KWE restoration & upgrade of rare RHD E9

[pestosmum]

Hi there

Just over a year ago we were commissioned to find an E9 3.0 CSi for a client and to 'do what we do to our Jaguars to produce a car that can be driven everyday in comfort'. After a long search we found a suitable donor car in London - as there were only 250 RHD cars produced we knew it was not going to be easy, but this example looked good & had already had a fair amount of money spent on it.....

 

[pestosmum]

We set to work stripping it out completely ready for shotblasting and repainting but could never have guessed the amount of rust and filler that was revealed (and we thought we'd seen it all in the classic Jaguar business)....

It doesn't show up very well in the fourth picture, but the white bit is filler which was a 1/2" deep in places!!

 

[pestosmum]

After shotblasting the shell went off to the bodyshop for repairs & painting. It needed many new panels including all the floor pans, the spare wheel well, door skins, bulkhead boxes & wheel arches. It also underwent some alteration in the bulkhead to enable a more modern air conditioning unit to be installed (purists look away now)....

 

[pestosmum]

After many months we have the shell back from the bodyshop and have started the rebuild process. The customer wanted an automatic gearbox instead of the manual and we are fitting a digital engine management system so some modifications to the engine have been required. We have also fitted a new electric fan cooling system, so as you can see this is no simple restoration programme!

 

[pestosmum]

There is still a long way to go before the car is completed. The interior will be renewed in an oxblood leather and the new seats will have electric adjustment, heating and lumbar support. The dash will need to accommodate modern audio equipment as well as the uprated a/c system.

It may seem to some that what we are doing is sacrilege and it should've been restored to as original condition as possible, but this car is being renewed to be driven every day rather than just to/from shows and I'm sure she will be admired everywhere she goes

 

[x_atlas0]

I really like what you all do with the Jags. While I do think originality is important, I generally think it is important in cars that have not already been modified. Mine, for example, came with a blown engine, a trunk AC unit, and a sloppy resto done by a BMW dealer in the 80s, so the originality was already shot.

Since you all already started with what appeared to be a modified example, I'm all for making the car a driver. I'd much rather see them on the road than in a museum. I am rather curious what EFI system you are planing on using and what automatic gearbox. I would guess you'll be going with a mechanical 4HP22 for the auto, given that is the easiest automatic swap by far.

 

[tmason]

Pride of Ownership

A 2011 CS! The cost to do this in USD? My guess is $80,000. What's yours?
Please keep the pictures coming!
PS I would go with a manual 6 speed.

 

[pestosmum]

Hi Guys

Thank you for your comments. The digital engine management system we used is an Omex system (see www.omextechnology.co.uk). The gearbox is actually the Borg Warner 66.

In terms of the cost of this restoration, substitute £ for $ and you're getting close!!!

 

[readie]

hi, do you have any recent pictures of the build ?