1961 Jaguar E type convertible restoration

[lowdrag]

If you need the Butler chromes I think I know where you can get them. PM me if interested and I'll pursue it for you. The list of early parts is endless, and when judging it was always under the bonnet that showed up the mistakes. Parts like early bonnet hinges, flat otter switch, early header tank, and so on. But if you are not going to show the car in a specialist Jaguar concours I wouldn't go there.It is a realy pain. One of the simplest, and one so often overlooked is the 4 lb radiator cap which is pretty useless in modern motoring but standard until 1963.

Edited by lowdrag on Sunday 17th February 00:58

[TR4man]

Wow, that looks stunning!

I hope you have had some time back in the UK to enjoy driving it? What does it drive like?

Forgive me being nosy, but were you not tempted to convert it to RHD?

[Paracetamol]

TR4man said:

Wow, that looks stunning!

I hope you have had some time back in the UK to enjoy driving it? What does it drive like?

Forgive me being nosy, but were you not tempted to convert it to RHD?

I still have yet to see it. it drove wonderfully be for the restoration and hopefully will be even better now.

It was built as a lhd. I am unlikely to come back to the UK after the stupidity of recent events and so lhd works well.

[Paracetamol]

[klunkT5]

Rare 'XK type gearknob' ? Looks like a standard later Jaguar Moss gearknob to me?

[Paracetamol]

klunkT5 said:

Rare 'XK type gearknob' ? Looks like a standard later Jaguar Moss gearknob to me?

Yes. This is correct for this earlier car. And rare to find having usually been replaced due to cracking. I understand that a repro version may be available now but I haven’t seen one

I also decided on 3 point belts. Lap belts would have been original but I value some level of safety.

[lowdrag]

The gear knobs are readily available - I have one. The top of my original cracked across the width in 42C temperatures at La Grande Motte in 1991, but I only got around to replacing it last year. I just kept gluing the bits back on. If you used modern bushes in the rebuild you will notice a distinct change in the feel and handling; much crisper.