2004-01-08 10:23:10 | Lofty writes:

Ebay item 1/8/04
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Current bid $5.1k (Reserve not met), 5 bids, 9 days left in auction.

Sellers comment:
This is a one owner car, the owner died 7 years ago and left it to his brother. The car has been in storage for those seven years (in the garage). The car originated in CA and has been in AZ since, IT HAS NO RUST! This cars owner was a Doctor who took meticulous care and has records from 1973 through 1996 as seen in the one picture. There are literally about 300-500 records of oil changes, car washes, general maintenance etc. It is all original with matching numbers on the V12 motor. The car has not run in the 7 years since it was brought over to AZ and it has 124,000 miles, see condition for details. Car is all leather interior that is in good shape (needs to be re-conditioned from sitting, not restored), paint job is in great shape (it does need a buffing, but that is all). Body is straight with only a couple of typical rock "dings". The only portion of the body that needs replacing that I can see is two pieces of trim, one on the exterior and one on the interior. I am trying to describe this to the best of my knowledge and from what I can see on the car, but please inquire if you have further questions because there are too many features of this car to list adequately. I will make the car available to anyone who wants to see and/or inspect it prior to bidding, but please do not bid if you are unsure. I can only tell you what I know but I will tell you everything I can.

Vehicle Condition
The car has not run in 7 years. I did connect it to a battery and had a mechanic pump gas into the carburators (4 of them) and it started briefly. I say breifly because I was not prepared to operate it without going through a lot of other measures secondary to the time it had been sitting. The car has about 124,000 miles on it. I can not guarantee that the motor will last 1 mile or 50,000 miles. All I can tell you is that it did start, and that the reserve is very reasonable due to the miles and the time that it sat. Other than the lack of knowledge on the motor I can say the rest of it has no significant problems that the owners brother or I am aware of. Remember the car has not run in 7 years, it was sitting in a garage in AZ and had about 1/8 inch of dust on it when I helped clean it up for sale. Even then I did not do anything more than clean it with a little soap and water. It will look even better with a good detailing. It does not have a battery, and I did not attempt to let the fuel line run through for fear of gumming up the system. I can show that it will turn over and fire in the way previously mentioned. It needs some care, but the reserve reflects that. After the research I have done if the car sells at the reserve, then add in the much smaller amount that might be invested into it and it still would be valued at more than double what was paid for it.

2004-01-11 21:41:34 | Steven D. writes:

Added Body, Engine, and Gearbox numbers as supplied by EBay seller/owner.

2005-07-20 07:25:40 | pauls writes:

Car returns to ebay 7/20/05
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Opening bid GBP 11,750, no bids yet, 4 days left in auction. Car has been relocated to Bromsgrove, UK.

Sellers description:
This is a fabulous opportunity to acquire my 1973 Jaguar E type Series 3 V12 2+2 fixed head coupe. It is in Signal Red with Black leather interior and has chrome wire wheels and tinted glass. It is left hand drive with an automatic gearbox.

History of the car
The car was owned by one gent in California from new until his death in 1996 . It was his daily driver and he has kept meticulous records of all that he spent over the 23 years he drove it, and then left to his brother in Arizona who stored it until I bought it in January 2004. I have spent thousands on the car and have kept records of all that I have spent on it. The history for the car fills a small box and is really remarkable reading.

I have summarised all that I know of the car, below and I have described it in an incredibly honest (and probably overly harsh) manner below: -

Engine
On purchase the engine was knocking badly and so I sent the car away to VSE in mid Wales ( a well known Jaguar engine specialist) who rebuilt the engine including new starter motor, replaced one cylinder head. The engine is still running in and a strict 3000rpm rev limit has been adhered to, and the engine is under warranty for a further nine months or so.

Ignition and fuel system
The car has had the renowned SU carburettor conversion from Burlen services that improves economy, driveability and power and an SNG Barratt conversion to replace the ignition amplifier (including coil). A new fuel tank and sender were fitted. Also fitted were new spark plugs, plug leads, rotor disc, distributor cap and the distributor itself has been rebuilt.

Cooling system
The car has had all new hoses, a new radiator header tank, a new fan motor and relay and the wiring to the fans replaced by an auto electrician

Suspension and steering
Many of the front suspension wishbone bushes were replaced although some others are showing signs of wear. The rear springs and subframe bushes and all dampers would benefit from renewal and these will be supplied with the car. The steering rack mounts have just been replaced

Chromework
.All of the chrome appears to be original. There is some slight tarnishing to the rear window surrounds but these should clean up.The rear bumper has a faint ripple to it that can only be seen from some angles (I am being fussy here). The top section of the radiator grille is dented but I have a new replacement that will come with the car. The chrome strip to the air intake below the bonnet is missing but again I have one of these.

Transmission
The car changes gear properly and the clutches bite quickly. However, there are two fairly heavy oil leaks-one from the bell housing (assumed to be the torque convertor) and the other from where the gearbox is cooled via the radiator and this is likely to be pipework only, and to be expected after its period of storage

Bodywork
Being in California and Arizona until last year, the bodywork of the car is free from any serious rust whatsoever. If you look very carefully, you may find a very few, small, superficial areas of surface rust where the paint has worn away, but for a 32 year old, unrestored Jaguar, it can only be described as incredible. The paintwork is mainly original with some areas that have been repianted due to parking scuffs etc. A local bodyshop has quoted me £100 to 'mop' the bodywork (i.e. machine polish using G8 compund) that would have a dramatic effect, although I have so far resisted as the car currently has a lovely 'patina' to it. The only areas that you may wish to have repainted are the front area of the bonnet where it has had a very light parking or boulder dent, a small area on the left hand door where there seems to be some paint reaction or grit in the paint and a small area below the fuel filler cap (see picture).

I have replaced the B pillar door seals and the rear hatch glass seal and other rubber items appear serviceable although some (such as the bumper rubbers) do show signs of sun damage. The driver's door hinge shows some wear so a replacement would improve this.

Interior Trim
The interior appears to be in good condition. The drivers' footwell carpet is worn out but the rest is fine. The front seats have been re-trimmed at some stage and appear slightly different to original (mainly in size of perforations to the leather) but you would need to look hard to notice. The door cards and other trim are good but the dash top and top of the steering wheel are both sun damaged.

Summary
I have summarised the condition of the car as well as I can and this encompasses verdicts from two Jaguar specialists and two other mechanics. I am only selling as I have run out of money and would like the car to go to an enthusiast who can do the remaining work and have a wonderful car to drive in.

The car is simply stunning and never fails to arouse interest from passers by and othe rmotorists. While there is work left to do, it can be done over time and the most expensive of it all, that wonderful V12 engine and ancillaries have been done with little regard to expense.

To confirm what you are bidding for: the car, six new shock absorbers, new bonnet underscoop panel, top grille moulding, underscoop trim, handbook, Jaguar workshop and parts manuals, 1973 US sales brochure and the service history.Please do not bid if you are not serious about buying it or you wish to send me a cheque for more than the final bid amount etc. You are welcome to come and look at the car or ask any questions. Do not be fooled into thinking that buying this car is a poor option. I have seen lots of rough, rusty UK originated E types for the same or more money, and the start price is worth it for the engine and sound body alone. The car has done two long journeys recently without incident-this is a car you can use. Please do not ask if I will take £5000 or some other tiny amount.