Jaguar maybe E type advice needed

Hello all, so I am the car guy in the family so it has been implied that I try to help my cousins decide how to handle my Uncle's E type. 

It has essentially been garaged since 1997 when my Uncle passed. My Aunt recently passed as well. The car was parked in 1997 for a scheduled set of engine and trans maintenance.

The condition of the car today I need to learn more about about. Based on my cousin's verbal description, it isn't too bad body wise but there may have been structural rust damage to the lower firewall. 

Too much family politics in play for anyone to keep it. 

Is it worth restoring to sell or better to sell for parts? I caution my other uncle that a restoration for sale is not to be taken lightly. 

Any Jaguar experts here? What key information do I need off the car to start figuring it's value? 

Just to minimize drama, I’d be inclined to throw it up on BAT untouched as a barn find. 

Sorry, don't have pricing input... But I'm with DILYSI Dave; if there's too much political mayhem to keep it, then investing in and managing a restoration sounds like an invitation to a robust unpleasantness.

I haven't really looked in BaT but will do so now. 

If you restore it for sale, you will probably end up upside-down on it.

It's very hard for professional shops to restore a car and sell it at a profit. E-types are valuable but the restoration costs will reflect that as well.

If you sell it privately afterwards, you may get less than if you sent it to auction.

A high end auction house (Bonhams, RM, Gooding) will charge you top dollar but will generally allow you to set a reserve and will try to get you the best return out there.

A lower end auction house (BJ) will not allow you to set a reserve and if the car goes through at the wrong time or the auctioneer thinks he's selling cattle, you'll lose your shirt.

Honestly, the suggestion to sell it on BaT may be the best one.

Value on E-types changes a lot based on what series it is and how it is equipped. US market E-types were generally a little lower on power than their European counterparts and the Series 1 E-types generally hold the highest value.

I think you should have a nice low key GRM auction right here. Keep it nice and quiet. Only open to a select few.

Agree on the advice to consider putting it on BAT. One other consideration, you did not mention which model of E-type it is. They are all valuable, but there is a huge difference between a 1967 e-type roadster verse a 1970 e-type 2+2 coupe. If it is one of the early and extremely valuable models, selling at a big name auction might be worth the time and effort. If one of the less valuable models, the BAT or other auctions might be best.

A lot depends on the year, engine and whether roadster or coupe.  And whether a coupe is 2 seater or 2+2.     

The as is value really varies with the amount of rust , poor repairs years ago when they were pretty cheap , and any "upgrades" like a newer motor , 

Bring a trailer seems to bring good money but the comments can kill a sale ,  keyboard warriors who never buy  anything but are experts on everything.

 Then you have to decide if you want to clean it up and try to get it running before the sale .....

In reply to Advan046 :

If you or the car are still in Chantilly, you might contact Rob at R&R and have them come out and take a look at it for you.  He's got a pretty good feel for the market, and knows the cars inside and out... who knows, he might have known your uncle / the car... since they used to have a shop in Tysons, now Lessburg only.

sleepyhead said:

In reply to Advan046 :

If you or the car are still in Chantilly, you might contact Rob at R&R and have them come out and take a look at it for you.  He's got a pretty good feel for the market, and knows the cars inside and out... who knows, he might have known your uncle / the car... since they used to have a shop in Tysons, now Lessburg only.

Thanks a lot, but the car is in Metro Detroit, Mi. I guess I should have put that in the original post. I may get to see it this or next weekend. 

I will get some details on it to post after that. I am certain it is a coupe, it has a roof and is a 2+2. Powder blue.

It has been so long that I still have a doubt in my mind that it is even an E-type until I see it again. 

I am also in metro Detroit and could take a look at it for you sometime if that would be helpful.  I’m not an E-type expert but I’m local and honest. 

Oh we'll just allowing me to see the car became a "thing." So I am done helping. 

Thanks for all the ideas. My one cousin did seem interested in Bring a Trailer. So maybe it will pop up there one day without my help.

Advan046 said:

Oh we'll just allowing me to see the car became a "thing." 

I'm sorry. What a pain.

Wow, I'm sure glad none of my relatives have anything cool.

In reply to Advan046 :

LOL but not really.   berkeley em.

Ugh... the joys of "family" sometimes... 

I'll keep an eye out for a crusty Jag on BaT.   It'll be a shame if they don't get some "car-guy/gal" help with getting it ready for sale.  Mainly as far as just taking enough pictures.  Otherwise as mentioned earlier,seller interaction is often key to a solid BaT result. 

Hopefully they don't have delusions of grandeur over how much a crusty 2+2 coupe is worth.  Especially if it turns out to be an automatic.

yeah, I’ll echo what everyone else has said.  I’m sorry to hear your attempt at helping has been... misunderstood

Hi,

I am in the process of restoring a 1968 E-Type FHC. I am literally in the middle of the restoration. Engine is back from the engine builder and the body is on a roticerie. I can tell you that a full restoration can spiral out of control (meaning $$$) very quickly and easily, and I am working hard to keep the restoration on budget. My car was in pretty good condition structurely speaking, and it still required a fair amount of metal work.  If you want to talk to discuss the ins and outs of restoring an E-Type, and what I have experienced so far, email me at: rustymold at yahoo dot com.

Good luck.

We just sold two 69 XKE verts on BaT for $80k each a few months ago, both in good condition. If it’s a coupe from the same generation I’d expect to get more like $30-55k for it restored,  and 2+2 significantly less than that. 

Imo, leaving out paint/body work you’d probably be in around $20k or so rough guesstimate to get it up to showroom Knick, could be significantly less. If it’s got potential to be an $80k car then I’d say that’s worth it, depending on what rough examples are selling for. I feel like 50-60k in profit is nothing to be sneered at. 

In reply to Advan046 :

 How long is a piece of string? When you are talking Jaguars condition is everything. And as everyone has said so far it is all too easy to spend more than it’s worth trying to get more from it. 

Jaguars can be scrap metal prices to millions of dollars. It depends on which Jaguar it is and it’s condition.  

Rust terrifies new buyers of projects.  So whatever numbers are rolling around in your head as you check values, take a big serious bite out of them if it’s rusty.  

That does not mean it’s time to sell it for parts. Nearly every part can be bought or made.  But realize a project is a gamble.  An experienced Jaguar restorer can glance at a car and estimate its value pretty closely but he is going to keep some reserve back because even experts are wrong sometimes.. 

if the top market for that model is $160,000 it’s not hard to spend more than $160,000 on paint bodywork parts and labor to make it worth that $160,000.  

But it’s worth more than the value of the parts.  Now you are trying to find the guy who wants that particular car more than he wants to make a profit. 

They are out there. I’ve been one myself but finding that guy with the money to give you what it’s actually worth is the real trick.  

bearmtnmartin said:

I think you should have a nice low key GRM auction right here. Keep it nice and quiet. Only open to a select few.

That would be great except that we’re still looking at buying a Pig in a Poke ... 

“Body in good shape except for rust on the fire wall” is not a body in good shape.

Another vote to Put it on BAT, you get as much as anyone is willing to pay...