Hi all, new guy here,
I've just posted in the XJ6 section, as I have a Daimler series 1 being restored, but thought I'd share my progress - or rather lack of - with a MkII I have.
The car started off as a 2.4 first registered in Hong Kong in '65, golden sand, brown interior. She was perfect for HK as traffic goes nowhere there, so the 2.4 was more than adequate... despite having a propensity for over-heating!! But she starred in a couple of television commercials and a film ('In China's Shadow', starring John Lone) before being shipped back to the UK with my Dad when he retired from the Royal Hong Kong Police in 1991. Chris Steel in Eastbourne put a 3.8 lump in her at that point and my dad 'adopted' the car, registering her in his name and using the car almost daily. I took the car over when I returned to the UK in 2000 and began, in 2000/2001 a restoration which - I'm ashamed to say - carries on to this day. It's a forlorn but nonetheless classic story of incompetence, ineptitude and general idiocy and the end result is the car you see here today.
A lot - and I mean a lot - of work went into the mechanical restoration of the car. A full engine rebuild with the installation of a genuine D-Type crank, balanced and lightened flywheel, gas flowed and ported head, full race cams, mandrel bent S/S exhaust manifold and exhaust, uprated anti-roll bars, S/S long range tank in boot, XJ brakes and calipers, 5 speed Getrag box (necessitating a shortened drive shaft) Spax shocks, stiffer springs and so much more that I've actually forgotten what else has been done.
But the body restoration and subsequent paint work was so appalling that when I took the car back three years ago I immediately stripped the car of paint with a view to having the car properly built and painted elsewhere.
Sadly, I was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia right about then and the car remained in my garage, a bare metal hunk of junk. I hadn't etch-primed it, nothing, and the result is what you see before you now. Gutting.
So, over the winter I'm going to Jenolite the rusty bits and hope the metal isn't too far gone. I'll then let Richard Brinklow at Hillarys Coachworks in Tunbridge Wells have it early next year, and I know they'll do a fantastic job on the old girl. Like the Daimler, the MkII wil be repainted Flag Metallic Blue, the Ecurie Ecosse colour and yes, I know that wasn't a factory option of the time! But I love the colour and have dreamt of the car in that colour for so long now nothing else will do.
I'm really hoping I can get the car sorted soon, for obvious reasons! She's only going to be used for fast road use (like the Daimler) as it wouldn't be responsible for me to hit the track in it. I've put in front seats from an XJ6 (X300) sport and I have some newly re-veneered and lacquered wood, but there's still so much to do... new carpets, headlining, underlay, God it's endless!! But I'm looking forward to it (just not paying for it...) and have set my sights on a July/August deadline. Don't know that I'll keep to it though...

And yet another....

Very worthwhile! As a fellow sickie, I wish you well with both projects. Cheers apax.

Hi ??  (R-101).

Sorry to hear of your health issues.

Try now and see your Mk2  not as " a bare metal heap of junk"
But as something for you to refocus on and make that dream of yours a reality. Four years ago I had major cardio issues which have left their mark on me BUT  two years ago I started to go back into my garage / workshop and found if I used a stool to sit on I was able to do little pieces of work I never thought I would again be able to do. I 'refocused'.
Mentally this was better than the pills the doctor prescribed at the time. One needs to be focused and you have the perfect car, yes, perfect car to concentrate your thoughts and energy into. One of my cars is a 1963 Mk2 3.8 MOD which i have approx 11 years and what a beautiful car the Mk2 is. Keep the faith.
Eugene
AKA   old jag man.