1953 Jaguar XK120 Base 3.4L OTS Special Equipment

 

This is a 1953 Jaguar XK120 OTS for sale.

My father in law (John) is selling this car and I'm helping him sell it.

The car is located in Corning. N. Y.

If you're interested in this car please make an offer through eBay.

Once John receives a reasonable offer. we will accept it and end the auction.

Here is What John Told Me About the Car:

History of the Car:  I purchased this car in August of 2002 at an auction in Pennslyvania. It had 55. 20 original miles on it when I bought it. I've put about 5-6k miles on it since I bought it. The odometer stopped working at 58. 73 so I don't know the exact mileage. but it is around 60. 00 - 61. 00.  

I don't know how many prior owners it has had. but do know the previous owner owned it for quite some time.

It has the 3. 5 Liter original numbers matching engine. We got a photo of the stamp on the head of the engine. To my knowledge the transmission is also original.

I have put about 5-6k miles on it over the years and have enjoyed the car immensely.   It has always been garage kept when not in use.

I am selling the car because I am approaching retirement and reducing my car collection.
 

How is the Paint? The paint is Old English White. I believe it is the original paint color. It is older paint. I don't know when it was painted.

It looks good while driving down the road. You can tell that it was the work of a pro as it has aged very slowly. However. it has lost the glossy shine of new paint.  

There is an area of spotty surface rust behind the cockpit. This is where condensation built up underneath the Tonneau cover. This is not visible when you're driving with the Tonneau cover attached as I do.

There are a handful of small imperfections - including some small chips on the driver door. There is a swirl on the front fender area. There are some chips on the hood.

These imperfections have been on the car since I purchased it 11 years ago and have not gotten any worse since I've owned it.
 

How Does it Drive? The car drives very well. The push button start works just like it should and the engine fires right up and idles smooth.

It is very responsive and has all the power it should have. My son and law and I took the car out for a weekend drive. We drove it around town and then took it up to the local college. which is located up a long steep hill.

It zipped up the long steep climb with ease. It has the deep throaty sound of a Jag.

It has a 4-speed manual transmission. which shifts very smooth.

My son in law also drove the car.   He wasn't familiar with the car or old Jags. It was surprisingly forgiving and did not stall.

It brakes well with a medium amount of pressure on the brake. It brakes straight. There is no pulling to either side when you brake.

It drives straight with a very slight pull to the right side.

The only issue driving is a slight shake or shimmy at about 25 mph. It only appears at this exact speed. It disappears as soon as you go above or below that certain speed.

I took it into the shop and they rotated the tires which helped. We had the car out driving for about 1-2 hours and only felt it once.

The steering is in very good condition. It is very responsive. It has the original telescopic steering wheel.

The car corners well. You can see in the video that it corners quite well coming down the hill and going around the turns. We went around some turns going pretty fast and it didn't shake or skid. It hugged the road very well.  

How is the Interior?  The interior went through a partial restoration before I purchased it. The seats and door panels were replaced and still look new.

The seats are in just about perfect condition. The leather looks new. They feel comfortable and have maintained the integrity. There are no rips. tears. or imperfections in the seat leather.

The door panels also look new. There are no imperfections in the door panels that I am aware of.

The trim around the cockpit and on the dash area looks older than the seat leather. I believe that the prior owner has the leather in these areas re-colored.

The carpet on top of the floorboards is in good condition. It looks newer and is a brighter color than the carpet that surrounds the gear shift. You will see what I mean when you look at the photos.
 

How is the Body?  The body is perfectly straight to the naked eye. The doors are in perfect alignment with the frame when closed.

There is no rust anywhere on the body.

The only issue is a slight indentation on the rear driver side area. It is not at all noticeable in most lighting conditions.  

The undercarriage shows the normal wear and tear. There is some surface rust on the dual exhaust. but nothing has rusted through.  

The wheelwells are in good condition. The gas tank looks good with some spots of surface rust. but otherwise solid.

The chrome is all excellent. It has a very nice shine.

The floor boards feel firm and solid.

How is the Glass? The glass is believed to be the original glass. There are no cracks or chips. The rubber seals that attached the windshield to the frame look aged. However. they are solid and give you no issues - other than the fact they look aged.

The side mirrors are mounted next to the windshield rather than out on the frame. I don't know if it came from the factory like this or not.

Road Ready: The headlights. brake lights. and turn signals all work. The wipers work. The speedometer and odometer recently stopped working. All the other gauges work. To my knowledge everything else on the car is 100% functional.  

