Older car styling

[kennyh]

I’d pay the asking just for those headlights!

Thanks Tony, fingers crossed.

 

[kennyh]

Yes - so much better than the unfaired Series '1.5' ones. That and the proper bonnet bulge.

Hi Alan, yes the 1.5 crossover car is a rare beast too. Open headlights yet retaining the diminutive side lights and indicators of the S1.

This car has the bucket seats with no seat belts too, so I'd need to get some made up. Lap belts at least.

 

[MikeMA]

Apologies in advance. Another angle of a the 57 year old "supercar" that I'm trying to get the mrs to like

I really hope you get your hands on this. Lovely motor. Do keep us informed of progress!

As an asside, I'm old enough to remember the 1973 fuel crises (!) when loads of people were selling off their gas guzzlers, including these, at rock bottom prices. Someone actually dumped an E-type in one of our local hotel car parks. The hotel owner's son, who was a friend of mine, somehow managed to appropriate it! I wonder what became of it.

 

[awkwardbydesign]

I object to the Abarth 500, Beetle and Mini

I object to the 500 because it's not. And the Mini isn't, either. Neutral on the Beetle, although it wasn't (stopped production now, I believe) a people's car.

 

[kennyh]

I really hope you get your hands on this. Lovely motor. Do keep us informed of progress!

As an asside, I'm old enough to remember the 1973 fuel crises (!) when loads of people were selling off their gas guzzlers, including these, at rock bottom prices. Someone actually dumped an E-type in one of our local hotel car parks. The hotel owner's son, who was a friend of mine, somehow managed to appropriate it! I wonder what became of it.

Thanks Mike for that. I certainly will keep the info. coming on either if I do manage to get this one or for the hunt for a 4.2 S2, hopefully in FHC 2 seater guise, I doubt I'd be in the market for a car of this ilk again if I lose it.

Interesting story about the hotel owners son, any pics he still has showing its reg number? We could check the E Type data base to see if it is still in hiding somewhere.

Yes the fuel crisis of 73 must have hit a few owners hard, and I imagine these cars were everyday cars then not just summer play things.
Fuel is still a factor for some E Types now, although prices are rising the S3 V12 is still the affordable E Type for now, but with a real world 10-12 mpg and probably 8-10 for the Auto which a lot are they are a very hard sell still.

Again thanks.

 

[Barrymagrec]

Yes the fuel crisis of 73 must have hit a few owners hard, and I imagine these cars were everyday cars then not just summer play things.
Fuel is still a factor for some E Types now, although prices are rising the S3 V12 is still the affordable E Type for now, but with a real world 10-12 mpg and probably 8-10 for the Auto which a lot are they are a very hard sell still.

I was running a 3.8 S type at the time and yes, it was touch and go whether I kept it (I did).

I`m a bit surprised for your figures on the V12 E, I had an XJ12 with the same engine and it did a solid 13 mpg in and out of town even with the air conditioning always running, once on a continuous run from Calais to Cologne it did 15 mpg (!).

 

[puddlesplasher]

Always liked the Triumph TR range from TR2 - TR6 but the 7 was not nice.

 

[35451]

I'd get the coupe or saloon version. I had the E46 330i MSport Touring. It didn't handle anywhere near well enough vs the saloon version.

That’s differne to my experience.

I had all three e46: saloon 328. Touring 330d and coupe 330d. All with m sports suspension I never found much difference in handling
I also had and e46 m3, not CS, which I never really gelled with, as that followed an RS4 biturbo.

I guess it’s alk about perception. What came before, what followed, type of driving etc.

All good satisfying cars to own and run though

 

[kennyh]

I was running a 3.8 S type at the time and yes, it was touch and go whether I kept it (I did).

I`m a bit surprised for your figures on the V12 E, I had an XJ12 with the same engine and it did a solid 13 mpg in and out of town even with the air conditioning always running, once on a continuous run from Calais to Cologne it did 15 mpg (!).

Love the old 3.8 s type Barry, nice one. Also a bloody rare sight at shows and meetings. I think most of the resto work has been done on the Mk2's so I should imagine the S Type will soon be a rare and valuable saloon due to numbers.

As for the E Type v XJ12, what year was your XJ?, was it fuel injected or 4 x Strombergs as on the E? That could be the difference.

 

[Barrymagrec]

Love the old 3.8 s type Barry, nice one. Also a bloody rare sight at shows and meetings. I think most of the resto work has been done on the Mk2's so I should imagine the S Type will soon be a rare and valuable saloon due to numbers.

As for the E Type v XJ12, what year was your XJ?, was it fuel injected or 4 x Strombergs as on the E? That could be the difference.

