www.jec.org.uk

As the restoration of my Double-Six progress I've now got all the wiring harnesses out and although everything was working have been looking at refurbishing them. A search of the internet usually suggests replacement but with just one of the 4 main harnesses priced at £520 from Autosparks it seems it will quickly get expensive.

I'm quite willing to give it a go myself and have found sources of traditional braiding, connectors and grommets on the internet. However, it's going to take me a lot longer than a professional.

So are there any recommendations of who to entrust with the work or tips for doing it myself?

One view: I think there was an episode of "Wheeler Dealers" that showed the technique the professionals use. They made it look pretty straightforward, but they were professionals. There might be some useful info on the web from kit-car builders, as I think some kits lack wiring looms - though they probably have rather fewer electronic components than an XJ.

As far as I recall, you need a large sheet of wood onto which you draw forking lines that represent the various start- and end-points of the wires in the bit of loom - all at full length, not curled up. Annotate the end points with the colour codes for each wire. Then bash nails in to support the new loom along the lines. Finally, drape the new wires along the nails. When they're all there, and triple-checked, tape up the bundles. There's probably some trick for nailing loops or untightened cable ties along the lines to feed the wires through until you tighten it all up; the important point was using the board to organize everything and maintain a clear layout. If you're very confident about your drawing, you could cut the old loom apart and use the original wires to measure the replacements.