The ongoing rebuild of 125/5420

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stuarta
Posts: 143
Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2010 3:48 pm
Location: Winnipeg

The ongoing rebuild of 125/5420

Post by stuarta »

This is intended to be an ongoing diary of the rebuild of my Mk II Interceptor 125/5420. Whilst I do not intend to use this thread to look for advice / help, anyone that wishes to contribute is clearly very welcome to do so. I plan to add photos as I go.

First "“ me. I am a 40-something Brit that has lived overseas since 1996. First Abu Dhabi , then Dubai, Switzerland, France and finally back to Dubai. Although I have no previous experience with this kind of project, I have long harboured a desire to either build myself a car (from a kit) or rebuild something older. Whilst I have always been somewhat successful with household repairs / projects, my previous mechanical experience is very limited, being nothing more adventurous than brake discs / pads, rocker cover gaskets, stereo installations (my own) and the odd bit of tinkering, so this was always going to be a huge learning project. In fact that is the idea "“ in my profession (air traffic control) the retirement age is fairly early (58 "“ at the moment) so not only do I need something to do when the wife is at work / kids at school that keeps me from sitting in front of the tv/computer all day but I would like to do something productive with my time and, possibly, learn some skills that even if they don’t earn me anything in retirement, will help to keep the brain from atrophying due to lack of use!

With this in mind, I started seriously looking into the idea of rebuilding a classic a year or so ago "“ initially thinking of something like an e-type. Copious numbers of magazine articles / websites soon indicated that this was probably a) too expensive for a xxx€œhobbyâ€
Last edited by stuarta on Mon Mar 21, 2011 3:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
stuarta
Posts: 143
Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2010 3:48 pm
Location: Winnipeg

Post by stuarta »

The car.
125/5420 is an Interceptor II, originally specified as Royal Blue with a blue leather interior, sundym glass , Voxson 8 track radio/player , air conditioning , town & country horns (air horns) , chromed wheels. She left the factory on 25/6/71 and was exported to the USA. From what I can tell, this specification has not changed in the intervening 40 years, except for a rather poor US respray that appears to have been done in an attempt to cover up previous accident damage (more later). Mileage shown was 5632 miles, though it’s anyone’s guess whether this is really5,632 105,632 205,632 or even more.

After the 4 month long delivery saga, she finally arrived and at last, I was able to look on those curves with my own eyes. From what I could tell, the bodywork was mostly very good with very little sign of rust and few visible xxx€œdingsâ€
Last edited by stuarta on Mon Mar 21, 2011 3:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
stuarta
Posts: 143
Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2010 3:48 pm
Location: Winnipeg

Post by stuarta »

Here?s my first conundrum. Having managed to remove the beast (with 2 kids standing on the back of the hoist to counterbalance the weight) and mount it on the stand, I didn?t waste any time stripping it down. I already have a complete new top end, courtesy of 440source and their alu heads / water pump/ intake manifold, etc. But was keen to see the state of the interior. I have to guess that one of the head gaskets has been replaced, as one of them was totally clear, while the water passages in the other were completely blocked. Gasket off though, the galleries themselves don?t look too bad. They?ll still get a good scrubbing out with a stiff brush, though. Now for the conundrum. I set about measuring the inside of the cylinders to see a) whether the bore size is standard and b) how much wear is evident. I did this with an outside micrometer and a set of manual bore gauges. The problem is that not only does this seem to indicate that some of the cylinders are slightly narrower at bottom than at the top but also that ALL of the measurements are slightly smaller than the standard boresize! I am measuring each cylinder as having a bore of around 4.248 inches at the top (with no perceptible ridge) against a factory size of 4.250 inches! I am fully prepared (and inclined) to believe that my technique is fundamentally flawed but fail to see how!

