A PROJECT to restore a 1983-built classic Jaguar has been completed and returned to its former glory by staff and students at BCoT.

This Jaguar XJS-C was donated to BCoT from the Rotary Club of Basingstoke. The vehicle was part of a limited production run of three cars with an exclusive interior Burberry trim.

Before coming to the college, the Jaguar had been stored away in a garage for five years. On arriving at BCoT, it was rust-ridden and in need of extensive repairs and refurbishment to make it roadworthy again.

Staff and students worked hard on the restoration project over two years and had to replace the rear Perspex, rear radius arm and veneer, two front chrome headlight surrounds, the whole rear bumper including chrome parts, the wood veneer surround on the centre console and the interior roof and stitching. Adam Hayes, automotive technician at BCoT, said it had been a fantastic experience for his students to work on a classic car and see how the systems worked when they were built in 1983.

He added: “From an early stage we knew there was a lot of work to do to restore the Jaguar to its original glory.

“The project allowed students to gain a real understanding of how classic cars work compared to modern day cars.

“They were able to get really involved in all aspects of the renovation, from replacing the bumper to changing the ignition leads and distributor caps.”