EDITION 198 JAGUAR MAGAZINE 95
mounting points; an easy job with the right equipment.
With the engine mounted on the chassis I was keen
to finalise all the necessar y processes required to
achieve rejoining of the restored body to the par tially
assembled chassis. To this end the nex t job to be
under taken was fitting the exhaust system.
One major issue was looming then for this to happen.
The original muf flers were in a somewhat average
state, but af ter hearing some ugly stories about exhaust
systems I thought it might be a plan to find an exhaust
business which was able to carr y out a custom build of
t wo muf flers using my original as a pattern - as long as
the cost wasn’t prohibitive.
A referral was identified in a nor thern Melbourne
suburb, so when the oppor tunit y arose a visit was
made and my sample muf fler lef t.
About a week later came the news I was not waiting for.
Af ter cutting the old muf fler open it was noted there
were many internal baf fles. The cost was indicated
at around $2000. I was hoping for a cost of around
half that amount. Back to the drawing board. I made
contact with a supplier in England, and t wo muf flers
landed would have been about $1200. We were
getting nearer to the mark.
I was then made aware that another XK owner, and
restorer, living near Canberra might be able to help.
David Webster was contacted, and he did have t wo
XK muf flers he was prepared to sell for just $600.
Deal done. As it turned out a fellow Jaguar Car Club
member, Mike Watts, was planning a trip to Canberra
early in Januar y 2019, and would be able to bring the
muf flers back to Melbourne.
All of the exhaust pipes and muf flers have now
received a coating of high temperature black paint, and
look fabulous. The rear pipes will have t wo polished
stainless ex tensions fitted. That will finish the system
of f perfectly.
There is not much else that needs to be done except
for the felt strips on top of the fuel tank. That little task
will be attended to.
It is possible that the nex t edition of Jaguar Magazine
could feature the body reattached to the chassis.
Stay tuned ...BODY ON - ENGINE AND GEARBOX IN01
02
03
01 XK150 3.4 litre green head mounted to the stunningly presented
entire engine set-up.
02 How good looking are those newly stove-enamelled exhaust
headers? They are exactly as the car was built.
03 There it all is! The chassis has been straightened, cleaned,
primed and painted. The suspension fully restored, and now the
engine and gearbox are all back on the chassis.