When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Fraser:
How well I understand your feelings. It is strange perhaps, but true, that there is something about Jaguars that goes beyond the mechanical - perhaps what Wm. Lyons said about the automobile being alive applies more to Jaguars than most other cars - there is something intangible but real about the bond owners form with them. In my own case there have been several cases of "seller's regret" - but this one especially - one of the very last Series III XJ V12 cars, built in 1992, which I owned for 12 years and now is in a collection in Beijing:
Every time I look at a photo of it the regret comes back - but the issue of garage space is really significant, isn't it?
That's a lovely car! I should say yet another as there are a lot of them in this thread.
My series III V12 is presently having a light restoration. I hope that it will approach the level of yours. My record with Jaguars is acquired 4 (of which bought 3 given 1) , sold zero. One day I guess that I'll have to sell one or more, but it will be very sad.
Looking at your lovely car, how I wish I could have my Mark 2 back again, but I don't have a garage large enough to put one in. My TF fits in OK but that's about it. All my other cars have to sit outside in the rain, and we're getting an awful lot at the moment ! Your Mark 2 looks just the same sort of condition mine was in just before I sold it in 1988. I believe it went to Japan as the UK registration mark is deleted. Japan also drive on the left.
In many cases this can be a solution to allow many garages to double their space; these have many lockable positions so you can have it lock just above the height of the bottom car... https://www.autostacker.com/
I love these stackers and it is a great solution but.................... Unlike the USA where it appears you have more land with a property than my local football club in the UK modern properties are already stacked up on top of each other. Most do not have a garage and if they do it is a single garage attached to the side of the house with a bedroom over the top. The neighbours garage is on the other side so there is no way you can go up or sideways. I extended my garage in length but it only allowed my wife to put a chest freezer in which I use as a workbench. Recently there was a case close to where I live which involved a brand new house on an estate with a garage. The new owner turned up on day one and tried to park his standard British Ford Mondeo in the garage. The car went in but there was no room once in to open any of the doors it was that tight a fit and even if he pushed it in the car was too long for the garage and the door would not close without hitting the boot. The guy complained to the builders who stated that although it was a garage no one parked their cars in them anymore and there was no standard size in law that they had to be built.
In Australia stand alone houses mostly have a 2 car garage in fact many owners a have a shed for their toys. Even in our retirement village we have a 2 car garage, so I can store the Daimler out of the weather.
David B.
We have a triple garage, but I had to change the doors and frames to make them easier to drive through. They were designed for a pre-war Austin 7. It's something with architects and functionality.
I,( hopefully) will be looking for a Mk2 soon and I do like the look of the smaller spats. So if I find a car with the original large spats where can I purchase a set of the Coomes style spats?
Is any modification required to the bodywork to be able to fit them? I am OK with fibre glass ones if they are the type that don't need any body mods. I am in Australia but assume I can get some sent out from the UK/USA.
Bob
The steel spats are better than the fibreglass but if your standards are for a better-than-new concours fit, there might be work to be done.
Look at these two different restored Mk 2's, both in Pale Primrose, the second photo showing the colour more faithfully. The first one is shown with factory spats, the other with Coombs-style spats. Note especially the bottom of the body line: in the first photo the spat does not fit perfectly either at the forward or trailing edge. The second photo is of my car - the metal Coombs spats required reworking for a concours fit, but the line is perfect.
Yes ~ It's interesting that Barratts state on the GRP spats:
"A pair of fibreglass coombs style spats. Moulded with the rear mounting pin and upper mounting clip. The front is marked, but not drilled so the customer can fine tune the mounting. Slightly on the larger side so customer can fettle to fit."
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; Dec 27, 2020 at 11:24 AM.
Yes ~ It's interesting that Barratts state on the GRP spats:
"A pair of fibreglass coombs style spats. Moulded with the rear mounting pin and upper mounting clip. The front is marked, but not drilled so the customer can fine tune the mounting. Slightly on the larger side so customer can fettle to fit."
Glynn: That IS interesting....but how do you fine tune a fibreglass piece that is "on the larger side"?
Thank you very much gentlemen, I have worked a little bit with fibre glass in the past and with generous amounts of patience and sanding a good result can be achieved. With metal then I am out of my depth so it would be costly to have any adjustments made by a professional. I would not be looking for a concours job but just a very good fit and paint. Having said all that, and with a bit of luck the prospect car may already have the Coombs type spats. There is one for sale in Queensland which would suit me well, but first I have to sell my Cobra.
Sorry guys I have to go for the full original spats. Closes down the back end nicely. The small "Coombs" arches make it look as if the back end is higher and the wheel does not fit properly as if the suspension is riding high. Those thin white wall tyres do not suit the smaller spats either.
One of the things I love about the S Type is the enclosed rear wheel arch. It makes the back end dip. It is just s shame the S Type was not fitted with removable rear spats as this would have make the changing of the back tyres so much easier and would have allowed for a wider profile tyre to be fitted.
1) The narrow white walls are period-correct (1965-67) and in fact were factory-supplied as standard equipment for Canada and the US when the cars were new.
2) the angle of the photo does suggest that the rear end is high. It is not. But if you are used to the semi-encosed wheel opening of the S-Type and of the original spat on the Mk2, I do agree that it can appear that way. I personally feel that the more open form updates the appearance of the car -which, again, is a matter of taste.
The S type's rear wheel openings are not right, they don't go with the rest of the body. It was a big design mistake. In fact it is an ugly wheel opening anyway you look at them. It is a pain to replace a flat tire in the rear.
What the S type needs is a half round opening, not as big as the MK2, just half.
But I am not cutting mine thank you.
We are all different. I love the standard S Type rear wheel arch a la Alfa Giulia Super, Alfa Berlina 1750/2000. The design has stood the test of time.
I like original Coombs.:
I can't stand (never mind how well done & this is the best I've seen in Aus.):
I love:
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; Dec 28, 2020 at 04:51 PM.
