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Advice needed - 56 MkI 2.4

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Silverghost

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Well, I am pretty sure I am going to be a new "Dad" but before I sign on the dotted line, I want to make sure I am not missing anything key.

This is the car I am looking at:

https://cudatah.smugmug.com/gallery/2244852_6snuG#117111235

I met with the owner yesterday. It looks like everything is there. It has new interior - biscuit or tan, new carpet, new headliner, all refinished wood. Wire wheels, both sets of partial and full rear wheel spats(?). As the pictures show, all rot has been taken out and fresh metal welded in. All chrome is in decent or better shape. Current owner has installed a layer of sound deadner throughout the interior. All parts are carefully wrapped, boxed, etc. There are two carbs on it - I forget what type - and an additional pair of SU's to go with it. There is also a 3.4 litre head to go with it, to upgrade the performance.

To me, this is a full scale model kit, I just need to "glue" it together. The owner estimated about 200 hours to get it going again.

Hit me with the good, the bad and the ugly I am facing. On the surface it seems fairly straight forward yet I know that things are never as they seem at first look. I want to take this on with full knowledge of what I am getting into and not find myself in water over my head surrounded by dollar eating shark! :smile: My Significant Other likes this style of car and as long as I can present a fairly thought out action plan will be happy.

Thanks guys! I look forward to the input!
 
OK Peter, I won't pull any punches!

There are no pictures of the repaired bodywork only before shots and after painting. I am sorry to say that the quality of the repaint is extremely poor. I can say that, because it is clearly apparent from the reflections in the picture of the LHS. It looks like the outer body corrosion may have been repaied with bondo. If that's the case it will soon result in bubbling paint and worse.

Regarding the amount of work left to do, well even if the body was perfect it's far, far more than 200 hours. The biggest challenge will be missing or damaged parts.

As you have no way to check the engine and driveline, the shocks there can wait until you think you've finished.

OK I've painted a bad picture, but you did ask! Now the positives. Everything can be done and it is a beautiful rewarding car to own.

On balance it is all about cost and value. Regardless of time you will probably (almost certainly if you do it right)spend much more completing this car than it would cost to buy an excellent driver. That is most likely the real reason the car is being sold in this condition!

However, you will have the satisfaction of knowing everything is right because you did it yourself and the sense of achievement when it's finished, which is priceless.

My most important recommendation is to make sure that your significant other realizes how much of your time and money this project will take!

please try to get someone who has done restoration work to look at the car in the flesh, (to get a sense of the size of this shark) before you commit.
 
Make sure to look under the car at the areas showing rust. This has the same spots I have on mine. Look under the floorboards to the firewall as this is a corrosion spot due to the vent. Make sure front fender areas behind wheels are solid. The wire wheels are not period pieces but replacement Daytons. Wires back then were 60 spoke and painted, chrome was a real $ option. Check the spats area for rust inside the holes and behind the rear seat area. The only difference in this car to mine is the shiney paint. The windsheid has to go in before dash, which means interior/headliner then windows. You have a long way to go to get this together and will need a lot of research to get parts that may be missing. MK 1 2.4 had steel wheels with full spats. If half spats are not available you will need to do a Combs mod on rear arches. I did notice the unsmooth doors. Lot of work.
 
Yeah, there is a ton of work to be done here. BUT, it is an early 2.4 There are not many of those left in any condition. I would find a set of the "proper" disc wheels and go with the full spats as built. How is the grille? Is all the chrome around the windshield and back glass present? Those parts are all very hard to find. I like Mk1s , and am all for preserving one. You need to know it is a big project, but it will be a sportin' little known piece of Jag history when done. Try Jagnut Jaguar Spares for missing parts and info. Jack knows a lot about these cars. 1 540 743 4059
 
Thanks for all the input so far. I hope more is coming. Let me answer your comments or questions with what I know thus far.

ZBlu - I don't know about the K member, I will ask.

Jack64 - I appreciate not pulling punches! I want to know so I can make an informed decision. The paint work is not the best, but I have seen far worse. Your points on the engine and drivetrain I have thought about. That one is an unknown at best. Based on the quantity of boxes and bubble-wrapped parts, I am reasonably sure there is nothing missing. If there were things - ie trim, etc, that weren't decent, the owner located better ones. The owner is a hands-on, do it himself type. He has a large collection of motorcycles and enjoys them far more than the car. He has lost interest in the car, thus it is available. And essentially I would be able to purchase the car for less than the cost of the new interior kit. I will meet with him again and do a parts inventory.

LarryK - I didn't get under the car as it was raining and I had a short amount of time. I hope to get there an a sunnier dry day and get the car outside so I can get under it. The owner said the car had steel wheels before - and he may still have those too - but that he liked the wires better. The car has both set of spats, the half spats are on it now and the full spats are in the inside. Where is Millstadt, IL? Are you far from Chicago?

Jesse - the disc wheels may be there, I'll ask. The grille is good as is everything else I saw. Not concourse but this is not a concourse car. I'll check on the front and rear glass trim. Again, I am reasonably sure it is present and in decent condition. I will probably go back next week or weekend to spend some time and list everything.

Please keep the pointers coming. I DO want the good, the bad and the ugly. :smile:
 
When you get to the mechanicals, you may want to remove that little 2.4 engine and replace it with a 3.4, 3.8, or even a 4.2 from an XJ6. They are so under-powered, you will probably not be happy. That spare 3.4 head is not the answer. It's basically the same head as the 2.4.

Now for the good news---

Almost any Jag engine bofore 1986 will bolt right on to the trans bell. You may have to use the later mounts with the later engines, and the modern starter and alt. are good to use. All you'll need is a later intake manifold to mount those SU's. If you're not too keen on re-building a "wrong" engine, you can pick up a running XJ6 for under $1000, test the engine to see if it's OK, then put it in. Here in the east, I see them on Craigslist.org all the time. I put two on the list a while back for $750 each, and one even had 2" SU's.

You can keep the original engine in a corner of the garage in case you ever want to go back to orig. specs. Nothing will be cut.

I've swapped 2.4 engines on 3 customer's cars over the years (mostly on MK2's).

Phil.
 
first things first:

order a Service and Parts Shop Manual in CD, under $25.

check here: https://www.lbcarco.com

If you have inspected the car in person, and you like it, then go for it. It's going to consume a lot of dollars to get it to Driver condition, more $$ still to get it to Showroom condition, and so on. Many surprises await you, good and bad, so being prepared emotionally and financially helps the rough days and nights. I hope you complete the job once you start it. The MK-1 (2.4 and 3.4) is a rare car, the first of 4 generations of Small Saloons (Sedans) by Jaguar. Mine is the 3rd generation, the S type.

Good luck.

Ex
 
Peter: Millstadt is 15 miles east of St. Louis. 8 miles South of Belleville and 10 minutes from JB Bridge in Columbia, IL and South County. I'm a good 3 and 1/2 hrs. from you. Wish it was closer, would take a look and help you out. A 3.4 isn't too bad, that's what I have. It ran good and was pretty quick with a low top end, as it has the 4/1 rear with auto. I'm hoping to change it to a 3:27/1 and a 4-speed. 3.8 is great if you do not want to keep it original. According to an importer/exported I know, mods do not hurt if they are period mods. I would get it going with what you have then do what feels right or what you want. These are very nice cruisers and are comfortable, especially with an A/C system. I have an old dealer add that mounts in the trunk and vents thru the parcel shelf. Hoping to use that too!
 
Peter,
I shall try to expound on what others have said - not repeat. The first thing you need to do is determine what you want the end result to be on this car. The second thing is how much you (the wife) are willing to spend. I am curious as to what the car is being sold for. A decent leather interior goes for $5,000-7,000. Again it is hard to determine condition by the photos. Has the engine been re-built? Was it removed to do the body? Have the front and rear suspensions been re-built? Was the body put on a rotisserie and completely sand blasted to remove all the rust to the metal? If not you have a good chance of the paint bubbling up over the years to come.

Please sit and take a deep breathe. Don't get caught up in the excitement of the moment. If you cruise Ebay you will see tons of cars of all makes advertised as "$30,000 in restoration - must sell for $10,000) or some such figures.

Go to Barratt's or Xk's or some such place and get a catalog. They have diagrams and prices for you to start getting an idea.


What about the wiring? Was it replaced when the sills were re-done or is this to be a possible surprise? Were the outer and inner sills blasted because this is an obvious rust spot. Will this also become a later surprise. As was said earlier -- you may be wiser to seek out a driver in excellent shape. Maybe more on the outset but far less in the long run.

Cheers
 
I found this toy in a garage sale last friday!

So you can all have a laugh, here's some pics.

I did some research and it is a "Bandai" made-in-japan friction model of a "Jaguar 3.4". These were made in the 1960's. It's both a MK-I and a MK-II. The interior was made by the "litho" process and it even shows the 'Picnic Tables" on the back of the front seats! Scale must be 1:25. A good WD40 treatment revived the rear-mounted friction motor and it actually skids the tires when placed on the floor!

It's the little things that makes us happy!

Ex
 

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Hey, good find! Can't be many of those left nowadays, that's for certain. Bandai still make models, mainly plastic kits in smaller scales, but highly detailed and of good quality. I made some up when I was a teenager, and was most impressed with them.
 
Ok, went for a 2nd visit, this time on a nice sunny day, with my wife and kids - was a nice day for a drive. :smile:

Here's some info:
Car#: S940941
Body#: H004039
Engine#: BB4238-8
Gearbox#: GB3349

What does this reveal?

I will be finalizing this deal - :laugh: - in the next few days. Then I will have TONS of questions! LOL

It IS a sleeping cat and will need to be awakened but I am looking forward to it!
 
Oh yeah, forgot to ask - where is the engine number located? Looked in all the usual places, didn't see it.

Thanks.
 
Well, Mk1 production went from 940001-943742 for LHD 2.4 litre cars, so yours was the 940th one made. They only made 3742 of these with left hand drive.

The 2.4 LHD accounted for just over 10% of total Mk1 production, so she's a rare one!

Engine number is correct for the model, so is probably original, has a compression ratio of 8:1.
 
I meant to ask, where on the engine is the engine number? I found it on the fenderwell plate - obviously. I looked the engine over, didn't see it.

The word "rare" is very overused with old cars but it does seem appropriate in this case. Not as rare as a Rolls Royce Silverghost or a Bugatti Royale but this car is in my price range!! LOL
 
Made the call today. I will be picking our new "cat" up mid June. :smile: This will make 10 cats in our house, only the other 9 have paws instead of tires!! LoL

Met the owner of Jaguars Unlimited this afternoon. His name is Dave and he has been working on Jags and related cars for 32 years. VERY friendly and knowledgable. I am glad his shop is only 10 mins from where I work so I can go there on lunch hours if/when needed. I told him about BCF and all the good things here.

I am kind of excited about this new opportunity. Nervous too but excited.

My immediate plans are to put everything back in place and get everything working and then see where I go from there.

Which club(s) should I join? I presume I can get a Heritage Certificate? Is there a Mk I registry? I said before I'd have a LOT of questions! LoL
 
Hi Peter........Clubs? The JCNA has an affiliate club page here:

https://www.jcna.com/php/clublist.php

In addition, there are the JDC (Jaguar Driver's Club) and the JEC (Jaguar Enthusiasts Club) out of the UK. JDC is more for the chequebook restoration brigade (there was a standing joke that the club initials stand for "Just Dust my Chrome) and the Enthusiasts Club is more turning wrenches and grease under the fingernails.

I have been to Jaguars Unlimited, I accompanied a (then) BCF member who was trying to find a Mk2 and was researching restorers. It's a great place, and the owner is a nice guy. I too had mentioned the BCF, but this was a few years ago......

Yes, you can get a Heritage Certificate. How-to advice here:

https://www.jag-lovers.org/cert.html

I think that the clubs operate their own model registers.

Technical discussion forum for the XK-engine-powered saloons is here:

https://www.jcna.com/forums/main.php?Vref=JCNA&Vfnum=120
 
Thanks Steve! Muchly appreciated. I will check out the JEC, as that is more my style!

Where is New Berlin? You must not be far from me. Do you come down for the British Car Festival (name?) in the fall?

What does the XK designation mean regarding the engine?

Thanks again! :smile:
 
Pete said:
What does the XK designation mean regarding the engine?
Click to expand...

"'Xtremely Kaotic" :jester:

Don't forsake us here either, Pete. I've a factory workshop manual and a number of years' experience with those old things. Should be able to address some of your questions.

We had several clients with older Jags. Grand old lumps.

...I need to dig out some pix... :laugh:
 
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