Hi. Newbie with some q's.

[speedyK]

Hi. This is my first post.

I'm in Switzerland and intend to become an OTS Series I owner.

I've informed myself a little from various sources, but would very much welcome advice from the pool of knowledge and experience on here about a couple of things.

Rust(!)
Firstly, having looked at a few OTS that are for sale, I'm very concerned by the prospect of "hidden rust" within the monocoque section ? especially when I can see rust on most examples.

Incidentally, it seems that "perfect body" and "no rust" are terms that are used quite casually by some vendors!

If an inner sill/floor seam looks like this, is it not wiser to just walk away?


or is this really fairly insignificant and easily halted/remedied?

Outer panel joints
Is an intact sill to A-post or rear wing joint only seen on freshly resprayed cars?


One with ? more or less ? "original" paint, had cracks at the A-post to sill and at the rear wing to sill areas on both sides of the car and the vendor insists that this is inevitable...

I know that original paint allows a better assessment of a car's condition ? and that the seams by the rear plate are often filled on re-sprays, but does this original one really look OK ? or is it about to start crumbling away?



Oil pressure
I've seen it said that oil pressure when warm, at idle, should be 40+ psi. I've also read that the oil pressure gauge is notoriously unreliable.

I have driven one car that had just over 40psi after a long run, but another two that also seemed to run well though they only showed 20 psi and the vendors said that they were fine... are these bargepole jobs ? what is the truth?
:?

Rims/tyres
This one is not so important, but I may as well ask whilst I'm at it. I don't intend to push the car particularly hard, but I'd like a predictable response. Is it true that the stock rims with Dunlops offer the most progressive and pleasing handling. The cars I've driven have all been on standard width rims with old and questionable rubber. They seemed to struggle somewhat in corners, though the car seemed to be quite benign ? at least with power-induced loss of traction.

The OTS does seem to "teeter" in a somewhat unstable manner with its fairly narrow track ? but maybe that is more down to dodgy tyres. One vendor sang the praises of the available wider (6.5" rims) to improve things. Does this not ultimately detract from the driving experience (heavier wheel inputs, less progressive loss of adhesion at the limit, more road noise, heavier fuel consumption, more tram-lining) or does it improve the whole feel (more settled/stable ride, better braking, superior grip). Is there a consensus or is it down to individual preferences? Is there a recommended tyre for the wider rims?

Hope I've not overwhelmed everyone with my questions ? it's just that these cars are going for quite significant sums (sums for which a very solid modern car can be bought!), so I don't want to buy in haste and regret at leisure!

[Heuer]

Welcome to the Forum!

There is a wealth of information in our Knowledge Base (try: http://etypeuk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=890) and if you look through the 'Restoration Stories' you will see some real life experience. You have not said whether you want a restoration project, rolling restoration, regular driver or concours car or how much you want to spend (the latter will give us a clue of where to guide you) but most people will advise you to go for a complete wreck for restoration or buy the best car you can afford from a reputable source particularly when it comes to an S1.

But in answer to your questions:

1. These cars has no rust protection from the factory so they rust just about everywhere. There are some cars which claim to be "rust free from California" but you cannot be sure it spent its entire life there.

2. The value of the S1 OTS means some unscrupulous people will do a quick bodge and respray (usually 're-sale' red!) so you need to be cautious unless the vendor can supply pictures and invoices for the restoration.

3. A healthy engine should show about 60psi at 1,500rpm and about 20psi at idle. The XK engine is fairly robust but the alloy head can be damaged by overheating. If a car has been 'restored' you would expect the engine to have been rebuilt.

4. Many people think the E-Type looks slightly odd on the narrow period 185 tyres, certainly from the front/rear, if not from the side. Jaguar specified 5? wire wheels but offered 5.5? wheels, on the rear only, for racing. You can fit 6? wheels but only a 5? wheel will fit in the spare wheel well. Many people fit modern low profile tyres, typically 70 or 65 section, and they do look good but there are compromises. The already limited ground clearance will be about 1? lower, the lack of compliance in the narrow sidewall will make the ride firmer and the extra width will make the steering heavier. The lower profile tyres do not fill the wheel arches so whilst the car now looks good from the front/rear it looks odd from the side. Modern tyres are designed for cars with variable camber geometry which the E-Type does not have so directional stability and cornering can be affected. If you want wide tyres use Michelin XWX on 6? wheels which were period fitments to the S3 V12 cars (although they had power steering) and are a better match for the E-Type's dynamics. They are readily available although not cheap. The best way to improve an E-Types handling, precision and feel is to fit solid wheels instead of the wires. Wide wheels upset the cars' balance.

If have tried many combinations of rims/tyres and I have ended up with 5" wire wheels and Michelin 185 XVS tyres which to my mind give the ultimate grin factor.

