2021-04-15 12:25:14 | pauls writes:

Car to be at auction 4/21

themarket.co.uk/listings/jaguar/mk2-38-manual-od/d108b2f3-b5dd-446c-8c9e-d7becef ...

Auction description:

Location: Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Odometer Reading: 70,520

Chassis Number: 204423BN

Engine: 3800 cc

Gearbox: Manual with overdrive

Colour: British Racing Green

Interior: Sage green

Finished in the very best colour combination of them all, this Opalescent Dark Green MKII sits on a fine set of wire wheels, a pairing that adds up to one of the most perfect sporting saloons we’ve ever seen.

With just three recorded former keepers, it’s fitted with the best engine and gearbox combination too, with the 3.8-litre straight-six feeding its 210bhp to the rear axle via a manual four-speed Moss gearbox plus overdrive. Even better, the chap who’s owned it for the past decade is a bit of an obsessive who insists that his cars start on the button, first time every time and is prepared to invest the appropriate amount of money in order to make it so.

And this one’s judiciously chosen upgrades add up to so much more than any one individual change, which means it is running beautifully and now drives as well as it looks – and as you can see, it looks sensational.

On the Outside

The Opalescent Dark Green coachwork is strong, aligning nicely and being free of dents, dings, and other damage. Largely free of rust too, thanks to some extensive bodywork and underside repairs over the years, including in 2007.

It doesn’t end there though because bonnet louvres were fitted in 2010 as well as what appears to have been a comprehensive respray and a bill for £8,812 hint at the amount of work that must have been carried out… and again in 2017 with work being carried out to the front scuttle, front wings, rear doors and boot lid.

As you can see in the extensive photo album, it still looks stunning and acts as a vindication as to the quality of the restorative work that was carried out as well as the care with which it has been looked after ever since.

The chromework is excellent, being free of rust and corrosion. Pitting too, and the front and rear bumpers are as straight as any we’ve seen. All the rest, the spotlights, light and window surrounds and door mirrors, all sparkle convincingly.

And chromed wire wheels are a classic choice for the MKII Jaguar for a very good reason – and if you’re uncertain as to what that reason is then just take a look at this one.

Sparkling and running true, they’re in fine fettle too. Plus, they’re fitted with matching tyres from Vredestein, 205/70VR15 Sprint Classics in fact, so their tread pattern is period correct and looks absolutely right.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

There are, as you’d expect, some stonechips and minor marks but our overall assessment is that it is very good indeed with nothing whatsoever to raise alarm bells.

On the Inside

The Suede Green leather interior looks amazing. Backed up, of course, with vast slabs of fine wooden veneer and chromed controls, it’s every bit as impressive as the coachwork.

It’s not perfect, of course; after all, few of us are at sixty but the leather seat facings are only gentle patinated and are, in our opinion, all the better for being allowed to age so gracefully. They’re still springy and comfortable too thanks to being rebuilt with new canvas and foam underneath the original leather covers in 2005, so we can see the new owner will probably be happy to continue to let them mature without feeling the need to interfere any further.

The vast metal ‘n’ wood steering wheel is another important part of the Jaguar’s ambience and this one is in an especially fine condition. It’s got the black centre section with the contrasting gold Jaguar emblem too, plus the semi-circular horn push.

The dials are all good and they’re backed up by the trademark row of toggle switches. The door cards, headlining, and carpets are also very respectable and it’s got the all-important rear picnic tables too, which is a lovely touch and one your kids or grandkids are sure to love.

Other nice touches include the original Lucas rear view mirror, plus exterior lamps from the same manufacturer. The presence of a ‘Rustmaster’ sticker in the window should provide an element of reassurance, as should the one from the Jaguar Drivers’ Club.

The boot floor is solid, and the cavernous interior is home to the spare wheel (fitted with a matching Vredestein tyre), what looks like a recent battery, and the factory jack. There’s also a plywood wheel spinner removal tool and a Thor hammer plus a few spare parts including a workshop manual. There’s a spare steering wheel in there as well plus another Radiomobile radio.

While most of the wooden trim is very good, some of the veneer is lifting a little (most notably in slide #181) and there is the odd bit of leather trim that has seen better days. Given how good the rest of the interior is we can see that it is likely to need some refurbishment in the car’s near future to bring it up to the same high standard as the rest.

Underneath

The owner would be the first to admit that he is a fastidious man who can’t stand the thought of his classic cars either not starting or ever letting him down. One to use his cars properly, if sparingly, he used this one to tour Ireland four years ago, and Northern Ireland a year later. Despite racking up in excess of 1,500 miles each time he says the Jaguar performed faultlessly, using less than a pint of oil each time.

This reliability is due to the many small changes he’s made to the car, all of which add up to much more than the sum of their parts. So, you can find an electronic ignition system and a sports coil under the bonnet plus Coopercraft front brake discs, a high-torque starter motor, a lightened and balanced flywheel, and E-Type clutch.

There’s a new fuel tank too, plus he’s had the cylinder head, gearbox and overdrive reconditioned during his time with it. (It was originally an automatic according to the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust certificate but clearly gained an extra pedal and a manual gearbox at some stage in its life.)

You’ll also find plenty of invoices for servicing and repairs over the past decade and more, all of which has paid off handsomely because the vendor tells us that it has never failed to start in the ten years he’s owned it – and it’s never let him down, either. Please take the time to read through them all because the Jaguar’s previous owners have invested huge sums to keep it running and looking as it should.

The engine bay is as clean as it looks; with three SU carbs feeding that glorious straight-six engine, it sounds and runs beautifully, too including the overdrive.

The tester’s notes from his time with the car read “very strong engine, starts immediately on the button. drives very well” – and you can’t really ask for any more than that, can you?

The underside looks very strong, being neatly protected by underseal and free of any obvious rust. It really is a high point of the car and this, alongside that stunning MOT history, reassures us that this is a solid, rot-free example.

Work to do is minimal – and only then if you can’t stand the thought of living with the typical oil drip from the crankshaft oil seal. This is nothing more than a drip, which is why he’s never bothered to get it sorted. Other than this, the vendor tells us he can’t think of anything else that needs doing.

The last comment from the vendor was about the dip stick. It is a Jaguar part but not original to the MK2, therefore the markings to show the oil level are not corresponding to where it should be. He has punched a marking to dip to the correct level so the new owner should follow the punch mark and not the original markings. It’s a small point, but worthwhile making, as it could have grave consequences!

History Highlights

The Jaguar doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have the car re-MoT’d at the earliest. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

That said, when it expired in 2018 the previous nine MoTs had been gained without a single advisory point, so getting a new one probably isn’t going to be too much of a challenge.

It has a number of expired MoT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years. It also has a Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust certificate confirming its build specification as well as an original buff registration document.