Hey all,

Curious to know roughly what would a fully restored rhd 1956 mk1 2.4 manual with overdrive be worth with matching numbers ?

thanks.

 

It's Not worth what it would take to get to fully restored.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't. Look at the longer threads on this forum. Much passion for the hobby & any level of $ you could imagine.
Went to a great seminar last weekend. The sound advice included.
Most if not all collectible cars are not investments.
By something that you love and will drive.
The money will take care of itself. I think he meant if your worried about what you put into it, you don't love it enough.
Love the car. If you love the car and take care of it, then when it's time to sell, there is someone out there that will love it too.

 

Thanks for the replay.

I do understand paying for it to be done by a shop is pricey but luckily i have learned to restore cars from my father, so I plan to restore mine myself so labour costs are gone and the part i can't do which is interior side needs a light tidy up as already re upholstered and all guages switches ect. Are done.

the veneer on the wood I'd have to get redone as a few bits have lifted on corners besides that interior is immaculate.

Whats left for me to do is drivetrain, rust, bodywork/paint and some chrome the car has been fully restored previously by someone else but the work under paint was poorly done.

being a complete car no parts need sourcing.

so just trying to find a ballpark figure of a finished car.

 

Mk I's aren't worth as much as a similar condition Mk II, though still a bit more than an S-Type or 420. The 2.4's probably the least desirable motor to have, but overdrive adds value. It's hard to say how much the car's worth, as the market varies a lot around the World, with America generally having the lowest prices. Best advice would be to check out the internet to see what cars are asking around your area, keeping in mind that the asking price is rarely the actual price paid. Good luck, & don't forget to post pics of your progress.

 

Thanks for your reply

but yeah i have checked around its hard to tell as the price range varies from $40-80k in AUD only real comps i can find are in the UK being rhd there is very few i can find in Australia well not just here but worldwide very few are forsale. Which makes it hard to determine a budget to set when building it.

 

Mark 1s have never achieved the prices of Mark 2s in similar condition, but this may change. After all, who knows what cars might become desirable in the future. What we do know, however, is that both cars cost the same huge sums to restore !

 

So, you're on the Yorke Peninsular SA. Beautiful place. I used to holiday there when I lived in Clare. Your car looks like a solid enough prospect for a rebuild, though it's hard to tell where rust can be lurking, as I'm sure you're well aware. But if you've got the skills to deal with it I'd say you're well ahead of most of us here. You've got to remember that the global market is where these cars should be judged. As you've already discovered, they're very rare cars. This is especially true for the country of their birth, where most rusted away from salt damage decades ago. So a rust free survivor, from one of the driest parts of the planet, in RHD, will draw series attention in the UK, which is where I'd be marketing this car, or at the very least, fix the pricing around what it could fetch internationally.
Hope you're good with a camera, as I can't wait to see how this build unfolds.
Good luck!

 

Bonhams, or any other reputable auction house, could give you a guiding range of what to expect. But even they can't predict how much buyer interest there will be on the day, & it only takes two cashed-up Buyers to REALLY want the car.
If you're doing up this car for the joy of the restoration, or because it has some special significance to you, & you intend to keep it for a while. I can't encourage you enough, & wish you well with the project. But if you're just looking for a profit out of the car, I'd consider flipping it in it's current condition. & let yourself be amazed at how much people are prepared to pay for original patina & the accumulated dust of the ages. Put in the right auction, with suitable advertising, I could see that car making somewhere north of $60K (AUD). Whereas a fully restored example, which could cost another $60K to achieve (even with your skills) could only realistically be expected to fetch around $80K, top whack. So the maths of a full resto don't really add up, unless you plan on keeping the car, or it means something to you personally.

 

Thanks guys

yeah on the yorke peninsula i love it here i plan to do a full resto which will take some time it has been restored previously by someone else but the prep work under paint was not done correctly so bubbling/lifting. one positive Is any where the paint is bubbling has steel under it. It does have a fair bit of rust but nothing critical all just the usual spots for rust to appear.

it also came with the factory head and carbs ect as someone has added a b type head, twin su carbs and dual exhaust for that little but more power.

