It is sometimes said that with enough time, money, and dedication, almost any classic car can be saved from oblivion. I’ve never been entirely convinced of that view, although I have seen a few pretty sad and sorry vehicles returned to their former glory. Some will ignore the cost, viewing their build as a labor of love. If you share that belief, maybe this 1969 Jaguar E-Type is the car for you. With an asking price of $8,000, it is one of the cheapest you will find in the current market. Is it a case of getting what you pay for? The E-Type is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Livonia, Michigan, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder JimA for spotting it.
Jaguar caused a sensation when it unveiled the E-Type in March 1961. An updated Series 2 version emerged in 1968, with many running changes designed to meet American safety requirements. This is understandable because while the E-Type was an entirely British sports car, its largest market was North America. The seller indicates this car started life wearing Brown paint, and a check of the color charts suggests that Sable would be the most likely candidate. However, the panels now sport badly faded British Racing Green, and with the interior showing evidence of Green trim, I wonder whether the seller is mistaken. They describe the Jag as a candidate for a ratrod build, and the aged exterior makes the view understandable. There will be much cutting and welding, regardless of the buyer’s path, because this car is riddled with rust. It has consumed the floors and some lower exterior extremities and made itself known in the rear valance. Considering the level of deterioration, it is probably a blessing that glass can’t rust. The steel required to return the body to a structurally sound state is readily available, but the financial viability of this build is questionable. One final thought on that front is the apparent sagging in the car’s center. That is a bad sign and could be the final nail in this Jag’s coffin.
This E-Type’s interior is a case of “what you see is what you get.” It is missing the seats and a range of smaller parts. Trim kits are available to recapture the former glory of a complete interior, but the buyer’s shopping list will go well beyond that. The seller supplies no engine photos but confirms the car retains its numbers-matching 4.2-liter DOHC six and four-speed manual transmission. Jaguar used a “smoke and mirrors” approach with the first E-Type because production versions failed to achieve the 150mph the company claimed as the top speed. Carefully prepared press vehicles topped that mark, but a healthy car off the showroom floor struggled to hit 145mph. The health of the engine and transmission is unknown, although the six is not a complex powerplant. If it turns freely, it might be fit for a rebuild. Otherwise, the shopping list just grew by one expensive item!
Regular readers know I have a soft spot for the Jaguar E-Type, but that wasn’t always the case. I always felt the styling, particularly in Roadster form, is simply stunning. However, I always wondered whether the driving experience would meet the expectations created by its looks. I have driven many desirable cars, but my experience behind the wheel of a Series 1 E-Type is unforgettable. Four decades have passed since that day, but it remains fresh in my mind. I somehow doubt this 1969 E-Type will ever provide anyone with that experience, but I have learned never to say “never.” This is the classic world, and stranger things have happened.
What you see is what you get…. This is just a shadow of a car…. parts? …. maybe…. just because it is an E type doesn’t make junk valuable… Take an E type and a 20 year Hyundai… put them in a crusher and they are worth the same thing!! It’s shame this car was left to rust away. Good luck to the person who tries to bring this back….It’s a gamble ( to me that is!)
It depends on the definition of “enough”. Jeff wrote an article in Barn Finds on February 25, 2019 about the famous Alfa 8c2900B that had been burned, crumpled, and buried in the ’60’s, but was still “restored” to perfection. Of course, an 8c2900 is worth a lot more than an old E-type.
Looks a bit swaybacked, so I think that the ask is optimistic – and it’s a 2+2, so that drops the price some more. On the plus side, it appears to be fairly complete, apart from the interior. Good donor for a Lynx D-type…
Derek: it is not a 2+2; it is a Fixed Head two-seater coupe…which makes it more valuable.
When I turned 50, my wife wanted to surprise me with an E type. Her thinking was “how much could it be?”
Then she started looking.
I didn’t get my Jag….
Modern chassis wheels and tires, LS power. A great starting point here…
I fear there is no upside on this car. Even doing all your own work, it will be a money pit. $8K is a wee bit optimistic – I’m thinking $40. And no, I don’t want it.
Sometimes, things are just too far gone. This is one of those times.
Adam, I don’t agree that the front is sagging. I think that the bonnet has been removed from its front hinges and it has been put back onto the car loosely. Frankly, unless the firewall is completely compromised, the front 4 piece quad-tube subframe is bolted to the unibody and I don’t see how that could be all bent up. Now the body itself is likely well-rusted through out (ask me how I know…I have a 71 convert with a rusted body, but there’s no sag). Of course this can be restored if one chooses to put the time, money, and effort into it. While $8K may seem high, there are a plethora of good parts from what I can see that can be sold. I suspect that one might even get as much as $20K from the parts if they clean them up some. A total restoration, even doing your own work, will quickly put you under water for this not-extremely-desirable model. IMO of course.
Good luck getting 8K for it. Having had some experience with these, I would maybe go 2K.
The bonnet alone could get you up to $5K if you clean it up a bit. The rear door is probably worth $2k.
Opinion… The seller has listed it on the wrong website they should post it here on barn finds auction and get World wide attention and it would probably sell for more than their asking price and get shipped across the pond
The only price for this is by the pound and that depends on whatever the yard is getting today.
I don’t understand the trolling comments. If you have never had an E-type, you have no idea what parts for it are worth. This is not a rusty 55 4 door Plymouth Savoy. If this car were near me, I’d run over with $8K in hand. The bonnet, the front tubular frame, the twin cam head, the twin fans, the glass, the doors, the chrome, the IRS rear, the chrome wire wheels, the 4 speed tranny….the innumerable little parts. This is a steal for some lucky person.
Sad.
Serious buyers around the world look at all these website’s, or have employees to do so, sometimes cars can fall through the cracks, I quit sending links to customers a couple years ago when I saw some car on a local site that was interesting, they already knew about,and they were 2,000 miles away, that’s why it’s called world wide web.
How much is one in perfect condition?I don’t know anything about them except their cool looking
My late brother-in-law would buy derelict British cars like this in the US and ship them back to England where they would sell for 2-3x the price. Not sure that’s still the case but old Jags were his favorite to “repatriate.”.