Posted on 08/19/2015 12:35:55 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Malcolm Croxton couldnt wait to get his hands on the 1962 E-Type Jaguar he had purchased for $50,000 from someone in Oklahoma.
On Tuesday, the vintage Jag was finally delivered, albeit not in the condition the car restoration hobbyist from Torrance had bargained for.
The Jaguar was badly charred in a fast-moving wildfire as a rig transported it on I-15 to the South Bay. The car was one of several dozen vehicles abandoned on the congested freeway as the North Fire approached, forcing the occupants to flee in a scene captured on live TV.
Still, Croxton was surprisingly upbeat when he finally laid his eyes on the classic car.
Its still restorable, he said. Theres some trauma and damage, but nothing that cant be fixed. In a way I havent seen anything yet that has really disappointed me. Im a bit positive about it. Theres nothing on it thats broken, damaged or melted that cant be repaired or replaced or made as good as new.
(Excerpt) Read more at pasadenastarnews.com ...
I had a similar experience in early 70s when I bought a new MG.
Most fun car I ever owned...when it was running. The dealer’s service manager and I became fast friends. I sold it after 18 tormenting months.
My wife, who was literally the girl-next-door, would put the top down (in the winter), turn the heat up full blast and go spinning through some back country roads on a sat night. Those 90-degree turns were a riot in that MG...especially as we were sharing some strange tobacco-like cigarettes.
Those were the daze, my friend...
Which in the case of a Jaguar, is a lot more necessary than one might think.
Actually, collector car insurance is pretty cheap. My car is insured for $65,000 & is less than $500 a year.
I had one of these:
I know better than most.
And yet Queen Elizabeth still sometimes tools around in an X-type wagon. The horror!
“And yet Queen Elizabeth still sometimes tools around in an X-type wagon. The horror!”
She can afford it! :)
Had to look that up. Not familiar with the show. According to what I found the Lotus 7 is correct.
I rebuilt one burned vehicle. That was he most filthy, miserable, exasperating experience I have ever had working on cars.
Never again.
He knew every nut, bolt, and cog. He’d built it with his own two hands.
There’s a cherry one in Ames, Iowa, for $16k, which is probably too high for something based on a the Ford Mondeo/Contour.
http://www.iowamotors.com/for-sale-2006-jaguar-x-type_awd-ames-iowa-i8671.html
As a man I bave a profound respect for that garage.
That garage is going places and doing things, so to speak.
It’s not merely a repository for his wife’s debris.
Could be some panel warpage, I think it is an aluminum body. I’ve been watching youtubes of a master fabricator, amazing what they can pound out and wheel to perfection. The one video shows them making an E body fender.
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