still) FHC a while back. Depending where you live there will always be a lot more rust than you think. My car had bitumen over entire underbody, covering a chamber of horrors which fortunately I caught in time. The hollow panel under the rear opening windows was rusted, as was the door sills, door B post structures and spare wheel recess and rear valance. All replaced with new panels. Body media blasted to reveal every little rust area, then immediately etch primed. I tried to reproduce the originality of each component including decals except for a beautifully made alloy radiator expansion tank. Well worth doing as it prevents coolant loss at even normal temperature. No trouble getting parts from UK suppliers though quality of some rubbers varied. Kept the Moss gearbox but suffered with it in traffic. A mod worth doing is replacing clutch master cylinder with a larger diameter one to greatly improve engagement and disengagement. Period BRG with tan (dark) interior looked great. Cylinder head colours are an indication of engine size and compression ratio. Standard 3.4 litre twin SU carb model should be duck egg green. Good luck with resto, can be very testing at times; you are fortunate if you do not have to work on door hinges. There is a brass bush modification that is self lubricating though some people add a grease nipple to prevent seizing.
Magnificent! Your attention to detail is incredible. What a beautiful car.
A great new series with one of my favourite cars - many thanks.
Well! Looking forward to this restoration blog... Thanks for doing such a thorough and detailed look at what has to be done to get this beautiful automobile back into top form!
Really looking forward to your process. thanks for sharing.
Thanks for posting these - so much detail, I’m really learning a lot.
Really happy to see another jaguar restoration coming from you guys!! Hope the shop is keeping busy!!
Great video, great subject really looking forward to the next episode in the series, brilliant!!
Thanks for watching Keith
9:00 - The E-Type sounds amazing!
I HAVE LOVED XK'S MY WHOLE LIFE
Very impressive automotive archaeology, I'm excited to follow this build, imo no car has yet to rival the beauty of any of the XK series of the 50's, 60's and early 70's.
Looks like a great project. Thank you for posting the video.
Great to see the E-Type ist going strong! No worries about the ammeter, a wiggeling needle at idle is normal, both my 1934 Morris and my 1954 Rover do that.
Looking forward to more videos!
Great to see you back. I look forward to more episodes.
Love your Jag Coupe Beater car. Crazy man. Love to have a 1970 4.2 3 carb XKE Coupe or Roadster. Prices are just too much. Paint covers up a huge amount of rust. You're right. Take a very close look at things.
Still a beautiful car today. Must have been the bees knees in its day.
Looking forward to this series! Thank for sharing Richard.
Thank goodness the RMO TH-cam drought is finally over. ! Great content as always.
My favourite car in a lifetime of motoring.
Fantastic video series. I’m beginning a project to restore a ‘54 xk120 that needs a lot of work. It’s my first time rebuilding anything so all of the help and advice is appreciated.
Love the parts car & looking forward to Episode 2
Bravo. Love your attention to detail, really looking forward to watching this one come along!
I really want you to work on my XK8, I am insanely obsessive about tiny details and nobody else seems to care! Good video
Hi Richard. I really enjoy your videos and am sure many of us are looking forward to this series. You really show up the non-quality work of some of the amateur restorers but also show how it should be done. E-type run about looks good and do hope you will get it finished sometime soon.
Must be awesome to work with your Dad !!!
I owe you an apology sir. On another of your posts I commented and asked if you lived behind the tweed curtain in Oak Bay. Now I just read you're in Sidney. I imagine that's grown a lot since I last passed through there in about 08, 12 years.
Excellent posts sir. I don't see that many nice old cars around Edmonton, more so British cars.
I used to use a place called Dependable Plating in Burnaby. I imagine they no longer exist. Probably a good place in Victoria now. Been so long since I lived there.
Thanks Richard. It looks nice to work on something that is somewhat unmolested.
it's the slight assymetry of old/handbuilt cars which is part of what gives them so much character. subtle differences that you can't really see but you are subconsciously aware of. by contrast, the millimetric precision of concours restorations (and modern cars), and modern processes (chrome plating or example) is partly what makes them feel so sterile. that said, the rear bumper is also twisted. some people have more money than sense.
