The 'E' Type Forum

Hi Everyone

I have just been given the opportunity to purchase a 3.8 FHC which has been stored in a garage for the last 30 odd years. It won't surprise anyone that it will need a complete body and mechanical rebuild.
It has been fitted with a replacement bonnet and tailgate. The car has been off the road ever since the previous(now deceased owner) drove it off the road and through a stone wall. The original mangled bonnet is hanging from the rafters.
The bodywork is solid and does not appear to be to rusty. The picture frames look in reasonable nick and all the engine ancillaries are present
The interior, glass and chrome work have all been removed ready for a planned restoration that sadly never happened. It's missing it's underbonnet commissioning plate and there wasn't enough room to check inside.
The original bonnet still has the reg number which dates it before the start of the 'A' suffix plate. So pre August 1963.
My question is assuming that all parts are still present what should I offer. It belongs to a friends family so I want to give them a fair price if I decide to buy it. I thought around £30k
Here's a few photos.









What is the official name for the paint? It's a dark purple colour and looks original. The panels behind the dash sport the same colour.

Thanks In Advance

Hi, nice find. Were you intending o carry out the restoration yourself? The price offer you mentioned, I think, is bang on the money considering it could cost at least double that to bring it up to what it deserves. I have never seen this colour on an e type before. I think it is called opalescent maroon.

I paid AU$55k for a disassembled 1963 coupe with terrible bodywork 4 years ago. I spent another $100k to get it to its current pristine condition. It's now insured for $250k.

I think £30k is even maybe a little cheap, but certainly around the mark, and if that car was in my home town I'd buy it.

Alan, do you have the V5 or any other documents for proof of ownership and to transfer it to you?

Geoff

Alan : identity is everything, and the first thing I would do is try to establish it. V5 with commission number on it ? Number stamped on top of RH front damper area ? Body number in crayon on internal panels ? Number stamped on rear flange of (wrecked) bonnet ? Body number on metal tag either on LH rear side pillar or possibly near number plate ? If all else fails, can you match engine number to a car using xkedata etc ?

With ID I wouldn't disagree with your figure ( or possibly as others have said somewhat higher ) provided the car is truly complete, and also with one further big proviso which is not easy to eliminate, which is that the structure has not been deformed by the collision

Without ID I would be much more wary, because getting it back on the register could be problematic . I would have suggested a word with Keith Vincent of JEC, but I know he is looking to retire and may already have done so

You might find this 3.8 fhc a useful comparator @ £34,995 from E-Type UK

https://etypeuk.com/showroom/restoratio ... hd-fhc-lw/

This has a matching numbers engine and a period gearbox (i.e. probably not numbers matching)

Philk wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 25, 2022 11:23 am

You might find this 3.8 fhc a useful comparator @ £34,995 from E-Type UK

https://etypeuk.com/showroom/restoratio ... hd-fhc-lw/

This has a matching numbers engine and a period gearbox (i.e. probably not numbers matching)

I take it those are not pictures of the same car!!

Thanks for the replies. My friend who is also a neighbour is going to dig out all the details including the V5. The car has been in his wife's family for three generations possibly back to when it was new. It belongs to a family of lawyers so I doubt it's dodgy but caveat emptor as they say.
I intend to thoroughly inspect the car before going any further, which includes blowing the tyres up and rolling it out of the garage. I wasn't able to check if the gearbox is still the original Moss unit since the interior is full of dismantled parts.
I intend to make a list of missing parts and tick them off as I find them.
Good point about the frames Christopher, they seem straight but I'll have to take some measurements to see if they are buckled in any way. Worst case scenario would be replacements.
I suspect they may already have been replaced. However the passenger door seems to have an alignment problem but that may be because it's a replacement due to the accident.
The garage is large enough to hold six or seven cars. Other residents include an MGA bodyshell, Armstrong Siddeley saloon, Austin Seven Chummy and various BSA motorbikes-a real Aladdin's cave. My neighbour has already bagged an Austin Seven boat tail special. I also have first dibs on the oxy-acetylene and a large 200l capacity compressor.
I'll keep you informed of my progress.

MikeE wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 25, 2022 11:35 am

Philk wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 25, 2022 11:23 am

You might find this 3.8 fhc a useful comparator @ £34,995 from E-Type UK

https://etypeuk.com/showroom/restoratio ... hd-fhc-lw/

This has a matching numbers engine and a period gearbox (i.e. probably not numbers matching)

I take it those are not pictures of the same car!!

I believe they are.

I would have thought that the price for the carmen red car is not to take away as - is but to leave it with them for resto - so plus 100K ++

Barrie

It might be worth checking the reasons for the car visiting the scenery during the accident. Was there an engine seizure (could have nipped up and then freed off when cooled)? I've even heard of rear axles seizing and throwing the car off the road.

It still seems to be a bargain at that price.

Regards

tinworm wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 25, 2022 3:39 pm

I would have thought that the price for the carmen red car is not to take away as - is but to leave it with them for resto - so plus 100K ++

Barrie

That is pretty cheap for what looks like a drivable car.

The EType-uk car is now sold and yes, the deal was for them to restore it.

Alan did you buy this car or are you passing on it? This looks just what I’m after!

It has the early carb linkage assembly and therewith is a Flatfloor if original. Even an early one....

If so, the car is worth more than 30k depending on matching no, VIN/car no., originality of other deteils and parts...

The car has the chequer plate aluminium dashboard which means it was built between July1962 and August 1963 if memory serves me correctly. The original registration confirms that it can't be any later than this.
The throttle linkage is common to all 3.8 series 1 cars.

Early linkage - throttle arms are bolted rather than welded - so a '61 feature similar to XK150 linkage (but not the same)

Barrie

Alan I've been trying to send you a private message but can't seem to send it to you.

Did you buy this car or are you passing on it? This looks just what I’m after so would be interested in buying it if you pass

Barrie

I have an OTS flat floor built in November 1961 and the linkage mount is different from this car's:-



Does this mean it was built between March and November 1961 then?
If true then the cross hatched alloy dash should not be on this car.

Hello Alan from engine R2933 I believe - was the change to the simplified linkage (from the multipiece type) At the same time the air balance casting was changed to accommodate ( 2 lugs instead of 3)

Barrie