Even though it'd make it actually drivable and reliable?

Rip out all the lucas crap and replace it with delco, put a small block and a muncie tranny in it, and you've got a real car.
Call it a Lister if it makes you feel better.


Or, leave it like it is and stare at it and worship it, and be afraid to drive it more than a block because you know it'll leave you stranded.

My buddy in high school had a 12 cylinder E type. I used to sync his carbs for him. A couple times a week. That cable linkage was a thing of beauty :rolleyes:
Electrical fire? no big deal, he carried gloves in the car at all times for that sort of thing. Just grab a handful of smoking wires and yank.
Then call me to hot-wire it so he could get it home.

If jaguar has installed a fire extinguisher under the dash as OEM, I'm sure the extinguisher would have spontaneously burst into flames.

Those cars are truly beautiful from an artistic point of view, but from an engineering viewpoint they are uglier than a Pontiac Aztec. IMHO, of course.

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Biggest tease in the car enthusiast world. Drop-dead gorgeous supermodel that has so many STD's you're afraid to drive her. You are the envy of all of your friends, but they have no idea what your life is like with her.

The E type...a rolling phallic symbol. Never owned one, so no tips on mechanicals, etc...

Gentlemen, That is as well stated as it can be. if he had thrown in a 928 "exotic" reference it would have been perfect.

Bravo, our work here is done.

I own an early E-Type ('61 OTS) and can confirm that its is truly a rolling beauty and stops people in their tracks even here in car jaded Southern California. I completely restored mine over 15 years so reliability has not been an issue (yet) and I upgraded areas such as the brakes (Wilwood Calipers) and the cooling (Cool Cat ally radiator and fan) comfort (coolmat cabin liner) so she is cool in LA traffic.

However, the ergonomics are 1950's, the Moss box is truly awful and its not that fast but she sounds beautiful and I feel truly blessed everytime I drive her. Women swoon and guys give you the thumbs up. An icon and short of divorce or monetary disaster she will not be sold.

Kevin
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If you're in a relatively dry climate, Lucas electricals aren't much of a problem. It helps to have a Lucas electrical book for things like adjusting the voltage regulator and setting the points on the SU fuel pumps, which you will never figure out without the book. With the book, they're pretty easy to adjust/calibrate.

I worked in an indoor Jag dismantler in '65 and took dozens of E-types apart. The front subframe bolted to the monocoque firewall was a real nice piece. It held the motor and front suspension pick ups. After you removed the bonnet it was plain, simple and to the point.

And, of course the independent rear suspension and 3rd member that hot rodders have lusted after for years is another nice piece. Another sub assembly that fit neatly up in the monocoque tub with a few bolts. All in all, if it weren't for the Lucas, the car was indeed well engineered.

And, as mentioned by you and others, if you kept after it and kept it dry, it wasn't all that bad. I've had my share of old British cars and pretty good luck. Alas, they are cars for aficionados, not kludges.

Man, the memories! You're right, no one would even consider that a fuel pump had contacts inside.

that encapsulates everything I've ever heard about them.

- the design is older than the 911, and less modern, esp. for the suspension

- it has more torque ("drive" as Jenks put it) than a 356 or early 911, but...

I'll see if I can dig up some notes from Jenks et al. later this pm

I guess the argument there is that MacPhearson strut torsion bar suspension is better than the double wish bone with a TB, as well as more modern. Then in '90 the 911 got coil over suspension all around like an E-type had in the rear. Later on, the 911 got multi-link which is like a double wishbone to me.

No, I don't get that. I think the XKE was the head of the class for a long time.

Today I drove the '74 that my boss is selling. I've always loved the e-type; getting behind the wheel was a big mistake. I just wish I had the money to buy it.

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Its a frickin doorbell.

Now that is more like it. :) That helps, but they have if not fixed the gearbox at least made it different .

History of the JT5 Transmission

The steering... I have driven but not owned the original..... have not driven this car.

err... that does not help at all ... :)

Is it true that testosterone must be added to Lister fuel or they won't run properly?

If you took 15 inches out of the section of the car between the front wheels and the windshield, I might actually like the E-Type.


Flame on.

The Emperor's New Clothes


These cars are god-awful ugly with absolutely no sense of proportion and the only styling cue of note being the length.

In the mid to late 80's there was a Jag E type that ran around Long Beach that was pretty hotrodded up! It might have not had any mufflers. One night I'm driving my '66 Fairlane GT in the tunnel under the Long Beach Airports main runway and I HEAR the Jag coming up at about 120 mph. I cut the power of my Ford off so that I could hear the Jag run past !

Damn if my ex didn't sream as I was coasting the car in neutral with the engine off ( no power brakes or steering to worry about)

That car sounded so nice!

The straight six engine was produced almost as long as the small block chevy!

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