Please advice on buying an OTS in Spain - second try

[jbenajes]

Hello,

This is the first time I participate in this forum, and hopefully I?ll became an active poster, ? it depends perhaps on your responses. And excuse me if this is not the place to ask this questions?

I have been offered a Jaguar E-type series 1.5 OTS, USA version, that needs a complete restoration, even though the overall condition seems to be not very bad. I am keen in getting the cat and restoring it.

I have uploaded some pictures in

www.photobucket.com/jaguar-spain

Can some of the experts out there have a look at tell me the pitfalls (if it is possible form the photos) I could meet in the restoration process? Any part missing that would be expensive to procure? Do you have some idea of the price that could be paid for the car?

I?ll appreciate very much your comments.

Thanks in advance.

Jes?s

[Kes]

Looks like you'll need a gearbox for a kick off.
Seriously though, your main concern should be the bodywork and tub. If that is sound - (and I have to say that looking at the pic of the footwell and line of the shine down the side I suspect it may not be) - then that's the major expense out of the way. Also check that all the bits are with it, the interior trim etc will cost a bomb. so
don't think you'll ever turn a profit on it, but if you love the car and have the skills to enjoy the resto - or, of course, very deep pockets - go ahead.
Kes

[christopher storey]

The first thing to realise with a US spec car is that 1. It has the Stromberg carburetter engine, and to convert this to European spec ( Not absolutely essential but very desirable if you want ever to sell the car again) will cost a minimum of 2000 Euros. 2. It has the 3.54 : 1 final drive which makes for very poor , and noisy , cruising speeds ( about 3250 rpm at 110 kph) compared with the 3.07 fitted in Europe . Again , estimate at least 1500 Euros to change . This is before you start on the bodyshell which certainly looks suspect from a rust point of view, and it is before you start on replacing missing parts. For example, quite what has been done with the gearbox is a mystery - the tunnel has obviously been widened and some strange gearbox put in, but with no lever! . Put shortly, this car looks to me to have little more than "basket case" value, and personally I would not pay more than 8000 - 10000 Euros for it

[jbenajes]

Thanks Kes and Christopher for your remarks and good advices.

Here are some comments and one question to your inputs:

The gearbox is on place, as it is the gear stick, despite not being visible.
I assume that all the interior must be renewed if not missing at all.
I did not know the issue with the differential gear ratio.
The price range you mention is well below what the sellers asks (around 60 % more).

Can you explain a little more the suspected areas of rust you both see in the photos?

Thanks again.

Jes?s

[christopher storey]

The problem with rust on Es is not what you can see, but what you cannot. the driver's side footwell has clear signs of surface rust . It is usually condensation which causes this. That also is what occurs in the closed box sections. The major areas which tend to rust are

1.inside the box section sills

2.inside the bulkhead - the front wall of the bulkhead above the sills is a very complex section indeed , where 2 diaphragms meet the front wall, and this general area is very difficult to repair

3.the front frames rust from inside

4.the junctions between inner sills and floors are very prone to rust, as are the jacking point areas

5.the closed box sections running across the car behind the seats also are very prone to rust . These contain the fastenings for the radius arm cups for the rear suspension

6.the rear inner wheelarches

7.the boot floor

8.the seams above the wheels where the bonnet and front wings meet

9.the lower front pan of the bonnet

Part of the problem was that these closed sections were not painted from new. Thus you need to test these areas very stringently - there are very few unrestored cars which do not need work in at least some of these areas

If you would like to see photos of the sort of problems which arise, have a look at one of my cars on xkedata - chassis 1E 20357