Greetings!

My name is Pete Crayton. I have just purchased a 70 E type roadster, for the 2nd time in my life! I am expecting delivery late next week. I hope I have not made ANOTHER mistake..

As a brand new Marine 2nd Lt, in 1971, I bought a used '70, the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, or given I am married, maybe I should say the 2nd. Anyway, she nearly broke me, needing an exhaust repair and new tires at the time I had orders across country. So I traded even for new MGB.

Now, 55 years later, I am trying again. But reticence may have already set me up for failure. .For months I watched the ads anc choked on the prices. So I compromised and bought a Jag facsimile,a super nice MGA MkII.for half the price.

Last week, while attending an MG car show, my phone alerted me that an E type auction I was "watching" was ending. So, of course I checked it out and realized it was a no reserve auction and the hi bid was $22K, with 10 minutes remaining. Incredulous! Certainly it would not go for that? I managed to get registered just in time to enter a bid, and ultimately chased it right up to my limit and won it at $39K! That is about what I now have in the MGA.

My new Jag is a good running '70 roadster, but needs paint and interior and a new floor pans (that come with it). The irony is that added to the cost of the MGA, what I paid would have bought a very nice E needing little or no work. So here I am, hoping that .

Sometime in the next 5 hours, the Jag should be leaving CA., enroute to me here in Jacksonville, Fl; don't know where I'm gonna put it. Let the fun begin!

Pete

 

Congrats on getting back in the E world. On this forum you will find many friendly and helpful owners who most likely, will have gone through the same issues that may come up for you.

If this is your car... looks nice!
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...i-roadster-14/

1. Do get a Heritage certificate, if one was not provided by seller.

https://www.jaguarheritage.com/archi.../certificates/

You already own a BC, so the usual checkouts would be applicable... fluid changes, brake check, carb damper fluid level.

I always wanted an E, but started out with a 74 Spitfire and a 74 Midget, then got the E, then a 62 MGA, 74 TR6 and 67 TR4A. The shop manuals are necessary, but all use the same verbiage, like " installation is the reverse of removal".

Here's a link to (IMO) the best E shop manual: check around for competitive pricing (and yes, 790 pages is about right!)

https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/comple...ition=57748651

 

Pete, you car was built on 26th February 1970. Original paint, British Racing Green, Beige trim, Black top. Home delivery. Original registration. VDU 848H.
Hope you find this helpful.

 

Thank you; interesting. Would this information have other uses of which I am not aware, like a Heritage certificate or ...?

 

Thank you for the warm welcome! And yes, that is my car. It is on the way here as we speak.

My first E was not my first British car. That was a 52 MGTD which I bought while in high school (1966) for $250; painted it with a brush. After college, as mentioned, I bought the E I couldn't afford. After that, in quick succession, came a couple MGBs, a Triumph GT 6, and an AH 100, with deviations including a 66 Mustang convertible and a 63 split rear window Vette. They were all just old cars bought and sold as such. After that came a string of Porsches.

I am now a heretic, having driven a Tesla since 2017. In fact, I coincidentally take delivery of a new one tomorrow! I don't know what I am more excited about, it or the inbound E. Form or Function?

I will indeed acquire both the Heritage Certificate and Shop Manual, though I doubt I am capable of doing many repairs myself. Ironic since I made my living as the owner of a chain of Auto repair shops;but can only talk the talk.

Again, thanks for the welcome and useful tips.

Pete

 

Pete, meant to add that all your numbers are correct also.

 

I am thinking matching numbers might matter to a collector?? However, I fear the condition of this car is not nearly good enough to be of interest to them. The paint and interior are pretty ragged. And at least one floor pan needs replacing. I'm not up to a super high grade paint job, and though I would like to change the color, I might live with this and have it repaired and touched up where necessary. The seller notes the interior is worn but I can't tell how bad in the pics. Between leathers, carpets, door cards, and dash pad, I can see in excess of $5K. d.i.y. It supposedly runs well, but even so, for how long...it is a Jag!

I ended up with it because it was a no reserve auction with tepid action and my wing and a prayer bid prevailed, much to my dismay. My goal is to have a pretty driver. The irony is I could have had one for what I spent on the MGA I settled for and this E.

But maybe I improve this E to a decent standard and not be buried in it?

I appreciate your research and feedback. For what purpose do you own a Jag....hobby, driving, or investment?

