The pistons of our 1954 Jaguar MK VII were machined recently.
As the pistons are such a vital component of the engine, it’s important that they are exactly right and, as you can see in the video below, care needs to be taken to make sure everything is perfect.
The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have been getting the old parts off and out of the 1954 Jaguar MkVII ahead of the new replacement pieces going in.
To start with, Jon removed the old exhaust from the car to clean up the manifolds. Once cleaned, he could them back into the car and begin putting together the exhaust with the new backbox. This included brand new hardware for the mounts to keep the soundtrack as elegant as this classic Jaguar looks.
Finally, with the exhaust all complete, Jon could fit the new replacement mirrors onto the MkVII and give them a quick polish to finish the car off.
July 22, 2022 8:45 am
The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars have sorted an issue with the window on the 1954 Jaguar MkVII which is in at our Suffolk HQ.
The classic Jaguar has developed an issue when winding the driver’s window down. The window glass would come off the runner attached to the regulator and then eventually drop to go back into the runner.
Our workshop carefully stripped back the door card and made the necessary adjustments to fix the issue before being put back together for the team to carry on with the other work on the car.
July 19, 2022 10:12 am
The 1954 Jaguar MkVII that was in with us for restoration is back in the workshop to look into a leak from under the car.
Upon inspection by the Bridge Classic Cars restoration team, it was found to be an issue with a gearbox seal. This has been sent away to a specialist gearbox expert to have the proper rectified in order to the engine and gearbox back in the car as soon as possible.
Keep a look out on the News Page for more updates on the Jaguar MkVII
October 21, 2021 3:11 pm
We’d sent the carburettors off and found that the they needed new shims so Ady has worked on making up newer thicker shims.
We’ve taken apart the exhaust port and fitted new valves onto the cylinder head of our 1954 Jaguar MKVII.
Ady has been working on our 1954 Jaguar MKVII and has recently turned to address the air flow. He has opened up the throat on the inlet side to gain 2mm for more air flow and done the same on the exhaust.
Our 1954 Jaguar MKVII has had its cylinder head welded to resolve corroded water ways.
Ady has also started revuilding the engine after its been re-bored, cleaned and painted.
Tom has been working to wire up the headlights on our 1954 Jaguar MKVII.
The Jaguar has been fully painted and is steadily collecting its chrome pieces.
Paul has been installing the door cards which fit on the inside of the door.
This is the most recent paint and chrome update as it sits outside in the brilliant sunshine:
Our classic 1954 Jaguar MKVII has officially left the paint bay and gone back into the fabrication bay to have the doors re-attached as well as chrome elements such as window frames, door handles and door catches.
Our stunning 1954 Jaguar MKVII has been full painted and the panels have been smoothed and flattened. The rest of the body now needs to be flattened and shaped before it goes back into the workshop to have its chrome and trim fitted back in as well as the mechanics.
Our 1954 Jaguar MKVII has most recently been masked, primed and had a guide coat put over the top to guide Chris and Matt when smoothing the panels. The bonnet has already been painted in the original paint and sets as a good guide for how the rest of the vehicle will look.
The doors were prepared ready for primer. The preparation includes making sure the surfaces are clean and the components are masked up. The primer was the applied by Chris.
Before the MKVII was able to go to the paint bay, James had to add some fabrication to correct some spots of rust and corrosion. The right hand rear quarter panel just behind rear arch was showing some signs of corrosion so James cut out the rust from both the inside and outside layers and then fabricated replacements which he welded in.
Our 1954 Jaguar MKVII has had its wheels painted in Epoxy primer and then painted in its final cream colour. These have been hung up and sprayed in the paint shop and worked on by Chris and Matt.
James and James have been working on shrinking and re-shaping the panels for our 1954 Jaguar MKVII however they’ve taken to doing it the traditional way. Using heat, a hammer and cool air, they can effectively reshape anything they need to in a precise and neat manner. By heating up the metal, it balloons and softens the surface, allowing James to hammer it into shape and then use cool air to set it.