Next, I decided to remove the interior trim, in an effort to avoid damage and improve access (all is relative in an interceptor ? as I have already discovered!). This was a fairly uneventful job, save for the wing nuts holding on the rear seat being rusted solid. The leather, though dry was generally in not too bad condition. My plan is to use a leatherique kit to rejuvenate it and change the colour to something with a bit more contrast to the dark blue paintwork (to be) ? current thinking is magnolia. To this end, I (inadvertently) ordered 2 complete 32oz rejuvenating kits (hidden message?) and have started cleaning and softening the panels in preparation for the colour change.

With the interior out, I then set to removing the enormous number of carpets / small leather panels / soundproofing gubbins that had all been glued in place for 40 years. It soon became apparent that the foam type soundproofing would more or less disintegrate on trying to remove it, while the jute (?) based stuff would simply rip into shreds and permeate the cabin with 40 yrs of absorbed dust and mould spores! After a bit of trial and error, I discovered that a liberal dosing with white spirit not only helped to break down the glue but to keep down the dust. I then set about doing the same with the boot which led to my next big discovery!
Having taken out the soundproofing and carpets, I was finally in a position to see the state of the boot floor ? not good. Not rust but a clear indication that the car has at some time had a good wallop in the rear end that has been repaired by replacing the outer panels but simply hiding the interior damage under carpets and copious coats of underseal. It basically looks like a steel panel with its own tidal system of ripples! Seems like my purchase of a MIG welder might be justified after all!

One piece of damage which HAD been discovered by the inspection was a series of dents in the floor - leading to a rippled / split section behind the passenger seat. This appears to have been caused by running over a boulder or similar, which finally jammed up against the floor and split it. I have had a fairly successful go at hammering it out but will weld in a patch anyway.
Image

This prompted me to start going over the rest of the internal bodywork with a more critical (and better trained) eye. Lo and behold, the same was apparent at the front end ? the outer panels replaced but the interior ones (inner wings, I think the parts book calls them) around the radiator/bumper mounts are a mess of bent panels with holes that appear to have been worked on by a first week panel beating apprentice. More welding in prospect.

Further inspection revealed something similar with the driver?s door. The inside had a nice straight row of aluminium rivets which have now started their real job of rusting the inside of the doorskin. Further inspection of the outside reveals that the paint conceals copious amounts of filler (magnet method) although I haven?t got around to stripping the paint off yet to see what lurks underneath. At least though, I did manage to get out all the glass / locking mechanism / winder mechanism from both doors, without breaking anything (I think).

Next came my first major meeting with the rust monster. As I said, the car appears to have lived most of its life in California, so rust is not a major problem. With this in mind, I had a look at the only externally visible hole ? around 2?
stuarta
Posts: 143
Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2010 3:48 pm
Location: Winnipeg

Post by stuarta »

photos added

It also appears that my new bolts for the engine have finally arrived and are waiting to clear customs. Once they are delivered, I'll probably get on with cleaning up the block and rebuilding at least up to the heads, to prevent it filling up with dust next sandstorm we get. I don't have a lot of faith in bin bags!
Nigel_5
Posts: 103
Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2006 8:54 pm
Location: Hassocks, West Sussex

Post by Nigel_5 »

How exciting! I've used the 440 source stealth heads and think they are great value and a simple bolt on. Enjoy the rebuild. I would recommend a high volume oil pump to go with all you hard work - not expensive.

Good luck with everything.
1972 Interceptor III
128 8048
stuarta
Posts: 143
Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2010 3:48 pm
Location: Winnipeg

Post by stuarta »

Just got back in and cleaned up having finally had a chance to get back to work. :)

Thankfully, it appears that my father didn't do any serious damage when I caught him with one foot in the rear quarterlight's empty hole, the other knee on the edge of the roof and his weight resting on a hand in the middle of the (now seriously sagging) roof! :smack: Thankfully he's now gone home, so the risk of repitition is small (for a while)!

