Race or restore? That is the question.

frenchyd said:

Still on the fence.  A whole lifetime of being frugal tells me not to ruin something nice, wait until I find one that needs a lot more and use that.  

The devil in me demands I get started right now so I can go racing before it’s too late. In the mean time I’m sorting, cleaning, prepping all the race stuff I have to get ready  so I won’t waste time once I do start. 

I’ll be going to my local Jag junkyard Monday to see if they have a candidate at a price I want to pay. 

You only live once and you cant take your toys with you (or so I hear).

CUT IT UP!

I get where you're coming from, Frenchy.  I saved a car that probably should have been crushed.  So taking one that could be nice and turning it into something to beat on is hard to do.  OTOH, starting with something that is already junk requires a lot more work, and the end result won't be as nice of a race car.  If the Jag isn't worth too much now, I doubt it's going to suddenly double in value.  Even if it does increase in value over the next few years, will that be worth the extra time, money, and pain of finding and fixing a lesser car?

In the end, do what makes you happy and you can't go wrong.  And post some photos so we can enjoy the ride with you.

You said before that 2000.00 is too much but the Black Convertible is still around,It looks pretty good but for the sun dried interior.

In reply to JoeTR6 :

Less than a year ago I passed on an early (1975) XJS with minor rust issues that someone had tried to stuff a Chevy V8 in, found out how much work it actually was and offered it for $100. 

I was flailing away trying to finish building my house and couldn’t deal with it.   

Problems others have make it very affordable for me.  A nice burned one would be right up my alley.  

In reply to JoeTR6 :

You have it right,  This one is just to nice. 

A race car you strip all the nice out to lighten it, burn off the undercoating and sound deadening. Then get serious about removing excess metal.  

In a Jaguar XJS you remove as much as 2000 pounds..  

 Why not start with a burned car or one already stripped? With not a lot of effort the one I already have can be polished up, tuned up, and become a lot more valuable.  

I do have time, I don’t have a lot of money

Try a different mind set.  Start a restoration on the one car.  Slowly.  Start a searching for parts you need.  During that search, a car body will turn up, since you are not actually looking for one.  Reverse psychology I guess.  I'm in the same boat, lots of time with no moola.

The “restoration” isn’t much work. Weather permitting I think I could have it market ready by the end of January and it won’t take much.   

Trying to sell a car like that in Minnesota in the winter isn’t going to be very high probability of success.  If I wait until spring it will go a whole lot better.  

So I’ll wait until spring. In the meantime I’ll look for it’s replacement. If spring comes and I haven’t found it’s replacement then I’ll gut it and start getting it ready to race

In reply to frenchyd :

From one old geezer to another. Go ahead and build this one into a race car. It will be so much easier constructing when you don't have to deal with making patch panels and rust repair on a clapped out one.  . Plus you don't have to go searching for one to replace this one.  Sell or give away.parts for someone else's restoration.  Not to.mention wasting time dealing with tire kickers. Let's face it, neither of us has much time for projects. The easier the build the better. Anyway, you and i won't be alive when it's appreciated enough to make any money.

Let the big cat run.  Just my two cents

Grab the grandkids, and get them involved in the restoration. {If they are old enough)  Take them for ice cream in the "new" ride.   Ask them if they want to help build a Race Car.  New project, viola.  

In reply to Ovid_and_Flem :

I consider myself an old geyser, since I'm always spouting off about something.

In reply to frenchyd :

I've got a decent '86 XJS parts car with V12 , missing headliner and distributor $800. I'm in Detroit area.

1989 Jaguar XJS coupe, Gray / tan Leather, 89,000 Original miles, V-12 motor, Automatic transmission, runs and drives, $1,500.00 Firm, 9.5.2.-4.1.2.-0.1.0.one, show contact info

Rear ended.

He has a $500 xjs already. Y'all ain't gonna get him to spend more than that. Find him a  $100 fire victim. 

Cheap and crispy.  Got it.  The hunt is on.

In reply to Motage :

good luck in selling it at that price.  I paid $500 for a really nice totally rust free one. And less than a year ago passed on a lump for $ 100 ( lumps are where someone puts a non original (V8) motor in) 

You  might sell it in parts for that.  In fact you could even get more.  

In reply to Ovid_and_Flem :

The clapped out part is simple to deal with. I simply grab good parts from my shelf and replace them.  Unlike most cars Jaguars are built with really high quality suspension parts that don’t need replacement.  

Jaguar has these really neat needle bearing suspension  bushings that you throw away and chuck some brass in the lathe and replace..  why? The whole suspension load is on one tiny needle bearing that only ever moves a few degrees and quickly loosens up.  

Wanna lower the car 2 inches?  The whole front and rear suspension sub frames are mounted on rubber for a smooth ride. Remove the rubber and the car loses weight and gets lower plus a whole lot more responsive.   