I think it needs the in-depth restoration. Especially when you start finding hidden rust and the poor level of previous restoration work. Look forward to watching the process.
Richard you are clearly the ultimate professional as I have to admit most of us in the uk would accept the car as it is as it seems to be in original condition to me . Well done for being such a perfectionist .
For its age that is one very nice car. When your done nice goes to perfect.
Love the videos thanks for sharing
Hi Richard. Well for a 63year old Jaguar it's very sound and most of the fittings have come off very nicely. I 'm suspicious that the left front wing has had an impact. The front lower bulge and the door /wing gap looks tight. I noticed the rear bumper has a twist in it , it drops down on the passengers side ? I'm pretty sure the front including the over riders is not original . The rough"flashing" is something we used to experience with reconditioned chromework. I'm almost certain the air con is after market and would you revert back to the moss box ( don't think l would😨). And yes! Only you would have an "e"type as your run about!😂😂 look forward to some more of the same. Take care and stay safe. Hope you don't think l'm being a film critic. It's just 50years as a panelbeater and you notice these things!!
Some job, but I'm sure Richard will do a brilliant restore.
What a beauty! Car of my dreams.
Nice video, looking forward to the rest of the restoration. The color that matches the best to the original color of Lucas HF1748 horns is Volvo, Sahara Beige Metallic color code 119.
E-Type parts hauler!
I used to drive home from work through north London, it was about 1970 , red XK150 for sale in a dealer, wish I had bought it was £875
very much enjoyed that
Great car to restore and looking forward to your videos.
For the quarter light swivel bracket, recommend you find a good local blacksmith and ask him to duplicate the one that is good. This is how the factory did it back in the day.
Recommend you re-chrome everything. Reason for this is there are subtle differences in chrome plating (length of time in plating solutions, voltages used, etc.) and since you are going for show quality, you want everything to be consistent and done by the same shop.
Best of luck on this and keep healthy and safe.
Always a joy to see your expertise on these subjects.
You're going the way of a better than factory new restoration correcting all fitment issues which appear to be there from new.
But you and the owner are going to keep later upgrades like the 5 speed and AC? Which makes it a better daily driver in my opinion, but makes it less of a concourse car.
Your junkyard engine is running fine by the way, loved the smooth mechanical sounds of engine and gears in your onboard video.
Even before taking it apart i would have been happy with it, it is after all approaching 70 years of age, more than likely it has had a nudge or two body shops do not always do a perfect job, instead good enough will do! Send it on it,s way!! Next please!!!!
Still a very good looking car beautiful shape!! Early E types are nice but avoid series 3 or later avoid the V12 Jaguars ( unless you have very deep pockets )
You're correct Richard from about 5 metres away this XK looks just great,..then the camera starts to tell the truth.
I was wondering about that lacquer coating from 'the day', and sure enough it was checkered. There is a lot to do here isn't it? I think the owner is going to be well pleased
with your restoration,...if watching you re-build your red Jag. was any indication!
With the front bumper removed those oval vents that are hidden behind, look really nice,..I wondered aloud, what would that look like with only the overriders mounted there and
no bumper? Just a crazy thought!
I'm looking forward now to the videos to follow.
I cant believe that Britain was once a nation that had the ability to design and manufacture masterpieces like this car and today the entire industrial base which once made this possible is gone, if only the Brits had a work ethic like Germany, and the ability to understand and prevent corrosion on cars and to make electrics reliable two disaplins which had them baffled.
Pretty sure that Jaguar chrome was never painted on the back. I am restoring a '67 S-Type so your junk E-type motor series is invaluable. Good luck with the 150. Very pretty looking car. Remember these things were all hand assembled so the gaps weren't always brilliant but can be improved upon during restoration.