Didn't really get much chance to worj on her while the family were here but did get on a bit....As suggested, I made use of the extra pair of hands to do a few jobs that would've been tricky alone. As a result, both the front and rear screens are now out and stored with little drama. Rear one was a bit of a pig though - the wires for the heated rear screen actually pass THROUGH the rubber seal and took a good bit of time to fully trace ancd carefully remove to avoid damage. At some point, I'd better test the heater to see if it works and the effort was worth it! Of note is the nicely hidden rust that was revealed when the chrome trim / rubber seal were removed from the tailgate - another reason to dispel the myth of "rust-free" california cars! :bawling:

Also managed to remove the rest of the heater box - another pig of a job due to a) several parts only fitting through the only way out after much manoeuvering and only in a particular position - usually compounded by very poor access. This, like many other jobs, was not at all made easier by Jensen's liberal use of seam sealer to hide / cover screws which were then covered with adhesive soundproofing foam :rant: It's a pity I didn't manage to get a picture of any of the remaining bits of filter in the heater / a/c system before they disintegrated on touch - there's a few more parts to look for. I did, though, take some of the main drainage box and pipes - not too difficult to see why water was leaking all over :eek:

Further progress was more or less limited to removal of the brake master cylinder / servo / pedal box, along with the wiper mechanism (another one of those next to impossible, restricted access jobbies), fuel tank and fuel expansion tank/plumbing. I think that I can fairly say that the only things remaining in the car are the handbrake lever and the headlining. Time for a beer. :beer:

That was the last couple of weeks - today I spent a couple of hours clearing up and trying to find the tools my dad had "put away", before sorting and storing a lot of the aforementioned parts. I then had a go at cleaning up the sill that needs to be replaced, while figuring out how to do it. Most of the bad metal has now been removed and I've cut my first panel, ready to have a go at fitting and welding tomorrow.....inshallah!
stuarta
Posts: 143
Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2010 3:48 pm
Location: Winnipeg

Post by stuarta »

Been a while since I reported on progress, so here goes...

Wire brushes are now my new best friends - although it's still a very messy job, it's way easier than anything else I've tried. Here's an idea of what I started with....

Image
Image

After removing the front suspension to a) provide access and b) allow the turret to be cleaned up / repainted, crud removal continued.

Of course, being a Jensen, a few bits have been eaten by the rust monster - such as

Image

Not as bad as many people come across but the whole panel behind it was gone as well. The other side's already been replaced - my first go at making up replacement panels...

Image

Here's the driver's wheel well with most of the crud gone - the gaping hole in the top left is where the inner wing goes.

Image

I have been busy over the past weeks finishing off the inner sills (fabricating / fitting / welding in the new panels), inner wings (ditto) and other small welding projects around the engine bay - which is now complete.

In an affort towards getting all of the "dirty" jobs done, allowing me to clean up the garage and have a somewhat more respectable workplace (not to mention madame getting her parking space back), I also launched into tidying up the interior. Initially, I was only going to remove the old glue and leave the paint alone but decided that a) I'd rather do it properly and make sure there's no more rust (found NONE!) and b) it was just as easy to remove the paint at the same time.

For comparison, here's the old shot, showing the remnants of the "hardura" matting that was glued in under the carpets, and/or carpet glue that was everywhere.
Image

And then the "after" shot....
Image

I think I can fairly say a significant improvement, even if it's not quite done yet - little bits remaining in corners etc. - until I get out there today, that is!

After this, I plan on fixing the rippled boot floor, the rusty tailgate and the dinged door, then all I need to do is clean and reassemble the front suspension (with new poly bushes and stainless bolts), strip the paint, prep the body and I can get it painted! Then start putting it back together.
1971 Mk II Interceptor 125/5420
2005 Audi A8L W12
2008 Jaguar XK convertible
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Edgar
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Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 6:20 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Post by Edgar »

Nice job done already.
Wish I could do something but it's minus 2 degrees Celsius in the garage where the Saloon is sitting.. :cry:
1973 Interceptor Mk. III
1976 Interceptor Mk. III Convertible
1976 Jensen GT
Jaguar E-type OTS
Triumph TR4A
stuarta
Posts: 143
Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2010 3:48 pm
Location: Winnipeg

Post by stuarta »

I'm in exactly the opposite position - it'll be over 40 degrees in my garage in another 6-8 weeks! :cry:
1971 Mk II Interceptor 125/5420
2005 Audi A8L W12
2008 Jaguar XK convertible
stuarta
Posts: 143
Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2010 3:48 pm
Location: Winnipeg

Re: The ongoing rebuild of 125/5420

Post by stuarta »

Good evening all - time for an update on my mk II rebuild project - 125/5420.

