1960 MKIX value question

I remember the Recycler! (used to live in West Hollywood). Not sure but I think Hemmings has free Online ads, otherwise in my humble opinion, not worth paying for an Ad in Hemmings. Try http://www.jagads.com, a free service from Jaguar World Magazine, seems to work. Do a search in google.com for "Jaguar classifieds", that's how I found my S type in an obscure site listing old cars for sale. Dave, unless you MK-II was in real bad shape, you sold it for too little!

I advertised my MK II in both Hemmings Motor News and the Recycler. I don't know where you live and if there is a "recycler" paper in your city. You have to pay for Hemmings, the Recycler is free. I got only about 2 calls from each ad, but I sold the car.

Dave Gustavson, Los Angeles

I agree, I am working on the car for free as a friend plus the seller is paying for the few items I have had to buy to get it running but a non-running car does not fetch much. I had to rebuild at least one of the fuel pumps to get it running. All I have left is some minor cleanup to make it look better such as buffing the original paint which looks good but has oxidized on the surface (polished a small portion and it shines like new) and cleaning up the interior. The seller does not plan on putting anything else into it due to the reasons you state above. If anyone knows someone looking for a MKIX, I think this one would be a pretty fair example to restore. Black w/black interior. After I shine it I will take some pics. Where is the best place to advertise?

Mechanic

if the car is to be sold, let the buyer fix it, because the money invested will not be recovered in a sale. It is ironic that people invest $30 grand
in restoring a car, then the car won't sell for $10 grand. If it was a House, then spending on repairs is a good idea, but not on a car. If you buy a car with plans to keep it, (a "keeper"), then spend until the money runs out. But if you're trying to sell, it's money wasted. There are experts who can restore old leather to like new condition, but upholstery is the last job to be done in any restoration, first the mechanicals and the bodywork, then upholstery.

The owner is not a car person and we had a mixup about what did not work on the dash (tach does not work not the speedometer) but I think the original mileage is 42K. I am going to check this out soon. I am going to look closer at the rust. Original leather and woodwork is good. Needs cleaning and carpet and some refinishing on some parts of the woodwork. Engine started right up today but the fuel lines need cleaning and a fuel filter needs to be installed. Looked at the rubber and it needs windshield and boot weatherstripping but the rest looks good. It moves but I am going to replace the xmission fluid and filter. All hoses need replacing. I think it is a pretty solid car so far.

The owner wants me to leave the leather the way it is where the creases have lost color, any suggestions whether I should restain the leather for a sale?

Mechanic

Yes, I have had to deal with the residual varnish in the fuel system. The fuel line was plugged. One float was glued to the bottom of the bowl which a good cleaning and gaskets would take care of. Fuel lines would be replaced but I am not sure what new gas would loosen up in the tanks eventually. There are ways to deal with this by installing a fuel filter before the glass bowl. The car runs well but who knows what shape the rings are in. It turned over and when I replaced the plugs, started and had good oil pressure. Everything is where it should be. I have been going through a worse case estimate for this car which would include new leather which I don't think it needs and come up with 10 to 15 K. Engine and tranny overhaul, brakes, rubber, etc., less if I do most myself. The only thing I can't do is bodywork. No holes in the pan, just rust where sediment settled over the years in the nooks and crannys. I think if he has someone come out that knows Jags they might tell him the same thing as the post above.

Mechanic

rocker panels are a giveaway for hidden rot and rust, exhaust system, probably rotted, goo in the fuel tank from old standing gasoline, radiator, water pump, thermostat, old hoses, as soon as the car starts to be driven, they all show their weaknesses. As you said, is it "hard to tell at this point". Then I would say the car is a C or even a D, they always are, unless it is a freshly restored car in which someone poured infinite amounts of money. There is no "middle-point". I paid an arm and a leg for a nearly intact S type, I searched 10 years for it, traveling north and south, east and west, everytime the same dissapointment. "It's All There", the seller says, "a little rust here and there" the seller says. Right, until you meet the car in person to find out it's a rust bucket and all the parts are somewhere in the rear seat or the trunk. Then one day it happened, an obscure ad that said: "same owner last 26 years",
"cared and loved", "no rust", "original California black-plate car". THAT's the way to find a car.

I checked out your web pictures and I am willing to say that if it ran, it is probably worth what you sold it for. I venture to say that this car is in better shape. I am going to take next Wednesday and buff the original paint which looks like it will buff out well. Very little pitting, if any, on the crome except for the hubcaps, the bumpers look like they could be rechromed due to the usuall wear and scratching but look pretty good. Good suggestion on digging into where the rust could be hiding. I found a UK site that listed values for 2003 depending on RHD or LHD. Using 3% per year inflation of the price it comes out to something like this in dollars.

Concours - 35,000
A - 20,000 looks A+ but needs some work
B - 10,500 Good history, runs, needs work
C - 4,500 Running car needing restoration

C being what the pictures on your website looked like which is a running car that is a good candidate for restoration. Looks to me, so far, that this car is either a B or somewhere between a B and C. I would be looking at completely going through the following even though they all work at this time but not up to par, brake system, carbs, fuel lines (tanks seem good), tranny (at least fluid change, at most overhaul), all rubber, carpet (interior wood and leather is in good shape but with some good cleaning up), some of the gauges, fuel sending units. Body work would consist of, from what I can tell, the bottom corners just ahead of the rear wheel covers, rust around the edge of the rear wheel covers, front right quarter where water leaked on car from the bathroom (also the worst hubcap), possibly some rocker work but hard to tell at this point. There is no other rust except surface rust on the underside that I can tell. This, I know, is a lot of work and I want to make sure that if I don't buy it that my friend will get a reasonable price for it.

Maybe someone could point out areas to look for that are no-gos for Jags. I know rusted out door posts in the MGAs used to be a no-go for me.

Mechanic

I can sympathize, it is very dificult to determine the value of one of these cars. There are many more restored cars to compare, but ones needing restoration, that's a problem. If it helps at all, you can look at pictures of the MK II that I recently sold at:

www.geocities.com/jag61mk2

I got $2500 for it, but after I sold it, someone else was willing to pay the $3200 I was originally asking.

Dave Gustavson, Los Angeles

everyone has a different opinion as to value, especially if you are the Seller. what is your opinion as a Buyer? What is the car worth to you as is? then offer that much and be prepared to walk away. MK-9 are not the
Jaguar that everyone wants, so there is no real demand for them, they are more of a curiosity today, but they are a grand car, designed along the lines of a Bentley. check the picture of the white one. Not much rust is a lot of rust in my humble opinion, so inspect deep. A little exterior rust is a sign of a larger problem in the interior recesses of a Jaguar. I'd like to have a MK-9 but I already have an '84 XJ and a '65 S type. But if I had one, I would put a V8 and a 4-speed automatic, something that would melt the pavement in 2nd gear.