New Guy Looking at buying a 1960 Mark II

Hello, new member looking to buy my first vintage Jaguar. I am going to inspect it this Sunday 10/9/22

I have seen a few pictures of it, and it looks good for the asking price considering it has been off the road for about 25 years. The seller has owned the car for about 30 years and it has been in dry storage for the last 25 years. He states the car ran well when he parked it for a rear brake issue that he never got around to addressing. He stated the engine turns over by hand with the spark plugs out, and the automatic transmission leaks oil at the pan gasket.
He says it was repainted once before he owned it, and is complete. It has around 50,000 miles on it LHD, White with Red Leather interior. He says it is complete.

My Question is where to inspect the car for rust? I know nothing about this body styleā€™s trouble spots.

The car will be a gift for my wife as she has always admired them.

I know at the very least the car will need all the fluids changed, the brakes inspected and repaired, new tires, probably shocks as well. Anything else I should assume will need to be addressed? besides the battery of course.

Thanks in advance for any help!

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If itā€™s for your wife, Iā€™d advise power assisted steering. If the car doesnā€™t have it, itā€™s possible to convert.

Check for rust everywhere in the bottom 6 inches of the body, especially in the box members that support the rear leaf springs, the jacking points, inner and outer sills (rockers), wheel arches.

Corrosion (and bad repairs) of the hidden areas at the bottoms of the door posts can be detected from the door fit (Google petersjaguarpages door fit). From a few inches below the carā€™s waist line down, the gaps should be parallel.

If you want to keep the interior original, check the leather isnā€™t cut or severely cracked. Dry and creased leather can be restored, but if it has to be replaced, itā€™s expensive.

I could go on, but Iā€™ll give someone else a chance. Good luck!

A few picture the seller provided (sorry for the multiple posts, but being a new member the site will only let me embed 1 picture per post

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Welcome to the loony bin
Donā€™t want to give you a cold shower but
Looks like it has rust along the fender seams from the picture but canā€™t be sure
As a heads up White is a color that hides imperfections . ( repainted )
How does your wife like breaking down the dream may be better than reality

My wife has a Mercedes 450 sl , Iā€™ve had to go get it more than once nothing really wrong with it and it qualifies for collector plates looks like new never been towed
And no the gas station attendant isnā€™t opening the hood to jump it no no no wait for Me

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Well, I like it ! after a long period of not running, its gonna have issues. Ask me how I knowā€¦

Look at the underside of the doors.

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Thanks for the replies, and yes my wife has driven older cars before, but usually one of my old Pontiacā€™s. And she knows to call me before the road service.
Any tips on where they are rust prone? The car is originally from NY for about the 1st 10 years, and then in Michigan after that. So I am a bit concerned about rust, anything serious will kill the deal for me, I canā€™t afford to get into body and paint, plus all the mechanical issues I know it will have.

Thanks again for any info.

Also I forgot to mention my wife says she is ā€œopen to any colors, as long as it isnā€™t Green, Blue, or Black, and the interior can not be Blue, Black, or Green.ā€ And it also has to be an automatic as she will no longer drive a manual trans.

So that kinda limits the options a bit.

If you go in with your eyes wide open, that looks like a pretty good starting point to me. Iā€™d own it! All the best, and welcome.

Hi Jeff and welcome! What engine does it have? Cylinder head looks dark blue - should be a 3.8. Use a cloth wrapped magnet to check lower panel sections for body filler. Read up on the Borg Warner DG250 transmission so that you understand the ā€œintermediate speed holdā€ feature. Itā€™s a solenoid operated manual downshift and hold - donā€™t need to use it often - but it is a little quirky. Turn the steering wheel to assess play - Itā€™s mostly bushes and a DIY job. Good luck with it.

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Yes it is a 3.8, I will defiantly read up on the transmission, thanks

Try and get under the car and look up around the lower door sills Bondo isnā€™t usually fared in very well in areas you canā€™t see it
Look in the trunk boot
Lift the carpets
Fresh under coat walk no run
Metal panel seams
Good luck

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Add to that to look at the crows feet under the front end. Youā€™ll understand why they are called that once you spot them. They are the braces that connect the front of the wings (fenders) to the frame. They tend to rust out.

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I would check why are rear spats held by external screws, not the original hidden fix points.
Also make sure it has seat belts mounted correctly - safety first !

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Thanks for all the tips! Also any Idea what aircleaner is installed on this car? It looks very different from the other ones I have seen.

That air cleaner set up is correct for an early 1960 MK2. It should include an oil bath cleaner under the left fender ahead of the tire. The black can on top of the engine is a silencer.

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Thanks for the quick response, I learned something today! :+1:

Cylinder head does not look dark blue to me, it looks silver or unpainted, which might be good news if that means the engine may have been rebuilt as well as the cylinder head. From the looks of the interior, Iā€™d say the car has spent most if not all of its existence in an enclosed garage. Wood looks good, and other than the need for new foam cushions on the front seats, a good dose of Leatherique "rejuvenatorā€™ and ā€˜prestine cleanā€™ (I have no affiliation with the firm other than having used these products myself) should spruce up the interior.