You have to be the only shop in the world to have an E-Type parts truck.
were restoring a 58 xk150 with severe front end damage, the car as also been sitting in a shed in the redwoods for 30+ years, so there is some rodent and minor rust damage, we just got the shell back from media blasting, someone in the past did some shoddy front end metal repair and pretty much deleted the protrusion of the front wing fairing panel, both headlight buckets are crushed as well, we are going to try to reform the metal but if you know of a good replacement source any help would be appreciated, we do need some chrome work for this project as well, wonder how bad getting parts to Canada from California is right now lol
"The amp gauge is flickering." I sense the Prince of Darkness lurking in the shadows
Nice episode.
Can you share the time you Take to complete the jobs, so we have a proper idea of the real effort?
Many thanks
Had a 120 FHC and started the Restore. Wife didn't like it & after a few years of arguing sold it. She Won, I Lost. Should have sent it to these guys.
Symmetry = lowest form of order. Get over it, these cars expect a little patina. Beautiful car as is! I had a 57 XK140 and a 67 Mk2, and both had wood dash and window trim (the 150 didnt have that? or was it jettisoned in the previous restoration?). I agree that the carpet and interior colors are too fuchsia to be original. Fun to watch, but better you than me to do the work. Thanks for the vid!
you mention the AMP gauge bouncing... looks more like a regulator to me... the voltage evens out with higher revs ..
Already at 28 minutes! I GOTTA see that engine bay!!!
It is not my car, so I really have no say in this, and Mr. Owen is certainly doing high-class work on these cars, make no mistake, I really do like watching him. The Chopin études in the intro and outro are a nice touch, too!
But I have to agree with Mr. Cankersarus: if it were my car, I wouldn't do it, I'd just fix the mechanics so that they work flawlessly and reliably (for an old Jag, that is). And drive it.
I once made the mistake to over-restore an old Porsche (I did not do the work, just wrote the checks; I'm all thumbs and two left hands) and ended up regretting it. You spend a lot of money, only to have a several decades old car that looks like a new one, with no history, no past life and no soul; perhaps the equivalent of a lady who's had too much plastic surgery. And I know it is just too easy to get carried away: while I have everything apart, I could just as well [...insert anything mechanical/body/paint here].
When people see me in one of my cars, I want them to believe that I bought it new a long time ago, used it and took good care of it; not that I am nouveau riche, throwing money on an old "collector's" car collecting dust in the garage (easy for me to say; I am so not nouveau riche, but ancien pauvre!).
Things can be old, showing signs of age and scars, and still be stylish and attractive. I hope to come across like that myself, too.
Why they slap that bitumen & foil stuff everywhere I don't know; my 1969 S2 is full of it. Good video Richard, looking forward to more of this restoration. Stay safe.
wow, I never even thought of using a spanner on a screwdriver like that.
Your work light / hammer is a pretty tough item..😁
It would be appropriate to send it back to the UK when your Finished. I’ll kick my bmw out of the garage and look after it for you.
This is a real pretty car. Going to put an original transmission in?
Another question Richard....do you folks usually utilize Autosparks harnesses in your restorations? Any other harness manufacturers you've tried in the past?
Beautiful car huh?........like most Jaguars.
I hate lazy restorations. It's all in the prep folks! You can also use a soldering iron to warm up stuck screws. This is especially good for ones stuck in wood such as the ash frames. Be lucky
I have no intention of being an ass, but if you line up the car to the camera (move the car and not the camera)with the sun dead behing you, (you can get an app for exact line up) you will be able to judge shut lines and symmetry easier. Thanks for the video 👍🙏
The amp gauge often flickers on most classic Jaguar models.
A long time ago I had a 58 identical to this one. It looked like all it needed was a paint job but the entire interior metal was totaly rusted away, a total disaster. I sold it for $200.00 for parts.
Richard, I will be watching every video, As you know i have a XK 150 OTS but this FHC is so clean but i wonder what is underneath all this patina.
Cheers Dave