Looking to buy a 71-74 roadster to restore mechanically, not looking for a complete restoration candidate, just a car which needs some work to be derivable again.
Any differences in the 71-74 Series Three E-Types other than color, trans, A/C options? I know the bumper laws forced the bumper changes in 73-74 just like our US built cars. I know the bumpers could be changed out for the earlier ones. How about emissions controls? Were they worse in say 74 than 71 on a V-12? Should I be looking for a 71-72 more than a 73-74? Anything else I should know looking at these cars? I would only consider a car that is largely rust free from a dry State, trying to stay away from the dreaded rust repairs. Am I close in estimating a likely car in the $35K-$50K range?

 

The very early V-12s ('71) had a slightly higher compression ratio but from what I understand they are pretty rare in the US, otherwise the differences are mostly minor. The emissions systems were pretty much the same with late '72 on all having: Exhaust Gas Recirculation and Air Injection, but no cats or thermal reactors (what a disaster those were), along with Zenith Stromberg carbs that were engineered to help pass US smog rules. Those items, and a fairly complex system of vacuum lines to adjust air intakes and distributor advance/retard pretty much covers the OE smog setup on most all Series III cars. Don't be surprised if some or all of that is missing or "upgraded" on cars you find, especially if it's a car that has been neglected and needs mechanical work. The smog equipped engine actually worked reasonably well, but only if everything was set up properly, and since not that long ago these were very cheap cars often the smog equipment was just stripped off or plugged up in a ham fisted attempt to make the car run better. Missing smog gear may or may not be an issue depending upon where you live but it can limit the pool of buyers down the road - if you care about that. Note that the '74 bumpers are harder to convert to the euro style than the '73 and if you like the four outlet exhaust look for a '73 or earlier. Also watch for missing parts like A/C interior units (if it had A/C) as those complete units can be very hard to find.

You're quite right to look for a solid body as repairing rust on any E-Type can get very expensive very fast, but also know that dry area cars can also suffer from heat damage and dried out rubber bits. Also take a hard look to be sure the front frame around the engine is not bent as those can be difficult to fix correctly. In general don't worry about the year, other than some cosmetics they're pretty much the same. More importantly look for the best Series III you can find for the money, and err on the side of spending more than you planned for a good car. In the long run it will save you money.

 

Thanks for a great reply! I really want to find a car I can resurrect, but not have to fully disassemble, rebuild, and restore. Will be sure to post pictures when I find a car. If someone on here has one they want to sell I may be interested? There is no smog test here in Florida, so I don’t have to be too concerned about missing smog equipment. What was the compression ratio in 71 for the V-12? Any other little differences? Rear gears all the same?

 

According to Jonathan Wood's book on the E-Type the early engine CR was 10.6:1 but was reduced to 9:1 so it would more easily make the emissions standards. The V12s don't need premium gas as a result.

 

I will try to buy that book you mentioned...