P&K Thornton Restorations Archive
Since our business has been in operation for almost 60 years, we have generated an archive with hundreds of restorations, from full-body restorations to fine interior details, we’ve documented so many incredible transformations. This archive contains some of our concours winning restorations, demonstrating the care and craftsmanship that went into bringing these Jaguars back to life. If you know your Jaguar was restored at our workshops in the early 1970s to date you can get in contact, and we’ll see what we can find out about your Jaguar in our archive folders. Here are some of the restorations we have worked on over the last 6 decades-
These Jaguar XK 150’s shown below arrived at our workshop in need of restoration, the pale blue/green Jaguar needed work completing, particularly to its bodywork, which developed significant rust. We meticulously restored this classic to its original pristine condition. The Jaguar XK 150 was in production between 1957 and 1961. In 1957 the XK 150 was released with a 3.4 litre inline-6 engine like the previous Jaguar XK models, producing 190 hp in the standard version, 210 hp in the special edition and 250 hp in the XK150S high-performance version. Later, in 1959, the XK 150 was upgraded to include a 3.8 litre inline-6 engine, producing 220 hp in the standard version and 265 hp in the XK150S version. Going from 0 – 60 mph in 7.3 seconds, making this the fastest XK model released. The XK 150 took a different styling approach than its predecessors, this Jaguar was more of a grand tourer than a pure sports vehicle. Featuring a wide range of improvements including a new wraparound windshield, more interior space, improved dashboard layout and the first Jaguar to include disc brakes.
Additionally, we restored this Jaguar XK 140 (pictured below) which was produced between 1954 and 1957, it was designed to be more comfortable than the XK 120 whilst still retaining its sporty characteristics. Some of the main improvements of the XK 140, compared to the XK 120 include more interior space and improved seating due to the engine getting moved forward, which was an issue in the XK 120. Further improvements to the XK 140 models include rack-and-pinion steering for better handling, larger bumpers and grille and improved suspension for a more comfortable riding experience. The XK 140 houses a 3.4 litre inline-6 engine, producing 190 hp in the standard model and 210 hp in the special edition. They can reach a top speed of 125 miles per hour.
The E-Type became one of the most recognisable and iconic sports cars of all time with its unique shape and style. We have restored a lot of E-Types to their original pristine conditions over the years at our workshops in Nottingham. One of our more recent restorations includes this Series 1 transformation. The E-Type was stripped to bare metal to rectify any underlying metal issues before we applied a new coat of paint with a twist, we replaced the original primrose yellow with black as per the list of requirements set out with the client. Produced between 1961 and 1968, most of the original series 1 was fitted with a 3.8-litre engine, 265bhp and reached a top speed of 150mph. Later in the series, a 4.2-litre engine was introduced for smoother performance. Initially fitted with a 4-speed Moss gearbox, which was non-synchronized in first gear, later updated to a fully synchronized 4-speed in the 4.2-liter models. The early series 1 models are some of the most sought-after for their aesthetics and historical value.
We have hundreds more restorations in our archive, if your Jaguar has been restored at our workshops from the 1970s, you can get in contact, and we can look through our archive folders and we’ll see what we can find out about your restoration. Additionally, if you are interested in getting your classic vehicle restored or repaired with us you can get in contact. Call us on 0115 926 2266 or email us at info@thorntonrestorations.com.