I don’t know how many of you are interested in trivia like this, maybe it is only John Elmgreen and me. However, I found another difference between my early XK120FHC and later ones. While rebuilding my doors I took one out to Wray Schelin’s shop for some aluminum welding and he pointed out that my door frames do not have the steel side frame found in later FHC’s and DHC’s. The frame was all wood, in fact quite beautiful walnut — looks like a piece of fine furniture when I varnished it! Question is, at what point in the production did Jaguar realize that an additional frame piece would be necessary to prevent the aluminum skin from “oil-canning?” I plan to add the steel frame piece and its felt liner as well as a turnbuckle diagonal, all of which will be non-original, but I think a worthwhile upgrade. By the way, John, it appears I may be coming to Sydney on business in the near future. Any chance we could meet? – Carl Hanson, 1951 XK120 FHC
I believe that wood door frames persisted until the ’57 model year for XK140s. Then the interior wood was replaced with steel. – Bob Hardison