2008-07-17 08:09:51 | pauls writes:

Ebay item 7/17/08
cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jaguar-XK120-Coupe-1953-Jaguar-XK120-Coupe-1-owner-since ...
Current bid $39,995, no reserve, 1 bid, 6 days left in auction.

Sellers description:
1953 Jaguar XK120 fixed head coupe. VIN #W79718 79, 820 original miles.

Chassis #P81010; Body #J3021; Engine #W7971-8; Gearbox #J16102

This description is somewhat unusual compared to many ads, because this car has been in my family since 1955, and I have first-hand knowledge of its use and care over the last 53 years.

Like many other American soldiers, my father returned from service in England during World War II with a new passion for English cars. Even though I was only 4 years old at the time, I remember our family driving 400 miles to Los Angeles in November of 1955 so he could test drive a few XK120’s and hopefully buy one. My mother convinced him to get a coupe instead of a roadster, despite the fact that she bought a 1953 Mercury convertible on the same trip! My father remembers that the owner would not let him drive the car, instead only letting him along for the ride as a passenger. Narrowing it down to 3 cars, he negotiated a price of $1900 for this one and we drove it home. It has been in our family since, always garage-kept in Modesto in California’s dry Central Valley. My father is now 96 and stopped driving the car 5 years ago after incurring the slight front end damage seen in the pics. He drained the water from the engine, and parked in his garage at home. This year I became the car's caretaker, although my father is the sole owner on the title. It is registered and licensed for operation in California through May 2009, and my father will sign off on the title for the new owner.

I had plans to get the car running again and use it occasionally for pleasure driving. I located a mechanic familiar with older cars in May of this year in order to get it back on the road. He drained and flushed all fluid systems, rebuilt the carburetors, replaced the batteries, cleaned the starter motor, rebuilt the generator, repaired the brakes by fitting cylinder rubbers, drained and filled the gas tank, gave it a tune up and made sure that horn, instruments, lights and turn signals worked. Due to overheating issues, I had another shop replace the radiator core and install a new proper thermostat and hoses that I purchased from XK’s Unlimited.

Unfortunately, after driving it for about one month, the right front wheel brake cylinder failed. I received an estimate to do the brake job, and realized that keeping the car roadworthy would involve extensive replacement of parts too aged to rebuild, not to mention ongoing maintenance. Sobered by the cost involved (and having invested over $2500 already), I asked my father’s permission to sell the car, which he readily agreed to.

I am 57 years old, and remember much of the car’s history. My father drove it back and forth to work about 5 miles a day, with occasional longer drives. This limited use explains the low mileage, and, of course, as he got older the car saw less and less use.

When he purchased the car, it had an AM radio with a chrome faceplate that annoyed him so much he removed it. We have never had the original dashboard drawer. He did his best to maintain the interior wood, and may have refinished it at some point. Most of the wiring under the hood is still the fabric covered original.

The factory paint job was rather thin and faded very badly along the fenders and hood by the early ‘60’s, resulting in dark red primer showing though on those surfaces. Sometime during the 1960's, the car was involved in a low-speed rear-ender that damaged the rear portion of the trunk lid. Some evidence of the damage can still be seen, especially around the trunk handle. The car was repainted in the early ‘70’s in a color that closely matched the original Dove Gray. The body color parts of the hub caps and wheels are brush-painted. You’ll notice that the skirts are a different shade – it’s because they were not repainted, and still wear their original paint.

There is also damage where the right front fender is bent under at the lower edge of the right front fender just behind the right front wheel. The more recent dented and bent right front bumper, dented right headlight ring and dented bodywork under and around the front bumpers was the result of my Dad driving into some landscaping when parking at a restaurant about 5 years ago. Strangely enough, a symptom of having low brake fluid in this car is a tendency for the motor to rev when the brakes are applied at low speeds - it even mentions this phenomenon in the brake troubleshooting area of the manual - and I think this caught him out. It certainly got my attention when it did it again while I was driving it this year!

Distracted by family health issues, my father let the car sit neglected in his garage for a few years during the 1970’s. He did not prepare adequately for long-term storage, and neglected to drain the water from the engine block. The original block corroded, and another used block was installed, so the motor’s VIN number does not match the tag on the body. I don’t have the receipts for this repair, but I remember that a full upper and lower rebuild was performed. Around the same time my father, who was a professional upholsterer, reupholstered the interior in a color similar to the original green leather, but sewed a non-original motif on the door panels.

My father did a better job of maintaining the engine than replacing suspension parts. I have a receipt dated 9/25/2001 for $3966.74 to replace the corroded old head with a used one, and valve job at 79,718 miles. I know that the rear leaf springs and their leather coverings were replaced during the 1980’s. I have no receipts of any other work done to any of the chassis/suspension/brake components. As a result of typical oil leaks, the transmission mounts and other parts that deteriorate due to exposure to lubricants need replacement, and the undercarriage is covered with a long accumulation of oil and fluids. The left rear link that connects the shock absorber to the chassis is missing. Most of the rubber weather stripping is dry and needs replacing, especially around the windshield. With the exception of rock damage to the right windshield, all of the glass is original and in good condition.

I have viewed the car from underneath, and it is very solid, although caked with old oil and lubricants. There is no rust on any part of the body, the wooden floor and trunk boards are sound, as is the lid trunk framing, and it appears that the car has not sustained accident damage other than the minor areas noted above. I know for a fact that, other than the trunk lid repair, no body work has been done to the car while my father has owned it. You can see in the pics that the panel fit on the right side is remarkable, with tight shut lines. You can also see that the driver’s side door sags somewhat from years of use, but it still closes and locks.

The engine starts right up, and runs smoothly with good power. The exhaust system emits a distinctive rumbling at low speeds that smoothes out to a glorious drone at speed. I limited myself to around 60 MPH this year, but it was more than willing to do that for miles at a time, and it goes down the road with the characteristic Jaguar “on rails” demeanor. Except for the brakes, the car is a pleasure to drive, and consistently draws admiring comments from other drivers. It has a nice solid feel, and I think it would make a wonderful restoration for someone with the patience and financial means to undertake the project.

Other than starting it every few days, I no longer drive it due to the unsafe brakes, although it is fully insured. When the brake fluid level is low, the brakes pull erratically (and violently) and stop very poorly, and have failed completely on me on one occasion. This car should not be driven – it is not safe to drive. I feel strongly about this, and I will not release it to the winning bidder unless transportation is provided for it.

The car is presently located within minutes of where I work in Santa Rosa, California, and I can arrange inspections. Due to the poor condition of the brakes, I cannot allow test drives, although I will be happy to start the car for you.

2008-08-08 09:09:59 | pauls writes:

Car returns to ebay 8/8/08
cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jaguar-XK120-Coupe-1953-Jaguar-XK120-Coupe-1-owner-since ...
Opening bid $35,000, no reserve, no bids yet, 6 days left in auction.

Previous auction ended at $39,995 after 1 bids.