2007-10-10 07:51:05 | pauls writes:

Ebay item 10/10/07
cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jaguar-E-Type-XKE-V12-1974-XKE-Roadster-RARE-ORIGINAL-OW ...
Opening bid $20,000 reserve not met, no bids yet, 6 days left in auction. 60k miles.

Sellers description:
The LAST Jaguar XKE originally sold in the Cincinnati tri-state area!

This stunning Jaguar has been in our family since my father purchased it from Tom Sweeney Imports here in Cincinnati in 1974. It sat in the garage unused for years and in late 2005, in anticipation of my dad's 70th birthday, we had it transported to Specialty Sports Cars in Columbus for a complete mechanical and interior renovation that took over a year and produced spectacular results.

Since the return of the car in fall 2006, it has been driven only on sunny days - approximately once every two weeks. We are selling it because I live in Europe and my father's love affair with the car has passed with his age and size, which make it difficult for him to get in and out.

The restoration’s target was achieved. As the mechanic says, "the car is more reliable now than it was new - you could drive it to Florida, NO SWEAT!" This XKE is a "very nice driver". It is not a delicate show car, but it’s very nice and one can make it more valuable with the cosmetic tweaks.

The restoration involved extensive reconditioning and replacement of old parts:

replacement of the gas tank and all gas lines
disassembled and reconditioned carburetors
replacement of all the fluids, belts, and hoses
complete service of the transmission
extensively repaired and resealed the engine

resealed the tops of cylinder heads and the oil pan and exhaust manifold gaskets

sleeves, pistons, bearings, gaskets in the engine and timing chains were all good. So, it did not need a rebuild.
replacement of the interior: seat padding, interior leather, floor and interior carpets – like new!
rebuilding of power brakes, linings, etc.
replacement of master cylinder, of course, to be sure this car doesn't leak
service of power steering and air conditioning
new tires
original radio stayed for cosmetics appeal, but it doesn’t work

Note that the soft convertible top is beige and the hard top is black.

The car starts perfectly and the thermostats ensure the cooling fans keep the car running at “normal” on the temperature gauge (which works perfectly).

We’ve kept and cleaned the original instrument panel, which makes you feel like a pilot as you flip switches on the “aviation” type dashboard. What a joy!

The exterior is burgundy…the original color was sable (brown). The current paint shines as you drive by or when viewed from a few feet away, even through the cracks

There are some rust spots in the typical places. But, this car is “dry” as it has not been driven in the rain in the last 15 years.

We intentionally left the current paint which presents well with honor, pride, and turns heads. However, the new owner might want to fix the rust and repaint – in the color of their choosing. A new set of wire wheels would be desirable; however, the tires are new.

The photos reveal the extent of this restoration. All instruments and mechanicals keep this car running perfectly. The car has great power and runs well, in the city or open road.

All and all, we realize we’ll never get back all the money put in to this restoration (OVER 35K)

2007-10-24 07:26:32 | pauls writes:

Car returns to ebay 10/24/07
cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jaguar-E-Type-XKE-V12-1974-XKE-Roadster-RARE-ORIGINAL-OW ...
Opening bid $33,800 reserve not met, no bids yet, 5 days left in auction.

Previous auction ended at $31,100 reserve not met after 22 bids.

2008-04-18 21:19:54 | pauls writes:

Car returns to ebay 4/18/08
cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll
Opening bid $27,000, no bids yet, 8 days left in auction. Same seller.