Worth the wait

Getting involved with classic car restoration is an expensive hobby, but Jim Blackhall’s Jaguar will always be priceless to him, writes Colene McKessick

Published:

Photographer: KAMI THOMSON

THERE’S no better feeling than collecting your new car from the showroom and taking your first drive in your prized possession. For Jim Blackhall, from Westhill, things didn’t go quite as smoothly as that. Though he bought his Jaguar XK140 Drop Head Coupe 19 years ago, he only got behind the wheel for the first time last year.

“I loved Jaguars and in the late-1980s, prices were going through the roof, so I decided that if there was any model I wanted I had to buy it then,” said Jim.

“I tracked down the XK140 in Surrey, where the owner had stored the Jag since 1969. However, it had been kept in a barn under some mattresses for the last three years of its life, so it wasn’t looking great. It was just a shell.”

John paid £7,000 for the “shell” – a lot of money for a car in such a state of disrepair. A phone call on the way up to Aberdeen, however, reinforced his belief that it was a fair price.

“Someone had phoned the number on the back of the truck we were transporting the car on and asked the company to pass on an offer of £21,000 for the car,” said Jim.

“I was shocked. I’d made £14,000 profit on the car just by driving it up the road a few miles. I knew then that I’d made the right decision, and I knew that it would be an investment.”

When Jim bought the car in 1989, he was already working on another Jaguar, his 1947 1.5-litre sports saloon, so the XK140 sat untouched for a decade.

“It took me 10 years to restore my other car. I did the whole job myself so it took a while,” laughed Jim, a mechanical engineer to trade.

“I’ve been involved with engineering all my life. To me, it’s as easy as falling off a wall. I find it so enjoyable to know that I can get these cars back into the condition they were when they left the showroom.”

The obsession with Jaguars started when Jim was a boy and his grandad picked him up in his boss’s new model.

“I remember sitting in it and thinking ‘wow, this is the best car ever. I want one of these’. That feeling still hits me when I sit in my cars,” said Jim.

“I bought my first one in 1977 after a few drams with the previous owner. When I woke up the next morning, I realised I’d bought a complete bucket, but I set about restoring it and I haven’t stopped since.”

Just as Jim was about to start work on his XK140, he got a call which would take him overseas for seven-and-a-half years. So he was forced to hand his baby over to a professional company.

His career as an operations service manager took him to Houston for two-and-a-half years, Trinidad for three years, and finally to Surrey for another two years. Though he may not have been able to roll up his sleeves and get involved in the restoration, Jim made sure he was involved every step of the way.

“I’d phone the garage, and they’d send over photos of the progress. If I was back in the country for a holiday, I’d nip down and OK the next stage and make sure they were doing everything to my specification,” said Jim.

“I’d talk to the mechanics so I could find out where all of my money was going, and if I wanted any changes I could make them before they started the next bit.”

Though the restoration process took half as long as with his first car, the bill for the XK140 began creeping up and up. Jim still believes it was worth every penny.

“The major hurdle was paying for it. It’s always the most painful bit,” said Jim.

“It started off being small payments for little jobs, but nearing the end of the job the money was starting to get serious. Everything was suddenly coming together and, before I knew it, I had a car that cost me an awful lot of money.”

Living in the beautiful Surrey countryside, Jim and his wife, Linda, were able to take full advantage of the fine weather and take the car out every day, top down and running perfectly.

“Driving the car after five years of waiting was amazing. We’d pull up to a country pub in the English countryside and the car looked like it was made for those surroundings. It was fantastic to be able to use it every day,” he said.

Though the weather in the north-east of Scotland may not often be quite so suited to a classic soft-top Jaguar, a move back to this area of the country meant that Jim could indulge one of his favourite passions, the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club.

A founding member of the club in Grampian, Jim set up the annual gathering at Drum Castle in 2000, and now with a trusty committee, the club enjoys many outings and meetings.

“When we moved back to the area, I was so excited about getting back to the club’s shows. I can’t wait to show off the car on Sunday at the Drum gathering as it will be the first time any of the group have seen the car,” he said, excitedly.

“I formed the club with my friend in 1994, and now another one of my friends, Tom Taylor, is chairman, and along with our fantastic committee, the club has grown into something huge.”

Jim has a lot on his hands when he attends car shows. As well as his two Jaguars, he also has an original 1953 Morris Van which holds a special place in his heart, having worked in a baker’s van as a boy. His display really has something for everyone.

“The older fraternity love the cars. If someone comes up to talk about the Jag, I hand them the keys and tell them to have a seat. They always look shocked,” laughed Jim.

“My cars are here to be used. I won’t have them as trophy pieces that sit collecting dust. I enjoy talking to people about them and seeing their faces light up when they get to have a proper seat and a look around the cars.”

Jim’s children, Gavin, 27, and Mhairi, 25, were young when he bought the XK140, but now Jim is trying to teach his son the finer points of driving a classic car.

“These cars are a world away; they’re so different to drive from modern cars, and Gavin is struggling a bit,” he said.

“He can manage the XK140 fine because it’s got a new gearbox so it’s not so much hard work. But the black car is a difficult for him; it’s very tiring to drive.”

Though he has his three classic motors, Jim’s driveway and garage are also home to Linda’s Mini Cooper and, soon, a spanking new Jaguar XF. Surely he can’t have plans for any more cars?

“I really want to build a replica Jaguar SS100, but I’ll need to research it all first. Maybe that will be next year’s job, but I’ve got a problem with too many cars and not enough space at the moment.”

Let’s face it, that’s not the worst problem in the world to be faced with.