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Thank you to aeronca65t for reminding me about barn finds (and pictures thereof). This story is true. You may believe it or not, but it really happened to me, in my own sub-division, a suburb outside of Milwaukee. Names and exact places have been omitted. Links to photos are below. Thanks Basil.
https://britishcarforum.com/pictures/xk.JPG
https://britishcarforum.com/pictures/xk001.JPG
https://britishcarforum.com/pictures/xk002.JPG
https://britishcarforum.com/pictures/xk003.JPG
https://britishcarforum.com/pictures/xk004.JPG
https://britishcarforum.com/pictures/xk005.JPG
https://britishcarforum.com/pictures/xk006.JPG
https://britishcarforum.com/pictures/xk007.JPG
https://britishcarforum.com/pictures/xk008.JPG
Once upon a time.........actually, about ten years ago now, I was collecting my older son from his friend's house, about a third of a mile from my own in New Berlin, WI. The house was, and still is, rather run-down and poorly maintained, being occupied at the time by the boy's divorced mother.
The garage is situated at the end of a dirt driveway at the front of the house, with the house being set back behind and above the garage.
Two old-fashioned doors are set with a number of small windows, one of which was broken, and the opaque plastic that was taped up to cover it had come away.
Having parked the car, I had to walk across the front of the garage to access the entrance to the house.
I do not know of a single car guy who will walk past a garage without looking in. Not that I would open the doors, or clean a window so that I could see in, but if there is a missing window, and one is walking past it, I would defy anyone to resist a quick peek.
What I saw made me stop in my tracks, and go back for a proper look. There was a steering wheel. It sat in the cockpit of what was obviously an open sportscar, but quite what, was not really apparent until my eyes adjusted to the gloom inside the garage.
The wheel was large, white, with four spokes and a Jaguar's head on the boss. The car itself was white, or used to be, and from the shape of the car, buried under old sheets and debris, it had to be an XK series.
I went to the house, collected my son, and mentioned, as casually as I could, that I had noticed the car in the garage, and was it a Jaguar? Yes, came the reply, it was, and would I like to take a look at it? Is the Pope catholic?
As my son would now say..."Duh!"
She opened the doors to the garage, which had obviously not been opened for some time, and there, under sheets and clutter, sat the car. I knew enough to recognise that this was an XK120. As you can understand, a little surge of adrenaline kicked in. I asked if I could pull the things off the car, which was okay, and began to "take a look". No rust, anywhere, on the body. The spats off the car, leaning against the far wall. Rust on plenty of other things in that garage, but not on the car itself. I'm sure that you are thinking the same thing that I was, so I opened the bonnet and memorised the chassis number. 670010. Easy. That's how I was able to remember it.
I asked who's car this was, and was told that the car belonged to her ex-husband, who had nowhere else to store it. The car had been left to him by his father, who was the original owner, and the car had been trailered to Wisconsin from New Jersey. The New Jersey plates were still there. The car, a non-runner when the old man had died, was then partially stripped, at which point the son had lost interest, and left things where they were. Then came the divorce, etcetera.
I asked if he might want to sell it, in the hope that he didn't know what he had, but she said that he knew it was special, but that he might want sell it.
I went home and dug out my books. Sure enough, the chassis number corresponded with an alloy-bodied 1949 Jaguar XK120 OTS. I can still remember the thrill of excitement. Here was something that I had only dreamed about, and it had happened, but it was obvious that I was getting out of my league, and if this car were to be saved, I would need to give the chance of ownership to somebody who could do it justice.
My first phone call, to the leading lights in the local Jaguar club, revealed that they were on vacation, and would be in europe for a while yet. My second call hit the target. A gentleman that I had known for a couple of years, who already had an extensive collection of British cars, and who, I knew, was looking for another car. Was he interested? That weekend he came down, not being able to leave any earlier due to business appointments, and he was as excited by the car as I was. Having put the two parties together, I stepped back and let them get on with it.
Suffice to say, that the enthusiast finally bought the car, not for a song, but it was obvious that the owner had not known just how special that car really was.
The XK120 has now been totally restored, no expense spared, although I haven't seen it since. I fully intend doing so, and I shall take copious amounts of photographs! Now if only I can find the "before" photos!
As a postscript, the previous owner bought himself a late-model Corvette with the money from the Jaguar. He drove it for a couple of years, until it needed some brake work. He parked that Vette in the same garage, and it hasn't moved since. He prefers to drive his pickup. Some people do not deserve such cars, and certainly not the fortune which allows them to possess such cars!!!!
