Resurrecting a 1948 Jaguar 1-1/2 liter Saloon

[msabbasi]

one word for this awesome ! beauty indeed

Thank you

[msabbasi]

The Jaguar in Karachi is/was red body with black fenders..... this is the latest I have got from Mohsin ikram. He too has not seen the car for a good 20 years or so.
I now remember that Ghazanfar had painted the car silver with black fenders while it was in Pindi around the later part of 72 or so.

I might have seen it in its silver/black livery in Tench Bhata at an electrician's but not too sure. BTW we used to live in Gulistan Colony and in lane no. 1 there was a similar car all black 2-1/2Litre languishing in the open for many years in the early part of 70's. Any ideas what happened to that one? I wonder if the one in Gulistan Colony the same car Ghazanfar got?

I never saw this car in its red/black paint work.

Cheers.

[VEEeight]

The Jaguar in Karachi is/was red body with black fenders..... this is the latest I have got from Mohsin ikram. He too has not seen the car for a good 20 years or so.
I now remember that Ghazanfar had painted the car silver with black fenders while it was in Pindi around the later part of 72 or so.

am pretty sure now, that THAT is the car Saad and I "bid" for in late 1972.....the silver/ black color combo comes to mind.

[VEEeight]

Indeed I do remember the Bentley. Sometimes it used to come to St. Mary's Academy, Lalazar where I used to study and I saw it a few times in Saddar. If I remember correctly, I think it had a maroon/red interior. Beautiful car. However I am sorry to say that I cannot remember a 15 year old behind the wheel.

Yes, it was Yaqoob Motors and yes, the owner was Masood. He was planning to close shop and move overseas. I wonder if he followed through on his plan.

The reason why I asked you about the colour of this Jaguar is because in the mid 70's I saw a black one from a distance coming down Gizri Boulevard and turning down Sunset Boulevard. At the time the original wire wheels had been converted to conventional pressed steel wheels.

Thank you for awakening long sleeping memories.

Sadly the MINI is long gone. It had to go as I moved out of the country for a 20 year stint in Saudi

Kind regards

P. S. Do share pictures of the TF21 if ever you get the car.

Small world!! I was at St Mary's too! From 1966 to 72. Did O-levels from there.
The Bentley and Alvis's grandfather driving it with his pipe glued to his mouth was a sterling sight around pindi at the time. In the winter the radiator grill actually had a little quilt on it for quicker warm up Really classy.
later on said 15 year old would take us on drives. Two things were very noticeable: clarity of view from the windscreens and the gear lever between the door and the driver's seat.....or was Alvis having me on at the time?!?!?!?

[msabbasi]

Work is resumed on the car after a bit of a break. It turns out that the furflex is tucked under the carpet and the roof lining. For those who are not familiar with this, here is a picture:

I removed the factory carpet and roof lining. Here are pictures of them.

The factory carpet is laid out to be used to cut out the pattern on top of the new carpet I sourced from UK. On the roof lining. Note the dark stipes you see are the part of the lining hiden from light. I selected the new lining based on the lighter color visable to me. At the time I had no idea that roof lining was originally green :(. Anyhow, I have no choice but to use the material I have in hand.

I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Here you see that the lining was fitted to a wood frame with tacks.

You can see the water damage to the sun roof lining. This is due to a failed roof seal.

Furflex installation is going on. I have to complete the furlex installation before either the carpet or the roof lining goes in.

Here you can see the water damage to the original furflex and I have already fixed the new carpet on the rear seat base. Note the new felt lining. This has been increased in thickness from 1/4" to 1/2". That was done to improve sound insulation and soak up heat from the exhaust.

I cut the roof lining pieces based on what came out of the car and took it the "poshish walla" for stitching. Installation was done by me. In the following set of pictures you will see the roof lining job as it progresses.

And here you will see the roof lining taking final shape:

I have reached the allowed limit of 15 pictures per post. More pictures will be in the next post.