Thanks again,
Pete

 

There are less and less E types going for this kind of money. Most of the ones that MIGHT be better than yours have gone on to full restoration. Your E is matching numbers and appears to be complete, in terms of chrome bits, fittings, etc. You may be surprised at how well your car looks after some serious cleaning and leather treatment. Check out any of the detailers' YouTube videos for what they accomplish with barnfind cars. Chuck Hadley with Monocoque Metalworks cleans up a set of seats with good results. He's also great at demo-ing body work and repair panels. Richard Michael Owen also does alot of E work and has YouTube videos. The big things are make sure your rims and tires are good, your brakes, cooling system, hoses,, and fuel supply. The Stromberg carbs like Automatic transmission fluid, it retains its viscosity no matter what the ambient temperature is. Those same detailing videos show pretty uncomplicated paint restoration, good enough until you are ready for the repaint. I've had my E for 36 years and I can tell you, it's a work in progress, there's ALWAYS something to tend to.

 

Good luck with your restoration, Pete. I firmly believe that matching numbers are crucial, especially for the true aficionados out there. I had the privilege of owning a Jaguar many years ago during my time working for the company, and I was fortunate enough to have driven every model at one point or another. Over the course of more than two decades, I worked at Browns Lane, Radford, and Whitley, developing a deep appreciation for Jaguar’s rich history—particularly its classic models.

I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have acquired a treasure trove of documents and data when the chassis records office at Browns Lane was demolished. If I can ever be of assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Best regards, Tom

 

Good evening, from south Texas. My name is Brian Blackwell, and I have owned 2R28332 for 29 years, after buying it on my 40th birthday in St. Louis, MO. Done a lot to it, got it at 54K miles, it now has 92K. A FHC, sable and cinnamon, with air conditioning and Turbodisc wheels. Have its Heritage certificate, and all the numbers match. First Jaguar I owned was an ‘85 XJ6 that I drove to 244K before it got T-boned, after rebuilding the engine myself at 182K. That was 30 years ago.

 

Well, it arrived late yesterday afternoon, and disappointment with it. It was dark by the time it was off the hauler but that meant it was much cooler and the threat of rain had subsided. BUT cruelly it seems the headlights don't work. This morning I decide to put the top up and discover it will not mate up, let alone seal, across the top of the windscreen. A good half inch gap! The headlamps I may be able to figure out, but the top?

 

If the car had to travel a long way, the headlight issue may just be a loose power wire, ground, or switch. The back side of the inst cluster panel lists the circuits and fuses, see if other things on that circuit work, though headlights may be the only thing. Check for british tube fuses, rather than American tube fuses.
Many convertible owners leave the top down for extended periods of time, and so the top material shrinks. Pull it up as far as it will go now, leave it in the sun, and/or use a hair dryer to warm up the material, then keep working it to get it to close.

Here's a link to a guy from Holland explaining, (probably more like this on YT)

Keep us posted, we are all here to help!

 

Valerie,

I suspect you are absolutely right. I removed and reinstalled the headlamp fuse which seemed to fix that problem. In the process I lost the horn fuse, though the seller had advised it did not work anyway. But I have ordered an assortment of fuses.

I took your advice and exposed the top to the sun,and will do so again tomorrow...it is getting quite hot here in Florida so if heat will do it, this is the place.

Thanks for the helpful advice and the video.

Happy Mother's Day!

Pete

 

Good work ! I have to tell you a story when I got my E. It was 1989 and he was 20 years old. By that time I'd cut my teeth on the Spit and the Midget. My first chore was always to clean and scrub out the car. I was in the hatch, spare tire compartment. There was an ice cream bucket in the right rear, with towels in it. I tired to pull it out, but it wasn't budging. I removed the towels to find, the fuel pump! Apparently, PO had either worked on or replaced the pump, but failed to remount it on its platform. It took a few weeks to locate the parts to remount it, but all went well. I shudder to think of a potential fuel leak in a bucket of towels, near electrical wires. Check for power at the horns. At their age, they may be the problem.
You now have an E, how much better can it get?

 

Hi lbc3,
Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your E-Type. Living in Florida you should have many days a year to enjoy driving it. I live in the Daytona beach area and feel lucky to be able to enjoy the E year round. Enjoy it in good health and drive it as often as you can.
Bill.