We’ll start by introducing Keith Parrington. A member of the JEC, from 2006 Keith has ran our dedicated XJ Series forums, and has also been the paint and bodywork coordinator for the club since 2010.
Keith started his career working an apprenticeship at CMC motor engineering in East Sussex. He soon got used to working on E-types and Mk2s along with servicing and repairing XJs. It was during his time in this apprenticeship that he worked on the oldest surviving XJ, MWK 28G chassis number 19. And he still maintains that car today.
Keith and his father started their own business, XJ Jaguar Ltd in 2001, supplying XJ parts internationally. Keith’s own restoration work on his 2.8ltr Daimler soon brought in much interest from prospective customers and in 2006 XJ Restorations was born…
But it’s not just the restoration of XJs that the company specialises in.
“XjRestorations, despite the name, work on all classic Jaguar models,” says Keith.
“We have several E-types in for full ground up rebuild at the moment, an XK150, and we run an XK140 race car for a client. We do also carry out work on current Jaguar models.”
Keith tells us that he has always experienced a high demand for restoring classic cars.
“The Classic Car market is booming. We have always been very busy – there has never been a quiet time in the company’s 10-year history. But over the past 18 months, the demand for restoration has noticeably increased further. We are now booking 12 months in advance.”
Aimee, a trainee at XjRestorations is now finishing her final year of bodyshop training. Aimee has a solid understanding of modern bodyshop techniques, and is rapidly learning the traditional skills of refining classic vehicles.
Aimee had an apprenticeship with Vauxhall after leaving school, before joining the accident repair shop. It was then she knew that she wanted to be more involved in the bodywork side of the motor trade.
“Before joining the team at XjRestorations, I worked for an accident repair bodyshop,” says Aimee.
“I was looking for a wider skill set and more career progression and the opportunity at XjRestorations offered me that rewarding challenge I was after.”
And of course Aimee has a natural affinity to XJs.
“The XJ has a stunning line – it looks very sleek. The attention to detail is well thought out. They are so usable – even in today’s busy traffic conditions. They have really stood the test of time and personally I think they are still one of the best luxury saloon cars out there,” she comments.
Aimee is keen to see more women get involved with the engineering industry and says it is an “extremely interesting and varied job to have”.
“I think it would be great for more women to be involved in the trade. The thought of heavy lifting and a bit of dirt may put some women off, but it’s not all like that. There are some fine detail tasks like removing and renovating trim, refitting chrome detail accurately, final flattening and polishing – all of which is very rewarding depending on how involved you are willing to get. I enjoy learning all aspects of the trade, especially the restoration aspect.”
Aimee also enjoys working part of the small team at XjRestorations because everyone is on hand to muck in and everyone understands what needs to be done and what to prioritise.
“We are all on hand to assist each other. Our personalities bounce off of each other really well. I really enjoy it.”
If Aimee could have any Jaguar in any colour she says she’d “quite like a silver XJ Coupe – I think there is something quite James Bond about them – but I also really like an E-type in white.”
To find out more about XjRestorations visit their ###a href=”http://www.xjrestorations.co.uk/services/restorations.html”>website.
Have you done or had any restoration work on your Jaguar? Get in touch with us at the JEC and we could feature your story on our blog.
The JEC offers advice, events and many services to its members including restorations, technical and specialist advice.
