Dragging classic cars out of long-term storage is often a lottery. You just can't tell if the vehicle is still sound under all that dust and dirt. Most of them are rusty and need complete restoration, but some emerge in surprisingly good condition. This 1964 Jaguar Mark X is one of the lucky ones.
Parked for more than 40 years, this British luxury sedan returned into the light with a thick layer of grime covering its body. It was so bad that the owner couldn't even sell it online. After weeks of dealing with low-ball offers, he contacted YouTube's "Detail Dane" to give the Jag a much-needed makeover.
After a few hours of pressure washing and detailing, the Mark X transformed into a gorgeous classic. Sure, the car shows a few paint chips and some wear and tear inside the cabin, but the difference is dramatic, to say the least. Most of the white paint shines like new, while the chrome trim is spotless everywhere you look.
Granted, the engine is not running, and the car probably needs a bit of work to become road-worthy. But this four-door will make for a nice survivor when the inline-six fires up again, and the brakes work as they should. There's no info on whether this Mark X has been restored in the past, but it sure looks like an authentic time capsule.
If you're unfamiliar with the Mark X, Jaguar unveiled it in 1961 as a replacement for the Mark IX. A decidedly more modern rig compared to its predecessor, the Mark X was considered a hallmark of the company at the time. Its design influenced several Jaguar models for nearly a half-century, including all XJ series models up to 2009 and the X-Type.
Renamed the 420G in 1966, the Mark X soldiered on through 1970. All cars were assembled in Coventry with inline-six powerplants. The sedan debuted with a 3.8-liter unit sourced from the E-Type. Depending on the compression ratio, the lumped delivered 250 or 265 horsepower. The original engine was later replaced with a 4.2-liter variant with similar output figures.
Jaguar sold 24,282 units over nearly ten years. Production output included 13,382 3.8-liter cars, 5,137 4.2-liter vehicles, and 5,763 420G versions. Although Jaguar introduced the 4.2-liter mill in 1964, this Mark X appears to have the 3.8-liter inline-six. Specific production information by year is not available, but it's worth noting that only 5,775 Mark Xs were sold outside the United Kingdom.
This relatively scarce Jag is now for sale in Petoskey, Michigan, with a negotiable price of $10,000. Not in the market for a Mark X? Well, then just hit the play button below to watch the cleaning process. It's incredibly satisfying and shows the Jag coming back to life step by step.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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