Running an XK120 in the 1950s

[kibosh]

cyberface said:

I echo the rest on this thread - superb story. A great positive change from the doom and gloom in GG in general relating to modern motoring, it appears what we've gained in reliability we've lost in romance.

NIcely said Mr Face!

[joesnow]

a wonderful read, please let us know how your enquiries go with buying her back.

[williamp]

Fantastic!

Great photos. I'm sure one of the magazines would be interested ina story like that as well.

[GURU_1071]

great story and some fine pictures - thanks for sharing

rich

[Jderh]

kibosh said:

cyberface said:

I echo the rest on this thread - superb story. A great positive change from the doom and gloom in GG in general relating to modern motoring, it appears what we've gained in reliability we've lost in romance.

NIcely said Mr Face!

Agreed.

[tossbag]

100% My favourite thread I have seen on these forums so far, absolutely fantastic, thank you!

[alfa-chris]

thank you very very much for that story and the great pics!!!

[coco h]

Fabulous story and pictures

Somewhere I have a diary of a whole pile of car adventures we've had - I just hope I will be able to look back on it like this

[forthright MC]

coco h said:

Fabulous story and pictures

Somewhere I have a diary of a whole pile of car adventures we've had - I just hope I will be able to look back on it like this

like the E Type in your profile IIRC you're based around St Neots right? if so was that your E i saw passing through Grafham earlier then?

[coco h]

forthright MC said:

coco h said:

Fabulous story and pictures

Somewhere I have a diary of a whole pile of car adventures we've had - I just hope I will be able to look back on it like this

like the E Type in your profile IIRC you're based around St Neots right? if so was that your E i saw passing through Grafham earlier then?

Not today - not sure if it's behaving - you'll know if it's me either flying past or crunching the moss box again!

[dotdog]

Red - your dad is one groovy dude... there's a book in there.. and the photographs are beautifully evocative.. that dealership!
but bloody hell - build quality from jaguar was totally appalling - you had to rebuild the car the moment you picked it up!!

Edited by dotdog on Sunday 22 April 20:58

[incorrigible]

brilliant

[tossbag]

Thing I love is that basically, what we are seeing is a guy, with a jack, scrabbling around, underneath a car that had a (future) Le Mans winning engine in it!
Fastest production car of it's time, that's like my dad pissing about under a F40 with a flat head screw driver

[hab]

Fascinating. Wish there were more threads like this on PH.

[Red rose]

Thanks for all your kind comments, and apologies for a rather belated update to this thread.

We managed to make contact with the owner and my sister and parents went to visit last year ... the car had been re-sprayed white during the 60's and was part dismantled, stored in a garage and covered in junk. The current owner (since 1961 !) is adamant that he will restore it at some point in the future and wasn't receptive to any suggestions that we might want to take it on ...









Not sure if I should be glad that it is still (almost) in one piece, or demand that someone be allowed to restore it !

[jeff666]

What a lovely story, thanks for sharing, also what a shame the car has ended up in that state i could almost cry, the current owner should try to restore the car especially with the early history now being told and documented,best regards jeff.

[krallicious]

I passed an XK120 in Switzerland last summer. Have always dreamed of owning one. Thank you for the story. One day.............

[900T-R]

What a story, what fantastic pics. I hope to see the car back on the road some day... one can but dream.

[aeropilot]

Red rose said:

The current owner (since 1961 !) is adamant that he will restore it at some point in the future

No chance of that happening.

In my experience, anyone who's owned a car for that long and let it get into that state doesn't have the ability or inclination to get it back in one piece or in piece in a decent manor.

He just doesn't want anyone else to have it.

[interloper]

Great tale, great pictures, just such a shame that the car is destined to remain unrestored.