T3DMC help to restore ‘one of the rarest in existence’ 1954 Jaguars using 3D scanning and printing

8,000 man hours of meticulous process has been taken to complete automotive scanning to restore a 1954 Jaguar, including 3D scanning and printing.

The car was branded one of the ‘rarest in existence’ and has been hidden away for 40 years, until it was discovered and purchased by Classic Motor Cars of Shropshire. A full body restoration project was planned which included new front end, new rear quarter panels, inner arch panels, boot floor and door skins.

David Barzilay, chairman of the Bridnorth-based Classic Motor Cars operating board, said: “There were no signs of the original paint colour and it all came down to the last nut and bolt. When the front screen was removed, we discovered a small section of original paint and used it as a colour match.”

“Some of the original parts were impossible to find so we had to remake items such as the bumpers and chrome work by hand from photographs. We had to scan the front and rear end of the car and make mock ups of the lights, which were then scanned and 3D printed, smaller missing parts were also 3D printed in-house. The rear window was missing so we also had to 3D scan the window aperture and have a new rear screen made from the scan data.”

Following a 2 year restoration which included 7,725 man hours of work, the Jaguar XK120 SE is now completed. Classic Motor Cars shipped the classic car to the USA for unveiling – held at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California. The Jaguar received the second in class in its award category.

Original owner of the car was Mr Max Hoffman in 1954, he was a New York-based importer of luxury European cars into the US during the 1950s. Mr Barzilay added “There is little trace of the cars history, but we are certain that Hoffman was supplying dealer, then first owner of the car and that there was only one XK120 Pininfarina produced, which makes this one of the rarest Jaguars in existence”.

The 3D Measurement Company were delighted to be asked to complete the automotive scanning and be involved in the restoration of such a prestigious classic car.

The scanning project involved the optical scanning of the front end enabled several of the missing components to be manufactured via a reverse engineering process direct from the 3D scan data. We have also been involved in other classic car restoration projects and developments in CAD technology have enabled faster and more affordable models to be created now so we are always interested in helping with similar projects of any scale.

For more information about how T3DMC can help you please contact us on 01746 762251 or email us on info@t3dmc.com.

Original Source: Daily Mail