After about 20 years of indoor storage and a lot of recent mechanical work, this V-12 E-Type is for sale here on eBay with bidding currently in only triple digits but reserve not met. The car is located in McAllen, Texas. Dig those raised white letter tires? Somewhat incongruous on an E-Type, I think! To me, the later E-Types became more of a grand touring car rather than an outright sports car. They were all the somewhat less attractive 2+2 configuration, but at least this one is in an attractive French blue color.
Here’s the heart of the car; the wonderfully smooth Jaguar V12. The seller assures us that the engine was rebuilt last year by a local mechanic in preparation for finishing off the entire car. More work was completed as well, including a new clutch and some powder coating of components. Unfortunately, we can tell from this picture that it’s been outside at least for a while based on the accumulated crud in the right lower corner of the picture, and I’m also concerned that the intake manifold openings for the carburetors have been left uncovered. I’m excited, though, at the air conditioning compressor, because even if the R12 system isn’t left as original, the dashboard components should be able to be converted to R134. I’m sure air conditioning is a must in a coupe in Texas!
The seller has included many pictures of the car, but this is the one that concerns me the most. Rust. More than I would like to see, even a small hole in the lower sill. And are those bubbles along the base of the rocker as well? I can’t really tell for sure, but it’s certainly worth a look-see. I never realized how vulnerable those lines were under the car; I’m surprised Jaguar didn’t put them inside a channel or some other form of protection.
The interior has some concerns for me as well. It’s filled to the brim with parts, which to me means they won’t all be there when it’s time to put this car back together because someone else took the car apart a while back, and who knows where all those parts went. There are some great Jaguar specialists on this side of the ocean, but that’s still some more work that someone has to do. And why is the gear lever not in place if the new clutch was installed; wouldn’t that mean that the transmission is in place considering the engine is? I’m confused.
Overall, I think this could be a cool project. Enough of the unusual parts are visible to give me some confidence, the rust isn’t the end of the world (although I’d want to repair it right away) and the manual transmission with a/c is right down my alley. I also prefer the wire wheels even with all their issues, and spending 20 years indoors is not a bad thing for limiting corrosion. I’ll be watching this auction to see where it ends!
Do you wonder why you never see high-mileage XK-Es for sale?? There’s an age group that I’m in that remember when these were cheap used cars ’cause they were unreliable bottomless pits of repair. We are that age group that today would never, EVER consider buying a new Jaguar.
The last V12 I saw was one about this age but a lovely convertible. The owner refused to cut his losses and sell it but was tired of repairing it so it had sat in the garage for about ten years…
Looks like a good deal, but that color is really puke.
Technically, that isn’t French blue – it’s too light – and I hope Jaguar didn’t call it that.
I’ve always liked the S3, even the 2+2 version, and once the eye adjusts to it, it’s still an attractive design. Few want to drive a convertible in the hot Southern sun.
Many potential issues with this example, thought, and judging from the ride height I’d suspect that the transmission isn’t installed.
@Grr — to 70’s British Leyland, that was French Blue. Not saying they were right, but that is what they called it.
Old cars usually sell better if they have a story……just not this kind of story.
Too many “enthusiastic” mechanics who stalled out and never completed the work, combined with no information to document things like the engine rebuild or that mileage claim of 4,736.
Call me cynical, but I would not want an engine rebuild by a mechanic who left the carbs off the open engine and then left them to corrode on a pile of old parts, which tells me that the engine was probably never run after it was rebuilt—if it was rebuilt. I’ll bet a dollar that if the engine is opened up it will look like a used engine with more than 4,736 miles.
There’s a reason this project was never finished.
seller has 5 interesting cars for sale on ebay right now. not sure where the reserve is on this but it does have a lot of bidders. i think these are nice to look at but that is it. nice find.
I see a gallon of paint on the floorboard which says to me a bondo queen. This is in McAllen right on the gulf coast and I’ve had windshields rust right out of my cars. I’ll pass.