The 'E' Type Forum

Hi all, I’ve come into possession of a series ‘1.5’ e type. It hasn’t ran for 30 to 40 years but has been dry stored and has very minor signs of rust. I’ve been told that it turned over a few years ago but wasn’t able to start. I’ll be replacing all the fluids and doing some standard maintenance stuff but I’m wondering if there is anything i should look out for. It’s on 7000ish miles and not sure if any parts were ever replaced on it. Any help is welcome, thank you.

Sounds like a great project.....do you have diy car experiance....basic change all fluids, oil, drain fuel, replace filters. Check brake flexi hoses..tyres...dont drive on old rubber....check brakes work.....dont try to start it on the key......remove spark plugs....squirt a bit of oil in each cylinder......turn engine slowly by hand.....if it all feels smooth that's good......you now need oil at the camshafts....I would pull the cam covers for a look and lube everything....re fit covers loose and turn over engine to build oil pressure on guage....probably will take 60 sec..when you see pressure stop andook under cam covers...is there oil getting through...if yes refit covers with new gaskets and your good to refit spark plugs...check out your low tension spark..check fuel is pumping and try a start..
.this is just basics and others will chip in....Steve

Hello and welcome to the best place for all things E Type. Do you have a name? Why not add it to your signature by clicking on your user name top right. Just more polite and friendly to address you by name.

What Steve says is the best start for you. Where are you? Maybe if you’ve limited experience of car DIY then an experienced E Type person could look at the car and give you a bit of assistance.
Beware those who claim to be classic car mechanics but have no real experience of E Types.
Even if the car looks ok, it may have hidden problems not immediately apparent.
Changing flexible hoses to brakes and clutch would be sensible, too.

When you’ve got the car on the road have it given an MOT, not required but good policy and choose somewhere that has experience of older cars as they’ll have better appreciation of your car. But before you go, learn where to add a block of wood under the picture frame so the car isn’t damaged when they lift it.

If you’re not far from Letchworth then you can always come along to the open day there in June
viewtopic.php?f=12&p=173025#p173025
Meet lots of other owners, learn from them and in particular Angus and his mechanics who work on E Types everyday.

Membership of clubs such as the JEC (Jaguar enthusiasts club) and JDC (Jaguar drivers club) get discount at parts companies like SNG Barratt. Easily saving you the cost of membership.

Good luck getting the car going and keep us up to date on progress.

Geoff

Thanks to the both of you, I don’t really have any experience with any classic cars by have a fair amount of experience working with 90’s Toyota’s but am wanting to, at the least, get the engine running safely. It’s going to be a rather slow project due to the fact I’ve only got a part time job, but it’s been something I’ve been wanting to get running for a while now.

Also sorry about the late reply, been quite busy.

Thanks, Felix