1960 Jaguar XK150 OTS

Offered here is my Jaguar 1960 XK150 Open Two Seater - or Roadster.

It is fully rebuilt to the highest of standards by specialists who are at the forefront of their craft.

It comes equipped with Tremec 5 speed gearbox, with 2 different seat back options and with Coopercraft Brake Calipers front and back.

It has covered just 2000 miles since its total restoration - most of that in last week while on the Fougeres Rallye.

I was specific in my requirements and the search for a suitable XK150 took many years. Location was not that convenient as it was 3000 miles away in sunny California. To make matters more challenging it was in the midst of Covid Lockdown which meant it was marooned at Long Beach Port for a month or two unable to leave the USA.

I was unable to collect from the UK port as lockdown rules dictated it must be moved by a professional carrier. A little frustrating as I was perfectly capable of collecting it myself, and am geared up to do so.

There were a number of obvious challenges to be resolved but the good news was that it appeared to be reasonably complete and original. I committed much time to seeking out appropriate expertise and in the meantime got on with the task of dismantling, stripping paint and underseal and identifying defects. And there were plenty of them…..! But what else would I be doing while confined during lockdown?

I am fortunate to be very well catered for in the garage department. I have accumulated a wealth of tools during a lifetime of playing with cars. Early on, I invested in a rotisserie and a spot welder reasoning that I could sell them for much the same price when the job was finished. Consider it tool rental. Interestingly the car was delivered new to a customer in PANAMA!

One of around 3 XK150 sold there. Note the Panama badge on the boot.

One obvious problem was the fit of the boot – or lack of fit! The problem had started with seized hinges but had not been helped by an historic but light car park shunt. A proper resolution was to prove time consuming and expensive later in the restoration.

On the face of it the car appeared solid but looks can be deceptive and what ensued became something of a marathon.

By this time I was committed – or at least my wife said I should be!!

Its amazing how much space a dismantled car takes up so I invested in a load of stackable crates to avoid losing or damaging the various components while they awaited refurbishment. There were thousands of them!

It took me a while to identify a suitable body-shop. I spent a couple of days visiting likely specialists towing the XK150 on a trailer. The problem was identifying someone with the expertise who could deliver the goods in the timescale required. Eventually I entrusted the work to Pristine Panelwork, (then in Worcester but now in Oldbury on Severn). The company employs largely ex-CMC personnel and boasted an impressive back catalogue of work. The long wait to get the car in to the body-shop was frustrating, and the cost while there was eye watering, but the car was in safe hands and, as they say:

“The quality persists long after the cost is forgotten.”

Each time I visited they had done a little more. Work expanded as each patch of rust was remediated. At the start of the job the car appeared about 10% rusty. Much better than most they said…. It might as well have been 100% rusty as it still needed cutting out to almost the same extent – “Mission creep” they call it. In order to access the door hinge and footwell panels and repair the front wings major surgery was necessary.

At this stage it looked as if it was on life-support.

AT THIS POINT POTENTIAL BUYERS WHO MIGHT OTHERWISE CONSIDER A CHEAPER CAR SHOULD CONSIDER THIS:

Mine was a basically good car to start with and still required an expenditure in excess of £89000 pounds not including 3 years of intensive work by me - all on top of the purchase price. If you think the cheaper car is a better option you might need to think again.

Little by little rusty or mangled metal was replaced by fresh new metal. Each part formed by hand by folks who understood their business. At each stage it was protected against future rust and as each component was added the integrity of the whole structure was enhanced. To date all work had been undertaken with the body still mounted to the chassis.

When to separate body from chassis was the subject of much debate.

A new Ash Frame for the Boot Lid was made in- house

Meanwhile, while the body was away, work continued at home, refurbishing and refinishing the myriad of components which make up a car. The Trico Washer bottle was a case in point, and with Repro units over £250, perseverance was the order of the day.

Original components were refurbished and re-plated wherever possible.

Original GKN bolt markings are just one example of the sort of attention to detail which distinguish a good restoration from an average one.

I have never been happy with engine stands which mount from the end so I made one which mounts from the side.

Brian Woodwood (sadly no longer with us) did the machine work and Andrews Precision attended to the balancing. I rebuilt the engine myself using new pistons etc from SNG Baratt. Manifolds were re-enamelled by Kingfisher.

Condensed into one scentence is around 2 years of work:

I refurbished all the components and Built them onto the now refinished chassis, I incorporated a new 5 speed Tremec gearbox which is fabulous.

To say it was a lot of work somewhat under-states the task!

Eventually, with the engine bay already painted, the time came to re-unite the now rolling chassis with the body.

It was a landmark day.

With body and rolling chassis finally reunited, the final paintwork was able to progress. It was almost time to bring the car home.

I had been looking forward to final assembly with some trepidation – avoid scratching that new paint at all costs.

I chose to re-chrome the original components wherever possible. All chromework was undertaken by ACF Howell in Walsall. The grille was something of a challenge, it was redone 3 times before the platers were happy with the results. For me it meant 5 separate trips to Wallsall covering 960 miles in the process!

Luckily I had reserved my place in the queue at the trim-shop 3 years earlier. At 8 miles from my home and with international renown, BAS International was the obvious choice. In reality I had used them many times before on other projects and know them quite well. I could not make up my mind on original verses

“bucket style” seat backs so I hedged my bets and had both.

Pirelli Cinturato tyres give it a forgiving ride and help lighten the steering.

Coopercraft Brakes mean that the car stops like a modern car, which is important in a car with such potential for speed.

Putting it all together and getting it running to a point where I can be confident to set off on long trips with confidence took a while.

For a year or more I avoided fitting door mirrors because I felt it compromised the lines of the car.

This stopped me using the car because I could not see either to reverse, or to overtake.

In the end I fitted a discreet pair of door mirrors which are unobtrusive and allow me to use the car with confidence.

We have just returned from a very enjoyable trip to the 2026 Fougeres Rallye (in France).

The car performed faultlessly for the duration of the trip and was very well received by onlookers and Rally-goers alike.

Alternatively if you fancy an E Type as well why not consider my Opalescent Silver Roadster which I have just listed separately on this site.