1968 Jaguar E-Type

4.2 L I-6

1E16432

Clear

I am selling my 1968 Jaguar E-type (series 1.5). It is a numbers-matching car that I have owned and enjoyed for 25 years. I have driven it very lightly and only in the summer months, so it has never seen bad weather. The car is very solid and rust-free, although there are a number of cosmetic blemishes that I will outline below and add photos where possible. I purchased the car from Forristall GT Cars in Houston TX in 1991. I have the Texas Title but the car currently has Alberta plates and registration documents. The mileage at the time I bought it was around 68,000 and is currently at 81,500, so I’ve puttered around for about 14 k miles in my 25 years. Car is pretty much original except that the desirable conversion from twin-Stromberg to triple-SU was done even before I purchased the vehicle, presumably by Forristall’s. The car is a strong driver, reflecting the fact that I have spent over $25k since purchase to bring the drivetrain, steering and suspension components up to scratch. Most of this work was done at a Jaguar-only mechanics shop where I also had all of the routine maintenance done over the years. The car starts easily but is ready for its routine tune up. I have maintained it consistently but it is definitely not a show car or anything like it, as can be seen from the photos, and I’ll try and point out some of the biggest defects – mostly cosmetic - that the next owner will have to address if they wish to bring the car to the next level, as opposed to an occasional pleasure driver that I have used it for. The nose cone is very straight and closes easily with no alignment issues at all. It has 1 small paint chip on the louvres (photo) and a couple of small scratches, and I removed the logo bar a few years back and it needs to be reattached. The passenger compartment is pretty much as expected for a ‘Sunday driver’ vehicle of this age. Leather seats are okay – some scuffing - as is the dash. Carpets around the footwells are in need of replacement. Rear interior paneling is good. Convertible top is in pretty good for its age except for a splitting of the seam – slight on the RHS, more so on LHS as in the photo. The rear window is pretty clear but 1 short piece of weather-stripping that engages LHS window has detached. The doors rattle some on every E-type I’ve ever driven, and this one is no exception. Trim around the door windows will probably need replacing at some point, whereas the trim around the windscreen, trunk and engine bay is all in very good shape. The RHS door window crank is not attached as I lost the screw – but the crank itself is in the glovebox. Rear quarters are very straight but the paint on the trunk lid in particular has a couple of chips and some feathering from an earlier paint job, although this has not deteriorated in the time I have owned the vehicle. Trunk is very clean – wood floor panel was removed for photos but they are here! Gas tank was professionally sand blasted and re-painted but recently developed a slight leak from the gas line. Spare wheel is in good condition, as are all 4 wheels and tires. The car was clearly repainted before I purchased it as there is an underlying primrose paintwork apparent in some hard-to-reach locations. Some evidence of earlier slight bodywork (bondo?) just behind the LHS door (photos) but this has not deteriorated in 25 years. Paintwork around both door handles showing its age with stress lines (photos). It has seen little use in the last 3 years and has, like all older British cars, leaked some fluids on my garage floor. There is some slight oil leakage from the oil-pan. Also several of the gauges work intermittently and usually come on with a tap – same with the tachometer cable which needs some adjustment every couple of years. I decided to leave these items to the next owner as they will likely want to replace many of these seals anyway either as part of their vision for upgrading the car or as part of a total restoration. I have never turned on the heater so I can’t speak to that. One last thing – the middle wiper has always been missing: I don’t have that and never replaced it as I never went out in the rain! So – hard as it is – I hope that this car which has provided me with so much enjoyment will find a new long-term home.