so new I dont even have an e type yet .....

[MAY3585]

Hi Im very green , so I thought Id get some advice prior to diving in the fingers burnt category .Ive spoken to Peter our Surrey Rep , and visited peter Hugo who was very helpful ( Winspeed ) and gave me much free advice in person .I have been to look at a 72 2+2 , V12 in Veinna , and a Series 1 2+2 66 in Devon.and have a couple more apts looming . I have been researching quite a while and get all the basics , one thing I'm stuck on is the next 2+2 68 series 1.5 I'm seeing is 5 speed , will that take much off its overall value in the longer term?( orig gearbox not supplied ) any advice on this and all other caveats appreciated .
Thanks Tony May email tony@tonymay.tv

[Alty Ian]

Hi Tony

Lots of e types have upgrades and a 5 speed box is a good one and on a S2 or 3 should not affect value at all, could even add value if done well.

THE most important thing to look for is a good body, mechanical work is relatively straightforward, but a rotten body, oh dear. Avoid anything plastered in underseal.

It all depends what you want the car for, for restoration, a daily driver, a car to show ?? etc etc and the value is totally condition driven. Take someone who knows E Types with you is the best advice I can give you.

Good luck.

[cactusman]

Agree with Ian. Unless you want a concourse 100% original car then I would not worry at all unless you are paying absolute top dollar. Loads of E types have had five speeds fitted, had the steering wheel moved and had other stuff done to brakes and suspension and thy still fetch healthy sums.

At all cost avoid a rust bucket. The mechanicals can be fixed with relative ease but serious corrosion will cost ????? to fix.

As to long term values...well none of us know but it is a fairly safe bet they won't loose much if any, although the huge rises of late will I suspect, slow.

Good luck with your search. I saw a couple before the one I bought....I think you instinctively know when you meet the right car....bit like meeting the right girl really!!!

[MAY3585]

Many thanks Gents , The one in Vienna, had poor rhd conversion looked like my children sprayed the bottom 25% and it had more underseal than Halfords .The devon 66 was nice but needed help beyond my resources on all angles body , brakes, rope seal , and a load of other less obvious probs .Otherwise it was pretty original, all lined up well , and was attractive , but at ?40k I could spend another ?20k on it ( which I don't have , and it would still be worth ?45k , . I have had a 35 yr old car before so I am sort of aware of the potential hazards , and have had so may scare stories I'm determined not to rush into a daft one . Im aiming for a manual RHD, pref all matching nos that is not an oil leak on wheels and has solid body .I will use and work on as resources allow .
Tony

[Alty Ian]

Good luck, oil leaks are standard on jags, they are not an optional extra

[Stuart Exelby]

Tony - welcome - and best of luck with the search. Can't add much to what has already been said - but, while he is a dealer, and will therefore charge dealer prices, you might take a look at Grahame Bull of Camberley Sports - if nothing else but to get an idea of what is around - and you'll generally get several to compare.......

My only connection is that I bought mine from him - and my impression is that, for a dealer, he was a pretty decent guy!! His stock list currently shows he has a S1.5 - but not a 2+2 - and a couple of others. He also has his own - the Dave Clark E-Type which he will; probably show you if you have time.

And the beauty is, he's not as far as Vienna - or Devon! (Not that distance matters for the right car, of course!)

http://cms-gb.com/cars.php

[chrisfell]

In the E-Type market today you might be able to buy a solid but rough S1 2+2 for under ?20k from a private seller, or you can spend over ?500k on a very rare outside bonnet lock roadster returned to original condition by the best restoration workshops on the planet.

Around thirteen years ago things were much the same - although the values of the higher end cars were much lower, it would still cost ?15k for a privately sold half decent S1 2+2. That is when I started looking for an E-Type. This is my story.

As in all things related to significant purchases, the first question to answer was "What was my budget?". There were two answers. The first was how much was I willing to spend on the car (in my case it was how much of my kids' inheritance). The second answer was how much was I willing to spend on on-going maintenance. Why were these two questions important? Spend more on the first I should be spending less on the second. And visa versa.

The second question was what did I want from my E-Type? Did I want to drive it a lot, or did I want to keep it in a heated airconditioned de-humidified surgically clean garage-cum-personal museum only to be exposed to the atmosphere on the very driest of sunny days?