[msabbasi]

Small world!! I was at St Mary's too! From 1966 to 72. Did O-levels from there.
The Bentley and Alvis's grandfather driving it with his pipe glued to his mouth was a sterling sight around pindi at the time. In the winter the radiator grill actually had a little quilt on it for quicker warm up Really classy.
later on said 15 year old would take us on drives. Two things were very noticeable: clarity of view from the windscreens and the gear lever between the door and the driver's seat.....or was Alvis having me on at the time?!?!?!?

Small world indeed. I was there from class 5 through to O-levels. Did my O-levels in 78. You were much senior to me. Most probably you were in the senior section while I was in the junior one. You might remember our old grey 59 Ford Prefect that used to come to the school. On rare occasions when the Prefect was in the shop, dad used to pick me up in the subject car of this post. Surprisingly I never saw the Alvis in Pindi.

However, I do remeber on one occasion the Bentley burning a bit of rubber on the Mall . I wonder if that was you:o

[VEEeight]

Work is resumed on the car after a bit of a break. It turns out that the furflex is tucked under the carpet and the roof lining. For those who are not familiar with this, here is a picture:

I removed the factory carpet and roof lining. Here are pictures of them.

The factory carpet is laid out to be used to cut out the pattern on top of the new carpet I sourced from UK. On the roof lining. Note the dark stipes you see are the part of the lining hiden from light. I selected the new lining based on the lighter color visable to me. At the time I had no idea that roof lining was originally green :(. Anyhow, I have no choice but to use the material I have in hand.

I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Here you see that the lining was fitted to a wood frame with tacks.

You can see the water damage to the sun roof lining. This is due to a failed roof seal.

Furflex installation is going on. I have to complete the furlex installation before either the carpet or the roof lining goes in.

Here you can see the water damage to the original furflex and I have already fixed the new carpet on the rear seat base. Note the new felt lining. This has been increased in thickness from 1/4" to 1/2". That was done to improve sound insulation and soak up heat from the exhaust.

I cut the roof lining pieces based on what came out of the car and took it the "poshish walla" for stitching. Installation was done by me. In the following set of pictures you will see the roof lining job as it progresses.

And here you will see the roof lining taking final shape:

I have reached the allowed limit of 15 pictures per post. More pictures will be in the next post.

All of us who visit this thread are now "used to" a high level of excellence in the work being carried out by you. Am especially happy to note that the car comes complete with the period sunroof. I have a special weakness for this item and many a time have either chosen or let go of a car because of the absence or presence of one Case in point: A 1978 Caprice ( of yellow cab fame!) in my ownership just bec it has a factory fitted sunroof and a very nice S320L (140) I didn't buy bec of the absence of one !

Your pictures on the roof lining couldn't have come at a better time as work on the same feature of the Fintail should be starting next week. Needless to say, will be watching the work on it like a hawk and comparing it to what I see here

[VEEeight]

Small world indeed. I was there from class 5 through to O-levels. Did my O-levels in 78. You were much senior to me. Most probably you were in the senior section while I was in the junior one. You might remember our old grey 59 Ford Prefect that used to come to the school. On rare occasions when the Prefect was in the shop, dad used to pick me up in the subject car of this post. Surprisingly I never saw the Alvis in Pindi.

However, I do remeber on one occasion the Bentley burning a bit of rubber on the Mall . I wonder if that was you:o

So was I ( class V to O-levels.). Ford Prefects and Anglias of that vintage were a fairly familiar sight on pindi roads in those years. The one I particularly rem' was the late Maj. Tims' white '57 Ford Anglia ( same shape)....Am sure would rem' the subject car but I guess, it was all a long time ago. By using the word "Alvis" am addressing our mutual friend:)

The Bentley MUST have had said mutual friend at the wheel when burning rubber.....can't imagine his grandad doing that

[msabbasi]

So was I ( class V to O-levels.). Ford Prefects and Anglias of that vintage were a fairly familiar sight on pindi roads in those years. The one I particularly rem' was the late Maj. Tims' white '57 Ford Anglia ( same shape)....Am sure would rem' the subject car but I guess, it was all a long time ago. By using the word "Alvis" am addressing our mutual friend:)

The Bentley MUST have had said mutual friend at the wheel when burning rubber.....can't imagine his grandad doing that

I certainly remember the white two door Anglia. Incidentally the late Maj. Tims was my late father's CO in Kashmir. They sometimes used to chat if ever they ran into each other while father came to pick me up.
BTW which years were you in St. Mary's? Judging by your year of birth you might be in class 8 or JC around the time I was in V. Do you remeber Father Burn's dog, the St. Bernard? He used to lie in front of the Burser's office.

