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We may need to anoint you as the forum authorized independent Jaguar technician one of the forum members was looking for! Well, he was looking for a Jaguar authorized one, but forum authorized may be a higher standard.
We may need to anoint you as the forum authorized independent Jaguar technician one of the forum members was looking for! Well, he was looking for a Jaguar authorized one, but forum authorized may be a higher standard.
Oh no...no..no. This is a hobby for me...a stress release. However, I will offer assistance anyway I can...
Nice work; I can hardly wait to see that rear quarter replacement!
That is above my pay grade. I am finished with everything I can do in my home garage without a full body shop. Fender fits well as does the lower rocker panel. Everything is going to line up nicely.
I am planning to drive her to Chattanooga this weekend for a full road test and then drop her off sometime in the next couple weeks at the body shop...depending on their schedule.
Congrats man you did awesome. I can barely put legos together and here you are putting up a masterpiece from the ashes.
Dude! I LOVE legos. When my son was growing up we had more Legos that anything else...bookcases filled with them. We would go get helium filled balloons and attach them to Lego space craft we built and fly/float them around the house. As he grew up we got into RC planes and he finally got into drones. I love anything I can take apart and put back together....with as few left over parts as possible.
Thank you and...well, one might be surprised. My friends all laugh at me. When I say I am going to keep a vehicle, that is the kiss of death. On average it has less than a month left in my stable. In the past year I have rebuilt and sold an XLR, a 'vette convertible, and a sweet Corvette Grand Sport on the sports car side of things not counting the Jeeps. Over the past 10 years I have rebuilt close to 3 dozen vehicles for personal use...but I am slowing down and have less time to work on them.
As to your point, yes, this is by far my favorite vehicle I have rebuilt/restored. Although, I am thinking I will sell this one at some point this summer and pickup an R coupe to rebuild. One is going through tomorrow and my finger is itching to bid on it...
I'm in AWE of this, what tallent! I'm an old car guy.....manufacturing side though, and would love to give something like this a try too. Where in the heck do you find these babies that you can feel confident enough to know you can breath life back into them? For sure there has to be a secret.
I'm in AWE of this, what tallent! I'm an old car guy.....manufacturing side though, and would love to give something like this a try too. Where in the heck do you find these babies that you can feel confident enough to know you can breath life back into them? For sure there has to be a secret.
No real secret, I watch the auctions at IAAI and CoPart and bid on what interests me. Don't always win, in-fact, I probably bid on 2-3 before I win one I want. I bought this one through IAAI from State Farm and it surprised me I won. If this one was ready to go, there is an R coupe going through next week I have been watching and would bid on it, but I really am interested in keeping this one through most of the summer since it is a 'vert.
Once I am finished rebuilding her and it is all back to factory specs she will get inspected and stickered by the State and then issued a new clear rebuilt title. When I get ready to sell her I will ask around $45k so someone will get a $60k car for a great deal and have a fully documented build process with pics so nothing is hidden. They get a good price and I get to start on another one
The main gamble is knowing what to look out for. Here is an example of one I would not touch. https://www.copart.com/lot/25009297 It's been through the auction a couple times and already been on e-Bay at least once. This car would take $15k or more to redo because of the extent of damage, yet at first glance it looks easy. On the opposite extreme https://www.copart.com/lot/25026347
looks bad, yet most of the damage is bolt on parts. Sure there is a lot of suspension damage, a new hood, bumper cover, and door needed, but all those bolt on. It is not a run and drive so it will bring less money at the auction. Yes, there could be some hidden expensive damage, but that is part of the gamble. This one I am currently working on was "Run and Drive" which means I paid a premium for it, however there is no possible way it had started since the accident due to the melted wiring harness and could not drive due to the broken lower control arm. So, basically I am trying to say it is a calculated risk, but one I really enjoy as a stress release mechanism. outlet.
Off to go get the front tires rebalanced. I picked up a steering wheel vibration last evening at a 2x the speed limit and want to get that resolved to make sure it is not in the new wheels.
No real secret, I watch the auctions at IAAI and CoPart and bid on what interests me. Don't always win, in-fact, I probably bid on 2-3 before I win one I want. I bought this one through IAAI from State Farm and it surprised me I won. If this one was ready to go, there is an R coupe going through next week I have been watching and would bid on it, but I really am interested in keeping this one through most of the summer since it is a 'vert.
Once I am finished rebuilding her and it is all back to factory specs she will get inspected and stickered by the State and then issued a new clear rebuilt title. When I get ready to sell her I will ask around $45k so someone will get a $60k car for a great deal and have a fully documented build process with pics so nothing is hidden. They get a good price and I get to start on another one
The main gamble is knowing what to look out for. Here is an example of one I would not touch. https://www.copart.com/lot/25009297 It's been through the auction a couple times and already been on e-Bay at least once. This car would take $15k or more to redo because of the extent of damage, yet at first glance it looks easy. On the opposite extreme https://www.copart.com/lot/25026347
looks bad, yet most of the damage is bolt on parts. Sure there is a lot of suspension damage, a new hood, bumper cover, and door needed, but all those bolt on. It is not a run and drive so it will bring less money at the auction. Yes, there could be some hidden expensive damage, but that is part of the gamble. This one I am currently working on was "Run and Drive" which means I paid a premium for it, however there is no possible way it had started since the accident due to the melted wiring harness and could not drive due to the broken lower control arm. So, basically I am trying to say it is a calculated risk, but one I really enjoy as a stress release mechanism. outlet.
Ha ha, I looked at the vert a week ago and thought the same thing....looks easy but the cost for those parts would be through the roof! IMHO that one will be best parted out. You have alot more confidence in yourself than me on something like the R though. I think I'd be better off sticking to something a little more tame my first time out.
What you've been doing is really incredable though!
Just want to comment that I'm really enjoying watching this thread. Have been tempted to try a project like this myself but think I'm having nearly as much fun watching you do it and I already have too many cars.
Watching the thread has been fascinating. And your attitude and gracious sharing of the experience has been even better than watching the progress. Simply a pleasure tagging along.
Thanks
Ted
Thanks guys! I am having a lot of fun with this build. However, the progress will be slowing down at this point. I was fortunate enough to not travel the past couple weeks, but I am flying out bright and early Monday AM and will not be back until Friday....so no playing with my new baby. But, between now and then, I will be taking her up to Chattanooga TN tomorrow to go visit my son and daughter-in-law. I have already put over 280 miles on her just running around town, but tomorrow I will put over 300 on her in just a few hours...so we shall see if she is ready for a road trip.
However, I will offer assistance anyway I can...
