Today we are presenting The Italian Job, a Series 1 1965 Jaguar E-Type Fixed Head Coupé that was originally ordered new in Italy and delivered in New York.
This bright red car has spent a large portion of its life in Boulder, Colorado where it was loving preserved and cared for 65,000 miles. Fortunately, the Colorado weather has preserved this car far better than most. For instance there is none of the typical corrosion and every body panel is original.
The intention with this job is to refresh the front-end of the Jaguar. This means giving the engine, suspension, brakes, steering box and cooling a mechanical and cosmetic restoration.
Exemplifying the preservation of 1E31166 is the original and unblemished serial number plate
We stripped the entire firewall and manually etched it prior to a layer the Epoxy primer. Original and straight panels are free of rust.
Carefully stripping the firewall revealed the honest spot welds.
Image by David Newhardt Courtesy of Mecum Auctions.
At Monterey this year Mecum will offer this completely unrestored 1967 Jaguar Series 1 E-Type 4.2 Roadster chassis 1E14561.
Mecum describes the car:
“Now showing just 18,700 miles, the car still sports its original Black paint and original Black leather interior; the Black soft top was replaced by Mr. Mueller in 1985, and the original tires were replaced with new Michelin X radials on its original chromed wire wheels. The car is otherwise completely original.”
1E14561 was first delivered new to Mr. Reginald Dean of Fort Worth, Texas. It then had a succession of three long term owners in Florida who preserved and maintained the cars original fit and finishes.
Being a late-production Series 1, this car benefits from all the stepwise upgrades introduced over the E-type’s production right before the model received open headlights in 1968 which somewhat diminished the car’s outward appearance.
It is also a great reference car so we have included many of the great shots from Mecum prior to the upcoming sale on Saturday August 16th.
***Update. This car did not sell at Mecum with a highbid of $90,000 USD. Having inspected the car in person the subframes, suspension & expansion tank were clearly painted after assembly which is untypical of factory practice.
Image by David Newhardt Courtesy of Mecum Auctions.
Image by David Newhardt Courtesy of Mecum Auctions.
Image by David Newhardt Courtesy of Mecum Auctions.
Image by David Newhardt Courtesy of Mecum Auctions.
Image by David Newhardt Courtesy of Mecum Auctions.
Image by David Newhardt Courtesy of Mecum Auctions.
Image by David Newhardt Courtesy of Mecum Auctions.
Our client’s 1969 FHC is coming along nicely, the body was manually stripped and Todd from Fox Customs carefully touched up the tight areas with media blasting.
Todd also removed the lead which gave us a unique inside look into the real joints that lie beneath. The results are posted.
Also included is some of the expoy primer in red which was the original hue that jaguar used on this particular car.
We just started assisting a client with this gorgeous 1969 S2 FHC.
Having never been disassembled or crashed, this is an ideal candidate to restore. The entire car retains its original fit and finishes throughout except for some new seat covers.
This is the first year of the Series II E-type which adopted a completely different light scheme and the Federal Stromberg carburetors as well as detail differences throughout.
More to come!
**Sold for a record $467,500 USD!
As a counter punch to our last feature, here is the 1966 Jaguar E-Type Series I 4.2-Litre Roadster chassis 1E11911, a three-time 100-point JCNA National Champion that RM Auctions will offer at their Art of the Automobile sale on 21 November 2013.
RM Describe the car which is likely to beat all previous records: “Notably, “Black Beauty” was the name her restorers gave her, and it is how this amazing E-Type has become known on the concours circuit. Few E-Types have ever been restored to this standard, and perhaps none have been so all-conquering on the field, or so accepted by the factory as a standard of perfection. Black Beauty is not just another E-Type; it is a world-class Jaguar with attention to detail that is as striking as its very shape.”
The spectacular images are from studio photographer Michael Furmann who is doing similar photos for every car in the auction catalog.
This E-Type, chassis IE11911, was brought to the Jaguar specialists at Classic Showcase. When it arrived, it was still wearing its original interior and paint, and it was an excellent “survivor,” with 71,000 actual miles. The originality of the car provided a perfect candidate for a comprehensive rotisserie restoration to modern show standards. Photo by Michael Furman ©2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions.
The body (number 4E3351) was stripped to the bare metal, mounted on a rotisserie, and properly metal-finished with lead to ensure smooth, straight panels. All body parts and chrome were then test-fitted to the body, to ensure a proper fit, before the body was correctly painted and refinished in an elegant Black, with an amazingly deep shine and finish. The brightwork was all triple-plated to the highest of concours standards, for an amazing shine. Photo by Michael Furman ©2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions.
The original, matching-numbers 4.2-liter engine (number 7E6555-9, mated to gearbox number EJ5705) was rebuilt to factory specifications by being machined and calibrated with new pistons, an oil pump, a timing chain, bearings, valves, guides, and seals. The head and carburetors were fully rebuilt, and the driveshaft was properly balanced. As with all aspects of this restoration, New Old Stock parts were used extensively, whenever possible. Photo by Michael Furman ©2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions
The interior was fitted with new, custom-tailored materials, including new seats, carpet, door panels, and dashboard covering. The top bows were fully restored before being fitted with a new black convertible top that was custom-sewn and fitted to original specifications. Even the correct and difficult to duplicate “shot bag,” a narrow tube of lead shot that prevents the top from billowing in the wind, was sewn and installed to ensure a completely accurate restoration. All dashboard instruments, the switchgear, and knobs were properly restored, including the Blaupunkt radio. Photo by Michael Furman ©2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions
