Doug’s RCR Jaguar D Type Build.

Doug M

Supporter
I haven’t posted in a while. I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season.

I took a page from the BoC and made a battery mock-up. I thought of using the Odyssey 1100, but they are currently hard to find and this Napa battery worked fine when I had the XK6 on the run stand and isn’t that much bigger. (9x7x4.75)

I thought I’d check my logic with you all, because when something seems too easy, I start to wonder what I’m missing. Any reason why I couldn’t or shouldn’t mount the battery in the location pictured? With a heavy duty clamping bracket, of course. It would allow battery size flexibility and solves a few other problems as well.

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There’s also this option, which would require a very customized battery tray, but would look a little cleaner…

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Neil

Supporter
I haven’t posted in a while. I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season.

I took a page from the BoC and made a battery mock-up. I thought of using the Odyssey 1100, but they are currently hard to find and this Napa battery worked fine when I had the XK6 on the run stand and isn’t that much bigger. (9x7x4.75)

I thought I’d check my logic with you all, because when something seems too easy, I start to wonder what I’m missing. Any reason why I couldn’t or shouldn’t mount the battery in the location pictured? With a heavy duty clamping bracket, of course. It would allow battery size flexibility and solves a few other problems as well.

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There’s also this option, which would require a very customized battery tray, but would look a little cleaner…

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The second approach lowers the CG a bit but would need a shield to protect the battery case from the radiant heat of the headers.
 
Doug, tremendous progress. I see you have done some work on the exhaust, any possibility you could provide a few more detailed photos of that and your brake setup?
 

Chuck

Supporter
Doug

Can't thing of anything that would interfere with placing the battery on the passenger side, but as Neil noted, shielding from heat would be required. Even in the top position it would be close to the exhaust headers and would likely get a bit warm.
 

Doug M

Supporter
Haven’t updated in a while, and to answer your question Randy, not 100% on my exhaust setup yet. Currently leaning towards the side pipe method, but I love the clean look of an underneath exhaust. I’m holding off on the decision until I have the front and rear suspension installed and finished… at that point, I’ll check the clearances and how high I can raise the body before it looks ridiculous. Ultimately, I’ll probably go with side pipes.
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Doug M

Supporter
As for the throttle and brake… I upgraded the brake fluid reservoirs for aesthetic purposes. I modified the RCR supplied Triton brake/clutch setup and added a few custom designed pieces. Also added a button type brake light switch instead of using a hydraulic switch in the brake line. It’s one less leak potential and an easy to find part. I also routed brake lines more like the original D Types. I’m sure other methods will work fine, but I figured they originally did it this way for a reason, so why not do it the same way.

Throttle pedal was completely custom made with random metal pieces from my parts bin, as well as the original throttle pedal pad from my 57 Chevy. For my other cars, I use a left foot accelerator pedal since my right leg is prosthetic. Since this D Type is a car I’ll never sell, I decided to put the throttle pedal on the left side rather than install it on the right and then adding an adaptive device.

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Doug M

Supporter
As for engine updates, I decided to forgo the RCR provided radiator and went with a D Type radiator and tank from Pro Alloy. Some modification needed, but it fits. Also added a cooling reservoir for the automatic transmission lines… might have to rethink it later, but for now, it looks like it’ll do the job.

Also found some smooth cam covers on eBay for $350. I have yet to shine them up. Since I’m going for a weathered and used look for this car rather than a shiny new look, I might just leave the original patina.

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Chuck

Supporter
Awesome! You are making great progress, sorting out a host of issues in a good functional manner. Throttle, brakes, cooling . . . . . . getting close to first start.

Radiator and header tank looks great. Have you come up with the hose options for the remaining connections? I am trying to come up with the answer to that issue and when I do I will post the results.
 

Doug M

Supporter
So I haven’t posted in a heckuva long time. I have been making slow progress, but still progress nonetheless.

As I’ve discussed before, because I’m a double amputee, the bigger challenge has been adapting the automatic transmission to a car designed for a 4 or 5 speed.

Since this D Type is a right hand drive car and I only have my right arm, having a functioning emergency brake that I could easily reach was a technical challenge. Having a manual lever in the same position as the original D Type would be unreachable for me in an emergency. The footwell space is too small for a foot pedal setup, also.