I bought the car back in October 2010 from California, sight unseen but with a paid inspection by a US company that specialised in such but missed quite a few issues…… I was working in Dubai at the time and it didn’t arrive there until the very end of Feb, 2011. Having wanted to get into classics for some time, I bought her as a learning project, with the intention of doing a complete rebuild both as a means of finding out how bad the rust was and to learn a whole bunch of new automotive maintenance skills.

Most of the major issues have already been covered above - things have been moving very slowly for many, many reasons, from climate issues to multiple major family health emergencies, big international moves, job changes, more international moves…..you get the picture!

125/5420 now resides in Winnipeg, Canada - where we still have climate issues but of a different sort! Once the car arrived here, I finally got stuck in to the meat of the project and started rebuilding the engine that I had taken apart 9 years before. Almost all of the (engine) rebuild parts were bought from the US - sent to the shipping company and shipped with the car and included a pair of 440 source aluminium heads (complete with valves, springs, etc), new aluminium valvetrain, new MSD distributor/ coil / leads, high volume oil pump, alu water pump housing / pulley, new main damper, complete gasket set, lightweight starter, new ARP bolts / studs for all of the above. Many more parts were bought from the established specialist - some of which have been fitted, some still in their boxes for later.

The majority of the engine rebuild was done in summer, 2019 but not completed due to work / time / weather restraints. Unfortunately, I then found myself out of a job and had to head back to the middle east (this time Iraq) to make ends meet. The car stayed, locked up in our garage in Winnipeg, where my family still were.

The next major drama arrived at the end of May, 2020 when my neighbour’s garage went up in flames due to an electrical issue. This set fire to ours but thankfully not catastrophically - it was saved but it was close! Many of my stored parts were on the other side of the (wooden) wall that was partially burned through and although the car itself was unscathed by the fire, the parts weren’t . My rear parcel shelf, the metal shelf beneath it, my new Appleyards stainless sills and several other trim pieces were partially destroyed and several plastic bins of parts received 6 inches or so of water via the firemen…..and so did my newly rebuilt but not yet complete engine!

Fast forward to recent months where I again find myself unemployed but at least at home where I can get on with things - which is the main reason for this post as I have finally managed to again rebuild the engine and get it running! Several issues cropped up along the way including a leaking freeze plug (behind the engine mount, of course!), fitment issues with the 440 source parts, a short circuit that melted the main +ve lead from the battery (brand new, which it killed) and a lower radiator hose failure. However, after many more busted knuckles & scraped fingers, all were fixed. I still have a leak from the LHS exhaust manifold / flange joint where I can't get it to meet up properly. I don’t know how I managed to miss what a pain this car was to work on while dismantling it - it's as if they deliberately made it as difficult as possible to access / work on everything!

So now I have at least established that I don’t seem to have accomplished any fatal errors during the engine rebuild (at least, not yet) although my gearbox isn’t liking the fact that it sat unused (but not dry) for so long and refuses to budge from park. I did change the filter & gasket as well as adding a new pan and although I can't check the level properly, have added a lot of fluid. Most of the car is still an empty shell, save for the headlining, suspension and drivetrain. The only wiring is temporary and only for the purpose of testing the engine.

So that’s were we are now. I may or may not be heading overseas to work again in the foreseeable future but regardless, will try to keep going as much as I can before the temperature plummets. Not much chance of working from October onwards as it’s waaaayyy too cold in the garage (bit ironic after my previous post)!

Edit - yes I do know that last image shows the fuel line going to the wrong part of the carb! One of my many little errors........
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1971 Mk II Interceptor 125/5420
2005 Audi A8L W12
2008 Jaguar XK convertible
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