It was a 1974 series II. Most series IIs were fuel injected and badged as XJ 5.3 but mine was very early and badged XJ 12L with the 4 Strombergs, the same as the series 1 and the E. Even the series II parts book didn`t reflect these early cars properly, I had to get series i exhaust parts and oil filters, I think Jaguar just used up excess carburettor engines before they fitted the injection version, which was only slightly more economical, judging by my pre HE XJS.

 

[35451]

I never quite liked the look of the E Type, right from the off. The windscreen is too vertical and straight, it breaks up the flow. The original tyres were much too skinny, and it always seemed as though they had taken the muscularity of the D Type and sanitised it for the market. Sorry.
Obviously I never drove one, so can only comment on the looks.

I agree completely. Never got the love. Under wheeled and never sat well on the road imho.

I have driven 2, a 3.8 and a 4.2, and it was unmemorable and felt ponderous on road whilst not pulling like I imagined.

 

[kennyh]

It was a 1974 series II. Most series IIs were fuel injected and badged as XJ 5.3 but mine was very early and badged XJ 12L with the 4 Strombergs, the same as the series 1 and the E. Even the series II parts book didn`t reflect these early cars properly, I had to get series i exhaust parts and oil filters, I think Jaguar just used up excess carburettor engines before they fitted the injection version, which was only slightly more economical, judging by my pre HE XJS.

Interesting and a rare car then , if I saw a series II car i'd lose money saying it was fuel injected.

re. the XJS, these have rocketed in the last 2 years too. nIce examples easily fetching more than much newer XK8's.

I always thought they'd have their day in the classic world and they're on the move now.

 

[kennyh]

I agree completely. Never got the love. Under wheeled and never sat well on the road imho.

I have driven 2, a 3.8 and a 4.2, and it was unmemorable and felt ponderous on road whilst not pulling like I imagined.

Knackered then. A good E Type will will feel precise and pull like a train mid range, irrespective of rumours on the net.

Was this 3.8 you drove difficult to change gear in by the way?

 

[Tony Lockhart]

A mate of mine used to buy and run old Jag/Daimler V12s when they were available for a few hundred quid. Then, when they presented the big bill, a local scrappy would offer almost what he’d paid in the first place.

The experience stood him on firm ground for maintaining his E39 M5 and 2000 Audi S8.

Both of those are lovely things, I’ve driven them. For some reason the S8 refuses to appreciate in value, whereas the M5 repays investment at the moment.

The bloke in the house behind us has a Transit van and about 12 classic motorcycles. At 70 ish he still works his magic at a body shop. I heard him fire them all up this morning and take some for a ride. You forget how civilised modern engines sound!

 

[andyoz]

I really hope you get your hands on this. Lovely motor. Do keep us informed of progress!

As an asside, I'm old enough to remember the 1973 fuel crises (!) when loads of people were selling off their gas guzzlers, including these, at rock bottom prices. Someone actually dumped an E-type in one of our local hotel car parks. The hotel owner's son, who was a friend of mine, somehow managed to appropriate it! I wonder what became of it.

Classic case of factors outside people's control affecting used car prices.

I've been following current pricing of used Porsche GT models and think some owners are in for a shock one day. I've heard the mantra ..."prices will only ever go up" way too many times in my life.

 

[Barrymagrec]

re. the XJS, these have rocketed in the last 2 years too. nIce examples easily fetching more than much newer XK8's.

I always thought they'd have their day in the classic world and they're on the move now.

The later ones are much more desirable, my 1980 model was built in the worst of times from a quality point of view and would certainly have had serious rust problems had it not been written off by an engine fire. There was a factory recall for early HE models to do with the injector rail but late pre HE models apparently had a similar problem which no one told me about until afterwards - amused the neighbours though.

 

[Tony Lockhart]

Can anyone just imagine the huge choice of cars in the £5k to £10k bracket when/if the bubble does burst? I reckon there’ll be barns slowly filling with the better cars ready for when petrol-nostalgia hits.

It'll be interesting to see how classic car tax evolves once 95% or so of cars on the road are electric. The tax income from the petrols (and nice diseasels?) will be of little concern to government bean counters, so maybe it’s time for those in a favourable position to buy a current or recent car with an eye on 2030.

 

[kennyh]

I don't know the future for classics but I do know it's an industry in it's own right. It must employ 10's of thousands of people.

One day somebody may say enough is enough but I think there'll be bigger targets in sight before the classics get hammered.

 

[matthewr]

Peugeot 205 GTi. Such a pretty car and still looks great.

 

[TheDecameron]

.....my 1980 model was built in the worst of times from a quality point of view and would certainly have had serious rust problems had it not been written off by an engine fire.

Sorry Barry but- why am I getting a mental picture of you walking away, dragging on a Hamlet and carrying a Jerrycan with Jaques Lousier playing in the background? Answer me that.