I've always liked these cars, but never thought I could afford one, either to buy or maintain. I don't know a lot more about them, but recently came across one that it out of town but very appealing.
Beyond the obvious, what should I look for? It's a mid 60's model with some body and engine (6 cyl) mods. Kind of a combo street and track car, which is fine with me.
Anyway, I'd appreciate any education you can give me on these cars.
First thing to look for is rust, rust, rust. Especially in the scaffolding that holds engine and front suspension, the mounting point of said scaffolding to the unibody rear. Then the usual unibody checks apply - rust in the rocker panels and everywhere else.
Other than that, condition of the suspension (especially rear, because they've got four shocks in the back IIRC and for changing those or the rear discs, you're best off dropping out the cradle that holds the rear suspension).
That's all I can remember from occasionally window shopping for one of these.
The six cylinder XKEs may be the best-looking car ever built. 
When I bought my MGB (for an amazingly good price) the same seller sold a very nice E-type for a similarly good deal. If I had been a bit earlier, I could have bought and re-sold it for a $20K profit. In college I turned down a ratty one for $800 (1970), but that's all they were worth then.
As mentioned, rust is your enemy. The complex monocoque of the E-type makes repairs tough. Chassis repair is not for amateurs. Or people with other jobs. Or lives. In the long run, it might be cheaper to spend $35 to $50K and buy a nice one.
Best drivers car (my opinion) are the "Series 1-1/2" roadsters with the 4.2 liter ('64 to '68). Early "flat-floor" roadsters with the 3.8 liter ('61 to '64) are probably most valuable. Many folks like the look for the pre-'68 cars, with covered headlights. You might get better deals on the later V12 cars, but they are heavy and are less "sports car" and more "cruiser" (again, my opinon).
A friend of mine bought one with a Chevy six and automatic in it! Fortunately, it wasn't too chopped up, so he was able to put a proper XK engine/trans back in it. Generally, I would avoid any "hot rod" versions with American engines unless they are dirt cheap.
This is a hot rod with the factory engine. It's a really nice car from the pics, and I'm thinking the only reason (that's visible in the pics) they aren't asking more for it is that it has been modded. But I really like what they did with it, so that's not a negative for me. I'll have to ask for pictures of the underside to look for the rust you guys have warned me about.
Also make sure that the mods work. I have seen a number that were over done to the point of being time bombs, think radical cams, triple Webers and very harsh suspension. The best deals i have found on these is in series 1, 1.5 and 2 2+2 cars, These can still be bought for 20 grand in nice condition and people are starting to care less about the compromises in the 2+2 cars styling wise. I have also seen some nice coupes that were about 25 grand. These cars deliver on their PR hype in every way. The only car I would think of trading for the Aston would be a XKE coupe or a super nice Ferrari 400i. I know the 400i has issues but I like them and they are usable as well.
As had been said these are VERY complex and not for the DIY guy to properly sort but for a specialist in e types. Have any car inspected thoroughly by a XKE expert.
bravenrace wrote: ...Beyond the obvious, what should I look for? ...Anyway, I'd appreciate any education you can give me on these cars.
A winning lottery ticket would be the first thing!
What to look for is rust and completeness of the car.It is quite possible to run a "Rat Jag" on a reasonable budget, but the car won't be worth much when you are done, so don't spend much when you buy and don't spend much while you own it.
If the Jag is your dream car, I would recomend buying one that has undergone a good restoration within the last decade. Documented. This should give you a good solid car that will re-sell in five years for about what you bought it for. While not exactlty an investment, it could be the cheapest motoring you ever do. Sadly, this puts you into the 30k buy-in range. Maybe park the kids college fund here for the five years?
Have a look at the rat jag. If you can convince yourself that it is rust free and has all the trim in reasonable shape (or enough for your taste) and it is cheap (should be) then by all means jump in.
A friend of mine has just done a ground up restoration on a 64 coupe. He bought it in the 1970's for $1300. and put it in storage for many years until he could afford to restore it. I'll bet he's got 60 K into it with the restoration, but he didn't miss a thing because the car is now near perfect. They're definately not cheap. The E type is my all time favorite car, but since my TR8 is so much less technically complicated, I can't see myself trading up any time soon unless I win the lottery.
The bad cars are really bad... and the good cars are really good. And a huge chasm of cash separates them. And there seems to be little in between...
as i understand you guys, a 67 XKE roadster, that has been modded professionally, that has a 2009 corvette ZR1 engine with the complete ZR1 suspension ,front and rear, wide wheels with matching tires,in perfect conditon,(called a resto-mod).
would not be worth much money??, because its MODDED, maybe somebody should got to the big auctions, and see the prices of these new breed of amazing sportcars.
I guess it all depends on what someone likes about classic cars. Personally, I like the character of cars that where interesting when they were new, and while most of my living comes from doing performance mods to them, I try to retain much of the original character. To me, the sound of a Jag XK engine, or a Z28 Camaro with a screamin' 302, is an essential part of those cars' appeal.
But that's just me. For someone who mostly likes the styling of classic cars and wants them to perform like modern supercars, a properly engineered resto-mod is fine. If those cars bring big bucks, I have no problem with that at all.
To each his own
I personally would prefer a period restomod, but I would never suggest that a car such as you decribe was not worth much money. Done correctly, it would be worth far more on the current market than one of the "bad" XKEs I was describing. And likely more than the average XKE. But likely less than a correctly executed period "restomod"...
I personally would pay more for a nice XKE with a nicely built 4.2/triple Webers than one with a SBC... and I'm definitely not a purist.... though what you are describing is a car that far transcends a "normal" XKE with a SBC.
You'll need to log in to post.
