I just got "Noodled"

I finally got the E-Type's pedal box installed. I was waiting on the "servo seal" to come.  I had ordered it from one of the usual parts places and it had been back ordered, so I called the other usual place I order from and they had it.  When it came in, it was something like $16.00 and $8.00 shipping.  I wish I had taken a picture of it to post here.  It was, and I'm not lying, a piece cut off of what is known in this area as a "water noodle"  A noodle is a long round plastic/foam tube that kids play with in the water.  I could have gotten one at the Dollar Store up the street had I known.  My car didn't have one when I took it apart so I wasn't sure of what it consisted.   I figured it was some kind of special seal.  Needless to say, I was wrong.  Anyway, I stuck the cut off piece of water noodle on the back of the brake servo and got it mounted to the bulkhead.  Now I have to assemble the accelerator peddle and it's pedal box, it should be pretty simple.  I was going to do it right after I finished with the brake box, but then I remembered that the steering column went through this box and I had not yet refurbished the steering column.  That I will finish in a few days.

I also installed the taillights and had to fiddle with the gaskets a lot.   They don't fit worth a flip.  Then once I got them all mounted, the fit was horrible.  I could have sworn that they fit much better before I had taken them to be chromed.  School is still out on what exactly I'm gonna do to make the fit better.  I did learn something very useful from Rodney .  He was over here and I was about to soak the lens from the backup light in some bleach.  It's clear plastic and had yellowed.  He told me to just put it in the dishwasher.  I thought he was nuts, but since he is a good friend and is really pretty dang smart, I stuck the thing in the dishwasher with the rest of the dishes (I had to put it in the little basket to keep it from flying around).  When Donna took it out and asked me what it was, I was astonished!!!  It looked like it was BRAND NEW!!!  It was crystal clear and not a sign of the yellowish tint that it had before.  I'm thinking I should have been sticking all the parts in the dishwasher.  Give it a try.

Now for the good news...  I am pretty sure I have ALL of the wiring completed, with the exception of hooking up the steering column electrics, that should be very straight forward.   Once that is in and connected, I can start putting the interior upholstery and carpets in, install the door and window seals..  It's really coming together.  I should be getting the 5-Speed transmission and the rear brakes from E-Type Fabs in the UK pretty soon. I'm starting to think that a mid-summer completion date is a real possibility.

The mail came today and with it, my reconditioned XJS wood.  

The grain looks just like a Growler

Saul replaced the ashtrays with cupholders

  If you remember a couple of posts back, while searching for a shorted connection, I had to remove some of the wood from the console and the veneer started curling up and falling off.  At that point I decided to bite the bullet and send all the wood off to British Autowood in Florida.  Saul Chaplin is the proprietor and resident artist.  Take a look at his website, this man has made some of the most beautiful wood pieces for automobiles that I have ever seen.  I couldn't wait to get mine out of its box.  He had sent me a picture of it, but to see it in real life makes you wonder just how someone can do work this gorgeous by hand.  An interesting touch is seen just below the radio, in front of the shift lever.  It looks almost exactly like the Jaguar Growler logo.
And he also embossed the Leaper logo in the door panels and a Growler on the glovebox.  I'm extremely happy with the finished product.

Notice my $45 Momo steering wheel :-)

I almost immediately started putting it back in the XJS.  Stuart came over to take a look and give me a hand.  It went well, and the V-12 Jag is back on the road, prettier than ever.