Jaguar E-Type Convertible 4-Speed!

Jaguar E-Type Description

Selling my beloved 1973 Jaguar E-Type convertible.Regency red over biscuit leather.5-speed with 38,000 original miles.I purchased this car in May, 1982.During the past 34 years of ownership, it has been kept in a heated garage and never driven in the rain.I’ve tried to run it every month or so, but have only put a few hundred miles on it in the last decade or two.The car is essentially original except as noted below.

Sometime in the mid-1980’s the water pump died, causing a rebuild of the valve seals on the right side.(Ironically, my companion 1973 Series I Jaguar XJ-12 which I purchased new and still have, and has the same engine, had the same problem the same year.)About 15 years ago, had the power steering rack replaced with a rebuilt one.Also had the brake master cylinder (and maybe the slave cylinder and clutch master cylinder) upgraded to a stainless steel sleeved one courtesy of White Post Restorations -- was sick of replacing the hydraulic cylinders every few years.The car also has a complete stainless steel exhaust system; relatively new and unused Michelin Pilot tires and tubes; the original Dunlop spare tire and wire wheel which have never been out of the trunk and look like new; and Allison optical ignition which is guaranteed for life.Also had the leaking fuel tank removed and refinished, and I believe it had a rubber bladder installed as with race cars.The original Frigidaire A/C compressor was replaced with a rebuilt one, and it has worked perfectly for the last two decades.I haven’t even had to recharge the system, and it still gets ice cold.Probably the only such instance in Jaguar history!Also replaced the carpets with top quality G. W. Bartlett (now BAS Ltd.) wool carpets.The headlights are the original Lucas sealed beams, believe it or not, and they both work. Also original British Leyland (Motorola?) AM/FM radio. I don’t think this car has ever been in an accident or otherwise damaged.

Condition:the car was repainted just before I bought it in 1982, as the New Orleans sun had started to fade the 1973 red lacquer.They completely stripped the car and used the then new Dupont Deltron paint.The company that did this was a fairly well known restoration shop in New Orleans, whose owner ran the car restoration course at the University of New Orleans.It has held up well, but is starting to show some spidering on the front and rear cowls (near the passenger compartment).I don’t know whether this can be buffed out.There are two or three small spots where the paint has chipped off or cracked (such as where you lift the rear edge of the hood to open the engine compartment).FYI, the pictures attached show the car simply washed; I have done nothing in terms of cleaning, buffing, or even waxing the car.

There is little or no rust as far as I can tell.The car has been garaged since new.I bought it from the President of the Jaguar Club of New Orleans (JCNO), who had 4 or 5 Jaguars and used this one simply for shows.He bought the car in 1979.I succeeded him as President of the JCNO, and ran the Club throughout the 1980’s till I moved.In 1985, the car won First in Class (Foreign Sports Cars) at the New Orleans World of Wheels.I would give you the trophy, but it’s so cool! . . .

The chrome has little or no pitting or rust.There are a couple places on the rear bumpers where the body shop buffed the chrome too much and you can see some fine scratches.The wire wheels are excellent, but one or two have a couple spots where the chrome has delaminated and I’ve sealed it with silver paint.Also, the top radiator grill chrome stripisn’t properly attached.

The leather shows some wear and cracks, but is intact and not torn.About 20 years ago, I applied Jaguar leather dye/preservative in the original color and it has held up very well.All instruments work except the German Kenzle clock.(My XJ-12 identical clock also died at the same time! Can’t those Germans make ANYTHING that lasts?)

The top is the original Everflex item.It’s good, but has the usual 1-1/2” tear at each side’s lower snap.(This was the classic Jaguar boobie trap—if you didn’t remember to unsnap these two FIRST while you were rushing to put the top up, it would tear the plastic.It became so notorious they actually put a caution instruction on the car, along with tilting the seats forward!)

What the Car Comes With:complete service records since 1979; original bronze wire wheel yoke and oak/lead hammer; original tonneau cover; Beverly Hills Motoring Accessories car cover; one sisal floor mat for the passenger side. I think I also have an original Owners’ Manual, but will have to look for it.Depending on how much I get for this car, I may also provide one of the original collectible gatefold sales brochures for the car.

Summary:this car has always started immediately, revved like mad, and been extremely responsive to throttle control.The steering is very, very fast (which when it came out killed a number of rich teenagers), and the brakes amazing.I tell people that driving this car is like taking a B-52 to the 7/11, and with the stainless exhaust and V-12, it sounds like it, too.But as I retire, I’ve found getting in and out of it is hard, and it hurts my left ankle to push the clutch.I’ll be reluctantly weeding this car out of my six vehicles (three Jaguars, two Alfas, and a Maserati) as I retire to Florida.