The 'E' Type Forum

Hi, I'm a new member but have been reading through this forum for a while now.

I've been looking for an e-type for around a year with little luck. In that time I found out I was to become a Dad and so changed my search to a 2+2.

A few weeks ago I found a car that looked good and thought I should have someone else check it over which is how I met Angus Moss. The car had a few probs so I passed and am now importing a s2 2+2 from the US via Angus.

Hopefully will have the car for next spring and will spend our weekends touring round the UK with the little one.

Carl

Hi Carl......Welcome to the forum and good luck with the car.....I'm also a 2+2 owner.. Steve

Carl, welcome to the forum. Take lots of photos when you can and let us know how the car progresses towards your first drive and beyond.

Geoff

And welcome from me, another 2+2 owner who likes the extra room

Welcome to the forum, and nice intro mail telling us a little bit about yourself, something many forget, and just jump in with some demanding questions.

My experience is that kids love the 2+2 :D

I guess yours is an automatic? From where in the States is it coming? Ro-ro or container shipment?

carlgaywood wrote: Hopefully will have the car for next spring and will spend our weekends touring round the UK with the little one.

Carl

welcome Carl; also 2+2 owner since january
how come it takes 7 months to import a car from usa ?
or is it for the baby ?
:D

rolando38 wrote: how come it takes 7 months to import a car from usa ?
or is it for the baby ?
:D

I think the import time is 6 weeks, but the car needs respraying, re-trimming and few other bits so hopefully ready to use early next year

David Oslo wrote: My experience is that kids love the 2+2 :D

I guess yours is an automatic? From where in the States is it coming? Ro-ro or container shipment?

Yeah it's an auto, I'd have preferred a manual but was more concerned about having a sound body etc. I rented a s2 ots for a long weekend last year and was surprised at how infrequently I needed to change gear which swayed me to think it will be ok - perhaps I just wasnt driving hard enough :)

Car is in California I believe but not sure about shipping, I assume container is cheaper

Carl, if you search the forum you can see that overdrive manual boxes can be fitted to a 2+2, or you can go the route of a five speed box. If you do fancy a manual then there are options out there to research and consider.

Geoff

Hi Geoff, thanks, I've had a good read through the forum over the last couple of months to see what kind of changes/upgrades people have made and I've seen a few posts about changing from Auto to Manual.

I think it is something I will consider in future but initially I need to try and stick to some sort of budget. I will be changing from LHD to RHD though.

Changing from auto to manual isnt as straightforward as you might think. Different transmission tunnel for a start

Angus, out of interest, and as Carl will be doing an LHD-RHD conversion would the tunnel work be that much extra to do? Guess it'll depend on the general state of the car and any welding that might be needed.

I'm sure you'll be giving him all the appropriate advice and my question is only academic.

Geoff

Hi Geoff,

I have never done it and would advise a customer not to buy an auto if they wanted to convert to manual.

You need to add a clutch pedal, reservoir, change the radio console, transmission cover. You also have to change the flywheel.

Not sure of the metalwork mods (Pete C is though l think).

All in all, it is doable (as is anything on our cars) but careful research is required.

I've done the conversion from auto to 4 speed MOD.

The auto tunnel sides can be retained and the top section chopped off to allow a standard glassfiber top cover with widened lower flanges to be fitted. It's a work around that avoids a pile of sheet metal cutting and welding. Won't be "factory" but it does allow the manual box to be fitted with minimal amount of work.

But i will also admit that after a summer of cruising with an auto box, it's not as bad as it's made out to be. Top gear is still 1:1 straight through. So it's really only on the acceleration in the lower speeds that the difference is noticed.

I am doing this right now. Problem is the rear end of the tunnel is faaaaaar to narrow for the OD. You have to cut it on both sides, so that the various screws and mainly the 90 deg speedo angle drive do not foul the body !

I am aiming for at least 1cm at any given point. And you have to lift the box up without the speedo angle drive (floor to narrow, it fouls it), then fit it inside the tunnel to the gearbox, and don't lower it again...).

Oh and make sure the front seats do still moove, btw... They're close to the tunnel.

Fotos upon request, but only in 3 weeks, I'm in Lanzarote right now for a diving course with Felix, so the Jag is 2500 km away....

So - it can be done, but its not a drop-in and forget-thing.

Carsten

might be useful also to double check the economical interest between buying a "prooer" (for UK use) 2+2 manual RHD and importing an auto LHD and then paying for extra parts and manpower to convert it to manual RHD
Not convinced it pays off

hey rolando38, Obviously very difficult to make a straight comparison as every car is different. I think it will work out slightly cheaper but with no rust issues, note i wasn't intending to convert to manual. I guess the other point is availability.

I'm waiting for the car to arrive before deciding on all the work I want done but when complete I'll post some details of my experience of importing.