Hi Fellow E Typers:
Has anybody purchased a suitable and safe set of ramps for use with a “E”? I want to make my oil changes easier. help is appreciated.
Jack
I bought these
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00069G51S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The ramp angle is shallow so there’s no problem driving up on them. My only problem with them is there’s just no way to slide under the car from the side - the ramps are too long. To get under the car, you have go from the front. Not a big deal but worth noting.
Positives
1 - They do get the car up high enough for me to remove the bonnet shock and rotate the bonnet forward the full 90° and secure it. So if I’m doing anything on the engine, it does make it easier to quickly get the front up in the air.
2 - Light weight - aluminum construction so moving them around or hanging them up is easy.
3 - Sturdy - 3000lbs is more than enough for the E type.
I’m not sure I’d use them to change the oil. Maybe I’m being too picky but I’d worry about the amount of oil left in the pan with the front end on ramps.
The amount of oil left in the pan due to it being tilted up is inconsequential to the the8 or 9 quarts total capacity.
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I would say that for draining oil, having the car tilted upfront would even be favourable as the drain plug is at the rear end of the sump.
When I drain oil, I usually jack the car under the picture frame to have easy access and manage to tilt the car slightly on its right side as the plug is on that side.
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I’ve just left the car on the ground to drain the oil and pull the filter. It’s tight but doable. Using the ramps will help. Thanks!!
Forgot to add, there’s versions of these ramps where the ramp section can be removed once the car is up.
Thanks Dave. I had my eye on this set and I just ordered them. Thanks for the input. As always thanks to everyone. Have a great one!
Jack
Drive up just the left one a bit. It will force the oil to the rear corner. Those are insanely expensive ramps but probably necessary to be safe. I have a cheap set from harbor freight and the one time I tried to drive up, one rocketed under my car (daily not jag)
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I solved that problem by using 18" wide strips of quarter inch plywood underneath mine: I’ve got two sets that I’ve had for decades, and they’re plenty strong (I use all four under the duallies of my moho, which is likely 6000 pound, on the rear axle) but as you said, on anything but rough concrete or wood they’ll scootch out as you go up or down on them.
I also always put jackstands underneath the car when using the ramps: belts and suspenders!
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I have a 12-18" wide offcut of carpet that I roll out across the garage floor closest to the start of the ramps and place the cheap plastic ramps on that. No more ramp movement and somewhere soft to rest by head! Nearly $500 for a pair of ramps is insane!
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To stop ramps ‘scootching out’ from beneath the car as you drive up them I always lay them on a rubber footwell mat. That stops them scootching on any surface.
JeffR
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Rubber/carpet/plywood, all suitable “antiscootchable” materials.
I had the plywood, lying about…
I made a set out of layered wood 3/4 ply wood for the first layer then stacked 2x6 cost nothing (scraps). Saw them at a starter shop and copied 
. Save your money
I’ve got a set of these I bought maybe 30 years ago. Very strong and stable.
To keep them from being pushed away when driving up on them I attached the web material from a tiedown to each ramp. Long enough so the rear tires of the car are on the webbing when the front wheels start up the ramp. It also keeps the ramps from shooting forward when backing off of them.
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An elegant solution.
My old ramps are rather tall and as well as being too tall to clear the lower parts of the bodywork on most cars, tend to push away when driving up, so I use wood joist offcuts as extension ramps.
Once the car is on the ramps tops, I remove the extensions.
If I may offer some advice to posters.
If the wheels on the ramps are unbraked, drop a wood wedge into the ramp just behind the tyres, that way the car can’t roll off the ramps.
Another tip which may be useful.
If jacking a car up using a trolley (floor) jack, leave the brakes off to allow the car to move and not be inclined to pull off the jack as the arm raises and transcribes it’s arc.
There you go
It’s good you have some space between layers or the incline becomes to steep I used the 3/4 plywood for the first layer so the tire can get on it easy , hold it in place .
Paint them drill a hole hang them on the wall admire them or reverse them stacked in the corner lol
I purchased a set of Race Ramps directly from the manufacturer. Lightweight and the ramp is removable. Many variations are available.
Race ramps are very nice. Very light and strong enough for light cars.
Got the basic set here. Just enough room to slide under, no creeper.
Really like the removable section style but went economy.