1960 | Jaguar XK 150 FHC

A STORY OF A CAREFUL RESTORATION

Jože Kogoj's Jaguar XK150 has been restored using the "slight conversion" method. The restoration of the car was carried out in accordance with Jaguar's professional books and manuals.

The source car, declared in a non-driving condition, with the declared mark11960 JAGUARX K150 FHCVINP1.........., was imported to Slovenia at the end of 1994 via the company J.G. AUTOEXPORT, Inc. From Deerfield Beach, Florida, USA.

The car was disassembled in to individual parts and the engine was completely overhauled. The body work has been professionally restored to the highest restoration standards and the chassis is hot zinc plated. This was followed by a primer painting process of the bodywork and other components. Certain individual parts of the car were chrome-plated after a preliminary restoration. A new stainless steel fuel tank was added. Individual worn-out or missing parts of the car have been newly reconstructed.

The trademark "Kogoj" was stamped on every single piece that was reproduced. This distinguishes the car in a non-invasive way, uniquely and elegantly from the English original. Wherever possible, stainless steel was used in the manufacture of the new parts, giving the impression of being chrome-plated. All those parts of the original Jaguar that could not be reconstructed are authentic- imported directly from Coventry (UK).

The parts ordering was done through a British broker, who bought all the spare

parts that could still be obtained from various specialist shops in Coventry, and searched for the one's hat could no longer be bought in the various 'graveyards' of old Jaguars throughout England.

The restoration of a classic car was a particular problem when it came to the car-painting work. The painting of any car generally requires a high level of expertise and great precision; painting a Jaguar, for which Jože had set very high standards, was additional challenge, as it was hard to find the perfect car-painter. The basic painting of the bodywork, with the application of the final coats of paint,

was time-consuming and extremely demanding. The high level of precision required made the job even more time-consuming, as the Jaguar XK150 was painted piece by piece. The entire painting process involved the application of

thirteen coats of paint.

After the completion of the car-painting works, the car was fitted with new electrical wiring loom and a completely rebuilt engine, including clutch, gearbox, and differential. The brakes and many other small elements were also meticulously rebuilt. The restoration was completed by synchronization of the car's main powertrain components such as the engine, clutch, brakes, electrical wiring and many other small but important elements and details. With a great deal of patience, diligence and effort, all the functions of the Jaguar were brought to the near perfection.

THE INTERIOR

The central part of the dashboard, which was later equipped with all the necessary measuring instruments, has been enriched and beautified by having it carved out of olive wood- a roughly three-hundred-year-old olive tree from Sardinia, instead

of covering it entirely with leather.

The interior of the document compartment on the right-hand side of the dashboard and the upper edge of the left and right doors are also made from olive wood, giving the car's interior the expected nobleness and balance.

The outside of the document compartment is clad in leather and the inside of the compartment features metal bottle holder. The interior of the body- roof, doors, floor, seats, luggage compartment and dashboard has been upholstered.

The original "Becker" car radio was imported directly from Munich.

The gear lever, indicator lever, temperature control lever and key ring are handmade from olive wood, this time sourced from a traditional Slovenian backyard. In designing these, special attention was paid to the shape, grip, appearance and use value of the products, embracing the principle of eye-catching yet useful technical design, which "otherwise does not fulfill its purpose in itself".