Newbie from Belgium

[DutchCerby]

Hi all,

I just joined and hoping to find out more about the E type to be well informed before buying one.

At this moment i actually own some cars but only 1 classic car.
Last year i bought a Jensen Interceptor Mk1, originally owned by the well known Mr Eric Morecambe.
The project is now near to its end, so looking for some new adventure.

I am actually looking for a project or TLC S1 3.8 FHC or perhaps for the S1 4.2.
I hope to find the answers to some of my first burning questions like are matching numbers really very important, Is it a "problem" when the 3.8 engine has been swopped for a 4.2, and is it a negative when the colors inside/outside and not its original colors.

Best regards to all other members.

[ChrisC]

Welcome to the forum.

What is your budget?

Matching numbers are allways good (for historic reasons) but not essential.
Original colour interior is also not essential as many restorations change paintwork and the interior.

[Tony]

Now there is a good question, but something only you can decide linked very closely to money available. The ideal car would be one taken out of the factory, never used and kept turned over on a regular basis. You would then have a very nice car, worth a lot, but stuck with the dilemma that the minute you start using it, it not longer becomes unique as a low mileage car.
So you may decide you want to drive the car, so what is the next best thing?
A refurbished car like new with all the original parts or an unrefurbished car in very good condition which has say patina or a used look. (Some think this is the best option).
From what you are saying you seem to like the challenge of refurbishing the car yourself and that then raises more questions about what you want to achieve. The best way would be to find a car that is as original as possible and decide if you want to bring it back to as new or retain some of it original worn features such as worn seats etc, and so the options go on and on. In terms of value this will depend on if the car has some history, all the original parts and numbers , the condition and mileage done. You get some cars which have been refurbish by well know garages which are rediculas prices, but to be fair to some of the good garages they will have spent a lot of time and money doing the work and need to make a profit at the end of the day. Some of the dealers are just big rip offs and do very little other than buy and sell cars.
If it sounds as if I am avoiding answering your question it is because I do not know the answer, as that will depend on what you want, how much money you have, how much work you want to do, if you want to make a profit or is it just for the love of doing up cars. I am sure of one thing, you will never get back the money you have spent in the hours you have put into the car. So in short buy the most original car in the best condition bodywork wise you can, do as much work yourself as you can, buying the least new parts as you can. Enjoy it, drive it and don't expect to get your money back in the short term. I cheated and bought a refurbish car some one else had spent a lot of time and money on.I would think it is holding its price in terms of value. So I am having the enjoyment of owning it , driving it and the children or wife will be able to recoup my extravagance when I curl my toes up.

I am sure I have gone off on a tangent and still not answered your question? But best of luck anyway.

[DutchCerby]

Welcome to the forum.

What is your budget?

Matching numbers are allways good (for historic reasons) but not essential.
Original colour interior is also not essential as many restorations change paintwork and the interior.

Very difficult to say what the budget is, i do see the project as an investment case as well, and due to my work i think i have learned to be open for "everything" that makes sense (to me).

But if i understand you correctly you think that the value of e.g. a white E Type re-sprayed in black = value E-type minus paint costs back to white?

I have been offered a 3.8 car but had a (not matching) 4.2 enigine...
said no, but after i started wondering if i did good or not...

:)

[DutchCerby]

Now there is a good question, but something only you can decide linked very closely to money available. The ideal car would be one taken out of the factory, never used and kept turned over on a regular basis. You would then have a very nice car, worth a lot, but stuck with the dilemma that the minute you start using it, it not longer becomes unique as a low mileage car.
So you may decide you want to drive the car, so what is the next best thing?
A refurbished car like new with all the original parts or an unrefurbished car in very good condition which has say patina or a used look. (Some think this is the best option).
From what you are saying you seem to like the challenge of refurbishing the car yourself and that then raises more questions about what you want to achieve. The best way would be to find a car that is as original as possible and decide if you want to bring it back to as new or retain some of it original worn features such as worn seats etc, and so the options go on and on. In terms of value this will depend on if the car has some history, all the original parts and numbers , the condition and mileage done. You get some cars which have been refurbish by well know garages which are rediculas prices, but to be fair to some of the good garages they will have spent a lot of time and money doing the work and need to make a profit at the end of the day. Some of the dealers are just big rip offs and do very little other than buy and sell cars.
If it sounds as if I am avoiding answering your question it is because I do not know the answer, as that will depend on what you want, how much money you have, how much work you want to do, if you want to make a profit or is it just for the love of doing up cars. I am sure of one thing, you will never get back the money you have spent in the hours you have put into the car. So in short buy the most original car in the best condition bodywork wise you can, do as much work yourself as you can, buying the least new parts as you can. Enjoy it, drive it and don't expect to get your money back in the short term. I cheated and bought a refurbish car some one else had spent a lot of time and money on.I would think it is holding its price in terms of value. So I am having the enjoyment of owning it , driving it and the children or wife will be able to recoup my extravagance when I curl my toes up.

