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#1 Another New Boy

Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 5:17 pm
by Simon P
How do you do?

Well done on an excellent forum - what a great source of information!

I'm in the process of restoring* my father's 1969 Series II FHC. He bought the car in 1970 when it was nine months old with just a thousand miles on the clock, and it's been with us ever since. As I was just six when he bought it, me and the car go back a long way....

The car was parked up at the end of the Eighties and had sat in the garage ever since: complete, but gently deteriorating. My father passed away last year, and somehow I managed to persuade the Memsahib to let me get it restored (it's cost me a new kitchen, but hey!)

It's going to be a little while before it hits the road again, but doubtless I'll be bugging you for hints and tips from time to time.

One question currently taxing my mind as I look ahead to the point where the time comes to get it painted: I've read elsewhere (on the XKEdata.com website) that when the cars were new, although Jaguar had on offer a standard range of colours at any point in time, it would have also been possible to specify any existing Jaguar colour and the factory would have been able to accomodate you. Is this generally accepted as correct, or is it one of those urban myths?

Thanks in advance

Simon

(*I say "I'm in the process of restoring", in practice this consists of me mixing G&Ts whilst writing out cheques....)

#2

Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 5:35 pm
by Heuer
Simon

Welcome to the Forum. Great tribute to your Dad and your childhood memories. Don't hesitate to ask questions as there are a lot of knowledgeable owners here.

As regards paint Jaguar would indeed offer the car in any colour from their range as a cost option, not just the standard colours. Every car went down the production line with a build sheet detailing options and colour requested by the customer and every car was pre-allocated to an individual customer. It was literally your car so you could have what you wanted providing it was available.

#3

Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 6:29 pm
by ChrisC
Welcome Simon.

This is indeed a jolly helpfull forum and bunch of nice guys to boot :o)

#4

Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 6:57 pm
by Simon P
Thanks, chaps. Just what I was hoping to hear!

(They get under your skin a bit these E-types, don't they...)

#5

Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 8:10 pm
by ChrisC
:D After 28 years of ownership..... personally I would say yes they do...

#6

Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 9:27 am
by Simon P
Nice website you've got there, Chris.

Got to admire a man who puts his cajones on the line with a countdown timer on his E-type restoration!

:D