The third question was how handy was I with spanners? If was mechnically minded and knew the difference between a left handed screwdriver and micrometer I could take on more of a project than if the under bonnet of a car looked like a mess of metal and magic.

I set a budget of ?20k as this would give me a tarted up 2+2 from a dealer with some recourse if the car was a lemon. I planned to spend around ?2k a year on on-going maintenance. This would cover basic servicing and any repairs that would be necessary, but not a full rebuild.

I wanted a car to drive. Specifically, I wanted to tour Europe. So I didn't want a car that would be fragile, but one that would take thousands of miles of abuse each year.

I knew I was confident, if not professionally competent, with spanners. Thus I would be able to do my own servicing and basic repairs. But I knew I would find the V12 a little more daunting than the XK engine.

The answers to these questions had me looking at S1 2+2s that had not been restored to concours condition from a dealer with a reputation to protect.

In 2003 I found one, and after holding the dealer to their promise to fix the car for the first three months, I have owned it ever since. In the last thirteen years I have driven it almost 45,000 miles, spending to date ?14k on maintenance, repairs and improvements.

As is said on these forums YMMV. But, it is an indication of one possible route to succesful E-Type ownership.

[Durango2k]

I could not manage this.

All I could find in 2008 was a very rotten S1 2+2 lhd manual 3 carbs from march 1966 for 10.000 usd, and I am restoring any little bit ever since.

Still the head to finish, then mount it, shelling out another 300 euros for bolts and gaskets, and another 200 for smaller bits + hoses, then, maybe then, start it, without an exhaust, to see what happens (I will be darn carefull and fit the remains of the old exhaust of course).

Part of the journey is to fully restore it, at least for me.

Carsten

[cactusman]

Chris Fell obviously planned his purchase meticulously. My story is rather different.

The big C nearly got me six years back....I am 100% recovered. I had lusted after an E type since I was around 8 so while recuperating and 44 I hired one to "get the jag out of my system". Had a fab week with a 1964 car and that was it. I used to idle lunch times away perusing car adds on the web. I would see a nice car but always miles away. I did see one that sounded great but on inspection the tin worm had taken serious hold and I walked away. Then three years ago a S1 FHC appeared on car and classic. Being sold by a dealer for ?33k. Not perfect but dealer protection and a clean HPI check. To cut a long story short I got there first and put down my deposit. Cashed an ISA and got a loan and became an owner after almost 40 years of waiting. Best thing I ever did!!!!

Far from concourse BUT no rust. Various missing and wrong bits but MOTed and legal.

Since then I have rebuilt the brakes,overhauled the electrics and replaced or sourced most of the missing (mostly trim) bits. The list of fixes is almost 200 after three years.

As others have said. Oil leaks are standard fitments. So long as they are not too bad or on the rear discs look at them as rust protection. Read lots of books. Avoid rust. Spend as much as you reasonably can and enjoy. Everyone will say that buying a wreck and doing it up will cost a fortune. Buy a good runner and fix what needs fixing almost always works out cheaper.
I use mine purely for fun. Drives to mates in the summer. A few car shows. If you never feel low just get in an E type and go for a blast. You will return with a huge grin. Even 50 years later it is a mighty machine. What ever you get, enjoy it and good luck. You will not regret it.

[MAY3585]

Many thanks to all
Im off on a plane monday to see the next .......
Will update

Tony

[Nickleback]

Hi Tony,
Welcome to the forum and enjoy your search finding the right good one !
I made the "leap of faith" about a year ago buying a 1970 XKE to get a sound rust free car as a rolling restoration after a nine month search, so it can be done if your are patient.
Angus has for sale a white 1967 S1 2+2 @ E-Conic and he is really worth a chat with if you are looking for a car and is also one of the moderators on this forum.
I live just south of Horsham near you, so if you want to pop in for a chat, PM me
Good luck

[cactusman]

Getting on a plane.... Wow.

Is it not great that the forum attracts both owners and those waiting to experience ownership.

Also we are fortunate that over the years there were actually several variants produced. So whether you are after a six cylinder or V12, open or closed car or the ability to carry two extras in the back..at least for a short distance.... there is an E type for you. My preference is for the early cars but equally they don't suit everyone as they can be a bit, well, cramped if a fhc and you are over six foot...and the headlights are hopeless!!

So what ever car you have, or get, make the most of it in 2016....hope to see one or two of you around and about...