Restoring a "1 of 10" Jag XJR5 LeMans Car

[69TAPoser]

If you are a Le Mans fan you will know this car. Quite an amazing story all of which I do not have the time to type, so I will give you the Cliffs Notes. The guy having it built is a friend of my father's in Upstate, NY.

He is rebuilding a Group 44 Le Mans Jaguar. There were originally 12 of them. 2 were totaled, 5 are owned by Bob Tullius (who I believe is the original Group 44 Team Owner). The other 5 (including this one, #12) are in the hands of private collectors.

It is powered by a v12 (not yet installed), built by the original engine builder of Group 44 (his name is Lanky). The car was also assembled and will be painted by the original shop that built the Team 44 cars in the Southeast.

The owner is a very down to earth "car guy" that has spent the past 10+ years sourcing the components of this car and having it built. Not the normal owner for this caliber of car. He is the manager of a car dealership and just a great guy in general. (He is also resposnible for the fastest time around Watkins Glen in a Formula Ford).

I have been getting email updates from my Dad for the past several years...but I didn't save the picks. :squint: I need to go back and get them from the owner (who has a whole book of them). The handcrafted aluminum fucilage is just unreal.

Anyway, the car is finally headed to paint after 10 years. I know about how much $$ have been spent (not to mention time) and it is astounding. I wouldn't even venture a guess on its' value.

Here are the latest pics on its way to be painted...

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Here is what it will look like (only with the #12)...
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The stories of things that have happened along the way while he had this built, sourced parts, and flew back and forth from Upstate to the Southeast over the past 10 years is amazing. I can't wait to see it in person in a few mos.

Thought you guys could appreciate this.

Phil

[Bill Howell]

I must be old, I remember seeing that car running at the Rolex24, Daytona in the late 80s, early 90s. Or one just like it. I thought they had two, a #40 and a #44?

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

wild

[6'9"Witha69]

I hope that when you say
The owner is a very down to earth "car guy" that has spent the past 10+ years sourcing the components of this car and having it built. Not the normal owner for this caliber of car. He is the manager of a car dealership and just a great guy in general. (He is also resposnible for the fastest time around Watkins Glen in a Formula Ford). That means the guy will actually drive it when it is done. Maybe not with other cars on the track, but that it will see some track time nonetheless. Awesome looking car.

[69TAPoser]

quote = I must be old, I remember seeing that car running at the Rolex24, Daytona in the late 80s, early 90s. Or one just like it. I thought they had two, a #40 and a #44?

Correct!

Here's one of the driver's links from 1984 (which is also where I got the old pix):

http://www.a2zracer.com/page88.html

Phil

[69TAPoser]

I hope that when you say That means the guy will actually drive it when it is done. Maybe not with other cars on the track, but that it will see some track time nonetheless. Awesome looking car.

Funny you say that. He actually bought an older Formula Ford last year just to renew his SCCA license (which he did) so he could take it on the track. But now that the car is almost done, I think he is getting nervous about racing it as he knows the value of it and how much $$ it would take to fix it in case of an accident.

The last time I spoke to him, he said he wanted to do a few historic racing shows (parade laps with other cars) and maybe not race it as he can't afford to fix it. I am not a big SCCA fan, but he said that the guys with cars of this caliber have full NASCAR type haulers and a full crew to support the car and the owner flies in on the weekends to race (must be nice). So he was thinking about enjoying it for a bit and then sell it to a guy that had that type of capital to support it. This was about a year ago though, so his goals may have changed.

Phil

[vintageracer]

HSR (Historic Sportcar Racing) has a new class and specific race for GTP cars just like this one at all their events in 2007. These are some of the fastest type of cars that have ever been involved in road racing. Like the old Cam Am cars, these cars are incredibly fast, stop on a dime and turn like you can only dream. Bob Akins from NY was killed at Road Atlanta in 2004 during practice at the HSR Walter Mitty Challenge Vintage race driving a GTP type car. These cars can and will jump up and challenge a professional driver like Bob in the blink of an eye, even during practice!

These cars now require a "super license" to race in Vintage racing due to their superior performance capabilities. The ground effects are incredible on GTP cars. These cars are incredibly expensive to race. Fuel, tires, maintainence and a crew are needed. This is not a car for your average Vintage racer to own, drive and maintain. Yes, the guys who Vintage race GTP cars have mechanics, full crews, Nascar type haulers and LOT'S OF MONEY!

GTP cars are absolutely the greatest thrill ride available to an amatuer road racer. I truly hopes he does race the car!

[Steve68]

Yea Bill you are old, I remember the car at The "Sunbank" 24 hrs, might have been Rolex already,

[69TAPoser]

Just got some updated pics. It is now a 12-year project!

Unbelievable...

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[vanzuuk1]

There was also an xj two door in the imsa series, love those cars.

[Bill Howell]

Yep, that is pretty much how I remembered it. I was at the Rolex 24 last weekend and really missed seeing these compete against the 962s. I would love to go see this car run again once he gets it finished.

[69TAPoser]

He races an open wheel car at Watkins Glen, so I am guessing this is one of the first tracks that the car will see.

Phil

[icebird84]

I love it

[fishtail8]

That's so much more car than alot of people could handle! Very nice ride!

[Steve68]

I think I was in the pits one year when the 44 car, I think it was the 44 car, pulled in pits,

I walked up to see and then quickly turned and walked away, one of the pit crew grabbed me and asked "where you
going" I said I'm getting out of the way, said, don't worry about that, stand where you were,

we were behind the pit wall, but everyone worked around me for about 10 mins, it was really cool to watch, a real 3am thrash!

[shortrack]

awesome racecar......you wouldnt be calling up Jegs for that build!.....as said, hope he gets to get out and run it.

[The Stickman]

It's great to see such a great looking machine. I just got done watching some old IMSA footage that I am convering to DVD. I so miss those days and that series, and the cars that raced in them.