What should I do with this poor old Jaguar?

[Angelfish]

Edit September 25

 

The car has been scrapped.  Any small parts that I could salvage were kept.  The car was in very poor condition and in my opinion was far beyond the point of saving.  

 

 

Edit:

Northwest Montana.  Please feel free to make an offer on all or part.  I'd be happy to see parts used to complete other cars.

 

This old 1958 MKI has been up a few times around this forum but now it's time to make a decision.  Most of the floor is rusted away, the engine is seized, the suspension is rusted and frozen.  Most of the sheet metal has rust holes.  It is in very poor condition.   It's at my Dad's and he needs it gone before winter.

 

It is available to buy but I am not surprised that there has been no interest in it.  

 

I am open to advice and ideas, but this is my current plan:

 

1: Trailer it 475 miles back to my place

2: Remove the trim, door handles, instruments, steering wheel, assorted small parts, maybe the glass

3: Cut it up with a torch

4: Remove engine, radiator and transmission

5: Haul the rest to scrap yard

6: Spend the next few years breaking apart the engine and rebuilding it, just for the interest of it

 

Edited September 25, 2022 by Angelfish (see edit history)

[pkhammer]

Put it on ebay with a starting bid of $499 and let it go to the highest bidder. Sold as parts. Save yourself a lot of time, expense and work.

Edited September 8, 2022 by pkhammer
misspelling (see edit history)

[1937hd45]

Is it really in MONTANA? Hauling it the 475 miles and gutting it may be the way to get rid of it. What is your price on the Grille with shipping to 06877? 

 

Bob 

[Angelfish]

13 minutes ago, 1937hd45 said:

Is it really in MONTANA? Hauling it the 475 miles and gutting it may be the way to get rid of it. What is your price on the Grille with shipping to 06877? 

 

Bob 

It is in Montana.  The 475 miles is a trip I make pretty regularly so it's not a big deal.  

 

$150 shipped on the grille.  There's a dent close to center that you can see if you look, but it's pretty good overall.   I could get pictures in a week or two. 

Edited September 8, 2022 by Angelfish (see edit history)

[1912Staver]

In the UK it would be considered quite restorable.  But North America isn't the UK. It looks like a very good parts car. I think pkhammer has the right idea. I expect someone in the North West needs it. Have you tried advertising it on North West  / Pacific North West , British car forums ?

[Angelfish]

2 hours ago, 1912Staver said:

Have you tried advertising it on North West  / Pacific North West , British car forums ?

Haven't, I'll take a look thank you.

[DFeeney]

Hello,  I would be interested in the eng/trans.  If you brought the car to your home to part out ., where would that be?  thanks,  Don in central Ohio

[Angelfish]

43 minutes ago, DFeeney said:

Hello,  I would be interested in the eng/trans.  If you brought the car to your home to part out ., where would that be?  thanks,  Don in central Ohio

We are open to offers on any parts.  The engine is seized but complete, including the air cleaner that is not shown.   The transmission is a 4 speed with overdrive, it had clean oil and shifted easily.  The engine and transmission are the parts that we may want to keep but we will certainly listen to what you have to say.  The picked over carcass will end up in Billings, MT

[Paul Dobbin]

My wife, who does not like stick shift, always wanted an old Jaguar.   One day in a junk yard I saw one like Angelfish has, way up on the third row off the ground.   I inquired about it and bought my wife a Jaguar.  At least the front 18" of one.    Took a 12' metal blade and cut off 18" and restored it.   My intention was to have it in the barn and have the motion sensor in the grill turn it's lights on when I came in the barn.    I wired up up but never had eough guys and ladders to hang it from the ceiling.   Still sits on a furniture dolly in the barn like real Jaguar.    Just an idea for someone else who would like to buy their wife a Jaguar.  Know what year it is? 

Edited September 9, 2022 by Paul Dobbin
re-position text (see edit history)

[mcdarrunt]

Stick an LS in it and have a ball. We have a former Jag V12 convertible in the shop right now getting the LS treatment and one of the most fun was an MGB with a 400 sbc. Figured the puny rear end would give up but it outlasted every right sized tire on the place. Finally pulled engine/trans and gave it to the chaplain at a nearby prison that needed parts. Only complaint on sbc in XJ's was they no longer leaked oil and driveways got rusty.

[Rivguy]

I'd advertise it as a parts car and sell it as it is. I wouldn't spend any money on gas transporting it. Don't invest any more time and effort in it. Old Jags are a lot of work, hassle and expense. If it's not a car that you want to save just get rid of it. I'm not trying to be rude. I just sold a "51 Mark VII in much better shape than yours to a Jaguar wrecker in my area. I sold my 97 XJ6 to an on line used car buying site. My XJS  is sitting in my garage safe for now, I'm in no hurry to get it squared away. I guess the interest wore off so, I put my effort into my other cars.

[John348]

On 9/8/2022 at 8:44 PM, Paul Dobbin said:

My wife, who does not like stick shift, always wanted an old Jaguar.   One day in a junk yard I saw one like Angelfish has, way up on the third row off the ground.   I inquired about it and bought my wife a Jaguar.  At least the front 18" of one.    Took a 12' metal blade and cut off 18" and restored it.   My intention was to have it in the barn and have the motion sensor in the grill turn it's lights on when I came in the barn.    I wired up up but never had eough guys and ladders to hang it from the ceiling.   Still sits on a furniture dolly in the barn like real Jaguar.    Just an idea for someone else who would like to buy their wife a Jaguar.  Know what year it is? 

Angelfish,

If you do that with it you might get $3K for the finished product 

[Angelfish]

 

On 9/8/2022 at 8:41 PM, mcdarrunt said:

Stick an LS in it and have a ball...

I think it would snap in half before it made it out of the driveway, there's very little left of anything below the bottom of the doors.

18 hours ago, Rivguy said:

I'd advertise it as a parts car and sell it as it is...

I've had it up for a couple months with no interest but it wouldn't hurt to expand my advertising a bit, the trim and small parts are pretty good, but that's about it.  It would be cheaper to buy a good driver-grade car than to get this one into working order.

 

 

[Paul Dobbin]

On 9/11/2022 at 9:50 PM, John348 said:

Angelfish,

If you do that with it you might get $3K for the finished product 

       $3000 would buy it!     It was another fun project, but now in the way.

[rocketraider]

The right people haven't seen or heard of it. Jaguar people are always hunting spare parts.

 

That said, stroke it and pet it, and feed it salmon and cream. Even an old wore-out kittypuss likes some attention sometimes!

[bryankazmer]

On 9/8/2022 at 10:41 PM, mcdarrunt said:

Stick an LS in it and have a ball. We have a former Jag V12 convertible in the shop right now getting the LS treatment and one of the most fun was an MGB with a 400 sbc. Figured the puny rear end would give up but it outlasted every right sized tire on the place. Finally pulled engine/trans and gave it to the chaplain at a nearby prison that needed parts. Only complaint on sbc in XJ's was they no longer leaked oil and driveways got rusty.

I've driven a Jag V12 and a Chevy 350 as daily drivers.  They were equal in dependability, albeit not in cost of repairs.  The Jag was a much better road car.  Buy a Chevy if you want a car that drives like a Chevy.