Discussion
I'm not going to make it to XK60 today, but yesterday I had a great time there. I managed to completely drain a set of batteries of the camera.
At one point there were 10 C-Types parked in a row. I could count high enough for the Ds.
XKD555
XKD535
Hmm?
I managed not to get Lapped by Sir Stirling driving this one.
No the other hand I think Graham Bell in his lightweight E-Type I think lapped me twice.
A rare picture of me in my toy
And this wasn't all of them
Anyone for C?
If that hasn't put you off XK Jaguars then there are a whole load more of snaps on
http://www.xk150.org/xk60
At one point there were 10 C-Types parked in a row. I could count high enough for the Ds.
XKD555
XKD535
Hmm?
I managed not to get Lapped by Sir Stirling driving this one.
No the other hand I think Graham Bell in his lightweight E-Type I think lapped me twice.
A rare picture of me in my toy
And this wasn't all of them
Anyone for C?
If that hasn't put you off XK Jaguars then there are a whole load more of snaps on
http://www.xk150.org/xk60
Combover said:
Cracking pictures and nice to see the cars used!
How was your car on the track?
She wasn't running too well yesterday, the engine was sort of lumping between 3K and 4K coming out of Madgwick, particularly, and seemed down on power. Back in April I was pulling 5K (~120MPH) at the braking point to No Name and Woodcote. Yesterday I get about 4500 on the Lavant Straight and less than that before No Name. I've just changed the tyres, I've been running Avon turbospeeds since I bought the car, but I've just replaced them with Blockleys. The Blockleys have transformed the on road behaviour. But I don't know whether I've got them setup right for the track, besides the track conditions were very different. The two other times I've driven the car on the track (both times at Goodwood) it has been lovely and dry. The track was a little damp first thing and then there was a heavy shower just before my second trip out. Then I wasn't able to get anywhere near full power down in Madgewick and had to back off for Fordwater too. Where as in April I was wide open from just after the first Madgewick apex right the way to the braking point to No Name. Later in the afternoon it was dry and again I was on full throttle all the way through, but she wasn't going as well. Still bags of fun though. And you get a great view when a C, D or Lightweight E passes you. Particularly when they pass close enough to a corner that you can then follow them through. I didn't get a chance to be passed by Stirling Moss, but Derek Bell passed me twice but was miles alway before I got to the next corner. He was in a lightweight E.How was your car on the track?
There was French version of Spitting Image which used to have a Jean Alesi character and in one interview he was apparantly asked about why don't you like being out in front of the race and he replied "Well you can't see anything if you are out in front, you just can't enjoy watching the race".
Combover said:
120Mph...good man! 
Are the new tyres dfferent in wall size by any chance?
Does it not feel like you're hurting it by pushing it hard on track?
120... not yesterday... but it's a sensational feeling when you get Madgewick right and just leave it pasted to the floor through Fordwater at well over a ton and accelerating, with the tale hanging out a tad.Are the new tyres dfferent in wall size by any chance?
Does it not feel like you're hurting it by pushing it hard on track?
The new tyres are the same size 6x16 and MWS were quite happy with the idea that I would keep a one of the Avons as a spare, so would have ended up with a mixed axle. So I guess all the dimensions are the same. In the end the spare wheel was knackered and it didn't seem much point at that stage not just going for a complete set of new tyres (which made Charles even happier I'm sure). The Avons were VR rated which went out of manufacture 15+ years ago. So it probably a good plan to have changed them. My track session in April seemed to have significantly eaten into them. So I guess the rubber wasn't it top condition.
Do I feel like I'm hurting the car driving her like than on the track.
Hmmmm.
no not really. Lots of bits have been replaced over the years, if I wear out stuff faster, then I'll get some of the POs bodges off the car faster. The basic structures all seems really strong. Rob Newall says I've got to work on my clutch action more, I'm probably wearing that faster than I should be. Chris at Racing Green, who looks after it for me, is used to looking after racing ones. As long as he's happy with the car before I take it out, I'm happy it's in a strong enough state.
I bought the car to drive. I fell in love with from behind the wheel.
Taking her round the track feels like I'm letting her off the leash. I'd certainly not throw her around on the road like that. But they were made to be driven fast, I think I'm using her as intended.
I don't intend modifying her to make her a track car. The boss of Racing Green took me around the track in their racing one, which is a very different animal indeed. If I had the money to play in the XK Challenge series, I'd love one of those too, but I don't intend to change this car to be like that.
just looked at the pictures, looks like it was great, would have love to have made it, but it was not to be. And there was a lot of photo's too!!
Just saw the picture of the polished alloy bodied 120, with a custom windscreen and side mirrors, in classic and sportcar mag.
and out of all those photos there one blurry picture of it, it was going down the track with an ozzie/zealand flag on it.
Do you happen to have any better pictures?
