2003-05-04 16:49:17 | Dick McCall writes:

Now hammered this E for 11 years and NO problems

2004-07-12 16:02:17 | Dick McCall writes:

Just revisited this site and noted my comment about no problems.
Last year I had someone else rebuild my engine and after myself, my codriver and both of my sons had belted the old E around Hochenheim lo and behold a loud banging. My girl had to come home in the back of a truck but is now ready to do 7 circuits in 7 days with Promatuo in France so fingers crossed!

2005-03-09 04:07:08 | Dick McCall writes:

An annual site revisit and noted my fingers crossed for the french event. Well that was in vain as engine ran another big end 20 miles from home in UK.
There is some good news as we have identified this and the previous failure as due to poor QC in thin wall bearing manufacture. We now have new/old Vandervall bearing shells fitted so maybe 2005 will be a better season

2006-04-11 18:01:41 | Dick McCall writes:

So yes the new/old Vandervalls did the job and the E did the 7 circuits with Promauto and did them well. The Scimitar also managed the get to the end without a tow so roll on Sept 2006 for 7 more tracks after Goodwood Jaguar day in May

2006-12-20 12:28:23 | Dick McCall writes:

Pleased to report E is back to it's liking for a good thrashing and did the Promauto again this year with no problems apart from getting very wet.

2014-07-29 21:31:35 | John writes:

Dick where are your updates?

2015-02-02 04:18:37 | Anonymous writes:

Here is a short update John,
Scimitar left to live in Switzerland and got replaced by an Elise which meant the E did not get such a hammering. Swing now back to Jag as she has webers, 5 speed and megajolt so goes well.Rolling road scheduled soon so should be interesting

2015-11-26 14:59:18 | dick writes:

E is now on extensive vacation with my son Duncan in Connecticut so no doubt will be looking for some local action

2026-05-09 13:46:42 | Duncan writes:

Been a while, so an update is well overdue! Moved to the USA many years ago, and I bought the Jag out here about ten years ago (it was already a left hooker!). Continued to drive it alot, attend alot of car events. Despite temptation I've not re done the interior or changed my Dad's philosophy of having it as a car to be driven, not to be polished and looked it. I love how we ended up modifying it, super exciting and fun to drive. It's basically the perfect visceral internal combustion engine driving experience, I've kept it very well maintained, resisted the urge to fix any imperfections, and it gets driven pretty hard fairly frequently. Hard to imagine ever wanting to part with it, as it is such a blast to drive and reminds you what internal combustion cars are all about. 

Here is the current spec I often display for car shows. 

 1963 Jaguar E Type Series 1 3.8 open two seater XKP 818A

 Good to very good condition, driven but well looked after and maintained.

Modifications include:

Rebuilt engine with ported head , larger valves, reprofiled cam, lightened flywheel,uprated rods and oil pump, crank with new seal system

To improve breathing SU trumpets and 6 branch exhaust manifold.

S/S exhaust system

Lumenition ignition system with rev limiter, sports coil and Magnecor leads

It has been converted to negative earth and an alternator installed

Aluminium radiator and Kenlowe fan

Spin off oil filter and oil cooler with catch tank

External SU twin petrol pumps

Cooper craft 4 pot brakes with braided hoses.

Rear brakes converted to XJ6 S3 calipers to improve reliability

Back axle now 2.88 limited slip but 3.54 retained as spare. All UJ’s renewed

Drayton 6inch wire wheels with S/S spokes and Michelin pilot tyres

Uprated anti roll bar

3 point Willans harness

Adjustable spax dampers all round

FIA roll over bar fitted

Currently fitted with small leather Motolite steering wheel but wooden wheel available.

Front end has been completely poly bushed

Car always well maintained

Recently the lumenition system has been replaced with a Megajolt system which allows lap top programming of ignition giving a choice of improved engine characteristics.The distributor,one of the less reliable items, is replaced but as per all other superceded parts is still in my garage.