I am sure I have gone off on a tangent and still not answered your question? But best of luck anyway.

I do actually think that the used look (patina) does give the car that special extra, life. So i really do understand people who use used or refurbished parts. Guess in that case would be better to go for the S1 4.2 (or S2-S3 not my intention )

What I think i try to achieve by refurbishing a car is to make me be able to have a very nice and special car for less money and by doing it myself it really feels like it is mine :) i did it:)
And I like to have the feeling that i would make a profit when i sell, even though i very likely will never be abble to sell...

My problem is that my eyes have some issues with the colors... they love to look at black or silver E types but other colors are just not that prefect. So that is why i was asking for the positives / negatives of a re-spray

Thank you very much :)

[christopher storey]

Your last comment is very interesting . Neither black nor silver is highly regarded in the uk where the preferred colours tend to be gunmetal, opalescent silver blue or dark blue , and the racing greens .

[DutchCerby]

:) i checked a gain... and sorry, i know a lot of people like opalescent silver blue but somehow it does not turn me on as much as ... :D... black or silver
I have been offered a matching S1 numbers 4.2 in opalscent silver and i considered a re-spray (sorry!!) but my conclusion (till now) was wait till i see black

[DutchCerby]

[Mark Gordon]

I think that the general consensus is that it's your car and you should do with it as you please, particularly if any changes are reversible, which a paint job certainly is. As far as affecting the value, the value would be determined by the prospective buyer. If you paint it in a color that is generally appealing to others, the value shouldn't be affected significantly. Since black is an original although somewhat uncommon color, it should be readily resalable if you so choose. Silver might be a bit more of a difficult resale, but go back and read the first sentence.

[PeterCrespin]

Dag manneke! Welkom op de Jaguar hobby. Ik ben Engels, maar mijn familie komt uit Antwerpen. Hoe heet je?

If you are buying, there are very important questions to answer besides colour, series and matching numbers. E-types are so attractive that very many people, including some of use here, have let their heart rule their head and bought cars that ended up not being finished or costing more than they expected. If you Google my name and the word Jaguar you should find a small book to help and I will be amazed if it does not save ten times its cost in helping you bargain down a car by highlighting faults. It could very easily save you a hundred times its cost or even help you walk away from a bad car.

Goed geluk en veel succes

Peter Crespin

[DutchCerby]

Thank you very much and as i like to be informed, got you PM me the details and where i could potential order.

Dank je wel en groeten,

Rik

[Heuer]

Pete's excellent book is available from Amazon:

[DutchCerby]

I was actually hoping for this one...

[Heuer]

We all were! It seems the publisher were a bit eager to advertise something that Pete has not even finished yet More info here: http://etypeuk.com/forum/viewtopic.php? ... c&start=60

[DutchCerby]

Well, 2 used ones are offered by someone... so perhaps Pete had to start all over twice there the papers were somehow gone ;)

[PeterCrespin]

2 used ones...does it get any more crazy?? Sigh. The book?.

Still compiling, two new E-types since this last came up and another one on the way - all with 'helpful' faults that have needed rectifying and have been interesting to document.

I could strangle Amazon. Am tempted to just call it off and reappear when it's done, except if there are supposed used examples of a non-printed book then I'm sure that me withdrawing wouldn't solve anything.
Veloce are gagging for it of course but the first contract went AWOL in the post to me as I recall. Unlike the other six books I was wary of signing this one when the second copy came through so I didn't - precisely for this kind of reason of undue aggravation. My mistake was doing some pre-launch blurb and sending a specimen photo which have morphed into advance publicity material well beyond Veloce.

If I'd known then what I know now I'd have sent nothing until I was good and ready. I'm setting up in the E-type biz over here, so earning a couple of quid per seventy quid book (I'm guessing) is at the bottom of my agenda, although it is progressing. Please tell anyone you know not ever to pre-order.

The little books are fine, in fact I'm not sure if they've done one for the MkVII-IX and I'm learning a lot from 'The Empress' or is it the 'Queen Mum' as she sits on the Kwik-Lift awaiting my further ministrations. Through the door she looks wistful, as if she's in gaol looking out...

"No, I HAVEN'T finished it yet, darling..."

[e-bygum]

Well, 2 used ones are offered by someone... so perhaps Pete had to start all over twice there the papers were somehow gone ;)

One of these "Used-Very Good" copies is priced at >?400, the other is a bargain at only ?200+.

Amazon say they have no reason to believe that the items are not what the sellers say they are because they have had no complaints from customers who might have bought these books from these sellers.
They did say that they don't tolerate such seller activity and will investigate but the outcome of an investigation cannot be disclosed because of account privacy reasons.

[Heuer]

[Mark Gordon]

Hey! I've seen this shady character. The 2500 bucks will go a long way towards my engine rebuild.

[DutchCerby]

so i ordered Peters buying guide... and well i was on amazon so ordered a couple of bookies more... like 6 or so

you can never have enough on the e type i guess :)