5 reasons why you should buy a Jaguar E-type

Marcoboffi said:

In reply to NOHOME :

Roomy and easy to get in and out ? A challenge for short people ? I have an E type OTS , am 5'8", not over weight and in fairly good shape and can tell you that I am very comfortable in it, its not easy to get in and out and that anyone over 5'10" is not feeling very "roomy" in an E type!

Not replying to NOHOME, just making a comment since I can't figure out how to make one .

Mark

 

 I too am 5'9" but seriously overweight and old and stiff  A roadster fits me like a glove. With no problem getting in or out. (top down). 
  But the coupe?   I can't fit in.  I don't fold up that compact.  The basketball I carry my fat in doesn't allow it
 

In reply to frenchyd :

Agree about the the ease of getting in and out of an OTS with the top down but if you think a coupe is difficult to get in/out try getting in/out of an OTS with the top up (especially after a large dinner)!

In reply to Marcoboffi :

Are you actually allowed to put a top up on an OTS?  
    I thought the palace guard would haul you before the King for such an offense?!?!   
Especially for a series 1. 

In reply to frenchyd :

Sometimes you just have to and if you have a hardtop ( I do) I think they even look better with one of those on. 
Either way this Chris Tropea guy has no clue about an e type. Anyone who says its roomy and its easy to get in and out doesn't know what they're saying. 

In reply to frenchyd :

Sometimes you just have to and if you have a hardtop ( I do) I think they even look better with one of those on. 
Either way this Chris Tropea guy has no clue about an e type. Anyone who says its roomy and its easy to get in and out doesn't know what they're saying. 

PetervonA2 said:

Fantastic value when new with looks that could kill competitors, and it has been an icon since introduced.

But I agree with NOHOME about the stuff that dies of old age under the windshield. I restored then sold my perfect '66 OTS because the '65 FHC I got to tide me over during that process was more accomodating for road trips and not high maintenance.

Realm aluminum wheels with 205 size tires fixed the proportions, better shocks, intermediate torsion bars, poly bushings and rack mount, a leather wrapped steering wheel, gearing like for the "continent," improved cooling and updating some electrical aspects makes it half way modern, e.g. more relays, a blue tooth enabled distributor and a volt meter that looks like the original and dangerous amp meter. 

My major regret now is that other drivers and driving conditions are not like they used to be, more trucks, silly huge pickups everywhere and of course half of the other drivers are constantly allowing themselves to be distracted by trivia or stuff that can wait.

Todays traffic will terrify anyone in an older non safe car without airbags, designed in crush zones, side impact beams ,  And lacking 5 mph bumpers.  
   Then there is the whole issue of big bully trucks and little nimble sports cars. 
    So if those things are important to you, please don't drive  an XK E in traffic.  Keep it on display until you can cash  in on your investment. 
     The tragedy of that approach is you fail to enjoy something that is wonderful.  Brilliant handling, spirited acceleration.  A top speed at the very limits of what was possible in 1961. 

ToManyProjects said:

frenchyd said:

NOHOME said:

Debatable. Angle of view matters a lot when looking at E types. They actually look silly viewed  from the rear because the track is so narrow compared to the wide arches.

I have one on the back burner to restore and have to say that a lot of the manufacturing design was punitive towards those that had to maintain the car. Case in point, the flip front bonnet does more to hinder maintenance than it does to enable it.  Let's not even mention the consumable heater tubes, vacuum tubes and wipers that are impossible to service without a full tear down of the interior.

But yeah....in the right light and at the right angle it is a pretty face.

That's like finding fault with Miss America or other beautiful women.  
      I like the narrow track.  On the race track it allows you to fit in spots wider cars don't .   Plus it helps that little 6 cylinder  designed during WW 2  to go so fast because you aren't pushing a lot of air with your big fat wide barge. 
  Then there is the V12 which  is beautiful ( under all those hoses and tubes) extremely well built. And powerful.    237 horsepower sound weak but that's under the new rules. 
 It actually has more power than a similar year Chevy 454 with only 326 cubic inches. ( 230SAE NET VS 237 DIN net. ). (( DIN is 1.1 percent more powerful than SAE Net)) 

Your reply is like saying any woman with blond hair and pouty lips could be a supermodel just because you like blond hair and pouty lips. Eye of the beholder and all that.

I like the looks of the E-type, but not any more than a lot of other cars built in that era.

Reasonably certain I didn't mention hair color or anything about lips.   
Just a Beautiful woman.   
 But explain to me please what 1961 car you find more attractive than an XKE?  ( that's when it was first introduced).  Continued in production through 1974. 

NOHOME said:

In reply to frenchyd :

The fact of the matter is that I no longer do projects for myself. I seem to run into interesting people with ideas of what they want and I enable them and post the builds here, sometimes I have input and sometimes I just built their vision.

There is a ratty e type in the corner that was going to get restored before common sense prevailed and a better shell sourced. If I get going on this project I can ask around.

Part of me wants to work a deal to acquire the crusty shell and do Molvo level of work to create something,but the full vision is not yet there. It can't be a rat rod.

Is it a roadster (OTS) or coupe?   
 It's so easy to order new sheet metal out of England.  ( and not insanely  expensive)   That I fail to understand why anyone would repair a rusty body.  

Last E type  I did  I bought a beat up body that had been pushed around by a snow plow  and with only a few hundred dollars and about 50 hours I had a really decent race car with 15x10 wheels on it. If interested I'll dig up a photo of it. 

Bought my 67 XKE triple black 4.2  roadster at the dealer, had 74 miles on the odometer and was one week old.  They too it in on a trade for a red version, same vehicle.   The girlfriend liked red.   I was there during the trade.....best $3500 I ever spent!    Goal was to do 1000 miles or more a year, matching my age....now has 70k and I am much older, but still enjoy the XKE.  I am 6'4", size 15 shoe, and getting in and out is much easier than with my XK120 or MGTC. Just open the door, sort of walk into it, pull back the steering wheel, lean back and slide down the backrest.  Reverse the process to exit.  Still runs great, no issues, had a friend with small hands replace all the hoses to the radiator after one sprung a leak.    My favorite is still the XK120 SE roadster, those tuned twin exhausts at 50k mhz are very distinctive, an unique 'honey sound' only found on the SE version of the 120, wish the XKE sounded as good.....}   Pretty?    Everyone loves the 'look'.....I love to drive'em .....still can thanks to a new hip....:}