Lynx Engineering built Jaguar XK SS

[Wray Schelin]

A friend sent me these two pictures of new XKSS that Lynx Engineering in the UK recently built. Several companies make copies of the Jaguar XK SS model some in fiberglass and some like Lynx faithful to the original alumnum panelwork. As you can see the method used was to stretch form the panels using the English wheel.

All panels are small and have little shape in them which requires more seams but so what . :D These panels are made with tight tracking patterns vs. hammering and shrinking methods.

All that matters is results how you get there is a choice, Lynx's methods speak for themselves. :D

The Jaguar XK SS is a conversion of the D-type racer for road use.

I think these sold new for around $8000.00 in 1956 Steve McQueen owned one from new. They only built I believe 17 of them, since then probably hundreds of replicas have been built.

The car was designed by Malcolm Sayer a former aircraft designer for Bristol Aircraft. The D type and XK SS cars are built just like an airplane fuselage , but rotated on it's side. The center section of the body carries all loads . The suspension both front and rear is hung off of the front and rear bulkheads using light tubing.

Consider at the time Jaguar cars was just a small producer building leading edge designs both in styling and engineering.

3830

3831

Wray

[Kerry Pinkerton]

Stunning! Is is safe to assume those dull 'stripes' are the panel edges with the welds burnished?

[Wray Schelin]

Hi Kerry,

Those stripes are the seam worked areas as you said. The English coachbuilders always seem to use this method and apperance for finishing seams.

I think they tape off the seam zone, work it and then finish up with sandpaper and scotchbrite. It leaves a very professional look to the job before paint. It is easier to see the surface flow rather than a bunch of file or grinder marks.

Wray

[kustomizingkid]

That is some amazing work I can only imagine the work that goes into scratch building a car one panel at a time

[Boogiemanz1]

`Kid, you are very new here. A lot, but not all of the folks here have some metal fabricating/welding/bodywork/painting experience.

Good thing is that the experience is not required. You, will not have to unlearn bad habits..

If a young man such as yourself were to follow this forum and try to apply the things learned here in his home garage, be patient and practice with what you have to work with, until you have better. I would bet a dollar to a donut that in 4 years or less, you would posses the skills to undertake a similar project to the jag.

I'm not saying you will be scratch building bodies in 4 years, you may do it in two! or maybe never if you don't work at it. Two years of this site, and a meet or three, and you should posess the knowledge to create a buck and a panel using the information from the buck.....that is exactly what it takes to build that jag, times the number of panels you break it up in.

Take as much related schooling as you can get (use their tools!), and work on something related at least 8-10 hours a week

Good luck,................john

[Randy Ferguson]

Fine examples of high quality sheet metal shaping.