I had originally planned on using an E-Stopp electric emergency brake, which is a 12v powered linear actuator, but it’s nearly 24” long so mounting it was going to take some creativity. I was also a bit unsteady about relying on electrical power for such a crucial safety feature. The chances of losing electrical power and brake pressure at the same time would be very slim, but because the imagination of my paranoia can be limitless, I still desired to have a simple emergency brake setup that didn’t rely on electric power.

I took a page from the Book of Chuck and used a Lokar hand brake, but I opted for the 11” length rather than the 16”. I used the Lokar EHB-7011. I installed it using leftover pieces of strong steel and aluminum. The ‘two level’ modification I made a while back to my transmission tunnel has certainly made things easier.

Please note that the cables have yet to be trimmed, but will be.

While the last thing I wanted was to have another hole in the transmission tunnel cover, this solution solved a lot of other problems. It’s easy to reach with one hand while still being able to steer the car, it uses a short throw to activate, and most importantly, it won’t interfere with the four point safety harness.

I’ll eventually post more updates on other completed tasks, but this one was a long time being solved and I’m happy to finally share it.

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Doug M

Supporter
An annoying side effect of building with only one arm is that I tend to drop things more than I care to admit. For whatever reason, the ‘boot bubble’ was especially slippery and ungainly and it got away from me while I was test fitting it after some sanding work.

Fortunately, I have pieces of carbon fiber that I use to repair my remote controlled Discus Launch Gliders, so with some two part epoxy, I patched and reinforced the inside area around the damage. The outside will eventually be filled with bondo before I paint.

Thankfully, I’m going for a ‘used race car’ look with this project, so I’m not sweating small imperfections.

Anyway, I’m making headway on other areas of the build and hope to post more soon.

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Doug M

Supporter
A while back I made the decision to use aftermarket bucket seats instead of the ‘built in’ seat design. Since my overall look for this car will be a used race car found in the late 1960s rather than a factory fresh mid 50s D Type, the bucket seats solved a lot of problems, chief among them being that I didn’t have the shoulder safety harnesses contacting metal.

I found a Cobra seat that was narrow enough to fit the floor of the tub but had a wider back. With some decorative aluminum panels, paint, and other items, it should all blend together reasonably nice and be a lot more comfortable for a day of driving.

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Doug M

Supporter
Another challenge was that I wanted a passenger side headrest that could be easily removed and stored in the boot when I didn’t have a passenger. Much web searching was done, and finally found the solution in a 1969 Mustang headrest from CJPonyparts.

1969 headrest, part # SFHR

Headrest guide retainer. # HRGR

Headrest cover, part # HRC3B (sadly, I could only buy a pair, so I’ll have an extra)

A small slot was cut into the fiberglass body, and two new holes had to be drilled in the guide retainer so that the bottom bolts would clear the rear frame. Also made a spacer out of 1/4 inch aluminum so the guide retainer would sit reasonably flush with the back of the tub.

I hate the look of it, which is why I didn’t want it to be permanent, but safety first, especially for my passengers.

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Neil

Supporter
Another challenge was that I wanted a passenger side headrest that could be easily removed and stored in the boot when I didn’t have a passenger. Much web searching was done, and finally found the solution in a 1969 Mustang headrest from CJPonyparts.

1969 headrest, part # SFHR

Headrest guide retainer. # HRGR

Headrest cover, part # HRC3B (sadly, I could only buy a pair, so I’ll have an extra)

A small slot was cut into the fiberglass body, and two new holes had to be drilled in the guide retainer so that the bottom bolts would clear the rear frame. Also made a spacer out of 1/4 inch aluminum so the guide retainer would sit reasonably flush with the back of the tub.

I hate the look of it, which is why I didn’t want it to be permanent, but safety first, especially for my passengers.

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Nice solution!
 

Doug M

Supporter
Did a test fit for the passenger seat and removable headrest. It’ll look better when the interior is finished and painted black. The headrest looks awful, but it’ll seldom be used. A necessary adjustment.

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Chuck

Supporter
Something I have not yet researched, I wonder if headrests required for registration under the uniform laws adopted in most states?

A good idea for the passengers well being, but adds another complication to the build.
 

Randy V

Moderator-Admin
Staff member
Admin
Lifetime Supporter
I've seen some cars with a round headrest - maybe 8" in diameter, but that was at a car show in Monterey many years ago... No pictures, unfortunately..
 
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