Rookie needs help 73 series 3 xke
 

Contemplating the purchase of a 73 xke roadster at daniel schmitt

Advertised as XXVIII Club Jaguar International Grand Concurso de Elegancia.
winner

"complete restoration" shows extensive use of undercoating on undercarriage
spray paint on front A arms to make them look shiny and pretty dented mufflers

Rest of car looks like solid #2 Engine "completely rebuilt" with no receipts. No receipts for complete restoration. No documentation for 15K mi on odometer "believed to be accurate"

VIN: UD 1S 22118

Anybody know of this car? Anybody deal with these folks at Daniel Schmitt?
What is a #2 73 roadster 4sp w/ air really worth?

Any help would be much appreciated. Have wanted one for a long time and really like the color, but the rest of me is leery.

Many thanks, chris

Due diligence strongly recommended. Google is your friend. Hagerty puts the 1973 roadster in #2 condition at $108K. The referenced concours was in April 2014 in Mexico. This car was there, but I could not find its scoring result. It was a JCNA sanctioned concours, so the car's class and score could be of some significance. To contradict their ad copy: this is not "the best year for this iconic model". The best V12 E-Types were the earliest ones - the highest compression ratio, no appendages added to the bumpers - thereafter it went downhill with the increasingly stringent US Federal standards.

Daniel Schmidt is a car sales dealership. He does have nice cars and his prices are usually in line with the network. I have been to his place quite a bit as I live near the area. Try Mark Hyman's place in West Port, google Hyman and review his list. He has some of the better cars and is known through out the Auctions over the world. Jay Leno has bought from him, if any consolation. I have seen Schmidt's body shop and work, and I have seen Hyman's detail and mechanic shop ( never saw a body shop ).

A "complete restoration" and no docs, no records? This and other reasons noted, would cause me to move on....

I have a 74 Series III OTS XKE and am trying to find the chassis # supposedly stamped in the frame near the top shock mount right side.
Right beside the mounts on both sides are brackets for the air vent intakes. I have removed the bracket on the right side -- no number.
Has anyone actually seen the chassis # on a series III and specifically where was it.
I have asked several Jag people and everyone knows where is supposed to be but I have not found anyone who has actually seen the number.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hale
74 E ots
95 XJS 6L ots
90 XJS V12
87 XJS FHC

Hello Hale,
Following below is my reply to your question in another Thread.

Despite URAS's reply to that, stating that there is a number stamped on the frame, I've never seen any such number and I run a shop specializing in S3 restoration. I own 5 S3s myself and the only permanent Chassis Number on each of these cars is as described below. There are two other Non-permanent labels bearing the Chassis Number, on the Build Plate high centre of the firewall and the other, a small tag riveted to the LH Windscreen Pillar. This second tag contains the Chassis Number only and is visible through the Windscreen.

The Picture Frame is made up of 2 separate components, a three member lower frame and a cross member at the top into which the shock absorbers attach. On some of these, not all, I've seen the Chassis Number roughly and lightly engraved (not stamped) on its top side. I don't believe this to be for the purpose of identifying the Chassis in the long term, but for whatever reason, to identify the Sub-frame assembly during assembly of the car.

Regards,

Brent


Replay from other Thread
Hello Hale,
Its not on the Picture Frame, or any other part of the frame. The number is stamped on the sloping part of the firewall just left of the Pedal Box (LHD Cars). Same place for RHD Cars, but instead of the Pedal Box, there will be a blanking plate, or, for those RHD Cars that have air conditioners (After Market because Factory air was never made for RHD Cars), a panel through which the air conditioner hoses pass.

The application of the numbers was very heavy handed and therefore, the stamping of the numbers invariably resulted in a dented area where the number is stamped.

Regards,

Brent

I am heading out to the shop and I will check my 74 xke to see what I can locate.

I checked today. The locations of the chassis number are:
1) On the inside of the left w/s frame (A pillar). It is rivited to the pillar. Refer to the attached picture and you can see the Z shaped tab which sticks out.
2) Plate rivited to the firewall to the passenger side of the steering column. You can see it in this same picture.
3) The chassis number is stamped into the firewall itself towards driver side of the steering column.
3) Small plate rivited behind the license plate
4) There are stampings on the front right frame rail extensions. It is very hard to make out before, and even harder to make out now as these extensions have been sandblasted, cleaned, coated, and painted. You can only make out the impressions as the paint did not flow properly in the spray. I tried to get a better picture but the resolution with my i-phone 4 is not the best.

I have cut and pasted what one person said about the frame rail number location:

"The chassis numbers are sometimes difficult to read because they have been painted over, but should be located on the top right end of the Picture Frame about 25 to 30 mm back from the top right hand shock absorber mounting. You may have to scrape the paint off down to bare metal in order to see it clearly.

Pointing out my observations only as to what I have seen, not designed to argue with anyone or even give the illusion that I know E-types.

Hello uras,
I know what the Forum should be looking for in your pictures, but I can’t see what you’re referring to.

I'm not engaging in a pissing contest, I'm merely stating how it actually is.

The Plate you refer to riveted behind the Rear License Plate is not the Chassis Number, but the Body Number. The Chassis Number is referred to as the Car Number on the S3 Build Plate. The Body Number is different to the Chassis (Car Number). S1 to S2 cars show Chassis and Body, rather than Car and Body Numbers on the Build Plate and also have a Body Number Plate riveted to the panel that holds the Rear License. Its positioned to the Right of the License Plate.

The Chassis number placement referred to in your Cut and Paste comment is for an S1 to S2 car. This is where the Chassis Number for these cars is found. The Chassis (Car) Number for an S3 was never punched into any of the Picture Frame members.

The only definitive Chassis number for an S3 is punched into the angled surface of the Firewall, Left of the Pedal Box aperture.

The pictures attached labelled 1 to 12, are as following:

• 1. Rear surface of front upper bracket of Right Hand Sub Frame

• 2. Top Right bracket of Bonnet Hinge Frame. The number shown stamped has no reference to a Chassis or Body number, as will be seen in picture labelled

• 3. Top surface of Right Hand end of Picture Frame Top Cross Member.

• 4. Top Left bracket of Bonnet Hinge Frame.

• 5. Top surface of Left Hand end of Picture Frame Top Cross Member. The numbers shown are the rough engraved numbers I’ve referred to in other Posts. In this case they have no reference to Chassis, or Body Numbers.

• 6. Rear surface of front upper bracket of Left Hand Sub Frame

• 7. Label riveted to Left Hand Windscreen Pillar containing the Chassis Number. The Chassis Numbers is also referred to as the Car Number.

• 8. The Chassis number punched into the angled surface of the Firewall to the left of the Pedal Box opening of LHD cars. The number is in the same place for RHD Cars.

• 9. Build Plate of car found just left of centreline at the top of the firewall.

• 10. Top Left bracket of recently sandblasted and primed Bonnet Hinge Frame showing no sign of Chassis numbers under the Air Cleaner Bracket that would normally resides there.

• 11. Top Right bracket of recently sandblasted and primed Bonnet Hinge Frame showing numbers that are concealed by the Air Cleaner Bracket that would normally resides there.

• 12. Recently sand blasted and primed Top surface of Picture Frame Top Cross Member showing roughly engraved numbers. In this case they have no reference to Chassis or Body numbers.

You will note from these pictures that the Chassis (Car) Number is only definitively punched into the angled surface of the Firewall.


Pictures 1 to 7 inclusive are from an entirely original, unmolested car.


Regards,


Brent