When it comes to British Sport Cars, there are few as iconic as the Jaguar E-Type. It has all the characteristics that make for a great sports car, good handling, lots of power, and fantastic styling. This 1969 Jaguar E-Type Convertible has been in storage for the past 25 years and has weathered them well. It is located in Long Branch, New Jersey and has been listed here on eBay.
While America is known for its V8s and Italy for its V12s, Britain is known for its inline sixes. Jaguar’s inline six was known for its balance of performance and durability. The company began developing this engine in 1949 and by 1969 it was displacing 4.2 liters and putting out 246 hp. The seller claims the engine was running when it was parked, but that it isn’t currently working.
This E-Type will need some work, but looks to be in good overall condition. We would be sure to check it over for rust and any other hidden problems. Hopefully it won’t need much work to get it running, as it appears that it could be driven as is. What would you do with this garage cat? Would you get it running and enjoy it as is? Or would you want to do a complete restoration?
Wow- I have a 45,000 mile “hanger find” ’69 E-Type OTS in Signal Red with a black interior! Clean it up, get it running, go through the brakes, and drive it a while. Nothing pisses the car show types off like a “driver” E-Type. If you still like it after a year or two, think about restoring it. Owning an E-Type is like being married to a supermodel with a serious personality flaw. That beautiful body will only get her so far…
I have owned many “driver” E-Types, I have never heard that expression about
a super model, but it is absolutely true! I have always said “owning a Jaguar is like having malaria, you can treat the symptoms but you can never get over it”. You can sell your Jaguar, but soon you will have a craving for another!
Very good, I like that one.
Careful folks, Long Branch is near the coast that got pounded by Wilma.
Good point Paul, and perhaps salty air too. The corrosion in the engine bay may be a better indication of overall condition. Truly, beauty is only skin deep. But the OTS E-Type series are just drop dead beautiful cars and this one may be just worth the effort to restore…maybe .
I thought ‘salty air’ too until somebody pointed out, that salt actually doesn’t get picked up during condensation.
It is merely the constant humidity that is so harmful
Find out who the previous owner was before this flipper bought it, speak to him and find out where the car was during the storm and whether it suffered from salt water. Find out whether it was an insurance payout. If the flipper won’t provide the info, that means he’s trying to hide something.
Claimed matching #s, but no VIN given. I am not reassured by someone selling a car that has a bid of $18K with the reserve not yet met who doesn’t fill in the space that the auction site provides for the VIN.
Stored 25 humid summers/cold winters in a barn will mean the systems will need going through—fuel; brakes; electrical; clutch probably rusted solid, etc. Make no assumptions about an easy recommission.
“engine turns free”, “ran when parked”, “should drive again”.
But: “we didn’t try to start it”.
Why not?
A PPI should include an attempt to start it, based on the claims made in the listing.
Bring a battery.
There has to be a good reason the car was parked and left for 25+ years. I was once told that a MB 220S engine that had not run for 5 years would start right up with a new battery.Could be true, but I gave that engine every chance I could to start without any problems. It was summer and hot so the old oil was dumped and a new filter put on with sump of new oil. No bad items spotted in dumped oil,water, Radiator was checked for coolant and topped up. I looked everywhere for coolant leaks. Took off entire airfilter assembly, blew out filter and then looked to see if any creatures had set up housekeeping in the intake passages. Pulled plugs and compared them to each other, all looked ok but sooty, cleaned and replaced. Pulled off cam cover to see if any damage or lack of oil scuffing. Looked good so I took oil can and squirted 10-30W oil over valves, and rocker arms. wiped off gasket and put all back together. Drained carbs, refilled float bowls and drained gas tank, blew out gas line and put in 5 gallons. Lastly pulled distributor, checked and cleaned points, set clearance. While distributor out, put oil pump driver on electric drill and brought up oil pressure. Replaced distributor. Checked underneath and around engine for any leaks. None seen. Hooked up battery. Turned on ignition, pulled out choke and hit starter button. Started within 10 seconds with huge cloud of oil smoke. Oil pressure held so ran until warmed up with choke off. Temp kept climbing, water leaks from rusted engine block side plate. Shut off and said nasty things. Knocked price from $1,000 down to $750. The idea is to avoid damage, but learn alot about condition.
So ?, is that 220S available ?
I love these old Mercedes and have a couple like yours.
Always looking for another one.
Alex: 6point3@gmail.com
I live about 10 minutes from this car. If anyone is serious about it and has contacted the buyer and needs a separate pair of eyes on it, I might be able to help this weekend before auction ends.