The car recently passed inspection. It has a current New York State registration.

Extras: It has the original spare with the jack. It has the original toolkit.

 

The chasis number is: S673799. which indicates the Special Equipment model.

The car is in Corning. New York where I live.

Below are dozens of high resolution photos. These photos were taken last weekend - on September 28th.

NOTE: THERE ARE DOZENS OF HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS. IT WILL TAKE TIME FOR ALL OF THEM TO LOAD ON YOUR COMPUTER. PLEASE BE PATIENT TO SEE ALL THE PHOTOS BELOW.

You can also see video of the engine starting and the car driving. Please watch the videos.

If you have questions about this car. please call my son in law. Ben: 585-732-6519. He took all the photos and is handling the eBay listing.

 

 

 

 

  

The body is straight. The doors close and are perfectly flush with the frame.

 

Small paint chips on the driver side.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Here are photos of the plate in the engine compartment.

Here are the numbers:
Chasis: S673799
Body: F5860
Engine: W7953-8S
Gearbox: JL16093
INL: 00 ? (can't read the last number)
EXH: 008

 

Here's a photo of the stamp on the engine.

It reads: W7953-8S which matches the data plate.

  

The radiator is in good condition.

 

The wire wheels are in good condition. There is no visible rust.
The paint on the wheels is in good condition.

 

Here is a close up shot showing you the condition of the wheelwells.

It is solid and free of rust.

Here you can see the condition of the tread on the tires.

 

 

 

It has dual 6 volt batteries. These are new - less than a year old.

 

 

The top is in good solid condition. I don't believe I've ever actually used
it. The rear window has yellowed a bit. but overall it is in structurally sound.
There is no rust on the metal components of the top. It functions just like it should.
There are a few small "snags" on it and a partial hole about the size of a pencil eraser.

All the buttons are there and the latches work. There is a small fabric tear
on the passenger side where it hooks up to the frame.

The side panels are in excellent condition.

 

Here is a photo of the tonneau cover. There is an area where the zipper
stitching has separated.

 

  

 

Here is the area of surface rust behind the cockpit.
It is on the surface only. It is from condensation that built up
under the tonneau cover.

 

This spot on the hood was here when I bought it 11 years ago.  

It hasn't gotten any worse in those 11 years.

Here is a small indent around the rear driver wheel.
It is less noticeable in person than shows in this photo.

 

 

This is the advertisement for the auction where I purchased this car.

I purchased it on August 10. 2002 in Pennslyvania.

Also. note the mileage was 55. 20 when I purchased it.

When I purchased the car I was given the prior owner's notes about repairs and maintenance that was performed.

Here is a recap:

46. 00 Miles:
New joints installed in (dist?)
Master cylinder rebuilt
New fan belt installed

48. 00 Miles:
New points installed in fuel pump
Generator take apart and (brushes?) cleaned
Valves checked for clearance
New transmission mounts installed
New bearing installed at drive end of generator
Carburetors taken off and cleaned out
New front manifold installed
 

49. 00 Miles:
New clutch and throwout bearings installed.
New front motor mounts installed.
New gaskets installed in transmission.
New lines installed in clutch linkage and clutch fork.
New brake lining on rear wheels
New ignition wires installed.
New ignition coil installed.
New shocks installed on front.
New upper and lower ball joints installed on right side.

50. 00 Miles:
Both front wheel bearing removed. cleaned and replaced with new grease.  
Front brake wheel cylinders rebuilt.
New flexible oil line installed.

52. 50 Miles:
New water pump installed.

54. 78 Miles:
All new brake hoses.
All brake drums turned.
4 new tires and tubes.

54. 70 Miles:
All new radiator hoses. New antifreeze. Cooling system flushed completely
New (Imco?) brake shoes installed on front
Generator taken apart and cleaned
New fan belt
New left rear axle hub installed
New horn relay

 

 

 

 

Here is the Video - Press Play!

 

 

I know it's nerve wracking to buy a car online.

To put your mind at ease you can always have someone come out and inspect the car.

Here are a few options:

1. Have a trusted friend or family member come out and look at the car.  

2. Come visit the car in person.

3. Pay an independent inspection service to look at the car. Ebay recommends "Inspect My Ride. "

It is a small investment and they are usually very fast.

If you have any questions or want to come and look at the car. please call Ben 585-732-6519.

Also published at eBay.com

Want to buy this car?