A lot of car guys enjoy looking at interesting and maybe valuable cars found in barns and I'm no exception. I've never actively sought them out but something interesting has happened to me.

There is a nice older fellow at chruch who, over the years, has made several comments about my XK8 and Corvette. He always has something nice to say and seems enthuaistic about cars. When we first met he said, "Hey, I have a Jaguar, too!", and said it was an older sedan. I didn't think much of it, figuring it was probbably an '80's XJ6 or similar model.

Last week he stopped me to comment on my cars again and, making conversation, I asked him what year his Jaguar was. He said he couldn't remember, exactly. Then he looked over at this wife and she said, "Oh it must be a 1952 model, I remember because there's an extra bonnet for it on that pallet of parts that a guy wanted to buy years ago."

Obviously, I became interested and asked where the car is. "Over in a barn where we parked it a long time ago. It's up on blocks. There's a lot of extra parts for it..."

Then the fellow says, "Do you think it's worth anything?" I said we'd have to look on line. "Well, we don't have a computer or anything - would you help us out?" I asked if they wanted to sell it and they looked at each other and said, "Sure" so I volunteered to be the organizer and intermediary.

So....I'm off to see it this week and will report back. A 1952 era Jaguar sedan would be an early edition Mark VII; interesting as an oddity but not particularly valuable. I could get lucky and maybe it's an XK120...wouldn't that be something!

 

Hey Scott, thats really interesting and I;m tuned in to see what the result is for sure.

Perhaps you could drop into conversation that you're part of Jaguarforums.com, maybe raise the guys interest a little ( once you explain that is )

If it's something really nice or cool are you interested?

Either way I'm sure you'll be fair with the guy and see him right so that evryone gets a good deal.

DON'T FORGET THE PICS

 

I like the Mark VII. One of the vehicles I have in my shop is a 1952 Mark VII. It has paper work inside it that looks like it was in the 75th Anniversary of the Monte-Carlo Rally. I'm not sure what that was about but it seems very cool to me. Perhaps it was only present at the Rally,

 

In 1956 the Monte Carlo Rally was won by Ronnie Adams and Frank Biggar driving a Jaguar Mark VII. That was in the the days when it was an event for private sporting motorists.

The 75th Anniversary Rally was in 2007, long after it became a professional team event. The modern Rally is followed by a 'Historic' event where the old timers (both vehicles and drivers) get to have a go.

Graham

 

I don't have space for a full on restoration, or the skill or money either. I'm really looking for a 1950's Chevy farm truck to tool around in. I guess I feel a farm truck can be unrestored for the most part but a nice car, well that's another story. A Jaguar, especially, deserves to look as good as it can.

If it turns out to be drivable and just needing a respray and mechanical work I'll probably buy it from him. If it's in a thousand pieces or a parts car I'll help him sell it just for the experience and to help a nice guy out.

I just called him, he's looking for the keys to the barn...

 

You'd better hope that the keys to the barn and the keys to the Jag are on the same key ring.

There was a car like this one parked next to a house outside of the little college town that I went to in 1971. At that time, I still looked pretty good. Over the years, I heard about various people going to see the guy and asking him if he would sell it. He always said that he was going to fix it up. I passed by there 20 or so years later, and there is sat, just about rusted into the ground.

At least your guy had it in a barn. Hope you can do something with it. Good luck!

 

Wishful thinking there I expect. I've got my fingers crossed for it being an XK but then he would likely have remembered more.

Don't forget that camera!

 

Did you see this one M90power posted in the XJS section?
Jaguar XJS V12 Bj.1975 - Barn Find Diorama in 1:18 Scale 1/18Jaguar | eBay

 

Now, that's what I call a Wooden Dash! Airbags hah! No seatbelts, how about a face full of wood? How about that steering wheel from a Destroyer?

 

Well, the guy that owned the barn the car was stored in had secretly been interested in the car all along and when my little bit of action stirred up the dust he told the owner he wanted it. Turns out he had been working on the car a bit over time. Those two guys are old friends so I just let it go.

However, I am going over to look at it and will take some pictures...

 

pictures?

 

I remember those steering wheels - they had sprung spokes and you adopted the correct Stirling Moss straight arm driving posture.
When striking a stout tree at speed the spokes would flex and stop the steering column from going neatly through your chest.
At the same time one's clorth cap would protect one's head as it hit the windscreen.

 

Turned out to be a 1957 Mark I in about a "3" condition. All the parts were there, it started and could probably go down the road. No rust, no cracked windows. headliner in place and no major leather faults. Wood needs a complete redo. Complete (and probably numbers-matching) engine. Interior elements were all present; owners manual, paperwork and even a shop manual were in the front seat! It wore 1980 temporary tags.

Simply an old and somewhat neglected car. A great start for a major restoration.

I promised the owner I'd find a price for him to start negotiations...

Pics will come as soon as my GF gets them off my phone.

 

Temp tags? There has to be a story there!
Can't wait for the pics.

 

Here are some pictures

 

One more... Here you can see Herb, the owner at the far right and Rob, the guy that has stored it lo these many years. Rob is looking pissed because he figures I am trying to buy
the car out from under him...

This would make a great restoration project. Feel free to pass this along to anyone you might know that is interested.

 

Rob IS looking a might peeved there.

If I were you, I'd be sure to walk behind him, not in front.

 

Thanks for sharing. Looks like this one has good bones and should easily be restorable. Looks like he has another project in the barn as well.

Hope someone saves it! It'll be a beauty, even if it is the 3.4 version (never my favorite).

 

Here we go...

I received a phone call from the old guy that owns the car, Herb; he called the guy who has stored it and tried to work out a deal and the fellow got his shorts in a knot and asked that the car just be moved out of his shop by Thanksgiving.

Herb was all in a panic becuase being 80+ years old he hasn't the means to move the car. I calmed him down and said he should retry talking to the guy and reach a deal somehow. If that didn't work, I'd move the car (Step #1 on the slippery slope) if he had a place to keep it.

Got a call a few days later - can I help him move the car to his garage? Of course, first I have to move a 1990's Riveria to yet another garage. (Step #2).

I looked around in Hemmings today and will help him place an ad. Hmmmm...some of the 1950's coupes go for $30K plus (Step #3)

I'll keep you posted...

 

Fear not Spurlee. You are doing the Lords work.