[christopher storey]

Rust : the first photo is a warning to inspect, but is not necessarily catastrophic. First, poke at these seams with a sharp instrument - if it goes through the metal then there is extreme corrosion . If the metal feels solid, then it is worthwhile buying or borrowing an endoscope to examine inside the sill . There are holes in the inner sill just above floor level , or if the vendor will permit it, and small hole can be drilled in the rear wheel arch forward section and the sill and stiffeners examined forwards from there

The seam between sill and A post , and sill and rear wing is lead loaded in an original car, and it is very common indeed for the lead both to creep downwards under gravity over many years, and for the resultant strains to show up as cracking of the seam . This is a nuisance but not more than that, and any catastrophic corrosion in the area again can be shown by endoscopic inspection . In the case of the A post it is fairly easy to inspect internally by taking the trim off the side of the footwells and looking into the bulkhead sides from there - it is the fore and aft sloping diaphragms in the bulkhead, which meet in a 3 way seam at its forward face, which are the important aspects here

I would not get too excited about the boot surround - corrosion here is rarely very serious

Oil pressure : the gauge/sender arrangement is indeed, after nearly 50 years, rather untrustworthy . It is better to judge the engine on general condition - bearing knock when hot , heavyish top end noises , continuous smoking from the exhaust , oil smoke in the breather etc , are all warning signs , the engines being otherwise fairly indestructible , and in any event the engines are easy enough to repair with everything available , albeit somewhat expensive, so that I would not let a doubtful engine put me off an otherwise good car - it is bodywork and to a lesser extent trim which are the key factors

Wheels etc : standard wheels and tyres are best . A properly set up car should not teeter at all but generally speaking should run straight and true when hands off on a road without significant camber towards the kerb . It should also steer very precisely at say 50 kph with only two fingers to guide the wheel . Any tendency to wander most assuredly will NOT be cured by wider wheels or tyres but in all probability will be worsened !

[speedyK]

Welcome to the Forum!

There is a wealth of information in our Knowledge Base (try: http://etypeuk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=890) and if you look through the 'Restoration Stories' you will see some real life experience. You have not said whether you want a restoration project, rolling restoration, regular driver or concours car or how much you want to spend (the latter will give us a clue of where to guide you) but most people will advise you to go for a complete wreck for restoration or buy the best car you can afford from a reputable source particularly when it comes to an S1.

Thanks for the link :)

I hope to find a decent condition car that is structurally sound but by no means concours. I don't want a restoration case. I agree that buy the best you can afford is always the right credo. I'm hoping that ?65-70k would suffice to get a solid car...

3. A healthy engine should show about 60psi at 1,500rpm and about 20psi at idle.

20 psi at idle when warm is OK. good to know.

Wide wheels upset the cars' balance.

If have tried many combinations of rims/tyres and I have ended up with 5" wire wheels and Michelin 185 XVS tyres which to my mind give the ultimate grin factor.

That is what I suspected.
Have you tried Dunlop SP rather than Michelin XVS?

[speedyK]

Rust : the first photo is a warning to inspect, but is not necessarily catastrophic.

Good. Thanks.

it is very common indeed for the lead both to creep downwards under gravity over many years, and for the resultant strains to show up as cracking of the seam . This is a nuisance but not more than that

Thanks again :)

I would not let a doubtful engine put me off an otherwise good car

That's what I thought.

Wheels etc : standard wheels and tyres are best .

Good to hear this.

Thanks

:)

[Heuer]

With a budget of ?70k you should be able to find something to your liking. Angus ('1954Etype' and Forum Moderator) told me the other day he knew of a very nice OTS for less than that. Maybe worth sending him a PM?

Not tried the Dunlop SP but the more expensive Michelin XVS is superb and this is based on my experiences of high speed driving through the back roads of Europe. So good in fact I fitted them to my Lotus Elan with equally impressive results. Not cheap though and I tend to go through a set of rears every 8,000 miles on the E-Type but then I drive it hard. My mentor on tyres is Dougal at Longstone tyres and he has made an interesting video on the tyres available for the E-Type which is worth watching: http://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/page/jaguar-e-type

[speedyK]

With a budget of ?70k you should be able to find something to your liking. Angus ('1954Etype' and Forum Moderator) told me the other day he knew of a very nice OTS for less than that. Maybe worth sending him a PM?

Thanks for the tip!

Michelin XVS is superb and this is based on my experiences of high speed driving through the back roads of Europe.

I'm trying to avoid high speed driving ? just sold my 997 4S to avoid the temptation, as radar traps seem to be virtually everywhere

I thought that the original Dunlops would add to the classic driving experience (at somewhat lower speeds) ? though I know radials were an option on the Series 1 4.2...

My mentor on tyres is Dougal at Longstone tyres and he has made an interesting video on the tyres available for the E-Type which is worth watching: http://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/page/jaguar-e-type

Thanks. I'd already watched this a while ago ? hence my question about the relative merits of the Dunlops and the XVS in road use.