I think this is my worst and most expensive mistake yet.

So, this is my newest project.  It's a 1962 Jag Mk2, that currently has no brakes and doesn't run.  The last time is was on the road was 1996 according to the sticker on the windshield.  The story from the seller is that it was parked then because of a bad master cylinder.  It came from New York, and it must have been garage kept from new, because there are only a couple rust spots behind the front tires.  The paint looks way better in pictures than it does in person, but it's old lacquer so it adds to the vintage look of it.  The biggest issue at the moment is that there is no fuel tank, and the brakes are all disassembled. 

I picked it up on Friday and the steering coupler broke as I was unloading it from the trailer.  I'm sure that's a sign of what I'm in for with this one. 

Now I've got to hurry up and move ahead with the Sonett and Beetle projects so I can focus on this one.

One of the prettiest sedans ever.

Put a SBC in!!! 

No, just kidding! I love it. Beautiful body lines, and that color looks fantastic. 

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:

One of the prettiest sedans ever.

It is truly a thing of beauty.

One of the very first Matchbox cars I can remember from childhood was a Jaguar Mark II sedan.  It was red, and the hood opened.  I wonder if that affected my opinion of them?

Great cars, but if they are rusty, best to walk on by!  I really enjoyed mine!

As to the brakes, the wrong brake fluid will cause no end of issues with the rubber in the system.  The rear end suspension will fall out of the car with just a few fasteners, this make rebuilding it much easier. As long as you can avoid doing any body and paint work before you get it back on the road, do it.

On the motor, getting the distributor rebuild will confirm the advance system is working and the shaft is not gimbaling in the housing. If it is the dwell on the points will float allover and the motor will never run right.  No one lubes these things and they suffer. 

In reply to jr02518 :

This is a Mark 2 with a live axle rear, no need to drop it to do the brakes.

Use Moss motors for parts, although Rock Auto has had some common parts in the past.  Welsh auto, Bill Terry of Terry's Jags  

  But do not use the Jaguar dealerships.  Not unless you are Bill Gates  or Warren Buffet. 

Nice! Use the retropower cars folks for inspiration:

https://youtu.be/ljWQJv1-pwY

In reply to wspohn :

This one is super solid.  There is a little rust in the front fenders behind the wheels.  

This would be my ultimate fantasy car for a DD.  

That is indeed a beautiful sedan!  

And no, SBC or LS is NOT the answer here.

In reply to Noddaz :

A late model; eh, put what ya want in. They ain't particularly special. 

THIS is special!

my SBC comment was 100% joke. Beautiful car

Congrats, I have a passing want to do one of these someday. Sweet car.

Great car! Thanks for sharing it.

Great news!  I put a battery in it last night, and all the electrics worked.  Lights, signals, wipers, washer, most everything.  I hit the start button and it spun over, so I hit it with some starting fluid and it fired up.  It still needs a fuel pump, gas tank and a good check of the cooling system, but it's a good sign and a step in the right direction.

Best tip I have for battling Lucas.  As long as your wires arent crunchy, cleaning connections and applying dielectric grease gets you a LONG way. 

Following with much interest.  Curious; Did you do anything to prep the cylinder bores before spinning the starter?

Apexcarver said:

Best tip I have for battling Lucas.  As long as your wires arent crunchy, cleaning connections and applying dielectric grease gets you a LONG way. 

That is also my routine approach. Once you do that they old stuff seems to stand up as well as modern rubber sealed connections.  It seems a bit much to condemn 50-60 year old electrics because they didn't use what we do as  matter of routine today. Plus you are doing a future owner a favour - many Lucas looms have been damaged when people just yard on wires that have been in situ for decades and - surprise - they stick and something (often the soldered lug at the end of the wire) gives up the battle.

Note - do NOT use it for ignition modules. That calls for the white heat sink grease that is heat conductive to save the modules from burning out.

In reply to HundredDollarCar :

The previous owner had oiled everything up and it full of brand new oil.  I was told the previous owner had a friend bore scope it, and it's super clean inside.  From the conversations we had, I believe him.  

Nice score. Terrific color. Please keep us posted on the progress. 

There was a low rider Jag like this at the swap meet last weekend , 

had hydraulics to lower it , nice flat paint and classic pin stripping , 

Sorry no photos ,  It went past me and my camera was in the truck.

The sounds from the big straight 6 are awesome!  Is this a 3.8?

I realized that I haven't updated in a while, I have been slowly tinkering on the Jag when I have the time.  I jacked up the front and realized the subframe mounts had come apart and the whole subframe was just hanging.  Gravity was literally holding the car together.  Out came the whole front suspension for a rebuild. 

I had accumulated all the parts over the past few weeks, I just haven't found the time.  Thanks to a knee injury that has kept me home the past couple days, the front is back together.  New bushings, ball joints, shocks, and brakes.  

Hopefully I can get it painted and installed by Sunday.  Then it's on to the rear.

Most excellent!