2010-10-12 18:52:29 | pauls writes:

Ebay item 10/12/10
xkedata.com. With total production of Series I 4.2L Jags totaling just over 16,000, car 1E10964 is of great significance as an early example of such an iconic automobile. As certified by the Jaguar Heritage Trust Certificate, it is also a numbers matching E-Type.

As a Series I 4.2L E-Type, this car has the sought-after improvements to the original 3.8L car: vastly improved seating position, a 4.2L engine with more torque, and an all-synchro gearbox. For these reasons, Classic and Sports Car magazine recently wrote “If you are one of the legion for whom the E-type is their once-in-a-lifetime classic, and if you want to actually use it - a lot - you need an S1 4.2 synchro-’box stereotype on wheels.”

I bought the E-Type several years ago from a friend who was in poor health and breaking up his collection. It is a car well known to the local collector community, having had just two local owners in the last 25 years. It is a profoundly solid, rust-free car. (And as I’ve had three E-Types, I know what it is to say that!) I hopped at the chance to purchase this car when the friend offered it, knowing his discerning taste and the automobile’s excellent condition.

Car 1E10964 has been restored but once in its lifetime, in the late 1980s. It has been driven 16,317 fabulous miles since that time.Thankfully the restoration was accomplished carefully and thoroughly. This car has never been fully apart; it has always been in steady use. And while rebuilding the car from the ground up makes for a wonderful car, it takes away some of that ephemeral “built at the Jaguar factory” quality.

The car was re-sprayed in its original color. This car is an actual Carmen Red E-Type, as confirmed by the Jaguar Heritage Trust Certificate. It is not one of the many later sprayed red. (Though I can hardly blame owners for wanting to paint their E-Types red. It really is a fantastic color on these cars.) The engine and transmission were rebuilt, and many mechanical components renewed. The original red interior was replaced with black. The carpets are rich, thick Wilton Wool, and in excellent shape, showing no wear. The seats were recovered in Connelly leather hides, also in fantastic condition.

Exterior
* Paint is in excellent condition. The car is always garaged and covered. Upon very close examination, sanding scratches can be seen on the rear cowl only. Hard to see; won’t show up on pictures. A few stone chips touched up. Otherwise paint is near perfect. Holds a great shine and reflects well, as seen in the photos below.

* Recently re-undercoated the floors. Sripped all old undercoating. Floors completely solid. See pictures.

* Chrome is in very good, original condition. It is the original chrome on the bumpers, headlights, taillights, and the trim around the cockpit. It has some checking and slight surface imperfections. Absolutely no serious defects. This is a fantastic piece of originality that cannot be replaced by reproductions of any quality. As such, the previous owner and I have preferred the slight imperfections of originality.

* Top is in beautiful condition. Window clear.

* Car 1E10964 includes a custom tonneau cover. I often leave it on the back of the car as a cover for the convertible top. It protects the top, yet is easily accessible for quickly buttoning up the car.

Engine and Mechanical
* Engine compartment partially detailed. Upper (more visible) areas very clean and sparkling. Lower, underside of engine less clean. I drive the car far too much for this area to look concours. Underside of hood shines like the exterior.

* High compression “-9” suffix, original engine.

* Pertronix vacuum advance distributor. Reliability, accurate ignition timing, and tune-ability.

* Ansa performance exhaust. Old stock, not lesser reproduction. A much higher quality than Jaguar stock exhaust. Resonance is smooth, even, and deep.

* New Vredestein tires three years ago. Michelin X redline spare (as original). Chrome wire wheels in good condition. Some spokes starting to look dull up close.

* Brakes in good condition. Plenty of stopping power from four wheel disc brakes. Rear inboard brakes in great shape. (You’ll be glad to not have to do that job!)

* Cool Cat electric fan. A must-have upgrade for these early, small-mouth E-Types. Car has never overheated. Once drove four hours in 104 degree heat. No issues.

* Carbs synched and tuned Fall 2009 by Brian Donovan of Donovan Motorsports. These guys have the fastest E-Types on the planet. I was asking him a few carb questions at the Watkins Glen Vintage Grand Prix. He invited me to bring the car over to the race garage and proceeded to perform and explain his tuning process. With all the people watching it looked like a car clinic!

Interior
* Wilton Wool carpets in great condition. Connelly leather seats are excellent. All interior panels in beautiful shape.

* All gauges work great. Clock not working. (One day I will see an E-Type with a working clock.)

* Original steering wheel in good shape. Been refinished once.

* Dash and dash pad in great condition. Glovebox is original and shows slight scuffing. (Not in need of replacement.)

* New trunk trim kit looks near perfect. See pictures.


At bottom, E-Type 1E10964, though beautifully finished, and fast even when parked, demands to be driven. Much sorting has been dedicated to making this car reliable, controllable, and quick. The suspension is stiff, but not so much that bumps are jarring. Steering input and response is very direct. The car corners very well, with manageably slight understeer. Acceleration is smooth and direct. The transmission shifts with a positive, notchy feel and no grinding. The engine has more than enough torque to take you to 80 quickly, and the transmission has enough gearing to keep you there all day.

This E-Type has taken me far and wide on the East Coast. I don’t hesitate to drive it many, many hours from my home. It has travelled numerous times to vintage races at VIR, Summit Point, and Watkins Glen. Living in the Shenandoah Valley, the car sees regular use carving up scenic byways. It looks beautiful and drives like the legend that it is. I hope the next owner will also drive it in pursuit of that infamous E-Type mystique. As Craig Fitzgerald writes definitively in the September 2010 Hemmings Sports and Exotic magazine, “This is one of the finest riding sports cars we’ve had the experience to drive, including anything built in the last 25 years.”