2015-01-09 12:27:04 | pauls writes:

Ebay item 1/9/15
www.ebay.com/itm/Jaguar-E-Type-4-2L-OTS-1969-jaguar-e-type-ots-beautiful-extreme ...
Current bid US $40,101 reserve not met 9 bids 9 days left in auction.

Sellers description:
Offered for sale is an absolutely beautiful, exceedingly original, remarkably well-preserved 1969 Jaguar E-Type OTS (Open Two Seater) that's had only two owners from new and accrued a mere 41k original miles in its 45 years. Finished in ever-refined and factory correct Regency Red over its entirely original Black leather interior, the car has never been in an accident and retains its numbers matching engine as well as its original rust-free undercarriage. Delivered new in the fall of 1969 to Mr. William Ryplansky, an instructor at the Frederick Military Academy in Portsmouth, Virginia, he would only own the car until 1975, amassing nearly all of the car's low miles in those six years.

Portsmouth, VA is quite close to the North Carolina border and in February of 1975 Mr. Ryplansky sold the car to Mr. Daniel Henley of Waynesville, NC with just over 39k miles on the odometer. At the time Mr. Henley was a young regional sales representative for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco in Winston Salem, N.C., but he was also a car enthusiast through and through, and even pre-owned the E-Type was a dream car that he had to stretch to afford. As R.J. Reynolds provided him with a work vehicle, the E-Type was purely a weekend cruiser and consequently over the next eleven years he only drove the car an additional +/- 1,700 miles, as indicated on the NC DMV Inspection Receipt from 1986 (and those preceding). Along the way, Mr. Henley had also started a hobby car dealership, Henley's Auto Sales in Pineola, NC, but he never sold the E-Type, driving it an additional +/- 600 miles until the car had a clutch issue sometime in 1989. As it was minor in nature, Mr. Henley intended on repairing the issue, but the car was stored in his home garage and was put on the back burner for quite some time, more than 25 years in fact.

We were able to acquire the E-Type from Mr. Henley late in the fall of 2014 and we were excited to find that the car was an effective time capsule - one that had clearly always been thoroughly cared for while in service, had never been in an accident and had obviously been exceptionally well stored during its quarter century of dormancy.

As such, the car's body is entirely straight and original, retaining excellent panel fit with absolutely no evidence of filler or body-work and cloaked by a consistently deep and lustrous Regency Red finish that is marred only by the most minor of imperfections, none of which are significant enough to appear in any of the pictures. All of the glass and brightwork remains in excellent original condition and we replaced trim rubber only where necessary following the car's long, dry hibernation. The chrome wire wheels are also in great original condition, showing their age but still abundantly presentable, and they are wrapped in brand new correct Vredestein tires. Also due to its previous owner's careful use and storage, the car's trunk and undercarriage are both entirely original and exceptionally sound and solid. Rust is not - nor has it ever been - an issue for this E-Type.

The car's interior is equally clean and completely original. While showing a rich patina consistent with their age, the black leather seats are in great shape, free of any rips, tears or split seams. The same can be said for all of the interior panels and carpets. The original wood steering wheel is free of any cracks, as is the dash, which houses a fully functional switch panel and gauges. The glove box houses the original Protect-O-Plate (detailing the original owner and the car's critical information), a number of North Carolina DMV inspection receipts documenting mileage and the original owner's manual (although the cover has come unbound). The trunk mat is virtually flawless and underneath you'll find the original full spare wire wheel and tire as well as the original jack and knock off hammer. Lastly, the car's Everflex soft-top is in excellent condition and the car retains its original boot cover.

Because it had been in storage for so long, as soon as we received the car we set about sorting out all of the mechanical components. This was inclusive of but not limited to: the sorting of the electrical system, a new brake master cylinder and new flexible brake lines, new brake reservoirs, new clutch master and slave cylinders, service to the charging system, a head-off valve job, thorough attention to the carburetors, cleaning of the gas tank, flushing of the fuel system, a new fuel filter and a new factory fuel pump. All of this work was performed by a British marque vintage specialist with over 50 years experience, and his opinion of the car is as high as our own - there's no doubt in his mind that this was a well-cared-for, properly stored example that is once again ready for spirited motoring.

And that's exactly what our experience has been from behind the wheel. The original, numbers matching 4.2L engine starts easily, idles consistently and pulls strongly and smoothly through each of the original transmission's gears. Compression is excellent and even across all cylinders and the engine tone is as grin-inducing as the performance. Ride quality is excellent, the suspension and brakes each functioning as they should, and the car is a joy to drive whether tooling through town, winding through the canyons or bombing down the highway.

This is an excellent opportunity to acquire an extremely original, numbers matching, two owner, 41k original mile, entirely solid and mechanically sound 1969 Jaguar Series II 4.2L E-Type OTS finished in a timeless and attractive livery. The astronomical valuation jump that the Series I XKEs have realized in the past two years has continued to drive the appreciation of Series II cars and as the collecting trend towards originality endures, this remarkable example will undoubtedly offer its next owner investment upside while providing years of enjoyment. If you're in the market for an E-Type Roadster, this beautiful 1969 certainly deserves your consideration.