The question I have is a once-and-done type, but I hated to clutter up the Forum with a thread that ended after a couple of posts. So I hopefully worded it allow for some interesting discoveries we have found in pre-owned cars.

I found this folded nicely in the rear map pocket of the passenger seat just today (I didn't think to check the drivers seat, tomorrow). The folds are very crisp and set so I think it has been in there for quite awhile. Does anyone know if a small British flag was ever put in new cars at the factory or at dealerships? It's not a high grade flag, coarsely woven cloth without any wording.

Dave

 

I couldn't figure out where all the wool worms were coming from! I would find these fat little grubs eating away at the wool headliner and pillar covers.

The car seemed to be moderately well cleaned (not more effort than I would have expected a 70+ year old man to put out on a car he was selling) so when life the universe and everything else slowed to a mere manic pace, I determined to give the car a *Thorough* cleaning.

Then I found it. They had left a dog biscuit under the front passenger seat. By the time I found it, there wasn't much left but an indeterminately shaped brownish crumby thing with a bit of a brand name.

Got rid of their food, wool worms died. But they left behind little nibbled holes in my Wool headliner.
(';')

 

I'm much happier with my flag, how does a worm get into a car? I guess their parents could fly. We are lucky up here that only the hardy bugs get to live (somewhere!?) through the winter. A dog biscuit under the seat is bad enough when it feeds a family of worms, but that doesn't hold a candle to the debris under my drivers seat. If I clumsily drop something along side my seat, I think twice before just jamming my hand down there to feel around (not the Jaguar).

Do the holes left behind have enough of a pattern that you can brag about the factory "perforated" headliner?

Dave

 

I think the worms came in on the biscuit, Dave.
They were those little cereal worms that get into bird seed and old oatmeal.
Most of the holes aren't too noticeable to anyone but the most picky. But *I* know they're there!
(';')

 

I know, the little things that only "you" know will drive you crazy, I have one of those issues going on now.

Dave

 

I have found many miscellaneous tools, from small tool sets, vice grips, to floor jacks, money, electronics, to women's panties, I never found the women to go with them though. LOL!
At last count I have personally owned right about 100 cars, and a dozen or so bikes. So I've found some really strange, bizarre, interesting, and Yuck! stuff. Never anything great, or at least worth any real money. LOL!

JTS

 

I wish to the look of the car in which this flag was found.
can you please share photos?

 

I'm always finding things hidden in the deep recesses of the cars I part.
The last one I took apart was a 74 XJ12. Stuck under the carpet was a Jerry Clower tape. If you don't know, he was kind of a hill billy comedian that told made up stories about his family. I used to listen to him as a kid, so it was a fun find...
Other things range from kids toys, catalogs (one of my favorites was a Toys-R-Us), Bibles...
One guy was a Real Estate agent... Under the seat was a slew of business cards, and a couple condoms ~ thankfully still in the package..
My favorite things to find are things that were left from the factory. That ranges from just names or initials on parts (mostly interior trim), to a really cool Quality Control card from 1984 that was probably just overlooked. It was under a rear parcel shelf....
Cheers
David
shop.EverydayXJ.com

 

My XJ6 Sovereign still had the paper tags on the wiring harnesses in various areas as well as a really cool Jaguar driving / dealer map for Europe from 1985 and the German manuals ! Most I recently found a live shotgun round while removing the backseat from another Sovereign at LKQ, left that in the next car over.

Happy New Year everyone !
Brian

 

When I took the rear seat cushion out of my 1980 XJ6 shortly after I bought it in 1988, I found a nice silver ring.

 

Man....where do you get your cars?? I think all of those items are very interesting.

Dave

 

Mike, I don't have any "project finished" pictures yet, those will be taken in the spring after I have buffed the exterior. Here's an old picture taken after the rebuild, but before the engine/trans went in.

Dave

 

No takers on the origin of my British flag the the map pocket? Seems odd, but so is life.

Dave

 

Just like mine , even down to the pinstripes, except I have pepper pot wheels. Alaska and country Australia , funny where Jags end up

 

Never had much luck with PO stuff, but at Pick a Part I regularly collect cash and tools while trolling for parts.

 

I'm glad we have something in common Steve, right down to the color of the cars. My intention when I started this project was to keep the car as stock looking as possible. I have to put pressure on the financial hemorrhaging so the stock wheels will save me $$$$$ over the ones I'd like.

Pick a Part sounds like a scroungers dream. We don't have one up here, we also don't have kangaroo's, warm weather right now, ladies underwear under the seats (not sure about that one), or half a dog bone feeding a family of small worms. We are still truly on the fringes of the frontier.

Dave

 

Having owned about 40 cars in my life(only one was brand new) I have found just about every thing mentioned in previous posts except the English flag
But the ones that stick in my memory were in an MG TD which was pretty rough and had been traded in at a car yard in 1963
I paid $80(Forty pounds Australian) for the car and stripped out the interior for a general clean up and discovered under the seats.
One complete set of false teeth ie upper and lower dentures.
On brand new Ronson cigarette lighter still in the packing box
Via the car yard I got in touch with the previous owner who denied all knowledge of false teeth and did not smoke anyway.
So I drilled a hole in the false teeth and screwed them to the dashboard.
I kept the Ronson as I smoked at the time.
I sold the MG a couple of years later and some time after that I saw the car parked in a city street still sporting the false teeth!
Bill Mac
MK1
MK2
XJ6S3
X300
15 previous Jags MK5 to X308

 

Strange Bill, you can't make up stuff like that. And just as strange is the next owner leaving the teeth screwed to the dash.

Dave

 

Few months ago, I got US map and workshop manuals in one 85 Series III.

 

That's a great find Mike and the most useful item so far.

Dave