James is focusing on making the outside layer of the rear quarter panel, which is made by hand and hammered into place.
After finishing the re-shaping, James could then start with applying the lead primer and then the Tallow Medium and Nealetin, all of which are applied using heat. The tallow medium, traditionally made from goose fat, is heated up and melted so it resembles a spreadable ‘goo’ that can then be worked into shape to provide a flat finish.
We did some filming with James in the workshop where he explained to us what’s going on with the Jaguar in the fabrication bay. Here’s some behind the scenes.
Every now and then, these classic cars surprise with hidden treasures. Whether its personalised dashes, objects stashed down the side of seats or a pair of driving gloves in the glove box, its always a pleasant discovery. On this occasion, we found two embedded tool kits in the door cards of our 1954 Jaguar MK VII, containing original and well-used tools, including a grease gun, bulbs and brake fluid. The two hidden tool kits seem like time capsules to 1954. We had worked hard to loosen the bolts and catches to unlock the tool kit and we’re now glad we did!
The job in hand for the two James’ in our fabrication bay was to strip down the doors to bare metal, taking off all the fixtures and sand down the sides. With a lot of rust visible, we’ve applied a filler primer that tackles rust and prevents it from spreading.
The doors first had to come off before they could be dismantled and stripped.
Kath has been working on repairing the seat squabs on our 1954 Jaguar MKVII. She has repaired the rear seat squab as the vinyl had started to come away from the squab. She applied contact adhesive and stuck it back down in place, making sure that the vinyl was sticking neatly around the edges. Kath also had to rip underneath the seat to fit a piece of calico on to the material to stop it from getting any worse.
Ady has also been carrying out a thorough engine service which includes replacing the spark plugs and spark plug leads as well as the oil filter, oil and a new water hose.
Paul has taken a look at our 1954 Jaguar MKVII and made sure all the brakes are stripped down and ready to be overhauled. The rear brake pipes have been removed and replaced with new components.
Our team has begun removing the chrome on the 1954 Jaguar MKVII in preparation for bodywork and paint. For the majority of the chrome, its a realtivily simple removal, for example, the pieces on the windows are easy to remove however some are more difficult and need extra components removed to get to the chrome.
Following the fuel tank renovation, Ady has fitted the oil sump back underneath the car.
We’ve diagnosed an oil leak in the Jaguar MKVII as a result of a faulty component. Take a look at the walk through below to see what the issue was and how we resolved it…
Image 1: MK7 jag engine with the sump off to allow Ady to start working his way into the engine. The sump, or the oil pan, is a metal dish that covers the bottom of the engine block and holds the engine oil when it is not circulating.
Image 2: Oil filter housing.
Image 3&4: The engine sump
Image 5&6: This is the cork seal which we discovered has been fitted incorrectly which lead to the engine leak.
So now what? We’ve identified the issue, its time to fix it!
The cork sealant had been attached incorrectly, meaning it had twisted and more importantly, been let oil out. Ady, our engine specialist has got some more cork and new gaskets to fit either end of the oil sump and across the edges, meaning that the oil will stay where its meant to be.
The stripping process has begun for our Jaguar however the preparation procedure itself isn’t a quick job. There are lots of parts that need our attention before it sees the paint shop.
Ady has been working to restore the fuel tanks. Our 1954 Jaguar MKVII has two fuel tanks rather than the standard one however one of the fuel tanks is suffering from severe rust which we are beginning to tackle.
The chrome has also been removed and the parts ordered to fix the engine leak issue. Once these bits have been fixed, this Jaguar can get ready for paint.
Tom has been attending to the wiring in the front of the Jaguar, especially the front headlights which he’s been removing.
Our engine specialist Ady has rewired the Jaguar MKVII allowing it to run. This has been done by running the battery wire to the coil as there is a break in the loom meaning there’s no feed to the coil.
We’ve had this 1954 Jaguar MKVII arrive in need of a re-wire and re-spray in order for it to leave feeling and looking brand new! Currently stored up at our hanger, this lovely Jaguar will be coming into the workshop soon.
