I am thinking of buying one. If you get one in pretty good condition or bring it up to good condition mechanically are they fun to own? Things that can reduce the fun are if the little things go bad all the time, if you cant find parts, if working on them is really difficult.......

The biggest factor in deciding on a series for me with be the cash, but are the newer models better built, or just newer. I know the Series 1 and the most expensive given equal condition, but are they also more prone to issues?

 

Such is the parts supply for E-types, that one could almost assemble a complete car from parts ! There is no problem obtaining them, but the price may be rather off-putting for some of them, because clearly, they are not in mass production, but made in quite small quantities. I would also say that working on them is not difficult if you know what you are doing, have the workshop manual with you, and a garage with good facilities. There are no electronics to get you puzzled and frustrated ! However, buying one that has not been looked after very well, and expecting it to be a daily driver means you may well get rapidly disillusioned.

The last cars, (the V12s), left the factory in the early 70s, nearly 50 years ago, so unless the car has been subject to a total rebuild, you're going to find things do wrong from time to time. In the late 60s/early 70s a late friend of mine had three used E-types, one after the other. I went with him to collect the first one. As I recall, they were all pretty reliable within the standards of the 70s. You can't apply modern reliability standards to these cars.

No doubt others will comment !!

 

Owning a vintage car of any brand, is a PITA. figurativly speaking. For the very reasons you stated above. If you don't want to do the "Time" don't do the "Crime" of purchasing a Classic /Vintage vehicle. Which is a lobor of Love just to own, drive, and even just to look at, and admire. Appreciating everthing that has gone into the vehicle. The engineering, the feel, the smells. If you don't feel, or sense, what owning a Classic, be it an "XKE" or any "Classic for that matter. Then you probably shouldn't. Just my Thoughts.

Jack

 

They're all so old now it doesn't matter much if it's an early car or a later car. It's actual present-day condition that counts. The later 6 cylinder cars had some braking and cooling enhancements...but those will be negated if the car isn't well cared for.

With some effort I'm sure an XKE can be made to be reliable but, still, old cars need attention to stay reliable. If you're a decent DIYer you should have no problem dealing with whatever comes up.

By "reliable" I mean able to take you to your destination and back without leaving you stranded. . On old cars there is always something to fix...even if it isn't essential that it be fixed.

Cheers
DD

 

I've had my 69 coupe for 35 years. Great fun and also can be a PITA. I was lucky to get him when he was only 20 years old and he hadn't been bodged. Very true that just about any part is available and quality has improved. Things like electronic fuel pumps and distributors help rule out some of their idiosyncrasies. BUT you are still dealing with AN OLD CAR. Do your research before buying. The bodies can have serious rust, sills, trunk under spare tire. "E type buyers Guide" is a good resource. There are tons of great videos on YouTube. Maikel Lemke is great for advice and guidance as well as Richard Michael Owen. Are you mechanically minded and can do the work on them? If not, qualified mechanics are getting harder to find. See if there is a Jaguar or British car club near you. Members are always happy to help and provide guidance. The PITA part? Mine hates Pertronix and is much happier with 123 distributor. He eats clutch slave cylinders about every 4 years. I am fortunate enough to have 91 no eth gas where I live as IMO the corn gas would kill him. Not every tire store is capable of mounting tires on wire wheels. British Lucas glass fuses are NOT the same as the American versions.
Es are INCREDIBLE cars, not only when they came out,, but even now.. You have to be willing to be its caretaker. If you cannot live with "will it start?, will it run? Will I get there? Will I get home? Then you have no business getting involved with a vintage vehicle. And ALWAYS have a AAA or other service, a matter of when, not if.

 

All good comments. I'd only add that any car of that era requires "maintenance". Back in the day it was common to take one's car in for service where things were checked over and many issues corrected before they became problems. If you treat your classic car like a modern car, expecting it to tell you if there's a looming issue, then you may well be disappointed. If you're game buy the best car you can afford, do regular (every 6-12 months or so) checkovers - whether by you or a competent mechanic - and the chances are excellent you'll have a great experience. Yes it costs some money but anyone who buys a 50+ year old car and thinks it will be cheap and trouble free to operate is living in dreamland.

