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jagwillie@bassettsjaguar.necoxmail.com

Bassett's Jaguar is a world class upholsterer, a manufacturer of 

hard-to-find parts, and a performance shop.  We have grown into a leader in the

 restoration of Jaguars and mail order parts business, drawing customers

from across the country and around the globe.  Owner Bill Bassett 

has been restoring Jaguars since 1973.  His unspoken mission is 

to keep older Jags on the road.  In 1986 we moved from Peacedale R.I. 

to our current location in Wyoming R.I. housing 9,800 square feet.  

We specialize in bringing your vehicle back to original factory state and with 

quality services professionals on hand we do just that. 

Our customers bring in their vintage cars from all over the country for 

restorations on all phases of work, we are world famous for our upholstery, 

making our own patterns and taking great care to make sure all 

the pieces fit correctly.  Also catering to a mail order parts business for 

things such as rubber, chrome, hardware, electrical, steering and 

suspension supplies.  Please feel free to visit our parts store 

@ www.bassettsjaguar.com for many special prices on hard to find items.

(Article from Classic Motorsports Magazine, Issue 113 in 2005)

Although the car looked great when he bought it, Whyte took the car to Bassett's Jaguar in Wyoming, R.I. for a major restoration aiming to compete in top concours shows.  The renovation was extensive and exhaustive in terms of authenticity.  The upholstery was nice but it wasn't correct; the body was beautiful but was missing certain original parts; the engine had been put together haphazardly and needed to be completely rebuilt, explains Whyte.  

Seemingly minor details required time and persistence to resolve.  for instance judges initially knocked points off Whyte's car for using replacement hose clamps.  In the end, Whyte's fanaticism had paid off his 140 has since taken first place in its class in Jaguar Club shows in the northeast region and once received a perfect 100 score.

(Article from Automobile Quarterly, Vol. 38 #2 in 1998)

David and Drake Darrin decided it was time to have the car restored again from the ground up.  Drake contacted Jaguar restorers from all over before he selected Bill Bassett, a reknowned Jaguar expert with much concours experience.  Despite the extensive work done on the car less than a decade earlier, Bassett agreed that is way "in need of a restoration" and took on the project.  Bassett also too the C-Type down to every last nut and bolt.. Every component hung on the chassis was rebuild, including the body, steering and wiring.  Unlike Wagner, Bassett was concerned with originality and used his extensive Jaguar experience to ensure that the old racer was absolutely authentic. Drake and David Darren weren't looking for a concours care; their charge to Bill Bassett was to build a "very nice driver that would occasionally be raced"

But before 009 was raced again, Darrin took it to the Jaguar Clubs of North America Nationals there the pristine dark green C-Type scored a very respectable 96.8 out of 100 points, which is extremely credible for a car that wasn't restored with the show circuit in mind.

Copyright © [2003] [Bassett Jaguars.] All rights reserved