 

I plan on keeping it for a while as i like the car plus it cost me $0 so far and a bit of my time re assembling a car i didn't pull apart it was payment for a job i done at the beggining of this year/end of last.

 

OK. So it's not the barn find of the century. Though for the amount of money it owes you you're well in the black, & always will be. Just how does one acquire a Mk I for $0 anyway? Or is that a rude question? I really can't wait to see how this build unfolds. & although I'd hate to be the Devil's Advocate here, but, seeing as it is "just" a 2.4. Have you considered resto-moddding it? There's all manner of motors that will slot into that engine bay, & as for suspension & brakes, the World has come a long way since fixed rear axles & drum brakes, much of them pioneered by Jaguar. & this forum is a mine of information on what can be achieved, at a budget, for those who have the skills to utilise the knowledge that's available here. So while I'd love to see you restore this car to just how it rolled out of Brown's Lane (with pics, please!) You won't get any complaints from me if you FrankenJag it either (also with pics)

 

Why Frankenjag it? Even the 2.4 with factory stage 3 tuning is a formidable car. If I had a $0 2.4L saloon or a 3.4L Saloon (no such thing as a MK1) I think I would be tempted tto make a copy of Mike Hawthorn's road blaster--pre accident of course!

 

A replica Mike Hawthorn car with full race engine widened track, discs etc is going to set someone back well in excess of £40K, so the thought to Frankenjag it comes in as it is probably cheaper to get the same bang for less buck.

Whilst I am in preference to a period restoration, many enjoy the trappings of a modern conversion, if you stage 3 tuned the 2.4, you would struggle to stop it in a hurry without brake upgrade, then where does one stop ?

This car stands Damian in at $0, so it will be great to see what he decides to do with it, we can all watch with baited breath for the progress.

 

I'm not advocating that it be Frankenjagged, just putting out there on the options table. Sounds like the OP wants to stay as original as possible anyway, & you won't hear any complaints from me (whatever he does!).
Now saying there's no such thing as a Mk I is like saying there was no such thing as a Small Block Chev before 1965, when the Big Block Chevs arrived on the scene. Whereas most Historians agree that the SBC began life in 1955, though it was just called a Chev V8 until the BBC arrived, with over 100 million being produced in over 60 years (a remarkable record). Similarly, while Jaguar never called the Mk I a MK I, while it was being produced. They soon started calling it the Mk I, once the Mk II was released. So, apart from the extremely Pedantic, I'd say that most people acknowledge the existence of the Mk I, these days. Though to be truly accurate/pedantic it should be stated that while the cars were built between 1955 & 1960, the name definitely dates from 1960. Though try fitting all that into a usable designation.

 

Thanks for the replies.

So i aquired the car as payment for putting a 1950 mg td together after my father painted it, the car was rebuilt new from ground up. It took a fair few months figuring out the parts as i had never pulled it apart or worked on one before.

as for the mods it has the upgraded head with twin su carbs, dual exhaust and front disk brakes, but i do have the original top end of the motor that came with it plus a heap of other spares.

I have considered leaving the engine with the mods as i have read the 2.4 was underpower and the reality is mods that can be changed back to factory generally don't affect the value so maybe leaving it modded might be best. If a hard core collector buys it the original parts can always be supplied.

the car will take some time to build as i prefer to have everything before i strip it down so it spends less time in pieces.

I do know though as the car has been restored previously by someone else everything has been redone once already so all interior is good just needs a tidy up and posibly get a few pieces of the wood veneered again, majority of the chrome is still decent plus all lights, the bumpers/hubcaps will need re chroming, full brake rebuild as front calipers seized. Electrical everything works perfectly so maybe just a new harness to freshen it up, it has the original trico washer bottle in tact, cooling system has all been replaced aswell, the dual stainless exhaust needs a clean no scuffs or dents, all chrome trims on body/around windows are excellent plus spares, all switches and guages are immaculate, steering wheel plus steering box are new.

the major part of this build will be rust repairs and freshening up the driveline.

so overall the car is not too bad a good start for a resto.