The whole car is like that. You don’t have to buy bigger sway bars.  The right size is available stock.  Earlier ones are best. Stiffer springs are. Available just by cutting a coil or two off and it lowers the car more.  The sedan is heavier and has stiffer springs and better shocks. Oh sure all out pro racing you can up grade but the difference isn’t that big!  

In reply to Dirtydog :

You aren’t really an old geezer until you have to wait for social security check to arrive to buy something.   And then wait for your retirement check to arrive to buy the other one. 

In reply to Dirtydog : unless you’re the minority in the sorority.  Eww! grandpa, I don’t want to get my fingernails dirty. 

In reply to frenchyd :

If all it needs is headliner and a distributer. I'd buy his at $800 all day if it wasn't way up in snowland. 

The $500 you paid for your particular car was a super deal. Like I've told you, rollers and shells usually go for $500-$1000. You need to check Craigslist and jag forums to see real prices. Your "network" isn't THE MARKET. Your expectations in price are unrealistic. The projects go for more than you think and the good ones go for less than you think. I've been looking for and at XJS' for a few years and keep passing on them for other cars. 

Now if you have the time and patience to find you a sub $500 car instead of using your current $500 find then more power to you!

In reply to GTXVette : Sun dried interior?  Too dried up for leather conditioner to work it’s magic?   Give it a few treatments and restitch any open seams.  Superglue leather tears and you might have to respray  the leather.  Clean polish and buff Then detail it like you’re going to a show.  

How does it run?   By buying some new rubber hoses and carefully rerouting them to look tidy you can make a massive improvement in running and appearance under the hood. Don’t forget coolant hoses, upgrade to silicone and the cost difference can be modest while the appearance will say a lot.  Pressure wash the engine, gearbox and rear end,  make them shine. Do a little careful paint touch up and when everything is as clean as possible spray it with armor-all  

 Minor work like oiling the distributor does wonders.  Electrical issues? re-tighten  connections, especially ground wires and most problems go away. What doesn’t Swap  components with junkyard parts( not worth buying new). Checking the throttle linkages  will usually solve a lot of smooth idle issues. Is the A/C. system properly charged?

change oils , filters, brake fluid, and  grease everything carefully.   New tires aren’t expensive.  But don’t go too cheap or too expensive. I sometimes find really great deals at the junkyard  .   

I’ll spend 3-4 weeks on a car to retail it but that can change a car from a few hundred dollar piece into several thousands  

yupididit said:

In reply to frenchyd :

If all it needs is headliner and a distributer. I'd buy his at $800 all day if it wasn't way up in snowland. 

The $500 you paid for your particular car was a super deal. Like I've told you, rollers and shells usually go for $500-$1000. You need to check Craigslist and jag forums to see real prices. Your "network" isn't THE MARKET. Your expectations in price are unrealistic. The projects go for more than you think and the good ones go for less than you think. I've been looking for and at XJS' for a few years and keep passing on them for other cars. 

Now if you have the time and patience to find you a sub $500 car instead of using your current $500 find then more power to you!

It’s not about a couple of hundred dollars.  It’s a car too nice when I can spend some time, fix it,sell it, and put money into the race car fund.  

I have more time and ambition than money. 

There are plenty of low dollar project cars.   Some are rust buckets and not worth the time, Some are missing critical parts.  ( windshield wiper motors are the first pieces sold and you’ll need them to race in the rain) 

The asking price on many may be too high but in time a reasonable number sometimes can be arrived at.  

From 1975 through 1980 only a few years were world wide sales over 2000, one year less than 1000. From 1981 on sales dramatically increased  and because they stayed in production so long ( 21 years)  there are a fair number around.  The last series  (1992-1996 ) are the most reliable  and most powerful 

The best racers are the early ones, they start out 5-600 pounds lighter, have better suspension  and simpler engine systems   No they don’t make the most horsepower but they have the potential to make the most. Yes their transmission is the worst  but it will be tossed in favor of a manual 

In reply to Ovid_and_Flem : 

when you have more time ( I’m a few months short of 70 ) and ambition than money you have to be careful.  If I strip it and start getting it ready to race. It will be at least two years before I can buy the required safety gear and go fast stuff I want.  

Not expecting it but if I should take a long dirt nap chances are someone will be paid to haul it away.  

If I fix this one up and sell it for a nice price money will go in the race car fund and it might only be a year before I’m on the track.  Or if the long dirt nap occurs at least nobody will have to pay to get rid of it.  

In reply to frenchyd :

You must not be that much of a geezer in spirit since you're building a connubial nest in anticipation of upcoming nuptials.

In reply to frenchyd :

The car is still sitting where I last saw it / In the middle of the Garden it looks. I am just 66 today and have bought another project along with the corvette's (projects) So I may be Full up on Toys.Oh and the Cobra Frame. The Kids In the Family will likely just Dump the Cars but there will be a Fight for the Tools When My Time is up.