Better Beaters - Building Cars and Daily Drivers

 What should I do with my old '51 Jaguar?

It's actually a pretty good looking car. The lower profile wheels, whitewalls
 and shiny caps are a definite improvement.

It's still hiding under what's left of that car cover 
in my sideyard.

It's been sitting there, going on three years.

The first thing that I should do is see if I can get the engine to start.

I've already changed the oil and filter. Did you know that the sump holds 12 qts. of oil?

I found that the carbs were gunked up, preventing the linkage shaft and throttle drums from moving. I should clean them up and reassemble everything. I've already got the rebuilding kits. 

If I could get the motor to fire, wow, that would really be something. Even if it just runs for 10-15 seconds.

This would also make the car so much more salable, not that I really want to sell it, but it could be a viable option. It would also be a real jump start to my motivation.

I know that the engine and transmission alone are worth much more than the entire car. Parting out the drive train could net me a little bit of profit. But that's not why I bought it. It was a cool looking old car with a good story and history. I thought that deserved to be saved, but I'd have to do it on my own terms. These terms have resulted the the car sitting for than a few more years. 

Just when I had pretty much given up hope on fixing the brake and clutch systems I received an e-mail notification from SNG Barret, the Jaguar parts suppliers.

It advised me that they had expanded their coverage of classic car parts availability. This piqued my curiosity, could they actually have parts available for my Mark VII?

I clicked on the link  and after selecting Early Saloons, Mark VII, I clicked on the brake parts and was greeted by the sight of a NEEEWWWW master cylinder! Wow! It cost 442.90, not cheap, but reasonable. 

Could it get any better? It could!

I searched through the clutch section and there was a new master for a slightly more surprising 743.99! More than I'd like to pay, of course, but still do able.

There was a new slave cylinder available for 125.00 and even more surprising, a non replica type master available for a paltry 151.92! 

I had almost given up on the idea of moving forward with my Mark.

As I've stated, I can replace components, but fabricating a new braking system was well outside my capabilities. 

Excited as I am, I'm not going to fire up the credit card and send away for these parts- not yet at least. 

Let's see if I can actually get the motor to fire up and run for a bit, so I know that it is okay. I can run a line from a gas can to the carbs, bypassing the tank and fuel pump. I'm not going to make the rookie mistake of ordering a bunch of expensive new parts without doing my due diligence.

One of the worst mistakes is to buy all kinds of new parts before you've made the decision that the project is viable. Then the car and parts are offered up at a low price when you try to unload the mess!

This new availability is some real good news for me, as it provides me with a real opportunity to move my project forward. 

Funny how things can change over night.

Now I have an option open to me. There are more factors to consider.

While I haven't made any definite choices, the decision to reassemble the carbs and prepare the motor to try to start it seems like a reasonable and affordable plan of action. 

The existence of those brand new, needed hydraulic items gives me more than hope, it gives me options. 

Funny how things can change overnight. 

So I started thinking about the cosmetics. The top surfaces of the car have sections of surface rust where the paint had peeled away. The top of the hood, roof, and parts of the trunk lid area all have this surface rust. The body only has a couple of small dents, overall it's pretty straight. But it looks pretty bad, my Daughter refers to it as "the rust bucket." Of course.

Truthfully it does look pretty sad. 

If it was painted a nice overall color, even if it wasn't a mirror smooth finish, it would change everyone's perceptions. Even an over all coat of single color primer would be a huge improvement!

I'm no Jay Leno, so funds are going to be limited. I need to find a do-able, low cost, DIY solution.

Luckily I have some ideas.