I have a chance to buy a red 1965 convertible E type 4.2 that’s been in a garage for the past ten years. Owner says it ran fine when he stored it ( don’t they all! ) looks pretty good with a few small dents and some orange peel on the hood along with general fading paint but I’m curious what I should do before trying to start it. I have some idea of the basics being a 70s muscle car guy and having restored a couple of C3 Corvettes, but I’m not very up on classic jags and looking for some advice and help with what to look for. Also if anyone has a ball park price I would like to know that too as the owner wants me to make him an offer. I think this is a pretty desirable year and make but I’m looking to get a barn find here not pay full retail price lol.. any help greatly appreciated

 

Hi WFMurphy,
First off the most important thing is there any RUST. After all these years, most likely the engine frame rails will have rust. They rust from the inside out. They need to be sand blasted to determine their condition. Next would be the floors and inner/outer sills. Then check around the battery tray and lower frame rail mounting point near the battery.

As for the engine, pull the plugs and pour a couple of teaspoons of a 50% mixture of auto trans fluid and acetone in each spark plug hole. Let it sit over night. Put it in 4 gear and rock the car and see if the engine moves. There is always a chance that one of the valves may stick from sitting, this is an interference engine. So its best to turn the engine over by hand. You'll need a 1 5/16" socket for the crankshaft bolt. Turn the engine slowly (spark plugs out). If you feel resistance stop or you may bend a valve.

Hope this helps,

 

Everyone's definition of "runs fine" is different. These old British boys aren't that much different from your C3s. Whatever you would do to a similar 10 yr sat Corvette would need to be done to this E. Have mousies chewed the wiring? What is the condition of the cooling system? Brake hydraulics and lines? Clutch?
You are in the right place here, for help and guidance. Take a look at Es that have sold on Bring a Trailer..for approximate prices for similar condition.. minus some for the fact that this one hasn't run.
Do realize that these cars take a Lucas or similarly constructed glass tube fuse.. They are NOT the same as US tube fuses.
https://forums.jag-lovers.com/t/fuse...vs-buss/355829
There are charts for the wiring color code.
Carburetors are either SUs or Zenith Stromberg. https://mossmotors.smartsupportapp.c...toms-Diagnosis
Check SNG Barratt or Moss Motors to get an idea of parts availability and cost. If all the chrome bits are there, that is a plus.
Google " Etype buyers guide" and read/watch the entries so you know what to look for.
Rust location are the floors under the carpet and insulation, the trunk under the spare and the sills, under the doors.
British motor Industry Heritage Trust certificates are available which give the serial number on the chassis, gearbox and engine that it left the factory with.
Theres's tons more, but this should give you a start! Good luck!

 

Additional info before attempting to start.....unless the fuel system was drained when parked, there is a high probability of gunk in the tank, lines, or carbs. I would disconnect the fuel line going to the carbs, add fresh gas and see what comes out when the key is turned on. Check that the gas pedal and linkage actually move each carb's throttle plate. Many times I've seen them stuck in place by gas residue. Remove the air cleaner and try to move each carb piston up by hand, they may also be stuck. Also check the choke lever is actually moving the carb's mechanism. The XK engine is hard to start in cold weather without a working choke. Another common fuel trouble spot is the needle valve in each float bowl. They can be stuck closed, or open, after sitting so long. I would remove the float bowl covers and check the valve moves freely.

cheers, Richard

 

If it was sat with the handbrake on, that could be stuck. Clutch plates often stick after a long rest. Plus all of above! Drain everything, flush everything before trying to start.

 

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. These are all very good ideas that I will definitely check out before I buy the car. Anyone else please feel
free to comment. Thanks !

 

I've been looking and bidding on series one and 2 roadsters for a long time and finally acquired a 70 series 2 this summer. The series 1 cars are extremely expensive usually regardless of condition. I have seen total rust outs that will require upwards of 100K if your not doing the work to restore it yourself go for 60K . If its a solid car with matching numbers , a free spinning or running engine and minimum .rust 100K plus is not unusual. As an example, Chuck at Monocoque sold a 67 series 1 roadster that was in bad shape in 3 days late last year for $59K to someone in Finland. He would be a good person to call and get an expert evaluation of your car. I could no longer afford looking for a series one car and had to settle for a series 2 project which are ranging from 40 to 60 K needing 10 to 30 K in repairs easy. To see typical current cars and prices check out bring a trailer.com. You can search this site to see series 1 roadster there in different conditions and what they are selling for. I think one 65 in perfect condition sold this summer while I was looking for over 300K, 1 bid..

 

Extremely desirable car that retail ready it would sell north of $150,000, more if pristine show condition. So calculate what it would take to get it to that condition, subtract that plus a fair amount for overlooked items and the cost of getting it running. That’s your fair market price.
Those front subframes mentioned are readily available and not horribly expensive. The wall thickness is unbelievably thin , thinner than sheet metal and that 22 pounds of front subframes holds that 700 pound engine ( yeh, it’s that heavy), suspension and everything from the firewall foreword. Nothing is welded, those are brazed ( yes it even passed the later required crash testing) If there isn’t rust present in the body it’s most likely in solid shape.

 

Recent '63 on Mecum in Kissimmee, FL, sold for $102,000, quite bit short of the estimate shown on Mecum's web site.

https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0123-53...es-i-roadster/

 

I would advise you sit down with a pen and pad and realistically calculate what it's going to cost you to get the car where you want it to be, this is often grossly underestimated. Add the restoration cost to any purchase price and see where that leaves you, try not to fool yourself because before you know it you may be ploughing more money into the project than the end result will be worth and you will have passed the point of no return.

 

Here is a really good YouTube video by Maikel Lemke that outlines the considerations in time and money... about 20 minutes. He is the same person who did the in-person inspection of that early OBL E that was on Bring A trailer.

 

Being in there thick of a resto .. very good stuff!!

 

The good news is that you are familiar with doing rebuilds of sports cars, in your case Corvette C3s so you know what the score is, like what needs farming out, and what you can do yourself. However, whilst an E-type in perfect near concours condition can fetch the dollars, and even more so than a Corvette, it's important to remember that these cars were not produced in Corvette-type volumes. This means that parts for the cars will inevitably cost more than Corvette parts. The Corvette is a chassis car with a fibre-glass body, the E-type consists of a monocoque body shell plus, forwarad of the bulkhead (firewall), the engine compartment which is formed by the hood plus two engine and suspension supports made of square-section tubing. So an E-type is a bit "peculiar" compared to a Corvette based on parts used in the hundreds of thousands in the GM saloon cars.
The other good news, (provided you have the money !), is that almost all, E-type parts are available from a variety of suppliers, (it possibly is "all" nowadays).
However, whilst an E-type can fetch very strong money, getting there with a "barn find" will also involve the spending of "strong money". Of course, if you are able to do a lot of the work yourself, the cost wil not be as great, even if you pay yourself $200 an hour !
https://etypeuk.com/newsroom/history...ars%20produced.