2026-05-09 13:47:07 | Duncan writes:

Also below here is my Dad's full original write up from some years ago!

She was born in 1963 as a 3.8 S1 OTS black on black and destined

to life as a West Coast Yank. After being rescued from that fate she came into

my less than tender care nearly 20 years ago, totally original.

Much time and cash later she goes and stops faster, although these

mods have seen a not infrequent return from Europe, truck assisted.

Often accompanied  on these outings by stablemate

Scimitar SE6a with 5.7 small block , she did outdo the Scimmichev in

reliability which was not hard to do, given the 350+ hp propelled by my two

sons scant regard for Reliant idiosyncrasies and the weight of their right

feet. One year with the Scimmi parked with usual overheating at

Hockenhiem,  the E spent the whole day on the circuit flat out, all

of us driving in turn. This was her first home run in the back of a truck as a

very loud knock indicated big end failure. This failure occurred twice more

before it dawned on us the sub contracted shells were not made to original

Vandervall standards, so new old was the answer.

Payback happened another year at Valencia where the E towed the

Scimmi to the finish after clutch disintegration.

These and other adventures occurred on the MSA Euro Classic events

which took us to many famous tracks ( e.g.Nurburgring, Spa Imola, Valencia,

Barcelona) and lots of interesting visits (e.g Airbus, Ferrari, Smart Car,

Maserati).

Having done these events 1994/2003 I found emerging a less

interesting trend, to less tracks, and visits to such places as Teddy Bear

factories and sweet manufacturing. So since that time I now do the Promauto

French Tour 2004/2009. Well, that is a misnomer if ever there was one as it is

for most participants a flat out blast around and between race circuits in

France. Nearly all cars are full cage and many bring mechanics and it is great

fun. It does tend to mean more track assisted returns but the track visits make

it worth while. Le Mans Bugatti, Magny Cours, Pau, Paul Ricard and many, many

club circuits all over France.

Nothing stays the same does it? the Promauto events inevitably did

for the overpowered Scimmi and the gradual infiltration of  more

modern cars to make the number up led to the unacceptable situation of the E

getting past on a not infrequent basis so the new stable mate is a Lotus Elise

which should put paid to all those Porkers!

E now semi retired as Promauto reserve, UK track days and JEC

events.

Some time on, after lots of France tour fun in the Elise almost

inevitably a curtain was drawn over the event and its organisers,  so

mad French time came to an end although the last event, Paris /Nice on closed

roads was the maddest of all!

A return to the Euro Classic with the E has happened but like many

things in life, including the writer, things are not what they were as only one

circuit was included and E found its own way home without truck assistance.

 E Escapades Part 2

Gathering dust sitting next to the shiny little well used Elise,

was not what E’s 50thshould be about so time for attention.!

Stripped of her front bumpers and a repaint, a resemblance to her

famous D cousins can be seen to emerge. (by me at least) OK but a lot of racing

around tracks has resulted in a somewhat tired 3.8 . If the emerging racing

resemblance is to be encouraged then it has to be triple webers. No point in

that expense without a power unit rebuild, so XK Motorsport and racing legend

Brian Stevens took my girl’s still beating heart out and performed one of his

magic rebuilds. She now has a complete new top end donated from a younger 4.2

sibling, with nice new big valves and all her lower regions have been

completely overhauled and of course that Italian petroaddict with a breathing

tube for each cylinder by Signore Weber.

One thing that has changed from D days and Le Mans is that moving

the spark around via a mechanical device from old Joe Lucas can now be done in

a digital manner. So E has now a Megajolt EDIS system from Ray Livingston in

California which allows me to talk with her via my laptop and try and create

the conditions we both rejoyce in.

No doubt there will be many who abore my alterations to an

original Icon but just to make matters even more extreme the classic Moss

gearbox has also hit Brian’s operating floor and a brand new 5 speed interloper

from E type fabs been transplanted.

Running in and final tuning are still in progress but so far not

good but MAGNIFICENT