 

Even with my 'modern' cars, I still do a walkaround before driving.. do the tires look a bit low? Routinely I pop the hood and check oil level, brake fluid level etc with my eyes, rather than relying on sensors and gauges. With a vintage vehicle, you really need to do this on a regular basis. as well as check the coolant level. In my S2, you have to open the reservoir on the firewall to look at the level. These oldies are not like your everyday car where you can, for the most part, hop in, start it (and I let them idle down) and drive off. And yes, they are 'eye candy', but they don't respond well to sitting and not being driven. Components can die while seemingly not being used! I had driven the E, put him in the garage and about 3 days later went out to take another drive. Put it in reverse and.... no brakes! That developed into a repair session that was the booster unit and the 'joke' there was that it's said the car was built around that. It took me a few calls to find a new unit and not a refurbed one that didn't have the diaphragm replaced, but got it done. Beware of "pigs with lipstick", cars with phenomenal paint, chrome and interiors that may be hiding a multitude of rust and rot. This is not only British cars, but US as well. Don't ever fall in love with a car, because they don't love you back.
This photo is of a fellow car club member's E that he bought earlier this year (2024). All this was hiding under very nice paint (and a couple of tons of bondo)

 

So I've owned a '68, '64, and a '70 V8 conversion car (which I still have). The '68 was reasonably well maintained, didn't have many problems, and always started and drove just fine. The '64 had been raced, had side draft webbers, the front brakes off a Model 10 Jag, a Magneto (first and last time I'd seen one of those), and it had been treated poorly, that car nearly broke me. '70 I took from a 327 (which it had when I bought it), to an LS3, and then I turned it into a speedster, it is a current-generation car under the skin and virtually every major part of that car is current-generation except for the rear end and body so it requires the same maintenance as any new car but is pretty much bulletproof though I spent more on it than I spent on the other two cars combined. Generally, if the cars have had their wiring sorted and have been well maintained they are surprisingly reliable, if they haven't, then they can be a nightmare that never ends. With any old car like this, you do need the skills to maintain it otherwise it can become crazy expensive and very unreliable. I prefer Series II cars over Series I or III cars because they tend to be the least trouble to maintain, on the other hand, the Series IIIs are often the most comfortable and I so love the V12 start-up sound, and the Series 1s tend to command the highest price. Be aware that older cars like this are very different than new cars, with no traction control, anti-lock brakes, or accident avoidance technology. They aren't as quick as newer cars and you need to look for and mitigate rust. If the electrics haven't been addressed, make it a priority to replace the wiring as it doesn't age well. These cars are generally over half a century old now and stuff like rubber does not hold up well over decades and the protection against corrosion back then was pretty poor. These are cars that are either for people who can afford to have other people work on them or who have those skills themselves, and this hobby can get scary expensive if you don't know what you are doing. Best of luck, but realize with a car of this age your best days are often the days you buy them and sell them so don't rush into this.

 

Both!
I own a '71 V12 2+2 - it needed a lot of work mechanically, but was all original paint and interior, so that I left alone.
Its taken a while to get it into a place that I can drive it often. It spent a lot of time in the first year on the back of a truck going back for new fixes to things that needed fixing! I must admit, the only other e-type I have seen on the road in LA is on the back of a truck! I have spent a lot of money.

That being said - its incredibly fun to own and drive. This was a car I have lusted over since being a 10 year old building a plastic model kit with my Dad. I had to have one once in my life. I have thought about selling it, and came close. I still have it. Every time I drive the car, I must admit, I do fall in love with it all over again and forget the problems.

No idea if that will help or hurt! You dont buy one of these because it makes any kind of sense!!
Mike

 

It can be a royal PITA or it it be the most wonderful car you ever owned. I had a good friend that drove his series 2 5-6 days a week in Pheonix Az with very little problems. It was kept in excellent shape.

it all depends on the condition of the car.