2008-08-18 07:31:28 | pauls writes:

Ebay item 8/18/08
cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jaguar-Mark-10-4-2_W0QQitemZ270266388406QQcmdZViewItem
Current bid $4,999 reserve not met 3 bids, 9 days left in auction. 165k miles.

Sellers description:
Original and very well kept Jaguar Mark 10. The car was originally sold in British Columbia, where it was maintained by a fastidious owner. It was later sold to a Jaguar enthusiast in western Alberta, who kept it up with equal care. His death has left the car to his two sons, neither of whom lives close to Edmonton, where the car has been in storage. They have commissioned me to sell the vehicle for them, as I have a good knowledge of Jaguars and of British cars in general.

The car is complete with service history, factory service manual, new spare parts, factory tool kit complete with all the correct Jaguar-marked tools, the jack and tire tool, and spare tire. It also has a quality car cover.

The engine has been completely rebuilt, with new parts, including the cylinder head. heater core, radiator and many ancillary parts were also rebuilt, while new hoses, belts etc. etc. were included. It has just had a complete carburetor rebuild and major tuneup. All of this is documented in the service history, which shows many thousands of dollars spent.

It has had some light conservation work done to it over the years. I estimate that the paint is approximately 25 years old but has minimal signs of chip damage or other flaws. There is a small repaired area on the LF fender just ahead of the door opening plus there is a crack in the paint on the LH headlamp eyebrow, caused by a rock chip. The lower front valance was apparently missed when the car was repainted as it shows rust and some rock denting, but no major problems. This could be re-painted very easily. There are other small signs of aging but the paint is still very presentable.

All chrome is very nice and largely original. I think the front bumper chrome has been re-done – probably when the car was repainted. The hood mascot (popularly called a "leaper" for its leaping Jaguar representation) and the grille are excellent, as are the horn grilles and headlamp doors. The rear bumper and other brightwork is also very nice, as are the tail lamp doors and license surround. The locks on the fuel tank filler doors are working properly, as are the door handle locks. Mark 10s had connected fillers, so it is not necessary to fill each tank separately.
All door handles are very nice, as are the chromed brass, door window surrounds. I have rarely seen such fine, largely original brightwork on a car of this age.

All glass is good with no chips or breaks, and the front and rear plated glass surrounds are in good shape and well anchored. There is no sign of leakage from windscreen or rear window and the rubber gaskets are still pliable. Door seals are showing some age at the top of the doors but otherwise are fine.

The body is remarkably rust free and very straight, while the underside is in very good condition as well. Floors are solid and there is no visible rust in body members.

The interior is in excellent condition with very presentable original leather. There are no seam separations and only one small repaired crease on the driver’s cushion near the left side. Naturally, the greatest wear is to the driver's seat. The leather is still very supple and comfortable, although as expected, the driver’s seat is getting a big saggy and could probably use some new strapping and foam. The seat in my XJ-S, a twenty-year newer car has the same problem.

The wood is excellent - even stunning - throughout, and may have been re-lacquered but it is not at all obvious.

Carpets are original and very nice, as are the over-rugs, although there is some fading to the driver's over-rug, which is turning a bit pinkish. All knobs and switches are intact and all function, as they should. The original radio is working but the antenna has been broken off and should be replaced. It sits in the body and looks good, but it isn’t connected to the rest of the mast. It is a simple manual antenna and very easy to replace, as it is accessible from top and bottom, by virtue of being mounted in the front fender adjacent to the bonnet opening.

The heating system operates correctly with controls responding, as they should. The cowl air door opens automatically when the engine starts. The car does not have air conditioning as it is a bit early for that feature.

The steering wheel is covered with a period lace-on leather cover – probably to enhance grip on the factory black plastic wheel. I can feel no breaks or chips under the cover and I suspect the wheel is in excellent shape. What is visible is certainly ok. I didn’t want to remove the cover as I felt it doesn’t denigrate the condition and does make it easier to grip.

Lighting operates correctly and all bulbs are working. Speedo and tach are working and free of the usual Smith’s hiccups. All other instruments operate correctly. The wipers wipe quite vigorously when asked and the windscreen washer does so, when required.

Under the bonnet, the engine compartment and engine are clean. The aluminum could use a good polish but otherwise there are no problems. The car has just had a major tuneup, involving the replacement of the alternator and a complete rebuild of all three carburetors as well as full ignition work.

In the boot, everything is quite remarkably clean and original. The floor is carpeted and correctly matches the hardboard boot sides and underside of the lid. The toolbox is in its place and properly retained by the small cam and lever for this purpose. On opening the toolbox, one finds the complete original tool kit, with each tool in its recessed niche in the box. The spare is properly mounted and the jack tools are in their places. The lock operates correctly and the lid opens and closes without drama.

DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
The car starts promptly and warms up on the starting carb, as it should. However I think the thermostat controlling the starting carb is shutting it off a bit early, as the car wants to stall unless it is driven immediately after a short warmup. I suspect that a bit more carb fiddling is needed.

The valves have had a recent adjustment and sound exactly right. There is some oil seepage from the right cam cover, which would be easy to re-seal. The exhaust manifolds even have a good portion of the original enamel, a very unusual sight on a vintage Jaguar.

The car runs well and drives very nicely, except that the throttle linkage needs some adjustment and probably some new bushings to remove some of the slack. I found the pedal had too much free play and was rather catchy and stiff to push, which made it somewhat challenging to start off smoothly. Part of this may be attributed to the three carburetors, each with its own throttle spring, as well as the pedal-arm and cross-shaft springs. As with any old car, there is always some small job that needs doing.

The engine has very good power, while the gearbox shifts positively and perhaps a bit roughly until it warms up. With this automatic, like Ford units of the era, the car will start off in second gear if the D2 setting is chosen. To start in first gear, D1 must be selected. Come to think of it, my Nissan 300ZX does exactly the same thing, as it has a Borg-Warner type transmission. The unit used in the Mark 10 is the Borg-Warner Model 8.

Steering is very good with a nice level of boost and quick response, while the brakes work very well, with smooth and powerful stopping. My only gripe is the low seating position, which can be fixed, and the lack of a tilt control on the steering wheel. Like all Jaguars, it has a telescoping wheel but as this moves closer it rises higher and becomes harder to see over if you are under 6’ tall. There are no problems if the seat is moved closer and the wheel kept closer to the dash.

The signal lamps work properly but the cancel ring seems to be missing the mark as they do not cancel. Many of my older cars have this same problem. One fixes or adapts. It may have been apart for some reason and assembled incorrectly. This is often the cause of many malfunctions.

The car is a bit too noisy as a result of some deterioration of the mufflers and resonators. The system is still factory correct, including the extended, slash-cut, chrome tail pipes, but some repair will be necessary. New appropriate parts will be readily available at any quality muffler shop.

The fabulous “Jaguar Ride” is very evident in the car as we motor along on Edmonton’s winter-damaged streets. The car ignores potholes and heaves in the road with aplomb. It steers very well, and is smooth and quite free of major rattles and squeaks. My wife likes to sit in the rear and give the occasional queenly wave to the gawking multitudes as we cruise by.