We’ve all had thoughts of acquiring a project car with no immediate plans for restoration or even basic maintenance work to begin; we just wanted the car in our garage. This 1974 Jaguar E-Type convertible was acquired by the seller way back in 1980 with just 42,000 miles on the clock and little work has happened since then. A variety of parts have been acquired to put it back together, despite having been on the road just six years when it went into storage. Find the convertible here on eBay with an opening bid of $24,950 and no action yet.
The seller claims that age is preventing him from finishing this project, for which he has accumulated many parts. Some of the stash included in the sale: “Included are new bumpers and rubber overiders, new lights and lenses, all new bonnet chrome including grill and all grill trim, a new exhaust system, a new windshield, three rebuilt wire wheels, a set of 5 original Dunlop Aquajet white wall tires and a factory hardtop.” I can’t recall seeing too many E-Types with the factory hard top, and would imagine that has a decent street value at the moment.
Not much is offered in terms of running condition, or why the E-Type comes with a Washington State “Auto Dismantlers” bill of sale. I’m sure an accident is what took the E-Type off the road at such a young age, but how bad was it? Was the frame affected or just the nose (hence the green hood)? I’d like to know more about the original paint codes as well, as the deep pink it currently wears doesn’t seem like a factory color but it does match in the door jambs and those oil change stickers have been there a while. The automatic’s a bummer, for sure.
Read a bit further and the seller confirms the paint is untouched from the factory: “The body, although dented in some places, still has the original paint and no rust. This car could be restored or parted out for more than the starting bid. ” What do you think of that claim? Is there money to be made simply by parting this E-Type out? Without any rust, that seems like a waste to me – but we also know very little about running condition or whether the motor is still free. Would you restore or strip this long-stored Jaguar?
Seller states: “age prevents me from taking on this project”. So he was too old to restore it back in 1980 when he got it?
A fully restored 74 Jag E-type can be worth $130K or more… but it’s still a Jag. A beautiful car, but you will likely be chasing electrical gremlins as long as you own the car.
Lance,
I so hate generalizations ! This car has several plus and several minus points against it, that even if it was full 100 point car would still reduce its value considerably.
$130K is very definitely optemistic for this model at very least bordering on the dream on category.
Had this been a 100 pointer, it may have run to the $70K region.
Negative – it’s a series 3 V12 (most prefered series 1 3.8 Series 1), it’s an auto – oh yuk !
Posative – it’s a convertable, it’s an E type.
Regarding the snippy comment on the electrics – actually of all the Brit cars, the E type, despite it’s very complex wiring is relatively trouble free ……… wait until you try to resolve an electrical problem on a modern German car – that will boil your brain! I wish people would stop bashing Lucas for no reason – in period their electrics were simple and reliable.
The real truth is that this models problems are more frequently – the horrible Strongberg Carbs, the incredible web of vacuum tubes, and the well documented inadequate brakes – but not the electrics.
Any E Type that has the possibility of being restored just HAS to be restored, due to their value once back into as near as original condition.
Somebody with the right skills could and should bring this Cat back to life, although I’d avoid using those decades-old Dunlop tires.
Lance, along with electrical gremlins, one could have the joy of sorting out all the oil leaks and corroded brake hydraulics…
Paint is untouched from the factory? Why the Green, & white nose, with Red rear body? Parked at 6 years old .. I’m guessing that the different color nose had something to do with the sidelining of this kitty
A massive headache for someone. I’ll pass
Given that it was only on the road for 6 years, and that it hopefully has been in dry storage for the years since, one would hope that it isn’t all rusted out. The auto is totally off-putting for me, but then I much prefer the coupe that can store something more than a briefcase, like my late series 1 coupe that I can actually drive now.
How bad was the accident? There is a photo of the car without the nose that pretty much shows an intact unibody.
Notice the good hood/bonnet. New replacement cost $1100.00 US, last time I looked.
How about $11k for a bonnet.
Given that I can see the kink in the left birdcage from my phone, there’s a lot more work here then you can possibly imagine. Having restored a ton of e-types inc 4 V12’s, this only makes sense as a labour of love for someone with the skills who enjoys the process.
That replacement bonnet doesn’t appear to fit all that well. Did it come from a much earlier 60’s Jag? A person with multiple E type experiences would I feel be better suited to under take this job. A first time buyer is going to over look some things I think.
These pictures seem reversed. I note carbs on the left hand side of the engine and park brake lever to the left of the gear shift. Could this actually be a right hand drive?
@Stuart W. It’s a V 12 so it has carburettors on both sides of the engine.
Years ago before E types went up in value, I owned a 66. Loved the car and I still love the styling. However, not a daily driver, I would start it once every two weeks and take it to a repair shop to fix the latest electrical, or oil leaking issue.
Can’t even begin to imagine what this would entail unless the person was like Tin Box and could sort through these things himself.
A guy north of Atlanta drove a fixed head coup as a daily driver for over 20 years. It’s been almost 20 since I saw it. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s still his driver. Rock on Wolfgang.
Pete, the flared fenders only came on V12’s, but when new each bonnet was fitted to each car by hand – the rear edges were left long and trimmed as needed, in addition to shimming the front pivot points for height and depth. Often the wheel opening needs to have the last few inches of the wired edge unrolled, ‘adjusted’, and re rolled, to get the wheel openings to line up with the sills.