Independent inspection

[Mikehalliday]

Hi, I’ve placed a deposit on a series 1 2+2, it’s coming from Classic and Sports car Centre near Malton in North Yorkshire. They have been incredibly helpful and I’m sure the car is right but I’m paying £90k+ and I’m a bit nervous. Is there any body that I could go to for an independent inspection this week. I’m due to collect on Friday. Many thanks in Advance

[mgcjag]

Hi Mike..that is a top end price for a 2+2 so the car should be in mint condition... post a link or lots of photos here...we can soon point out any thing that looks wrong.. Steve...ps have you checked all its details on xkedata.. post the chassis/engine number we can point you to it

[Mikehalliday]

Thanks for the reply Steve, there are photos, a video and description on Classic and sports cars website in the cars sold section, the registration is KNJ1E, if you google Knapton Classics the garage should come up. I don’t have the chassis and engine numbers but it has a heritage certificate and 2 lever arch files full of receipts, but no photos,

[Mikehalliday]

I think this is the link,

https://www.classicandsportscar.ltd.uk/ ... sold/62472

[mgcjag]

Hi..cannot find a record of it on xkedata....I'm supprised it has no photos of its restoration...from the photos it looks OK...a big glaring error to me is the very incorrect steering wheel....your holding this and looking at it whenever your in the car.....also check the tyre dates...for that price I would expect new....as an older rebuild they could be old tyres...at around £400 a piece worth checking...Steve

[Mikehalliday]

Thanks Steve, is there any body in the Yorkshire area that might be able to help? Or someone I could employ to carry out a viewing?

[nichmoss]

This is probably a very nice car and a lot of money was spent on it. Looking quickly on my phone, there are a few odd things for me:

A visible seam between the sills and rear wings.
A visible seam between rear wing and boot floor.
The bonnet doesn't look perfectly aligned with the front sill where the wheel arch joins.
The rear hatch seal looks poorly fitted.
Is that steering wheel correct?
Are those extra locks on the doors?
There isn't a full side picture of the passenger side.

I don't have an S1 2+2 so others will know better about fine details.

It's a lot of money so hopefully you will get a warranty and many small details will only be obvious to people who see these a lot.

Good luck, Chris

[Mikehalliday]

Thanks Chris, very helpful

[nichmoss]

If you don't get any joy here for someone to inspect the car, try calling the local JDC area (or head office), probably area 19, Peter Jones. The details are on the Jaguar Drivers Club website. There is also the JEC. I assume the vendor is happy for an inspection?

Where are you driving the car to when you collect? There may be someone there who could look over it and it sounds like you have a relationship with the vendor already if anything is found.

You can buy new Moto Lita steering wheels and repro horn pushes, as I recall.

Best wishes, Chris

[Bob.]

Hi Mike,
For a Concours 1966 S1 2+2, Hagerty's valuation tool currently gives £53k.
Concours OTS £144k and FHC £105k. Only guides of course.

Not nearby, but for an inspection/valuation CMC at Bridgenorth possibly. (https://www.classic-motor-cars.co.uk).
I don't know if M&C Wilkinson offer this service but they are near Doncaster. (https://www.mandcwilkinson.com)
Maybe Ken Jenkins will do it, he is near Worksop. (https://www.ukjag.co.uk)
Good luck,
Bob

[rswaffie]

Mike,
Welcome. It’s definitely a buyers market at the moment and 90k is a huge sum to pay for 2+2. As per above, this is Hegerty’s view:



If it’s a S1 2+2 you’ve got your heart set on, then I would definitely get an inspection done. Have you had E-Types before? How many have you looked at already?

[DWW]

This car seems to be over priced at 90K despite looking clean albeit some visible defects as mentioned above. The lack of restoration photographic records retracts further somewhat from its value. I would certainly further research the markets to gauge the true values of similar propositions. As mentioned currently it appears to be a buyers market, I would expect to pay no more than 50-60K for an s1 2+2 in excellent condition.

[Mikehalliday]

Thanks Richard and Bob, agree it’s a buyers market but those numbers look a bit low, I am buying from a dealer so would expect to pay a bit more but that’s a big difference

Chris thanks for your additional comments, the car comes with a six month warranty, when we pick up the car we are spending the next 7 days doing the NC500 round Scotland which should expose any issues and I’ve agreed the car will go back to the dealer straight after, CSC also do restorations so I’m happy they know what they are looking at.

I’m more concerned at the bodywork not knowing the cars and perhaps now the price!

[Heuer]

A couple of small cosmetic things - the SU caps should all be black plastic and the HT leads should be in a conduit. The Jaguar logo on the oil filler cap should be black or unpainted. Hideous steering wheel and centre boss. All these parts are easily available from SNG Barratt.

You could ask Angus Moss to do an inspection, he is one of the best in the Country (also one of the Forum moderators) and you will get a very comprehensive report and valuation: https://www.mossjaguar.com/index.html

As others have pointed out it is a very expensive car (S1 OTS money) even from a dealer and you will suffer a huge depreciation once you drive it off the lot. Don't be swayed by the cost of the restoration as any E-Type will cost about £150k to restore these days unless you do the work yourself. Best take your time and not rush the purchase because of a rally! Call Angus.

[Mikehalliday]

Thanks David, be assured I’m not rushing to do a rally, this is just a planned holiday but a good opportunity to really test the car

[bitsobrits]

Without a pictorial record of the body restoration, there is no way I would pay that much. It may have a finely restored shell, or it may be full of filler over window screen. How do you know? A six month warranty is meaningless when it comes to body work.

[Mikehalliday]

Thanks everyone for your help, it looks like I’m paying too much for the car but having paid a deposit I’m stuck with that. I need to focus on the condition

The garage has been trading for a long time and has a good reputation, they have sold a lot of E Types over the years. To quote Nick, the owner, “it’s the best he’s seen in over 30 years” I need help to verify this. I’m sure they will put anything right within reason and if not I could challenge to get my money back but to be perfectly honest that’s not the outcome I want.

I have Sunbeam Lotus that I bought in very good condition and then sunk another £20k into it to bring it to the standard I wanted, I don’t want to do the same again, any help to verify the condition will be very much appreciated, I’ll certainly ring the contacts you’ve all very kindly sent on

[nichmoss]

I don't know how much deposit you've paid and if it's refundable (if you find issues) but as you're not used to buying E-Types then paying a 25% premium over what people here would pay so that you can buy from a dealer with a warranty is fair to me. It looks like you've paid more than that but if you're happy then it doesn't matter.

A word of caution though, if this is "the best they've seen in over 30 years" then they haven't been looking that hard. I still say it looks a nice car, although with some issues from the pictures. You may find that anything visible in the pictures will not be fixed for free but they will have a reputation to maintain, so should look after you.

I hope you enjoy the tour and everything works out. If you become very nervous before collection then consider walking away from the deposit. Still, it looks a good car compared to many.

Lotus Sunbeam is quite a car as well!

Best wishes, Chris

[mgcjag]

Hi Mike.. have a look at this as a guide to value.. yes its an auction and you don't have dealer backup and conveniance ...but as soon as you drive a car out of a showroom this is how it will be valued.....£130k restoration.. sale price £51k Steve https://www.carandclassic.com/auctions/ ... upe-nPL25n

[Mikehalliday]

Thanks Chris, yes I saw that, thanks for your help