[ 01-19-2002: Message edited by: Steve ]
[ 01-19-2002: Message edited by: Steve ]
[ 08-12-2002: Message edited by: Steve ]
[ 08-29-2002: Message edited by: Steve ]</p>
https://britishcarforum.com/pictures/xk.JPG
https://britishcarforum.com/pictures/xk001.JPG
https://britishcarforum.com/pictures/xk002.JPG
https://britishcarforum.com/pictures/xk003.JPG
https://britishcarforum.com/pictures/xk004.JPG
https://britishcarforum.com/pictures/xk005.JPG
https://britishcarforum.com/pictures/xk006.JPG
https://britishcarforum.com/pictures/xk007.JPG
https://britishcarforum.com/pictures/xk008.JPG
Once upon a time.........actually, about ten years ago now, I was collecting my older son from his friend's house, about a third of a mile from my own in New Berlin, WI. The house was, and still is, rather run-down and poorly maintained, being occupied at the time by the boy's divorced mother.
The garage is situated at the end of a dirt driveway at the front of the house, with the house being set back behind and above the garage.
Two old-fashioned doors are set with a number of small windows, one of which was broken, and the opaque plastic that was taped up to cover it had come away.
Having parked the car, I had to walk across the front of the garage to access the entrance to the house.
I do not know of a single car guy who will walk past a garage without looking in. Not that I would open the doors, or clean a window so that I could see in, but if there is a missing window, and one is walking past it, I would defy anyone to resist a quick peek.
What I saw made me stop in my tracks, and go back for a proper look. There was a steering wheel. It sat in the cockpit of what was obviously an open sportscar, but quite what, was not really apparent until my eyes adjusted to the gloom inside the garage.
The wheel was large, white, with four spokes and a Jaguar's head on the boss. The car itself was white, or used to be, and from the shape of the car, buried under old sheets and debris, it had to be an XK series.
I went to the house, collected my son, and mentioned, as casually as I could, that I had noticed the car in the garage, and was it a Jaguar? Yes, came the reply, it was, and would I like to take a look at it? Is the Pope catholic?
As my son would now say..."Duh!"
She opened the doors to the garage, which had obviously not been opened for some time, and there, under sheets and clutter, sat the car. I knew enough to recognise that this was an XK120. As you can understand, a little surge of adrenaline kicked in. I asked if I could pull the things off the car, which was okay, and began to "take a look". No rust, anywhere, on the body. The spats off the car, leaning against the far wall. Rust on plenty of other things in that garage, but not on the car itself. I'm sure that you are thinking the same thing that I was, so I opened the bonnet and memorised the chassis number. 670010. Easy. That's how I was able to remember it.
I asked who's car this was, and was told that the car belonged to her ex-husband, who had nowhere else to store it. The car had been left to him by his father, who was the original owner, and the car had been trailered to Wisconsin from New Jersey. The New Jersey plates were still there. The car, a non-runner when the old man had died, was then partially stripped, at which point the son had lost interest, and left things where they were. Then came the divorce, etcetera.
I asked if he might want to sell it, in the hope that he didn't know what he had, but she said that he knew it was special, but that he might want sell it.
I went home and dug out my books. Sure enough, the chassis number corresponded with an alloy-bodied 1949 Jaguar XK120 OTS. I can still remember the thrill of excitement. Here was something that I had only dreamed about, and it had happened, but it was obvious that I was getting out of my league, and if this car were to be saved, I would need to give the chance of ownership to somebody who could do it justice.
My first phone call, to the leading lights in the local Jaguar club, revealed that they were on vacation, and would be in europe for a while yet. My second call hit the target. A gentleman that I had known for a couple of years, who already had an extensive collection of British cars, and who, I knew, was looking for another car. Was he interested? That weekend he came down, not being able to leave any earlier due to business appointments, and he was as excited by the car as I was. Having put the two parties together, I stepped back and let them get on with it.
Suffice to say, that the enthusiast finally bought the car, not for a song, but it was obvious that the owner had not known just how special that car really was.
The XK120 has now been totally restored, no expense spared, although I haven't seen it since. I fully intend doing so, and I shall take copious amounts of photographs! Now if only I can find the "before" photos!
As a postscript, the previous owner bought himself a late-model Corvette with the money from the Jaguar. He drove it for a couple of years, until it needed some brake work. He parked that Vette in the same garage, and it hasn't moved since. He prefers to drive his pickup. Some people do not deserve such cars, and certainly not the fortune which allows them to possess such cars!!!!
[ 01-19-2002: Message edited by: Steve ]
[ 01-19-2002: Message edited by: Steve ]
[ 08-12-2002: Message edited by: Steve ]
[ 08-29-2002: Message edited by: Steve ]</p>
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