Let me start out by saying that I have loved these cars since I was a kid. My dad owned a Triumph Stag growing up and whenever we would attend a car show I was always oogling over the E-type section. The straight sis coupes have always been my favorite. Fast forward 30 years in life and I have always just been short of the desired funds to purchase one as the prices keep climbing. I was watching a bring a trailer auction on a very clean and original, driver quality 68 last summer. After the auction closed the new owner updated the comments with the fact that he rents his car collection. The decision was made to come up to Seattle, WA and rent the car from Brooke Stabbert of classicautorentals.com. My girlfriends birthday was in March and we decided this would be the perfect trip to see the PNW coast.

This was a dream trip! I can't say enough how fantastic this car was. It met every expectation I had. I am on the hunt for a straight 6 coupe now. I shot a little video and thought you guys might like to enjoy watching us put almost 800 miles on the XKE up and down the Oregon and Washington coast. I've been a long time lurker on the forum and now I'm seriously looking for a XKE to restore. Very jealous of all you guys who own one and get to drive them anytime you want.

Jake

 

Keep looking you’ll find your car!

 

Welcome, cargroves!
Good luck on your search and take your time checking any one over thoroughly. My advice is to spend now, rather than later. A "bargain" can be anything but a bargain. They're out there, so get the nicest one you can find, even if it costs a bit more... it will be cheaper in the long run! I've seen some mighty high prices paid for "project" cars, when they could just as easily have gotten one running and drivable. Unless you love tearing things apart and replacing everything, in which case, more power to you! :-)

Hope you find your "dream car"!

 

Much depends on how much money you have available either as a capital sum, or "surplus wealth" from your paycheck. Restoration of an E-type is not something to be undertaken lightly as it will cost a substantial sum of money in parts and labour. Of course if you are a skilled auto DIYer with a spacious garage and lots of tools then you can do a great deal yourself to reduce labout costs, but some things are best left to the experts.

The good news is that virtually everything you need to restore the car is available, even complete body shells ! Not cheap, of course, but E-types are worth a lot of money in a restored condition. The other thing to think about is your time, if you're wanting to do a lot yourself. I rebuilt a Mark 2 in the 80s and it took me 7 years as I did virtually everything myself. Things go a lot quicker if some work is contracted-out to specialists.

 

My 2¢ - Contact your local chapter of the JCNA club. Any of their officers/judges will be helpful and direct you to your local E-Type expert mechanic. Pay for a complete top to bottom inspection with pictures. For my ‘70 E-Type this happened at Classic Showcase in Oceanside, it was 4 hours, cost $600. You’ll have a laundry list of things to correct from their suggestions. They should also be helpful in advising you on what will give you the most bang for the buck for a resale. At the very least you’ll change fluids and inspect all safety items including suspension items, tires & brakes.

Some buyers will be looking for a “project” and will be more price sensitive since they will need to do any repairs, other buyers will be looking for a car recently brought up to snuff with the recent service records to prove it. They will be more willing to pay top dollar for a well-sorted car. The more service history you have from the past, the better. Has the car been repainted? Is the interior original? Is it the original engine & transmission? Have they been rebuilt? Do the body, engine, trans and chassis numbers match? Do you have a Heritage Certificate (easy to get)? if the car is mostly original in good condition you’ll get a great price if you decide not to just keep it yourself! I’m a big fan of Bring a Trailer, you’ll reach the most potential buyers that way. Best of luck, I’d like to see 100 more pictures!