OK, here we go. Excerpts from 'JAGNET..being the reminiceces of a couple of big game hunters'. Names have NOT been changed to protect the innocent! Narrated by Barry Parsonson 1971. [read in conjunction with post 172 of this thread] We pick up the story at about chapter 3 after a bit of a chat about our school life together, family ties, and the start of Jagmania. The Elephant guns have been stowed, provisions packed, and checkbook tucked into the back pocket..........THE HUNT IS ON......Henry Philips in Rotorua began putting out feelers on my behalf, and phoned one day to say that he had located a MK 5 for about $500. This was in my price range so we drove over to inspect.The car was a pale blue 3 and a 1/2 litre, what paint was left on it was original. The headlining hung down in taters. the upholstery flapped, there were no carpets and two of the doors carried the remains of rexine linings. 'She's a bit rough' says Henry, 'rougher than I thought actually' Talk about an understatement. We took it for a drive, for by some miracle the engine ran. She knocked and rattled and the cockpit filled with choking fumes. The oil pressure fell all the way from 25psi to about 3psi then sagged to zero on idle. We prayed it wouldn't sieze on the way back to Philips garage. I think somehow it was lubricated by the oil mist extracted from the clouds of smoke which pored from all parts of the engine. 'I'd only offer $400' says Henry. We wouldn't offer anything we said as we left for home. Early in 1970 I saw a quite fabulous MK 5 in Cambridge. I chatted the owner up who was not interested in selling, but he thought the car was worth around $2000, but where was I going to get $2000. Henry Philips sent another hopeful my way. It was a MK 5 painted 'BRG' The owner wanted $700 for it, and it was tidier than the earlier effort but the body was badly rusted, there was fungi growing out of the woodwork, and with a blown head gasket one could not easily assess the state of the engine. It didn't compare with the Cambridge car, but it was in my price range. Still I said no and let it go. I kept plugging my Cambridge owner without much success and continued to search else where. Gerald and I drove through to Tuakau to look at John Elliots MK 4 which he was trying to sell for $800, but decided it was in need of major surgery and left it. The car later turned up in Hamilton in the hands of Keith Wein after having been restored somewhat by Geoff Beatham. It was later sold to an Auckland buyer. About the same time, Henry Philips, still trying hard for us, told us of a MK 4 up in the Kaimais. The car had been in excellent condition the last time he had seen it, but was currently immobilised by a steering box failure, and had been parked at the Hill-Top tearooms for about 2 years. We phoned the owner who was reluctant to sell. Later he phoned to say he would sell, but when Gerald called at the tea-rooms he was out and the car guarded by a non too friendly dog, so inspection was impossible. We made a further arrangement to call but the owner was out again and the dog still in command. We never did get to see the car until sometime later when Geoff Beatham swapped it for another MK 4 that had also been living in the Kaimais. Life in that wet atmosphere had ravaged the car somewhat....it was restorable but would need plenty of time and money. I was still wooing my Cambridge friend and managed to get a promise of first option should he ever decide to sell. I followed up an Auckland ad for a MK 5 that had been restored and was in reasonable nick with a selling price of $1000. The vendor was reluctant to let me drive the car, which had a MK 7 gearbox, and only took it for a brief run around the block. I wasn't happy about this, even though the car LOOKED alright, and I decided to keep looking. I had been taught that cars, like books and women, should never be judged on appearance alone. Finally the Cambridge owner folded, but he would not sell the car outright for cash. I had to furnish him with a more modern vehicle of similar value. After presenting several cars for his inspection, he and his rather more choosey wife settled on a 1962 Austin A60 Estate. AZ435 was finally mine and the joys of owning that special breed of Cat were just beginning!!!!..................[next...Other Cats and Mutant offspring]