2010-01-31 09:10:50 | pauls writes:

Ebay item 1/31/10
cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jaguar-E-Type-XKE-1969-XKE-4-2-L-Convertible-for-Restora ...
Current bid $14,100, no reserve, 7 bids 6 days left in auction.

Sellers description:
Jaguar 1969 E-type Convertible – VIN # 1R8454
January 1969 Production
4.2 liter
4-speed
Matching numbers
Signal Red with Black interior and top
77,714 miles

This was a California car until 1988 when my father-in-law bought it and shipped it to Germany, where he lived until he passed away last year. He drove the car until 1991 and subsequently stored it in a non-climate controlled garage in Germany until 2009. My mother-in-law gifted the car to me, and I subsequently shipped it to Connecticut in August 2009. My wife and I hoped that the car would be in good condition and could easily be turned back into a driver. However, this car needs a complete restoration.

Here is what I know based on the car's history and an inspection by Stew Jones Restoration in Winsted, Connecticut: The car was repainted in California and is solid with the exception of the foot wells. The left frame rail has a crack in the usual spot which has been repaired. The upside horizontal surfaces have a strange paint disfigurement (looks like a bad skin rash) especially from the B-Post back. The engine is seized from its prolonged storage so the condition of the transmission and differential is unknown. The top and seats are in good condition but some of the rugs are missing. There is some rust and oxidation throughout the vehicle. The car is as it came out of storage with no attempt to hide its defects. The car is original and complete and is a very good starting spot for a restoration.

As with any used vehicle, I strongly recommend that any potential buyer perform an independent inspection of the vehicle prior to bidding on it.

Please note that this car has been advertised in other places than e-bay and we reserve the right to end this auction at any time.

PAPERWORK:
I have the original title which is in my father-in-law's name.

I have the original 'State of Connecticut Motor Vehicle and Vessel Gift Declaration' signed by my mother-in-law (executrix of my father-in-law's estate).

I have the original notarized document verifying that the signature on the Connecticut Motor Vehicle and Vessel Gift Declaration is indeed my mother-in-law's.

I have the original notarized document stating that my mother-in-law is the executrix of my father-in-law's estate.

All of the above documents are in German and have been translated into English by a certified Translation Service. The translation of the German title document has also been notarized.

All these documents (and then some!) were required by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Department of Homeland Security) before they cleared it.

2010-09-09 08:49:50 | pauls writes:

Car returns to ebay 9/9/10
cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jaguar-E-Type-XKE-1969-Jaguar-XKE-Roadster-/120618436674
Current bid $6,100 reserve not met, 4 bids 7 days left in auction. Car now said to be in Edisto Island, South Carolina. 77k miles.

Sellers description:
Here's the story on the car. About 20 years ago, a bloke living in California had his dream car completely gone through including a new paint job. He then moved to Germany with the car. Almost immediately, the car overheated. He hoped (like we all would) that putting on a new water pump/thermostat would solve the problem. It didn't, and the car sat in a garage for 18 years. Upon his death, his daughter shipped the car back to the US in the hopes of fixing the car and driving it. The estimate to have a garage fix the car turned out to be more than the car was worth. That's when I purchased it. I had this summer to work on it. Unfortunately, it was the hottest summer on record and with the heat index over 115 degress every day, working on the car was virtually impossible. Now I'm going back to school and won't have the time or money to work on it until next summer. Even covered, the salt air down here in South Carolina coast will begin to take a toll on the car so I've decided to sell it.

This is my second XKE. The first one was a coupe. If you've never worked on or tried to restore one of these, it's impossible to describe the frustration. They are a quicksand of time and money. They make owning a boat seem reasonable. Even today, you can get a fairly good XKE coupe for $13-16k. Not so with a roadster, the most expensive year being 1967. If you've watched eBay at all, the very minimum you will find a roadster going for is $15k. At that price you are going to need EVERYTHING done (engine, body, paint, interior, etc). The chances of finding one that is not rusted out is pretty rare..

