The 'E' Type Forum

Just signed up,
haven't got an E Type yet but I will get one, oh yes.

A bit about me, I'm a year younger than the E Type and Enzo Ferrari has never described me as "beautiful" nor has my mother for some reason.
I did come close to getting a very tasty 4.2 roadster about 15 years ago but wife at the time had other ideas and decided to 'divest' the 'joint' assets (we'll leave it at that or it could turn into a ten pager).
So up to now from my adolescent 'must haves' I've got the 850 Norton Commando Roadster and the T160 Triumph Trident, that just leaves the E Type and the Tennis bird scratching her bum on the bedroom poster left to go.

So here I am, nearly 34 years of making Megawatts with the option of another 15 years of 'gainful employment' or 'take the money and run'.
no contest :D

I consulted the current Mrs.G as to what to do with the surplus money from the pay off, leave it in the bank or stick it in the garage, again no contest (Mrs.G is a bit of a petrol head, drives a Mk IV Supra aerotop and before you all start shouting "Jap Carp" It is faultless)

Anyway, back to the reason I signed up.
I will buy an E Type, and it will be a 4.2 roadster.
I look foreword to your collective wisdom and advice TIA.

merry Xmas to all, I'm on 7 to 7 12hour day shift all weekend, but at least I'll get a decent meal though, mrs. G is lovely, but can't cook to save her life

cheers
Roy

Welcome aboard Roy from another Kentishman. Where abouts are you?

Wouldn't knock Jap stuff as I've just sold the greatest an R35 GTR and have a 240Z in the garage.

Etype wise it might be worth talking to Harry at EtypeUK only based in Hadlow so you should pop in and have a good look at Etypes for familiarisation. A lovely chap so I'm told ( ;) ) who has lots of time to chat

Having just spent a fortune on metal work I would recommend a good Californian car and an easy convert to RHD if you wish :D

vipergts wrote: Having just spent a fortune on metal work I would recommend a good Californian car and an easy convert to RHD if you wish :D

Be very careful about so called Californian ( or any other "dry-state" cars ) . In the first place, they may not always have been in California . Secondly, and more importantly, California is not necessarily the corrosion free environment which some people imagine . Any car which has spent its life along the coast may well be suffering from extensive salt corrosion . Thus you need to be very careful .... and never, never buy sight unseen or you may end up with something very different from what you are expecting

Very true Chris

Black plate cars are the ticket generally but always worth looking at

Cheers Chris and Viper,
not got a precise finish date for work yet but it looks like I'll have next year (2012) to look around and learn with a purchase the following spring.
ex-pat Lancastrian in east Maidstone.

Roy

Hi Roy You sound like a man after my own heart. I too am into british bikes with a Hurricane and a Bonneville (meridan) sharing the garage with a Ducati 900 monster and a 63 fhc (nearly finished). I,m not far from you either in east sussex so come and find me when you get your car. Cheers Steve

Welcome aboard. There is nothing like looking for an Etype to get the heart racing...

As does driving one...

Just a quick post to say thanks to Harry at E Type UK.
Me and the lovely Karen (Mrs.G) had a drive over to Hadlow this morning to try one out for size, seems I'm a bit too big for a 4.2 but the S3 fits just fine. So thanks again to Harry.

Roy

There's a lovely Black V12 there which would suit you just fine.

Hi Roy

Don't mention it, it was nice to meet you and Mrs G. Please feel free to call should you need anymore assistance.

Roy
I'm 6ft 5 inches and have tweaked a S1 Coupe so that I can fit by fitting a reclining S2 seat. I had it trimmed in the style of an S1, and the filling was cut down to give me headroom. Luckily the trimmer is the same size as me, so he made the seat so that he could fit. The seat now appears in a new book 'Factory Original E Type' as a fine example of an S1 seat!!

The car is a bit of a squeeze to get in and out with the large original steering wheel, but that is being replaced with an old smaller diameter one. Once seated, it is fine, and I've spent a few hours at a time in there hustling the car around in complete comfort.

The S3 is a big improvement of course with a lot more legroom, and reclining seats as standard. It also allows you to get further away from the steering wheel, which means that I can drive that car with straight arms if required.

When you tried the cars are you sure that you weren't just comparing to a modern saloon car? Even the XJS and XK8 feel very small, especially getting in and out of them, but once in they're fine....for me at least.

The S3 would be best for comfort for sure, but consider what you want the car for, and how much you prefer one over the other.

Have fun deciding....I'd find it a very difficult decision!

Cheers Harry, I did think it was cool when Kaz asked to look at the engine, not many girls would do that.

Thanks Mark E,
The 4.2 was really a tight squeeze, I'm quite 'big boned'. Harry gave some very good direction so I think an S3 will be best.
I can't compare to modern cars 'cos I've always driven quirky cars - beetle, Moggie Minors, Austin Cambridge and currently a 110 TD5 Defender. I think the S3 size wise is a good match for Kaz's Mk.4 Soop.

MarkE wrote:Roy
I'm 6ft 5 inches and have tweaked a S1 Coupe so that I can fit by fitting a reclining S2 seat. I had it trimmed in the style of an S1, and the filling was cut down to give me headroom. Luckily the trimmer is the same size as me, so he made the seat so that he could fit. The seat now appears in a new book 'Factory Original E Type' as a fine example of an S1 seat!!
!

Hello Mark,
This book was my christmas present, could you say me which page for the picture? And what range of price to make this conversion?

My car is on page 9 (introduction) then on 56 (the beginning of the S1 4.2 chapter), 83 for the front seat (where you can just see the recline mechanism), 87 (showing the interior from the rear hatch) and finally 90 (seat belt). It is the black Coupe with red interior.

It didn't cost any more to trim the seats in the S1 style than the S2 style, and from memory the seats were around ?500 to buy in the first place (with split leather and poor foams). Keep an eye on eBay, and of course, the Jaguar spares days which take place twice a year here in the UK.

Quite a few folks are changing their seats for modern ones currently, so you may be able to pick a pair of seats (S2 or S3 will fit straight in) very easily.

The trim work was completed by CMC, and I really can't fault their work.

Hello and sorry for the digression, RoyG,

Thank you Mark, for this; I will look tonight...
For the seats, I have already some series 2 seats, which could be ok with new foams. But, you give me an idea, I will keep in my mind for the future perhaps. :bye:

Hello Mark,
I saw all the pictures: beautiful car! Have you say to the author (I have is book on original austin healeys) the fact about your seats?
(My seats are perforated leather and I'm not found of the perforated aspect)
Emmanuel

Emmanuel

Why not fit a set of MX5 seats trimmed in the S1 style? http://etypeuk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2215

Hello David,
I followed you on the serie 1 bonnet, but for the moment I doesn't want a mx5 seat in my e type (for a stupid reason of originality :) ) "Never say never"...
For the moment I'm thinking of the possibility to put a pontiac heater...

Sorry again, RoyG
Find the right car for you, and please don't undervaluate the beautiful appeal of a serie 1, for example with the David's mx5 seats or Mark'serie2 seats . (I've bought a serie 2 in 1996 and 15years after, I prefer serie 1 e type )
Emmanuel