Considering buying a crashed '68 XKE Series 1.5 - Seeking feasibility advice

E-Type
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My first post. New member to this forum.

Restoring classic cars has been an avid hobby of mine for 40 years. I worked on Austin Healey’s down in the Los Angeles area for 25 years, Then since I’ve moved up here to Seattle working with old Ford Mustangs.

I am seriously considering purchasing a crashed 1968 Jag XKE series 1.5 for $16K. It looks like the car went sideways into a telephone pole, and the driver side door is crushed in about 8 in. The car “looks” like it was in very good condition otherwise.

Most of the damage is around the cowl, the driver’s door, the driver’s seat pan and the sills. The left edge of the windshield frame Is bent and windshield, of course, is cracked.

I’ve been putting together a list of parts and labor it would take me to do a complete rotisserie restoration, and looking like it’ll run about $75K. (So $91K incl the initial car purch.) That doesn’t include 1500 hours of my own time, which is free (I guess…LOL)

I can do everything myself except for the engine machining. I have a buddy who does excellent paint and body work.

I would just like to get some thoughts, given your experience, to help me figure out if this project is viable. What are the biggest “gotchas”?

Since it’s just a hobby, If I can just get out of it for the actual parts, and specialty labor costs I would do it.

I can follow this up with photographs if I can see how to attach them.

Thanks for your sage advice,
John

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Simmu question: what do you need to do? I read from your post that everything is body/structure, but then you cite engine machining? Putting together a bent monocoque is a hell of a job…

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Hi John,

Welcome to Jag-lovers! I can’t help you with the E-Type, but have a look at this post for how to attach pictures:

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I guess you already know, but most of the body panels you’ll can be obtained from Martin Robey in the UK. I bought all the replacement panels I needed from him.

Considering some of the awful rotted out hulks that some people are attempting to restore these days, straightening out an otherwise nice (and complete) car ought to be a pretty satisfying job.

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I would run. My 2 cents.

The better the car to begin, the better the results.

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Thanks! I think I figured out how to attach pics!

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Photos would definitely be useful (*). Lot’s of folks here have experience fettling with E-Types. They can comment on the necessary body work as well as completeness of the bits and bobs.

I assume you are aware the E-Type is a monocoque design so the sills and front cowl are structural members. I would recommend e-mailing a few photos to Chuck at Monocoque Metalworks | Jaguar E-Type body panels and shell restoration - he is one of the foremost Series I/II experts in the world and fabricates many body panels for his restoration business and retail. He is willing to help and occasionally posts here. He is a busy guy so be patient in reaching out to him.

(*) - adding a photo is simply having the photo on your device then drag/drop it into the text field. As a newbie, you may be limited to 1 photo per post (or some such) until you have racked up a coupla (5?) postings.

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Clive: surface panels, yes 100%… the monocoque, incl. Potential subframe aligning issues, etc… that is another matter…

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Thank you. There are many unknowns. It would be a complete tear down and rotisserie restoration.

Here’s what I know. The car was bought from salvage in its current condition in 2001. It was “started” 2 or 3 times a year between then and 2013. Since then it has sat.

I am assuming: strip car down to monocoque, repair/replace all damaged parts from the crash (of course), replace wiring, all body rubber, complete interior, refurbish all ancillary parts, disassemble engine, honed refurbished, and valve job (this is big “if” since I have notidea about the engine … planning for the worst). Complete body and frame paint inside and out, new tires, all suspension rubber.

The driver door, inner and outer sill, and floor pan are crushed. The cowl may be repairable. All the forward frame members look OK, just a VERY slight bend in the upper left strut.

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Awesome! Thanks for the referral. Yes, I was only able to post one pic (I think).

Yes, I am aware of the monocoque. Early Mustangs are the same (similar) being a “Unibody”, there is no “frame off” disassembly. With them, the forward frame is also integral.

I will definitely contact Chuck.

Thank you so much!
This Forum will be a ton of help if I go through with this daunting project!

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John, its very difficult to give good advice. Structurally it may work, or not. I note that mechanically you give no idea of the condition of many ancillaries, such as gearbox, axle, etc… 16k is very very little money for a 1.5. It can work out indeed, or not (big time), there is too little information.

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Yep. I get it. I am seriously on the fence. I have to ask myself if there’s anything I’d rather do over the coming year than pull my hair out, and drop “F” bombs in the garage!! LOL

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How rusty does the rest of the car look? Is the interior and trim restorable?

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The floor pans and sheet metal have very little rust. The trim bits, bumpers, door handles, etc. are fine. The interior fabrics and seat padding is worthless, it’s a complete new interior. Needs new top, new dash, new door cards. Instruments and switches look OK.

Thanks for your reply!!

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Yes, I understand the vagaries. I am going to get a borescope and look inside the cylinders. Do a compression check. I’ve rebuilt the Jag IRS successfully before, so feel confident doing that. The gearbox? A mystery. A risk.

Thanks for your reply!!

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And I do get a GREAT DEAL of satisfaction bringing a car like this back from the scrapyard! It’s an avid hobby for me, a retired aerospace engineer.

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John: provided you can get it right structurally, the advantage is that you will get a car exactly as you like, knowing exactly how it was done, for a price that seems decent money for a nice but not perfect 1.5. I would stress that youmust make sure that nothing major has been bent and not underestimate what “little things” can cost: depending of what you have to do, something like a full inteior, incl. Instrument refurbishment can cost 5 figues easily.

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With as serious of damage as you were reporting, a simple rotisserie will not suffice: you will have to make a bed support, based on known datum points to make sure everything is aligned:

@69Cat made one of the best ones that I have seen.

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So, $91k invested plus hidden costs, and a salvage title/ carfax when you sell will make it break even, maybe.

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Welcome to the forum. I’ve restored three E Types over the last 55 years, plus a BJ8, the latter 45 years ago. If you’ve been following E Type values off BAT lately you’ll see they are badly slumping off of the highs of a year ago. Ser 1.5 cars (I have one) don’t get much love, and if your car is a coupe even less - at times 50% less. There was a nice Ser 1.5 ots on BAT yesterday with Webers, that had been converted to closed headlights that sold for $115K, and I suggest that if you restore this one you do the same conversion (closed lights and triple SU’s in place of Webers). I’m a bit surprised at your estimate for parts costs, but I’ve been out of large parts purchaes for the last 5 years. I think that you could break even on your plans if the car is open top, but not if it’s a coupe. If the resoratiion is exceptional, and you were able to get it into a major auction house eg RM you might do a bit better. E Type values rise and fall regularily but, I’m not as optimistic as I have been in the past for the prospect of a major recovery in prices - I hope so, but the the days of high demand for cars from the 60’s may be coming to an end.

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