[alvis]

So was I ( class V to O-levels.). Ford Prefects and Anglias of that vintage were a fairly familiar sight on pindi roads in those years. The one I particularly rem' was the late Maj. Tims' white '57 Ford Anglia ( same shape)....Am sure would rem' the subject car but I guess, it was all a long time ago. By using the word "Alvis" am addressing our mutual friend:)

The Bentley MUST have had said mutual friend at the wheel when burning rubber.....can't imagine his grandad doing that

VEE Eight, Hahah how true, and thanks for all your kind words.

[VEEeight]

I certainly remember the white two door Anglia. Incidentally the late Maj. Tims was my late father's CO in Kashmir. They sometimes used to chat if ever they ran into each other while father came to pick me up.
BTW which years were you in St. Mary's? Judging by your year of birth you might be in class 8 or JC around the time I was in V. Do you remeber Father Burn's dog, the St. Bernard? He used to lie in front of the Burser's office.

Yes, it WAS a 2 dr. He tutored me in maths for O-levels. In class he used to scare the heebee jeebees out of us when he would bang the blackboard so hard with one of his hands making us wonder.....till we found out he had no feeling in it bec of a war wound in WW2 in Burma.

I was there from April 1966 ( Class V) to "Senior Cambridge" upto Dec 1972. Yes I rem' the St Bernard very well! I rem Father Byrne telling us it cost Rs.3/- per day to feed him sometime before he died in Oct of that year, just before our exams....I wonder if you can recall the funeral. The whole of pindi seemed to have turned up. It was the first time I viewed a dead person. In fact Maj Tims announced his passing away. The dog died soon afterwards too. One of the Flanagan sisters is still alive I believe.

[msabbasi]

Yes, it WAS a 2 dr. He tutored me in maths for O-levels. In class he used to scare the heebee jeebees out of us when he would bang the blackboard so hard with one of his hands making us wonder.....till we found out he had no feeling in it bec of a war wound in WW2 in Burma.

I was there from April 1966 ( Class V) to "Senior Cambridge" upto Dec 1972. Yes I rem' the St Bernard very well! I rem Father Byrne telling us it cost Rs.3/- per day to feed him sometime before he died in Oct of that year, just before our exams....I wonder if you can recall the funeral. The whole of pindi seemed to have turned up. It was the first time I viewed a dead person. In fact Maj Tims announced his passing away. The dog died soon afterwards too. One of the Flanagan sisters is still alive I believe.

Hehehe! In 1966, I was just 5 years old. At the time my father was posted in Abbotabad and I was studying in class I at Burn Hall.

Yes I was there in school when it was announced that Father Byrne (thank you for correcting my spelling) had passed away (due to a heart attack) and yes the dog pined away for his master. It is well known that pets follow their masters to the next world very soon after their masters leave this world. Maj. Tims tought me Math too. I didn't know about the hand but I agree he was scary. I had Brother Bernard for Add Math and Brother Martin for Physics and Geography.

If memory serves, Father Byrne was replaced by a Ceylonese gentleman by the name of Brother Fernandez .... or am I mistaken? It must be the younger Flanagan sister, April, (or June I think her name was) who is alive.

I think Alvis, you and I were fortunate to be part of this great institution in its heyday. Do you remember all the fabulous sports grounds it had? I used to play football for the house.

[msabbasi]

This section of the post will be devoted to the carpeting. But before I go into that, here is picture of the rear curtain deployed. You can see the pull string in the foreground and the system of drawn strings going to the curtain.

Regarding the carpet job, it was easy. I was lucky to have the original carpet so this carpet is cut and laid pretty close to the original. I took the carpet to the "poshish walla" and had the edging stitched on. The pictures will show the work as it progresses.

