The 'E' Type Forum

Hi all
It's been a bit quiet round mine lately, so looking for a bit of a project. Never owned a jag but always wanted one, and I'm guessing like most people here, it was always an E-type. I've been looking for a few candidates that need a bit of work. I reckon I can do the electrics myself and some of the welding, but will need to learn a lot from scratch.
Just wondered if anyone has any tips on years/models to avoid, common issues with salvages, etc.
Got a lot of time on my hands so not put off by the amount of work involved, in fact it's quite the opposite

Hi Welcom to the forum....very first thing i would advise is a couple of books https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-es ... 1904788850



The buyes guide written by one of our members covers the S1/S2 4.2 models....he also has one for the S3 V12
The Chris Rook book cover a diy rebuild...very good.....Steve
Edit...If you see a car that needs " a bit of welding" it will probably need 10x as much as you can see

Hi,
If you haven’t done so already, have a plough through the knowledgebase area, starting with this:

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=890

Which model you go for is really up to you and your budget. The general rule is buy the best you can afford - particularly in respect of the bodywork.

Are you looking to restore / drive / enjoy or is this an ‘investment opportunity’? If the latter, you need to be very clear on purchase price, what you think you can do yourself and what you will have to farm out to the pros.

Are you bothered if you start out with a lhd? Do you care about ‘matching numbers’ or restoring to show condition?

It’s becoming hard to find early cars to restore at prices that make it sensible to take on (unless you’ve got very deep pockets or have masochistic tendencies) - Ebay and other online sites are awash with potential minefields.

If you want to go down the home restoration route, it’s worth talking to some of the restoration companies mentioned o this forum as they could help source/inspect possible cars for you.

Well you've certainly found the right place to start with... Lots of fabulously knowledgeable people and lots of interesting projects to view for inspiration. I think the E type world is one to be very careful of leaping into.. Like alot of classic cars you need to decide you either have a large some of money to invest in a very well sorted car, with a documented history of upkeep or restoration, or you have lots of time and interest in which case buy a project. What can easily happen is you go middle of the road, spend a substantial amount on a good roadgoing car only to discover that actually you are only a couple of years away from needing to spend a fortune again because it is rotting... ( and they all do!!) For my part, I have limited funds but a keen interest and desire to restore a project. So I bought a basket case, albeit matching numbers, reasonably complete but a rusty old nail. If you enjoy welding most of the panels are available, mechanically they are well supported and they are and always will be a gorgeous car. I'm on a journey to achieve a good sorted car, not concours and with a few upgrades to be able to enjoy for as long as I can.
But you will find many answers to many questions on this brilliant forum.
Good Luck
Guy

As mentioned buy the best you can afford. If you do want to take on a project, make sure it is as complete as possible E types are very complex compared to MGs TRs etc. It is easy to restore old rusty worn parts, but if you do not have them in the first place prices asked on e bay for some parts are stagaring. Also be aware of the quality and fit of new parts, quite often you are better off spending the time and money on the parts you were going to replace.
If buying on ebay be aware of bargain cars advertised that the "owner" requires a deposit to secure, sometimes into £1000s and the car does not exist.
The Jaguar spares days at stoneleigh are a must for new and used parts.
Good luck in your search.

Andy

Thanks everyone for the helpful links and tips! I've been sifting my way through it slowly...

I'm not too bothered about lhd's, matching numbers or show condition tbh, at least not yet. Keeping all options open until I've done a bit more research. But I think as long as it looks the business and is enjoyable to drive, I'm willing to compromise a bit.

Stoneleigh sounds like a lot of fun, hope days like this can continue to operate with all the new restrictions.

See you all about