The 'E' Type Forum

Having sold my last S2 FHC 20 years ago, I vowed that once the mortgage was paid off I'd get another. I started my search 2 years ago and was fixed on a 3.8 FHC with alloy dash. My budget was modest and it soon became clear that unless I wanted a box of rusty bits, a RHD example was not going to be bagged from any private or dealer/importer ads for much below 60k - even for a non running resto project. So I changed my plans and looked for a LHD instead. Still got the same response - no chance below 60k. Being a stubborn so and so, I ignored this and decided to change my approach and ignore the main internet classified sites and uk dealers and target US and European based sites, as well as making use of email addresses in xkedata to fish around for cars that had yet to be advertised. It worked! I made contact with a collector in Eindhoven, jumped on a plane on Saturday and I have now purchased a very original, solid 1963 FHC in opalescent golden sand. With the favourable exchange rate in came in below 45k. It isn't even listed on xkedata - yet. It needs some work, but it's very doable at a reasonable cost. Glad to be back in the E-type fold!

Congratulations, look forward to seeing the pictures.

Welcome to the forum and to getting back into E Type ownership.

Do you have a name? When ready it's useful to add details of your car to your signature so when people reply to questions they'll know which version you have.

As Bob says, add photos when you are ready. Do you have plans to convert to RHD? Keep us aware of how you get on with the car.

Good luck

Geoff

Congratulations and welcome to the Forum, look forward to seeing some pictures :)

Thank you for the replies. I will upload some more pics when I get it home later this week.
I am not planning to convert to RHD - I would rather spend the money on restoring the body/paint at this stage. If i really can't get on with LHD then I may consider it.

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Regards
Richard

Lovely car Richard. Is that a light tan interior? Have a look at Ian and Stephen's ("Alty Ian") recently restored OTS, they may be able to help you out with the interior materials should you require any.

Thanks for the tip. It's specified as Tan, rather than light tan. Factory listings show the Op Golden Sand as a factory paint/trim spec from 1965 onwards with red or light tan interior s standard. This one was obviously a special order given that you could pretty much get whatever was available. Jag saloons had this combination from the early sixties so the first owner may have seen it on one of those and liked it. I would have preferred red or light tan, but beggars can't be choosers!

Fantastic find Richard...I have grown to like this pale golden sand more and more...Ian's restored car and the one over on the E Type club stand at Bicester were both stunning....hope you might be able to save the interior...you can't buy patina...!
Regards
Jonathan

Sadly, after discussing the seats with a couple of trimmers, it looks like they are too far gone (only one seat back is salvageable). The main trim panels and hardura/moquette are in various states of disrepair so it looks like a full retrim is needed. You can see some pics of the seats in the Restoration thread....DIY Restoration

viewtopic.php?t=8874

According to Clausager OGS was available with Beige, Black, Light Tan, Red or Tan interior - 944 produced. there were 399 with Light Tan and 159 with Tan interiors.

More pictures please before you start the restoration. You can start a new thread in the Restoration stories section. Congratulations looks like a nice car.

Thanks David,

I have a thread in the Resto section - lots of pics and progress updates.....

viewtopic.php?t=8874

Hi Richard

From your pictures I'm not 100% sure your car was light tan, however it is very close, if you posted more pictures of the vinyl as well that might help confirm it.

We very much wanted to save our car's light tan leather interior for its patina, however, having replaced it with the newly available again Vaumol we are very glad we did. The Vaumol equivalent to light tan is called "burnt orange" and this is what it looks like when finished.



However, the biggest problem is that when you contact trimmers they will tell you that light tan vinyl is not available and it costs too much to make new stuff unless there were at least 15 cars wanting it,.. and its not a common colour.

Luckily I found an old roll of it at a long established trimmers and bought the lot. We did the trimming ourselves but got the leather work and harduras done professionally.

I can highly recommend Aldridge Trimming in wolverhampton (no connection) they were excellent.

Good luck with your restoration.

Ian

Hi Ian,

You are correct - the trim is noted in the JDHT as Tan. Now that the seats are u/s, along with 70% of the other trim items, I may go for light tan/biscuit or even red for the full retrim.

rswaffie wrote:Hi Ian,

You are correct - the trim is noted in the JDHT as Tan. Now that the seats are u/s, along with 70% of the other trim items, I may go for light tan/biscuit or even red for the full retrim.

They can get the trim names wrong but I must admit it does look a shade or two darker then mine so maybe Tan is right. I doubt you will like biscuit but red goes very well with OGS and was an original colour with OGS.

Before we got this car I would never have chosen OGS with light tan as a colour combo, now I wouldnt change it for anything.

Ian

I recall OGS particularly on the Mark 2 and often with the red interior it smelt very special, but as you say tan does go very well. What a shame that aroma cannot be recaptured... :(

richard btype wrote:What a shame that aroma cannot be recaptured... :(

Try Gliptone on the leather, plus damp underlay felt, some oil spillage on the downpipes and a small fuel leak, for a true period fragrance. A Hamlet cigar stub in the ash tray adds a few extra low notes to complete the bouquet.

Peter

The power of the written word - nearly there now, short trousers, wide eyed excitement and no speed limits!

PeterCrespin wrote:

richard btype wrote:What a shame that aroma cannot be recaptured... :(

Try Gliptone on the leather, plus damp underlay felt, some oil spillage on the downpipes and a small fuel leak, for a true period fragrance. A Hamlet cigar stub in the ash tray adds a few extra low notes to complete the bouquet.

That was funny and makes me feel better about the oil leak I have in my car. When people comment I will just reply that I`m trying to get a periodic smell.
Need to start smoking cigars as well

richard btype wrote:The power of the written word - nearly there now, short trousers, wide eyed excitement and no speed limits!

Impressive - you drove your first Jag flat-out while still in Cubs. Hope Akela didn't smell the Hamlet on your breath? Dib dib dib!