Wanted a better look at the screen
PS it IMG_4683
Just saw the picture of the polished alloy bodied 120, with a custom windscreen and side mirrors, in classic and sportcar mag.
and out of all those photos there one blurry picture of it, it was going down the track with an ozzie/zealand flag on it.
Do you happen to have any better pictures?
Wanted a better look at the screen
PS it IMG_4683
jagman21 said:
just looked at the pictures, looks like it was great, would have love to have made it, but it was not to be. And there was a lot of photo's too!!
Just saw the picture of the polished alloy bodied 120, with a custom windscreen and side mirrors, in classic and sportcar mag.
and out of all those photos there one blurry picture of it, it was going down the track with an ozzie/zealand flag on it.
Do you happen to have any better pictures?
Wanted a better look at the screen
PS it IMG_4683
Sorry Jagman,Just saw the picture of the polished alloy bodied 120, with a custom windscreen and side mirrors, in classic and sportcar mag.
and out of all those photos there one blurry picture of it, it was going down the track with an ozzie/zealand flag on it.
Do you happen to have any better pictures?
Wanted a better look at the screen
PS it IMG_4683
The website was a dump of all of my pictures from the day. I was driving on the track on the day I was there and so wasn't planning to do any major photography, I'd just taken my little S60 point and shoot jobby. I was intending to be back on the Saturday as a spectator and was going to take my propper cameras then. Alas it wasn't to be, I was snowed under workwise and couldn't go on the Saturday.
The car is well known in Jaguar circles so there may well be photos else where. It's a very very early Ali car and screen arrangements for the first few cars I believe were all different. I don't have a copy of Urs Schmid's "Jaguar XK 120 The Anatomy of a Cult Object Volume 1" but it might be covered in there.
I didn't manage to meet up with Lowdrag there, but CKL said he'd spotted him wondering around with his camera, so Lowdrag might well have some better photos. Mine were certainly not "better photos".
There was also a proffessional photo outfit there selling pictures of a lot of the cars on the track. I can't remember their name but I can check this evening. I bought three prints of my XK150 out on the track. So you could try them, they'd said all their pictures would be available to buy online. I don't think they were photographing cars in the paddock though.
Not sure of other souces of pictures of the day. I got urgent emails from "Classic Cars magazine"
on the Monday wanting to know if they could use my photos as none of usual sources were able to get them pictures before there publishing date.
I'd try Lowdrag
jagman21 said:
cheers hopefully someones got it. But the screen looks like its plexi as opposed to glass, which makes me think that it couldn't have come out the jag facory like that.
Don't think it'd be road legal like that. Well, i this country any way, the ozzie probably won't care!
I think the Ozzie cars were all on the XK tour, the parade at the end of the day, which is where those pictures came from, was for the cars that had been on the tour, so they'd been driven on the road over here. I don't know what the rules are for an Australian registered car being used on the road in the UK. I know there is an extreamly strict inspect for UK cars being taken to Oz, but at least part of that is to ensure that you don't import any other bio-hazzards.Don't think it'd be road legal like that. Well, i this country any way, the ozzie probably won't care!
I'll see what else I can find out about the car.
Cheers
Ken
jagman21 said:
cheers hopefully someones got it. But the screen looks like its plexi as opposed to glass, which makes me think that it couldn't have come out the jag facory like that.
Don't think it'd be road legal like that. Well, i this country any way, the ozzie probably won't care!
OK, I've just taken another look at the picture. Don't think it'd be road legal like that. Well, i this country any way, the ozzie probably won't care!
It's definitely not the original.
The car BTW is chassis 660004, the fourth XK120 and over from Perth.
http://www.jag-lovers.org/xk-lovers/library/windsh... mentions that the orignal windscreen was replaced by [i]"a wrap around plastic unit (a bit like the D Type
screen)"[/i]
I had a long chat with the owner at Silverstone during the Classic in July. The car has been his for over 40 years and is much modified with disc brakes, modified wood dashboard and so on. He was over with a bunch of others from Oz and was touring Ireland after XK60 before returning home. Here are a couple of photos:-
cheers lowdrag, i was sure you'd come up with the goods.
now that i got a better picture, not sure the screen fits the character of the car. Perhaps a xk150 windscreen would have been more in keeping.
Or the brooklands type racer screens on LT-1/2 models but they'd probably get really annoying on a long tour.
But the panel work is fab!! great craftsmenship.
now that i got a better picture, not sure the screen fits the character of the car. Perhaps a xk150 windscreen would have been more in keeping.
Or the brooklands type racer screens on LT-1/2 models but they'd probably get really annoying on a long tour.
But the panel work is fab!! great craftsmenship.
I got home this evening to find my copy of the XK Gazette has a superb shot of the car on the front cover.
The photo company that was there on the day is http://www.focus-events.com/index.htm
The photo company that was there on the day is http://www.focus-events.com/index.htm
Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff