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Once you've determined exactly which versions you are interested in, it's time to start your search. The first thing to remember is that there are alot of Jaguar MkII`s out there, so don't feel any pressure to buy the first one you see. Plan on taking your time, looking at several and never forgetting that there will always be more. "Go ahead and get a Mark 2 if that's what you like. Find the worst peeling paint, torn upholstered, oil burning-leaking, minimal- rusted driveable beater you can, beat down the price, dig in and enjoy the restoration experience. The other alternative, of course, is to pay the extra bucks for a restored one." (Rob Reilly reilly@admail.fnal.gov) A. The Achilles heal of Jaguar MkII's is RUST!!! I can't stress this enough. The mild steel used in these cars is extremely vulnerable to rust damage and rust repair in monocoque bodies such as these is a nightmare. Once you think you've found a good MkII, look under the rear seat, examine the pan and rear inner wheel arches . Then, get it up on a lift and look for rust, particularly around the sills and the rear suspension mounting points. Other rust prone areas are: 1. Protruding wing-top side lights tend to rust. 2. Watch seam at front wheel arch for rot. 3. Rubber window seals collect water with dire results. 4. Inner rear arches are vulnerable. 5. Spats rust through from inside. Little protection. 6. Blocked drain holes rot doors at the bottom, from the inside. 7. Bottom of A-post susceptible. 8. Front floor pan vulnerable to kicked up dirt. 9. Body panels go at edges; never well protected. If there's rust damage, you're back to that time/money thing again. You either need the time to learn how to make body jigs, weld complex surfaces, do the body work and paint it or you need the money to pay someone a bunch of money to do it for you. I didn't put my '66 MkII Daimler up on a lift until long after I bought it. Then I discovered that its rust problems were much worse than I had estimated. The suspension mounts were beginning to separate and other stuff was coming apart. I took it off the road before something major broke and sold it to a fellow who had the facilities to restore it properly. You are way ahead if you just find a solid MkII in the first place. B. Be cautious of anything resembling engine problems. The cooling systems on all the older Jaguars was very marginal and damage from overheating should be suspected. Assume guilt unless proven innocent. Run a compression test and look closely at the oil and the coolant _after_ a nice long test drive. Complete engine rebuilds typically cost $2500 -$5000. C. Look for modifications to the wiring (new wires or components, wires wrapped with new plastic tape). People who don't understand the original design may have tried to "improve" things, especially the wiring, the ignition system, the carburetors and possibly other things. These are unlikely to work any better than the original, and you won't be able to find them in any manual. D. Veneer peeling. It doesn't look like it would be a big deal to fix, but it is quite tricky to do. The veneer was glued to the curved surfaces in a type of form-fitting pneumatic press, and getting any loose veneer stuck back correctly is very difficult. They used real varnish back then, or something very much like it, and it didn't take kindly to direct sun. Once the varnish burned off, dampness attacked the glue, and the veneer fell off. E. Documentation: Ask for a list of previous owners and any service records associate with the vehicle. Lack of documentation can be a clear sign of neglect. Other expensive items are interior replacement (~3K plus installation) the steering hardware and the drivetrain. Sun-roofs and wire wheels are a plus. Almost any part for these cars can still be found and there's nothing on these cars that can't be fixed either through patience, knowledge and skill or with cubic dollars. On to: Have it examined Back to Saloon Lovers |
                           
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