2004-12-30 10:59:19 | pauls writes:

Ebay item 12/30/04
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Current bid $3,050.00 (Reserve not met), 5 bids, 6 days left in auction. 98k miles.

Sellers description:
Start the New year off with a bang! Here's a project that I've grown out of over the last four years and my loss in investment will definitely be the buyer's gain..

You are bidding on a good example of a 1970 XKE 4.2 four-speed Fixed Head Coupe two-seater that I purchased in 2000 with a lot of ideas. I liked the coupes because of their lower profile over the 2+2's, their rigid structure, improved security and cost efficiency over the convertibles and their reduced weight over all other models. This car was equipped from original with no power steering, no air conditioning and has the classic solid wheels that were fitted to the Jaguar sedans.

Fundamentally, the car has been repaired and upgraded mechanically so that it starts and runs reliably and performs a little better than a stock 4.2 E-type. After four years of being worked on in a professional shop, I've decided to let it go to someone who has more time to devote to affording the car the attention that it deserves and to be able to enjoy it more than I can.

Since I purchased the Jag, I've driven it less than 100 miles, which means that all the upgrades, repairs and mods that have been done have very few miles on them.

Basic modifications include;
* Replacement of the head with a Gran Turismo Jaguar (GTJ) Stage II rebuild. The rebuild includes mild porting and polishing, GTJ30QK camshafts and GTJ5 stiffened valve springs
* A complete GTJ custom exhaust system with tuned headers and gas flowed mufflers
* Triple SU carburettor conversion with inlet manifold, air cleaner, plenum, linkages, crankcase breather, etc. to take advantage of the improved head and exhaust systems

Since August 2000, repiars and replacements include;
* Complete rebuild of the engine to 20 thou over, with new rings, main and rod bearings, oil pump, timing chains and guides. Engine hot tanked, crank reground, rod and main bearings rebushed.
* Replaced cam verniers
* New clutch, master cylinder, slave cylinder and hose
* New engine mounts and trans mount bushings
* New driveshaft and rear axle U joints
* Rebuilt 3 core radiator, new radiator fan relay and switch and new fan belts
* New rear brake rotors, caliper pistons, brake pads, hand brake pads, outboard bearing seals, etc.
* Rebuilt differential assembly
* New front suspension upper and lower ball joints, tie rod ends, bushings, front rotors, pads and brake hoses
* New black Konis
* Replaced front windshield

Receipts are available for most of these repairs, and for those that are missing, the repairs/changes are obvious. Mechanically the car runs and performs well over short distances (test runs). It will require some 'tweaking' and tuning, but it's all there, it starts and runs well. The vehicle is currently registered in California and has a clean California title.

Vehicle Condition
This car lived in Utah for the majority of its life and is overall very clean and straight. Prior damage history is unknown, but does not seem to be at all significant. The passenger side of the hood and the driver's side headlamp surround show a little distortion, but there is very little other obvious damage. There are no obvious filled repairs and no splits, rust holes or major dents in any of the body work.

General cosmetic condition includes;
* Both doors show a small amount of rust on the lower edges, and the passenger door closure mechanism requires some attention. Door locks need to be replaced.
* Pieces of body molding missing on the driver's side of the hood
* Headliner was replaced by the previous owner (still in good shape) and the rear view mirror is missing, probably removed during the refurb.
* Door panels need to be refurbished
* Dash needs to be replaced
* Seats and interior panels are in reasonable condition, with no major tears or structural damage
* Gauges are intact and operate, with the exception of the odometer/trip meter, which stopped working when I recently reset the trip meter. Current odometer reading is therefore believed to be very close to accurate, but cannot be verified.
* Switches are intact, but electrical system probably needs some attention because some of the switches don't fully operate. The ignition system operates correctly, but there is a gaggle of wires below the dash that should be concealed/tidied.
* The Alpine stereo is not in working condition. The rear speakers are intact and in good shape
* The car was painted by the previous owner, but the work was probably done quickly and by a volume painter. The finish is sound, but there is plenty of overspray in obvious areas and it doesn't appear that a finishing clear coat was applied
* Rubber is generally very good (possibly replaced when the car was painted) and the windshield has recently been resealed (9/04)

Basically the car now requires attention to the interior, reorganization of the electrics and details to the exterior to complete the renovation to a super coupe.

For someone getting into Jags who doesn't want a basket case and wants to be secure in what work has already been performed, this is a perfect project. This car runs well, but it is by no means concourse and do not misunderstand that there is still a lot of work to do. I've tried to be as realistic as possible about the overall condition, general operability and cosmetics of this car, but don't expect me to have described everything perfectly. This is a 30 year-old car that I haven't owned from new, so there may be details that I'm unaware of.

2005-01-15 20:23:01 | Ed writes:

Very nice car; repainted in Primrose; GT Jaguar (GTJ) recent rebuilt engine, drivetrain and exhaust. 3 SU carb set-up.

2005-02-20 09:45:19 | pauls writes:

Car returned to ebay 2/14/05
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Auction ended at $17,100.00 (Reserve met) affter 23 bids. Said to be sold to Germany.

Sellers description:
CALIFORNIA CAR, CALIFORNIA TITLE: 1970 JAGUAR E-TYPE XKE COUPE (fhc). Excellent condition; turn the key and drive it! BEAUTIFUL and stunning factory color "Pale Primrose." Thousands of dollars in receipts from professional Jag shop; engine, trans, rear end all redone to perfection; estimating less than 5k miles on drive train since rebuilds. NO oil burning, no smoke, no leaks! The engine has been upgraded to the Series 1 correct TRI-CARB SET UP! Emissions junk professionally removed! This car is FAST! This is a really sweet, clean and high-performing California car.

2005-10-15 10:58:08 | Lofty writes:

not easy ,should have been better for this price

2005-10-15 12:04:28 | Steven D. writes:

Car has changed locations from Encinitas, California, USA to Germany.

2005-10-15 12:09:32 | Steven D. writes:

Can the present owner of this car confirm that the car was silver previously but was repainted to primrose yellow?
We would like to make sure we are indeed dealing with one car here, not two where one or both may have been mis-printed or mis-identfied.

What are the current plans for the car? I take it from your comments that the car did not live up to the claims in the auction descriptions?

Feel free to drop me an E-mail.

2005-10-16 02:55:22 | Anonymous writes:

car is in germany ,it took me about 7000 euro to get it on the street ---it.s primrose and sure it was silver before.i think it.s fast but did not try it jet----nice tohear of the history from paul-

2005-10-16 19:18:35 | Frank writes:

So as the present owner,how much milesdoes the rebuilt engine runs in USA ? Ed ,have you any interest receipts you can send me ?

2007-10-04 05:16:58 | Patrick writes:

The car is now in Germany in Baden-Baden in the Black Forest. It is in good used condition - i will try to perfect the car in the next years.