Paperwork etc...

The AA badge, ordered from Huddersfield.


This car drove around London 'till the eighties.








1950s petrol ration coupons. Came with the car, but they're older.

Some cleaning...

The wood and interior had been sitting around for some years without care. Let's see what a little water & Mr Proper can do.

Wood & Radiator grille before


...after


The interior of one of the doors...


Cleaned a spot...


The water, afterwards...



The ashtray. Many a fine cigar will be tipped off here someday...


Thanks Judy ;-)

The damage...

Apart from some missing bits and pieces and the worn gaskets etc there's relatively little rust on this body. Here are the main problems: the front skirts and the rear wheelarches.

In the garage...




The interior...


That 6cyl 2.4 engine...

Some pictures

Coming home

After I had made the deal with the seller, the car had to get home. So I rented a trailer and mobilised my friend Jan who is more experienced than I am at driving with a trailer. Since the car was located in the very centre of Brussels his driving skills were tested thoroughly. Parking wasn't very easy either. But in the (very) end, all worked out well.

The engine and all the bits and pieces...

Now I can start sorting out what is missing. The seller said the car is "pretty" complete, there's a piece of the exhaust missing (which would probably have been rusty anyway), and as for now, I can't find the ignition keys or the Jaguar that goes on the bonnet... But the paperwork is complete so that's important. Apparently this car has driven around London for most of its life and it came here in the late 70s. It has had one technical control (like the MOT) in Belgium and my guess is the "restoration" started back then. From what I can make of it, it has changed hands a couple of times since. This might be a bit of a concern...

My Jaguar mark 2 240

Actually, I was thinking of buying a Rolls Royce. Seriously. There was a Silver Shadow for sale and it seemed like a bargain at €6500. Luckily, a knowledgeable man who has worked on more than a couple classic cars, told me not to buy it. Apparently, it's not only highly complicated but parts are very expensive as well. He said that Jaguars are easier to maintain and the parts are cheaper and easier to come by.

I've always been a sucker for Jaguar mk IIs ever since I became a fan of inspector Morse. So I set out to buy one to restore, and kept an eye on every auction on every possible website. Most of them were either already restored or - in my view - overpriced or very rusty or you couldn't tell how much rust there was.
Until I came across this blue one on eBay. I imagine there was very little response because it had been stripped. Most of the parts are there, though, and if one wants it repainted it has to be stripped anyway.

I also liked the fact that it has a white interior rather than a blue or red one. I know the red cars normally have a red interior but I like white interiors. The upholstery and the wood seem to be repairable. A complete new interior trim would cost about €4000 so I'm happy with that.

The engine is out of the car, so it can't be tested right now. Since I'm going to replace every gasket and chain and belt I'll have to open it anyway and I just hope there aren't any nasty surprises inside.

Anyhow, I know it's the least desirable of all mk II's (a 240), with the smallest engine, the smaller bumpers and the nambla interior instead of leather, no overdrive, no wire wheels, etc etc, but I have seen far worse 3.4s and 3.8s fetch more than double the price of what I paid for this one. I don't want this car to suck up all my money and with the 2500€ I paid for it I still have some euros left from my original buying budget for the necessary repairs.
Below are some of the pictures from eBay.