Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration
Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration
Photo: Krays Jaguar 420G RestorationRestoring the 1990 film 'The Krays' Jaguar 420G back to running order
The owner documents a multi-year restoration of a Jaguar 420G used in the 1990 film The Krays, bought in 2019 in non-running condition. The blog covers fuel system, cooling, engine ancillary and carburettor work needed to get the car started and driven, through to finishing touches and an eventual sale via Bonhams. It is a detailed first-person DIY account with practical fixes for obscure parts problems such as a rare water pump casing.
Specs
As stated in the original write-up.
- Engine
- Jaguar XK straight six, triple SU carburettors
- Fuel system
- Twin saddle tanks refurbished and resealed, new SU electronic fuel pumps, new copper fuel lines
- Cooling
- Refurbished C23409 water pump, resprayed radiator, new belts and water pipes, original-type header tank
- Ignition
- Upgraded from Lucas points to electronic ignition
- Oil pressure
- Around 40-60 psi at idle/hot once repaired
- Gearbox
- Automatic, no leaks reported, reverse confirmed working
Parts used
Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.
Engine 3
- Halfords Classic 20W50 oil
Used for oil change after first start
In the shops
Millers Classic 20w50 Engine Oil 1 Litre ↗
Robsport International· £ 11.94
Millers Classic 20w50 Engine Oil 5 Litre ↗Robsport International· £ 46.74Millers Classic 20w50 Engine Oil, 5 Litre ↗Robsport International· £ 46.74 - Oil filterSNG Barratt
New filter fitted during oil change
- Alternator bracket
Original replacement fitted in place of a fabricated one
Fuel & Ignition 2
- SU electronic fuel pumpsSNG Barratt
Replaced old mechanical pumps feeding both saddle tanks
In the shops
Facet Electronic Fuel Pump Kit ↗
TRGB· £54.95 GBP
Fuel Pump - Electronic Direct Replacement (Stag) ↗James Paddock Ltd· £83.50 GBP
- SU carburettor diaphragmsSU
Replaced all three diaphragms to cure misfire under load
In the shops
Carburettor Diaphragm ↗
Carburettor Diaphragm (CD150) ↗
Cooling 1
- Water pump rebuild kit PK5502SNG Barratt
Used to rebuild the rare C23409 water pump, with a shaft machined to fit
Body & Trim 1
- Heater box repair panel
Fabricated from 2mm sheet steel to replace the rotted base and rear of the original heater box
In the shops
Sill & Wheel-Arch Repair Panel ↗
MX5 City· $107.57 USD
D-Post Repair Panel, Right Hand ↗
Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $194.61 USD
Seat Pan Repair Panel, Right Rear ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $631.19 USD
Electrical 2
- Electronic ignition conversion
Replaced working Lucas points ignition to fix a stuck vacuum unit and improve timing adjustment
In the shops
Pertronix Electronic Ignition Kit ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $169.00 USD
Pertronix Electronic Ignition Module, Negative Ground (22D6) ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $171.50 USD
Electronic Ignition Conversion ↗MGbits4U· £0.00 GBP
- Lucas hazard warning switch
Original US-market optional switch fitted
In the shops
Hazard Warning Switch ↗Hazard Warning Rocker Switch ↗
MGOC Spares· £9.95
Switch, hazard warning lights ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £11.50 GBP
Photos
67 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.
17 Engine – Part 1 11this post at Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration ↗
18 Engine – Part 2 15this post at Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration ↗
19 Engine – Part 3 9this post at Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration ↗
20 Heater Box 9this post at Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration ↗
2023 Spring/Summer Update 11this post at Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration ↗
Pilgrimage 9this post at Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration ↗
Final Journey 3this post at Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration ↗
How it was done
Starting condition
Bought in 2019, the car could not be started due to rusty fuel tanks, a split fuel line, wiring problems, a missing AED unit, carb overflow issues and a part-stripped dashboard. The owner first confirmed the engine was not seized by hand-turning it after oiling the bores and cams.
Fuel system work
In 2019 the saddle fuel tanks were removed, cleaned of sediment, treated with a rust-curing and 'slosh' sealing process, then resprayed and refitted in early 2021. New SU electronic fuel pumps and copper fuel lines replaced the rotted originals.
Cooling and ancillaries
In early 2022 the water pump was stripped and rebuilt, requiring a shaft to be machined down after the supplied kit part proved wrong for the rare C23409 pump casing. The radiator, fan, pipes and header tank were cleaned, repaired or sourced anew and refitted.
First start and running-in
In March 2022 the engine was started for the first time in 29 years. Oil was changed, oil pressure wiring fixed, and by May the car was driven onto the driveway for the first time. Carb balancing and new SU diaphragms resolved a misfire, letting the car be driven properly by August 2022.
Further fettling and heater box
Later work included rebuilding the rotted heater box with a fabricated repair plate, welding a jacking point, fitting an original alternator bracket and hazard switch, upgrading to electronic ignition, and sorting persistent bonnet latch and windscreen trim fitting issues.
Progress so far
By mid-2023 the car was running reliably with good oil pressure and stable temperature, and was taken to car shows and on a sentimental drive to film locations in London. In 2025 the owner drove it 117 miles to Bonhams for auction after owning and restoring it for six years.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration ↗
Worth knowing
- The supplied water pump rebuild kit shaft was wrong for the rare C23409 pump casing and had to be machined down from an XJ6 part
- Freezing the shaft/bearing before fitting shrinks it enough to tap into the pump casing easily
- A persistent misfire under load traced back to worn SU carb diaphragms rather than ignition or fuel delivery
- Fitting replacement windscreen chrome caps is difficult because new rubbers leave no recess to hold them in place