I have wanted to own a Mark II for some years now. I am in a position to finally acquire one, however I do not have unlimited resources $$. While I’d love to buy one, I am not mechanical and would need to have almost all work done by a competent shop. A suspect that a car 60 years old will need endless parts replaced, upgraded, etc. I fear that it will be an money pit for me. Would love to get a reality check from Jaguar owners. Thanks much !!
Schmitty
First thing you should do is update your location on your forum info. This will be of use to those providing you advise going forward. See my profile as an example.
Thanks for the tip , John.
Find someone who is an expert on these cars, and have them inspect any car you want to own: then, buy the best one you can that’s had the most work done on it properly.
It will be money well spent.
Good advice ! Thank you
I have owned and restored several MK 2 Jaguars I live in NC
Where do you live Mark? I am in Elizabeth City
I am in Boulder, Colorado.
I am 74 and retired now just tinker
This beautiful Mark 5 drophead is a regular attendee at the Portland ABFM, Saw it last weekend. Could it have been yours at one point?
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Wiggles advice is the right one - these cars are not particularly valuable. They cost a lot to restore and don’t sell for much. If you can buy a nice car, either original or restored, and drive it while fixing things here and there that’s your best bet.
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I sent you a PM…gimme a jingle!
This beautiful Mark 5 drophead is a regular attendee at the Portland ABFM, Saw it last weekend. Could it have been yours at one point?
Ours was green with saddle interior. My Dad got it from someone in the British Consulate when they were transferred out of Denver. Our family car until I was about 13. Even though I was just a kid, I have always remember that car
James,
Welcome. I’d also suggest reaching out to the local Jaguar club in your area and see if you could possibly meet with some MKII owners to see up close the areas to watch out for when you go look at some prospective cars and perhaps get some their opinions as what to look for when buying a MKII. The MKII’s, like any Jaguar (or any other cars of the era) are prone to rust in many areas such as the sills and the crows feet up under the front wings.
Also, if you haven’t already, take Paul (Wiggles) up on his offer to give him a call. He will provide a wealth of information to you on Jaguars and if asked he will come mow your lawn for you 
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Edging costs extra.
You asked for a reality check. The advice to find local owners and buy the best car you can is good, but you also need to find a local repair shop before you buy since you aren’t confident in doing repair work yourself. If you can’t find anyone reliable and reasonable (you said you are like most of us, not made of money), I wouldn’t take the plunge unless you want to learn to fix the car. The cars can be made reliable, but you will certainly need help.
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Chris, let me make sure I am understanding you: " wings" are fenders and “crow’s feet” are those lines emanating from the corners of my eyes since I was 13 y.o. ?
Ron: thank you for that good advice. I am trying to get around to visit some local independent shops…so far I have found one that does great work - assuming one is an oil baron or otherwise has very very deep pockets… seems like there is high demand for good British mechanical skills .
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Sorry About that James. Wings are the fenders and the crows feet are the support piece located at the base of the front of the wings which then connects to the inner support. They are nicknamed for their appearance and are good spot for rust. I’ve seen some pretty much gone. They do make replacements for them but in general it’s a good indicator of how prevalent rust is throughout the vehicle.
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Sorry About that James. Wings are the fenders and the crows feet are the support piece located at the base of the front of the wings which then connects to the inner support. They are nicknamed for their appearance and are good spot for rust. I’ve seen some pretty much gone. They do make replacements for them but in general it’s a good indicator of how prevalent rust is throughout the vehicle.
Aha! Thanks for that explanation. I will be on the lookout for rusted crows feet .
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You want a reality check: if you don’t like to do maintenance and regular work yourself, you have to buy a very good example that has been used regularly. Ideally you get along well with the previous owner. And factor in that like other cars from the era the Jags need a lot of regular maintenance and benefit from frequent use.
Then they are reliable and fun, did I mention good looking.
Find a mechanic who is good with machines and better not specialized in „foreign“ cars. And you should know the basics of how the car is put together so you’re neither careless not overly scared of the different noises and quirks that are part of the experience.
If you’re bound to take care of it I can only encourage you to go out and get one. Just keep in mind that there’s regular owners that keep up with the necessary, enjoy driving and are happy - then there’s others who spend tons of money at shops that don’t always get it right and then there are some like me don’t pay much at all to get similar results but spend a lot of mostly quality time in their sheds which is not for you. Find a good mechanic, a good car and one with a good body and interior.
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