Archive for the ‘1968 Jaguar 340’ Category
The Mark II (340?) is gone
Towed the car to Washington DC and sold it to a friend of mine who plans on finishing the project. Managed to get it started and drove off the trailer. I’ll post a movie and photos of it later when I get home. I’ll the old girl but putting a car back together that I didn’t take apart obviously wasn’t my cup of tea.
No progress for a long time
These two cars seem to have the effect of cranking me up and then something happens and progress stops. It’s been a long time since I have visited my own blog let alone work on either car. Recently some comments posted by Jose jogged me into action once again. So – I’ll take a stab at getting the Blue Mk2 back up and running and creating a plan to finish the car. Wish me luck. Thanks Jose!!
What is an Ambla?
Do you have any idea what an Ambla is? Well a quick “google” search brings up some of the following definitions:
- BAS – Ambla is vinyl with an expandable knit backing introduced by Jaguar in 1968. It was primarily used on seats, i.e back covers and cushion skirts, where a material with stretch was needed. Ambla was also specified by Jaguar for door panels which had embossed heat weld lines, i.e XJ/XJS. A very necessary product for seats and doors only.
- JCNA – The Jaguar Club of North America’s Mark 2 Judging Guide states “Form Sept. 1966, in order to keep cost down, the upholstery was changed from leather to an Ambla plastic. The traditional Jaguar leather was still offered as an option… ” and “240 and 340 seats were covered in Ambla (type of vinyl).”
What prompted this blog entry was the following chart – from the Jaguar Enthusiast’s Club website.
Note that “Ambla” is listed as a “Mark 2 Ambla” model and it is also well known that the 240 and 340 models came with Ambla upholstery with Leather as an option. So, do I have a:
- Ambla Mark 2
- 340 w/Ambla
- or a Quickly rebadged North American Mark 2 with Ambla and a 340 Badge on the boot?
The investigation continues…
Tail Light Hell
Nothing like a few hours trying to get a tail light installed on the car to reinforce one’s opinion of British car manufacturing. The problem is getting the tail light body seal, the tail lamp and the bolts to match up. See what I mean:
You can see from the bottom picture that the rubber grommet in the middle of the seal doesn’t exactly fit. I’m finding that the light fits the car perfectly – but when the rubber seal is placed behind it – it doesn’t fit exactly and causes the light not to sit flush on the entire seal. arghh!! Any ideas anyone? BTW, these are new replacement seals and I did find the originals that are no longer useable – and the same problem exists. So I am wondering if during the bodywork restoration is that the holes created in the rear wing are slightly off??
Looks like I have the wrong bumpers!
While looking at the “Practical Classics” website at the Jaguar 340, I noticed that the bumpers are different than the ones that I have with my car. This link will show you the picture from the Practical Classics site. I appear to have, however, original Mark 2 bumpers which are thicker.
I found mention on the “jag-lovers sedan forum” that some Mark 2 cars that were shipped to the US were rebadged in the US by adding the “340″ onto that car. I need to do some more research on what we really have here. Of course, I may just have a set of Mark 2 bumpers and not the one’s that were originally on the car.
Mark 2 Air conditioning
Last week in Dallas, I stopped by to see Jim again and we started discussing air-conditioning for the Mark 2. He mentioned that the company that makes the kit that is sold by XKS Unlimited is in Dallas. The company is called “retroair” and this is the link to their website.
The cost for a Mark 2 system w/o installation is $2095 and the installation requires “multiple – minor” body modifications. ugh!!! Does anyone have any experience with this kit?
The Search for a Spat Bracket
Imagine trying to explain to a parts person at “Jaguar Parts” company what a Spat bracket is. Beyond the obvious definition of it’s use on a car and where it attaches; what exactly is a spat?
Well a quick search in Google brings up a link to a site defining “wheel spats” for a solar powered car. The solar car project started in 1999 at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, interesting reading. Their definition of a wheel spat is:
” The wheel spat is the cover that goes over the wheels to provide a more aerodynamic shape and protects the wheel itself.”
Sounds right, but is it correct for a Jaguar? Well, I did find a bracket at XKs Unlimited in California but would prefer to find a parts car with one attached. The search continues..
Newsflash: Mark 2s are Cool
Cruising around the internet looking for decent pictures of Mark 2s I came across a website called RadioCafe. I found the site through google images and the following weblink caught my attention – www.radiocafe.co.uk/def_mark2f.htm.
The site states “Radiocafe presents the cars that define each generation. View our detailed profiles of definitive cars from a range of eras now.” Odd place to find a fun and quirky review of a Mark 2 jaguar – here some excerpts from the site.
“At its launch, the Mk2 was a groundbreaking Jaguar, a highly original car that invented the ‘sports saloon’ concept that has since evolved into one of the most popular forms of car. “
“You can hear the petrol and oil sloshing about, being forced through the engine’s pipes, chambers & valvesâ€
“Rather than being thought of as the ‘Morse Jag’, the Mk2 deserves to be revered more in the light of those sixties mob bosses, burbling round the streets of the East End. Or, even more appropriately, those caddish GP drivers, racing each other cross-country from circuit to circuit or wafting their latest young filly into town for the night… In short, it’s that classy swagger that makes the Jaguar Mk2 an extremely
cool car.”
Not only do they review the car, but being a music site, they recommend music to listen to while driving! Way cool! and yes you can buy the music from the site via web links. Very slick site that is worth the visit.Check out the site at www.radiocafe.co.uk
A Lock, a Spat and some Cool Wheels!
Today I managed to install one of the rear wheel spats on the car. (See photo below). While trying to install the spat on the rear right wheel – I discovered that the mounting bracket was missing. Oh well, another part to order from a junk yard or xks unlimited. I also cleaned up the hub caps and they definately make a difference.
I also installed the trunk lock after finding the pieces in a paint can that came with the car. While the lock seemed straightforward – I did look it up in the parts manual first. Here is the diagram for the 340. 
Next is the photo of the lock before it went back into the car. Installing the lock wasn’t difficult – unfortunately it doesn’t lock!
While it closes so that the truck lid stays closed – it doesn’t lock. Being that the key that starts the car doesn’t open the glove box or lock the truck – I probably need a new set of locks/keys. Oh well.
Next was the wheel hubs and spats. I cleaned up the wheel hubs and installed them. There are three pictures below: 1) the original wheels.. 
2) The Hub caps dirty and cleaned up. 
And finally the wheels with the cleaned hub caps, embellishers and the spat installed. 
The hub caps aren’t bad – but they need to be rechromed and the wheel embellishers are even worse. For now just getting the car together is the primary goal.
Tail Lights
Time to start putting the tail lights and chrome exterior trim on the car. After searching for parts in the various boxes, plastic tubs and paint cans that came with the car. I found the tail lights and chrome trim for the trunk. Unfortunately, the “jaguar” and the “3.4″ are broken and cannot be reused. Plus all of the tail light gaskets are shot and need to be replaced. The chrome “U” around the license plate on the boot lid is fine and the “340″ is fine and fits perfectly.  The tailight is ok but the chrome is pitted and will need to be rechromed. For now it is fine but cannot be installed on the car without some gaskets.
One step at a time…