buying a 1968 Jaguar MK2 240 would like to check it

Prior to carrying out a road test under bonnet fluid levels were checked and found to be correct, at this point the vehicle was started with no permanent warning lights displayed on the driver’s information panel, with the vehicle started readily from partly warm.

The road test was carried out at speeds of up to 50mph, in mixed road and traffic conditions.

During the road test the pay attention to the performance of the engine and transmission with the engine and transmission performance be considered in line with a similar vehicle the same make and model the similar mileage.

Throughout the course of the road test the vehicle handled and performed in a good manner i have to say for its age, steered the chosen path of travel correctly and was free from any abnormal noise or vibration. However heavily pulls to left. Has more static noise observed when selecting gears on ground checks.

During the road test there was no evidence of any excessive smoke from the exhaust, due slightly
audible noises from the rear differential can be noticed and no evidence of overheating.

With final checks revealing no evidence of coolant leaks in and around the engine bay, or
evidence of major oil leakage around the engine bay and or on the underside of the vehicle. However leaks present.

Overall conclusion at the time of inspection; vehicle is in average condition for the age and mileage. With repairs required. Current owner has spent 12k on this car. Vehicle needs repairs and improvements treat as project car. Its usable car. Best part of it is good interior and brake callipers restored. Its hard to give repair costs but have £5000 easy on side. For this price I would not expect anything better.

Vehicle aesthetic is in average to poor for the age and mileage.

Vehicle interior is in good to average for the age and mileage.


Most recent service completed YES.

Prior to purchase, consideration must be given to the collective cost involved in the rectification of the desirable items listed within the report. These items should be reflected in the purchase price of the vehicle or rectified before purchase.

See my attached audio feedback.

*Expect vehicle may have previous insurance bodywork repairs carried such or end of lease resprays for improvements or seller repair work or accident damage recorded or non recorded - which is not checked on this inspection package. *

Conclusion:

There are reasons to reject this vehicle if you find not suitable for you expectations.

Please call me back at your convenience once you have reviewed my report in detail, should you have any questions or require any advice.

Recommendation if deciding to purchase:

•Carry out full car history check.
•Always obtain appropriate extended warranty for your car.
•Customer must ensure that the seller has the legal right to sell the vehicle and that a valid purchase agreement is in place. I don’t verify legal ownership of the vehicle. Proof of ownership should be obtained in the form of a purchase invoice, receipt, or other supporting documentation.
•Advised to call previous maintenance provider to see if the vehicle has valid service records.


My further brief with bit help to summarise my thoughts what i think:

Following my inspection, my overall view is that this is not a bad vehicle, but it needs to be considered realistically for what it is: a 57-year-old classic car that was substantially restored approximately 17 years ago and is now beginning to show the age and quality of some of that previous work.

The bodywork presents reasonably well from a distance, but on closer inspection there are a number of imperfections, including filler-related issues, paint runs and areas where previous repairs are beginning to deteriorate. This is not particularly unusual with classic cars of this age, especially where restoration work was carried out many years ago and not necessarily to the highest standard. Localised or temporary repairs could be carried out to improve individual areas, but in my opinion, if you wanted the bodywork brought up to a genuinely high standard, it would eventually require a more comprehensive restoration.

Mechanically, there are positives. The vehicle has clearly had considerable previous work and appears to have had sensible, generally good-quality parts used in areas such as the suspension and transmission. The gearbox appears to have been rebuilt previously, and the engine also appears to have had previous work carried out. Therefore, I would not consider this to be a completely patched-up vehicle where every mechanical component needs rebuilding.

That said, there are several areas that will require further expenditure. As discussed during the inspection, the gearbox requires attention, the clutch requires attention, and the rear axle will need rebuilding. There are also various noises and other mechanical issues noted during the inspection that should be taken into consideration.

I would also recommend having the engine properly tuned. The distributor was loose, so the ignition timing should be checked and correctly adjusted, together with the fuel mixture. I also noticed black smoke when the engine was revved, despite it being partly warm, which further suggests that the mixture and general state of tune require attention.

There are also some mechanical and electrical repairs where, in my opinion, the quality of workmanship and attention to detail could have been better, particularly with some of the more recent work. These may not all be major problems individually, but collectively they represent additional items that you may need to rectify over time.

The seller advised that approximately £12,000 has recently been spent on the vehicle. While that expenditure is relevant, it does not automatically mean that everything has been rectified correctly as I reflect to qualify of work undertaken previously by repairer. Where issues remain following that work, those issues and their associated costs will effectively pass to you as the next owner.

The seller also mentioned many times that I am not specifically a “classic car guy.” As I explained to him, I am assessing the vehicle from the perspective of its actual condition, identifying faults, looking at the standard of previous repairs and considering what those issues could potentially cost you to rectify. The fact that this is an old classic vehicle provides context for the faults, but it does not make those faults irrelevant. Anything that is not right will ultimately require time and money to correct.

I also want to make clear that I am giving you a skeptical professional assessment. It is not possible during an inspection to identify or describe every potential issue in absolute detail, particularly on a vehicle of this age. My purpose is to give you a realistic understanding of its overall condition and the areas where I believe further expenditure is imminent.

You should therefore approach this vehicle on the basis that you will need to continue spending money on it. Some issues can be dealt with progressively, while others, particularly the bodywork, will depend on what standard you ultimately want to achieve.

At the same time, I would not view the vehicle as a complete restoration project. There are areas that have previously been done to a sensible standard, and you are not starting from a car where the engine, gearbox, suspension, axle, wiring and entire body all need rebuilding from scratch.

From a general value-for-money perspective, I believe this is important. You are getting a substantially complete and usable classic vehicle that has already had considerable work and investment. Despite the issues I have identified, there is a solid foundation to build on. It gives you something sensible to improve progressively rather than starting with a completely unrestored or heavily patched-up example.

Overall, the vehicle looks reasonably presentable from a distance and has a sensible underlying basis, but closer inspection shows areas requiring further work. You should factor the gearbox, clutch, rear axle, engine tuning, various mechanical and electrical items, and future bodywork into your expectations and budget.

My overall advice is simply to consider the vehicle with these costs in mind. If you purchase it, you should do so understanding that it is a 57-year-old classic with an older restoration and that you will continue spending money on it. However, from the perspective of what you are starting with, there is a reasonable and solid base on which to carry out further repairs and improvements over time.