Discussion
I was very lucky at the weekend to get to drive an e type. I've never been a massive fan of e types I'm more of an early 911 and healey kind of person.
Anyway it drove way better than I was expecting. The balance felt very neutral and there was more power than I was expecting, and the sound of the straight 6 was just sweet. I guess I was expecting the car to feel slower than a modern hot hatch, whereas it felt significantly quicker than a civic type r or Mini Cooper s, so I was very pleasantly surprised. It also felt lighter and more nimble than I had imagined it would feel.
So I have a had a quick trawl of the classifieds since Saturday and there seems to be loads about on car and classic. But I know nothing about e types. Basically the question I am asking is how much do I need to save up for a mechanically sound car. I don't want a garage queen, and am quite happy with tatty paint and interior, I just would like one that drives well. Preferably a 6cyl car with manual box.
Also I'm a tall guy, and it was very tight in a 2 seater coupe, would a 2+2 be better for space.
This is a bit hypothetical at the moment as I don't have the money now, I just want to know how much I'm gonna have to save.
Anyway it drove way better than I was expecting. The balance felt very neutral and there was more power than I was expecting, and the sound of the straight 6 was just sweet. I guess I was expecting the car to feel slower than a modern hot hatch, whereas it felt significantly quicker than a civic type r or Mini Cooper s, so I was very pleasantly surprised. It also felt lighter and more nimble than I had imagined it would feel.
So I have a had a quick trawl of the classifieds since Saturday and there seems to be loads about on car and classic. But I know nothing about e types. Basically the question I am asking is how much do I need to save up for a mechanically sound car. I don't want a garage queen, and am quite happy with tatty paint and interior, I just would like one that drives well. Preferably a 6cyl car with manual box.
Also I'm a tall guy, and it was very tight in a 2 seater coupe, would a 2+2 be better for space.
This is a bit hypothetical at the moment as I don't have the money now, I just want to know how much I'm gonna have to save.
Be very wary of an E type with poor body work; this is very expensive to put right whereas mechanical parts are much less of a problem. I've a 1965 S1 fhc in pretty smart condition and I reckon it would fetch £65k pretty easily although more than that has gone into the car. I'm not a great mechanic by the way so if you have the requisite skills in welding, painting etc you can save a lot on your re-build. For better value for money look at an S2 which many enthusiasts seem to look down on or, as you suggest, if you really need the extra space the 2+2 is a relative bargain.
It's very rare to drive two E Types and find them the same, as spec and condition causes so many variables. It only takes baggy shock absorbers, poor radius arm bushes and rear subframe mounts to make a good car feel dreadful. Change those parts and fit decent rims, the car will fly.
I absolutely agree that a two seat series 2 is the gem if on a limited budget, as the snobs disregard what is in fact a superb car. The bodyshell is immensly strong, but needs corrosion repairs to be carried out properly. I have a Jaguar experimental series 3 prototype here at the moment, and no matter how many different types of car I see, the E Type's engineering is still as fabulous as its looks, and you can drive a good one as a commuting/ shopping/ Alpine tourer/ trackday car with no adjustments.
I absolutely agree that a two seat series 2 is the gem if on a limited budget, as the snobs disregard what is in fact a superb car. The bodyshell is immensly strong, but needs corrosion repairs to be carried out properly. I have a Jaguar experimental series 3 prototype here at the moment, and no matter how many different types of car I see, the E Type's engineering is still as fabulous as its looks, and you can drive a good one as a commuting/ shopping/ Alpine tourer/ trackday car with no adjustments.
Flatinfourth said:
It's very rare to drive two E Types and find them the same, as spec and condition causes so many variables. It only takes baggy shock absorbers, poor radius arm bushes and rear subframe mounts to make a good car feel dreadful. Change those parts and fit decent rims, the car will fly.
I absolutely agree that a two seat series 2 is the gem if on a limited budget, as the snobs disregard what is in fact a superb car. The bodyshell is immensly strong, but needs corrosion repairs to be carried out properly. I have a Jaguar experimental series 3 prototype here at the moment, and no matter how many different types of car I see, the E Type's engineering is still as fabulous as its looks, and you can drive a good one as a commuting/ shopping/ Alpine tourer/ trackday car with no adjustments.
+1 The S2 hasn't the looks of the S1 for sure, but seats, brakes and above all cooling are far superior to my S1 roadster. By far the most civilised of them all, and at about £40,000 for a reasonable one. Well, that was yesterday's price anyway; prices seem to move almost daily at the moment.I absolutely agree that a two seat series 2 is the gem if on a limited budget, as the snobs disregard what is in fact a superb car. The bodyshell is immensly strong, but needs corrosion repairs to be carried out properly. I have a Jaguar experimental series 3 prototype here at the moment, and no matter how many different types of car I see, the E Type's engineering is still as fabulous as its looks, and you can drive a good one as a commuting/ shopping/ Alpine tourer/ trackday car with no adjustments.
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