The inset picture shows the carpet piece at the end of the transmission tunnel fitted.

The car interior is taking its final shape. The few remaining jobs are tackled in this post namely the final "painting" the leather and giving the wooden dash its treatment as explained earlier. Here are the pictures of the completed interior.

The rear of the cabin.

In the above two pictures the transformation of the car is visible.

[VEEeight]

Hehehe! In 1966, I was just 5 years old. At the time my father was posted in Abbotabad and I was studying in class I at Burn Hall.

Yes I was there in school when it was announced that Father Byrne (thank you for correcting my spelling) had passed away (due to a heart attack) and yes the dog pined away for his master. It is well known that pets follow their masters to the next world very soon after their masters leave this world. Maj. Tims tought me Math too. I didn't know about the hand but I agree he was scary. I had Brother Bernard for Add Math and Brother Martin for Physics and Geography.

If memory serves, Father Byrne was replaced by a Ceylonese gentleman by the name of Brother Fernandez .... or am I mistaken? It must be the younger Flanagan sister, April, (or June I think her name was) who is alive.

I think Alvis, you and I were fortunate to be part of this great institution in its heyday. Do you remember all the fabulous sports grounds it had? I used to play football for the house.

Continuing down memory lane.....
Her name was May , she passed away some years ago. Her sister, Tessa (the bursar) is the one still alive I believe. I moved to Aitchison for A levels and my contact with the school after that was very limited, but yes it was amazingly well laid out over 54 acres we were told. It's shrunk now.

[VEEeight]

This section of the post will be devoted to the carpeting. But before I go into that, here is picture of the rear curtain deployed. You can see the pull string in the foreground and the system of drawn strings going to the curtain.

Regarding the carpet job, it was easy. I was lucky to have the original carpet so this carpet is cut and laid pretty close to the original. I took the carpet to the "poshish walla" and had the edging stitched on. The pictures will show the work as it progresses.

The inset picture shows the carpet piece at the end of the transmission tunnel fitted.

The car interior is taking its final shape. The few remaining jobs are tackled in this post namely the final "painting" the leather and giving the wooden dash its treatment as explained earlier. Here are the pictures of the completed interior.

The rear of the cabin.

In the above two pictures the transformation of the car is visible.

it will take several viewings to take it all in

[incognito59]

Amazing transformation!!!

This section of the post will be devoted to the carpeting. But before I go into that, here is picture of the rear curtain deployed. You can see the pull string in the foreground and the system of drawn strings going to the curtain.

Regarding the carpet job, it was easy. I was lucky to have the original carpet so this carpet is cut and laid pretty close to the original. I took the carpet to the "poshish walla" and had the edging stitched on. The pictures will show the work as it progresses.

The inset picture shows the carpet piece at the end of the transmission tunnel fitted.

The car interior is taking its final shape. The few remaining jobs are tackled in this post namely the final "painting" the leather and giving the wooden dash its treatment as explained earlier. Here are the pictures of the completed interior.

The rear of the cabin.

In the above two pictures the transformation of the car is visible.

[msabbasi]

Amazing transformation!!!

Thanks. Next job will be a bit of fixing of exterior paint and the wheels.

[margallar]

i think the original paint can be restored, anyone had a shot at that? going straight to compound will probably ruin it

[hamza_xeg]

so far so good, best of luck with the remaining work

[msabbasi]

so far so good, best of luck with the remaining work

i think the original paint can be restored, anyone had a shot at that? going straight to compound will probably ruin it

Thank you for the encouragement. The wings do not carry factory paint and it is beyond repair - pictures have been posted previously showing the issues requiring correction. However paint on the main body is the original 65 year old factory paint. I'll not be touching that.

There is a so called car restoration shop about a stone’s throw from my house in F-11. He has all sorts of American, British and German cars parked in and around his shop. I sometimes stop and have a look in at what is going on. One word describes this dude "kasaee". Totally "bazari" work. That is not where the old Jag is going for her paint.

After much research, I have decided to trust the paint job to VEBRA in I-9. They use the Dupont paint system and their work is up to my expectation.