 

If the engine mods are period correct, which they appear to be, it shouldn't affect the value negatively at all. In fact it will probably have a positive effect, as I know it'd pique my interest, if I was in the market for one.
I like the direction you're taking this build in (not that it's any of my business) & look forward to seeing how it all turns out. Will the rust require a major strip-out? Or can you fix it without tearing the car apart? You mentioned the car was currently 3000 klms away. Where's that? Do you know anything else about the car's history? Where it was sold new? Where has it spent most of it's life? Who's owned it & what did they use it for? It doesn't look like it's been used for mustering Sheep in the Outback, or anything bad. But who knows? I once bought a Citroen DS Safari Wagon for my Daughter, which looked solid but well used. I later found out that a previous Owner had used it to cart bricks to a Beach House he was building. Mind you, my Daughter had that car for years & it never showed any signs that it had suffered from it's hardship. So maybe previous history isn't that important. & I'm sure you'll find plenty of clues about what the car's been used for previously once you start pulling it apart (no bloodstains in the boot, I hope )
What an adventure you're about to embark on (& us too, vicariously). I think I might be almost as excited about the project as you must be. Let the fun begin!

 

i have these 2 photos i found on my phone.

i have no history of the car, i think the head is similar to the 3.4 one ?

the car will require a full strip down as who ever rwstored it filled over the rust which trapped moisture and made it worse overall the outer body seems fairly solid the underside radiator grill panel needs replacing, near the fuel tank underside needs fixing, lower rear quarters on the corners and left side front wing needs fixing as the replacement piece was horribly done.

thats the major spots of rust the car has. I discovered the underside of the doors had a layer of body filler on them luckily its steel underneath still so hopefully under the paint isn't too bad as a few spots i have removed lifting filler/paint has been solid still just bad prep work.

 

And as for the car being 3000km away its at my father's workshop still i have just moved from north queensland to south Australia and haven't yet shipped the car down as setting up a house gets pricey from scratch.

 

Well the seats & carpets look alright, as does the woodwork, which is a big saving. The engine looks pretty complete too. Does it run? Shipping it from NQ won't be cheap either. I shipped my Daughter's Citroen from Brisbane to Adelaide 6 years ago, & it cost me $900 back then. & they said it was actually cheaper because it was shipped between two of their main capitol city depots. Rural pick ups & deliveries were a lot more expensive. If you've still got a lot of your other stuff to move, it could be worth getting a one-way car trailer rental, & loading it up. The quickest way from NQ to Yorke Peninsula, through the inland, is about 2700 klms, with around 600 klms of dirt (reasonable roads unless wet). I've done it in under 3 days, though that's pushing it. The shortest all bitumen route is around 3500 klms, & I've done that in under 4 days. Unless you've got a very robust 4X4 & trailer, & you're sure the weather will be dry, I'd definitely take the bitumen route. I once got caught out on the black soil plains between Muttaburra & Hughenden, in a rented Toyota Camry, & there wasn't a cloud in sight when I left Muttaburra. There were still large clods of mud falling out of the poor old Tojo's suspension when I dropped it back at the rental depot four days later!

 

Haha yes it isn't too bad shipping wise around $1700 through ceva and i have done the drive from atherton to here multiple times usually takes 2 days for me as i go the way with no roos coastal to rocky then inland down to goondiwindi through to hay about 3000km.. but having a 1yo now we took a bit longer so we drove to gold coast to see family for a week which took 2 days to drive too stayed a week as it was when the heat wave happened about 3wks ago, then 2 days from there to yorke peninsula. I love the drive i stopped going inland as i hit 2 roos in a freshly painted e36 bmw i had luckily it just dented my bonnet and broke a headlight the car owed me $2500 from getting a fully reupholstered interior done plus i done a full colour change respray so wasn't worth the worry. I can fix and build cars cheap.