2008-06-20 08:17:44 | pauls writes:

Ebay item 6/20/08
cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jaguar-Mark-9-Mk-9-saloon-not-fixed-head-coupe-not-XK-12 ...
Current bid $1,000 reserve not met, 1 bid, 9 days left in auction. Buy it now price $19,875.

Sellers description:
1959 Jaguar Mark IX Saloon.
Older restoration of a lovely motorcar

This is absolutely an exceptional vehicle. I routinely see people approach the car to simply photograph it, and I have seen several people pose in front of the car for a picture when this remarkable vehicle is parked. It is that wonderful... the kind of car you just never see anymore... with flowing lines that literally stop people in their tracks. I have a Bugeye, and while it elicits thumbs-up and people often stop to talk when I park it, it isn’t an elegant art piece in the same way... this Jaguar is just plain beautiful and it is appreciated by car nuts and pedestrians alike. Even though this isn’t a perfect restoration, the car still belongs in a museum, simply because of its stature.

I purchased this car from a gentleman whose dad bought the car in 2002 as a restored vehicle. He died some years later and the car sat in a garage for about four years before the son sold it to me (he ran it regularly). I recently made a significant investment of time and money to get this exceptional car back on the road. In the process we addressed a number of issues in order to make this a great driving car.

Specifically, I hired a local classic Jaguar expert to repair a long list of items: bleed the brakes and replace all the hydraulic fluid, drain the gas tanks, clean the fuel filter, lubricate the chassis and suspension, repair one of the twin fuel pumps, tune and synchronize the SU carburetors, adjust the timing, change the oil and filter, replace a leaking oil pressure gauge hose, replace the lower radiator and radiator bypass hoses, replace the rubber gaskets for the fuel tank fillers and clean out the fuel filler drains (to prevent rain water from entering the fuel tanks). The shop also thoroughly inspected the vehicle. It is now done and in solid driving condition and ready to enjoy this summer. She’s ready for car shows and picnics, and would feel right at home at any wedding or polo match.

Mechanicals
The car drives extremely well, both around town and on the highway. The power brakes work perfectly, as do the power steering and automatic transmission. She has a 3-speed automatic transmission with a nifty electric downshift switch on the dash. This enables you to downshift without stomping the gas. The system works perfectly.

The car is not perfect and has a few mechanical issues (don't all British cars?)... nothing to stop you from enjoying the car right now. The valves will need to be adjusted. The tachometer seems fine but the tach generator (which drives off one camshaft) is not working. I have called Nisonger Instrument repair and they report that they can repair this item for a fee of about $75. The ether tube for the water temperature gauge is broken and Nisonger can also rebuild the temperature gauge for a fee of $155. I would have sent these parts out for repair but there is an eight-week lead time and I did not want to keep the car off the road all summer. So budget $230 to repair these gauges at a later date. My local restoration shop is available to be retained to do this work for the new owner should that be desired.

The oil pressure gauge works perfectly and the oil pressure is good. We tested the water temperature at the block, radiator and head with a laser thermometer and the car runs at 175 degrees when hot, the perfect and correct operating temperature. Of note regarding the cooling system is that the antifreeze was completely clean when we drained the system to replace the water hoses. We expected to see brown and rusty coolant in the drain pan since the car had not been used much in recent years... instead, the car was full of perfectly clean green antifreeze, a great sign of a good maintenance history. This explains the correct operating temperature... the cooling system is in good order, and now with all the water hoses replaced, should last the new owner many years to come without issue. The dual stainless steel exhaust system is also new. This was a significant investment by the former owner.

One of the fuel gage senders is not working, and may just be stuck from sitting. I did not have time to remove it and check it. The fuel gauge is working properly... we tested this... but it only reads the fuel quantity on one of the twin tanks. Other than these few issues, the car is in good mechanical shape.

Interior
The car has wonderfully restored leather seats—buckets in the front (I understand this is a rare option) and a plush bench seat in the rear. The leather shows very little wear and is in excellent condition.

The carpets are marginal and will need to be replaced soon. They are fine for this summer but have a few tears and show some wear. The car also needs a new door gasket set as the original door rubbers have dried out. This is about a $260 investment and available from SNG Barratt, a great Jag supply house for parts. I can give the contact info for parts suppliers to the new owner if needed. The burl wood on the dash and doors is in good shape, as is the wood on the fold-down picnic tables. The rare and optional sunroof is in good working order.

Body and paint
The body shows a few imperfections but is in good shape. There are no dents or dings on the car but a few small scratches. There are a few blisters starting to form in the paint along the lower edges of the rockers and fenders. These are only noticeable at about 5 feet... most people would not see them. The paint still shines well and is a decent job. I presume it is hand-rubbed lacquer. The floors are all solid. The chrome is excellent. The chrome trunk latches and one tail light housing show some pitting but shine well. The bumper chrome is excellent, with only a minor ding on the left rear bumper. Glass is all perfect. Rubber glass gasketing is good but some is starting to crack. It all looks fine and would be perfectly serviceable as long as the car is not left outside in a deluge. The trunk is excellent and rust free.

The underside of the vehicle shows some rust repair in the outer sills. Some steel patch panels have been welded in place during the car’s restoration and it is done adequately. See the underbody video for a video tour underneath the car.

The tool kit is missing from the driver's door panel. I have seen these items listed on ebay if you should choose to replace them.

Driving impressions
I recently read that the Queen of England was routinely transported in a Mark IX in the 60s and this does not surprise me. You will feel like royalty in this car. It is powerful, and stately. It has the long wheel base feel of a luxury tourer and yet if fits reasonably in any garage. It also handles quite well for a car of this size and has good power. On the highway, the car runs straight and true, cruises effortlessly at 70MPH or more without vibration. The lovely Dunlop tires are massive and contribute to the supple ride quality. They are slightly cracked but serviceable.

Summary
This is a great example of a lovely car. It’s in solid condition. While there are a few imperfections, the car looks beautiful, shines well, drives well and is ready for your enjoyment. Good luck bidding and if you win, get ready to own a piece of motoring history unlike anything almost else on the road!
This vehicle is sold with a CT transferable registration and bill of sale.

2013-01-21 12:16:44 | r hughes writes:

the queen of scotland also travelled in a mk 9