After studying the bodywork, and bearing in mind, that I wished to convert the car from left to right hand drive, it would be easier to use some new panels, especially around the bulkhead. Most of the XK models have difficulty with the door hinges. It was a crude pin in the hinge, allowed the door to drop.
	The picture on the left, shows the replacement of the bulkhead frame This is the section which holds the hinge and also supports the body to the chassis. Because of the bottom channel being turned upright, most of these frames bottoms to be replaced, but not as drastic as in this case. Also, at this stage, the sill that joins the front to the back of the car, has been replaced, but in this picture has been etch primed with the rest of the body. You notice in this picture, that the whole front wing has been cut away to be replaced later. This is necessary when you are replacing the bulkhead frame. It is possible to change the hinge frame without removing this, but it takes a lot of time and patience.
In this photograph, it shows the door fitted on the bulkhead frame. The top of the door is original, and the bottom section is re-skinned from the curve to the base. At this stage, you have the front of the car mounted on the chassis and the doors on, you can then fit the back of the car to the front of the door to get the desired gap. It is important to leave enough gap at front and back, so when the body is painted, they do not touch, thereby causing chipping. There is a certain amount of movement in the door, in the forward position, when driving and braking. You notice some lead loading around the windscreen upright. It is important when fitting vents, to place the widest opening to the front, so as to bring in cold air to your feet.
	This picture shows a complete new bulkhead. The original one was very badly buckled, on the right hand side. It also had the facility for the steering column and pedals, to be a left hand drive car, and as we were changing it to a right hand drive car. So as not to confuse the issue, you are looking into the engine bay. The etched box in the centre, is the mounting for the heater, and it is where the bonnet sits. It seems drastic to change all of this. The panels are not so expensive, but fitting them is! And again, this is a very important part of the car, as it stops maybe the engine coming through in to the driver's compartment, in the case of a frontal impact.
	The picture on the left shows the door shut pillar. This is the area where the back wing bolts on, and it is very important that this is positioned, both in the right position and orientation to receive the door. And this being a drophead, it has no roof to support the pillar, it is important that it is welded in the correct way. As you see, the reinforcement parts are just little ledges where water can lodge, thus causing them to rot, and also rot the bottom of the back wing. It is important to treat these parts with red lead substitute and a body underseal. There is a splash plate that is fixed over this to cover the box, protecting it from the direct splash from the wheels. The pointed section at the top of the door, is where the hood is mounted.
In the picture on the right, shows the door in the closed position. The area painted red is where we painted the bulkhead frame from the other side. Because once the outer wing panel is welded in position, you will not be able to access this area. The bottom of the door is where the new sill is fitted. The round bar at the bottom of the picture is the torsion bar, and the steering column spline can be seen to the right. The spacer is to lift the car off the chassis. This is an important fixture, because when the gearbox bell housing is fixed to the bulkhead, it makes the whole bulkhead very stable
	Finally, the picture on the left shows the complete door and wing, The front wing slab is joined and gas welded to along the top and to the back of the arch of the front wing. The bottom of the front wing has also been replaced. If you look carefully, you can make out the line at which they join, which is also gas welding. There should be a straight alignment from the front wing to the back of the door. And this is achieved by a stay, which is fitted underneath, just behind the front wheel, as in the photograph. If you require further details of these photographs, or this article, please contact me, Dominic at dominic.nolan1@gmail.com To see a video update on the restoration in May 2010 please visit our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/irishjagclub