After unsuccessfully trying to free up the seized engine, I pulled it out...took it to the machine shop. They gave the engine a terminal diagnosis...head cracked in a few places, water in cylinders, etc. At that point, I fought the urge to put in a Ford 302 and purchased a rebuilt Jaguar long block with the 4.2 gold head from Marguar Jag. Here's another Jag tip: Just because you buy a matching numbers car doesn't mean you won't have to buy another engine. When you take the engine to the machine shop, they tell you there's a good chance the head bolts will break off in the engine because they go so far down into the engine and are so old. A good engine shop will not guarantee they can be drilled out and fixed. You might have to get another engine. This has happened to me twice on both XKEs. Just sayin....

I had the flywheel resurfaced and installed a new clutch pressure plate, slave cyclinder and slave hose. The engine and transmission are now reinstalled awaiting a new water pump. The one I have has the wrong size impeller (naturally). A new sets of points/caps/wires comes with the car along with 3 of the 4 new brake line hoses. The top, interior and dash of the car are all still VERY nice. It will need a carpet set. The switches on the dash don't click on and off like they should but I have a new set to replace them. Do them one at a time. The body is really nice for it's age. The floors are solid and have been sandblasted and treated with a frame epoxy. The floor behind the passenger seat could definitely be patched but I would replace it (about $200 for the pan). The only rust on the body is very far underneath the driver side door. You have to get on your back under the car to see it. The trunk is solid. I pulled the gas tank in order to clean it and repaint the car. The car will need new downpipes from the exhaust manifold (about $150/set of stainless steel). The rest of the exhaust looks new. I have one new chrome exhaust resonator and both old ones. The original car color was Regency Red (maroon). During the years of sitting, tiny blisters appeared under the paint. Even up close they were very hard to see. I had intended to return it to it's original color and have painted the engine compartment accordingly. But here's the thing. The bonnet looks great. In fact, as you can tell from the pictures, the car looks unbelievably hot in red. If the whole correct color thing wasn't an priority, I'd just respray red from the bonnet back and call it a day. If you want it back to the original color, with the exception of the small rust patch under the drivers door it's ready for just a light sand and respray. I have already light sanded the areas in the rear. Minimal for one of these cars.

I've done all the really hard work. The brakes as well as the carbs should be gone through, of course. At the end, though, you'd have an engine with no miles, a great body/interior/tires/top. I have left all hoses/choke cables as I took them off for easy matching back up. Also needing repair is the heater box. Almost all of them rust out on the bottom. They can be fixed, of course. The one that comes with the car is rusted. I have a really, really nice one that a friend fronted me. He wants $250 for it. It is well worth it as they are really hard to find in this condition.

This car has never been hit or involved in an accident.

You couldn't put together as nice a car for the buy it now price. As well as the new tires, the rear shocks look like they were replaced prior to the overheat. Koni shocks are on the front. The chrome is all good. The wire wheels have some minor pitting but clean up great, especially for a driver. The hard work is done.

ps: I noticed in the pictures that the bonnet and boot weren't closed all the way. In the case of the boot, you have to remove the latch in order to take out the gas tank. When the latch is reinstalled, the boot will seat correctly. The bonnet just wasn't closed.

2010-11-08 07:46:11 | pauls writes:

Car returns to ebay 11/8/10
cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jaguar-E-Type-XKE-1969-Jaguar-XKE-Roadster-/120644209401
Current bid $5,100 reserve not met, 3 bids 9 days left in auction. Buy it now price $21,000.

Previous auction ended at $18,400 reserve not met after 18 bids.

2015-10-14 08:58:42 | elenora writes:

Timely comments ! Incidentally , if your company wants a 2012 IRS 4180 , my boss filled out and esigned a sample version here pdf.ac/aItp3O or www.ct.gov.