Hi I am starting my search for a series 1 Coupe (no 2 + 2) my preference is
1961 to 1966, a complete car with minimal rust, restored cars out of my price range, looking to purchase in USA.
I owned a coupe 40 years ago.
Pictures and price to louilovell@hotmail.com
hi paul thanks for your reply looking for more of a car I can work on restore etc regards garry
BaT often has ârestorableâ cars.
If you do not know much about them you might read up on the '68âs. When I started looking my preference was also for a Series 1 FHC, specifically a 4.2 for the synchro gear box and alternator. When I found a completely rust free, unmolested '68 I said âŚclose enough. With their upgraded cooling system it turned out to be the best combination for me in a hot city environment much of the time. If I totaled mine tomorrow and had to start shopping again another 68 would now be my first choice.
David
68 E-type FHC
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I more vote for the 1968 FHC. It seems to combine the best of both worlds. S1 body stying, with covered headlights easily retrofitted since the sheetmetal is the same as other S1 cars, along with the better cooling of the S2, and safety features of collapsible steering column and upgraded door locks. You can switch the dash over to S1 toggles too, if youâre so inclined.
And it is usually priced LESS than other S1 cars.
A perfect combination.
Of course, everyone is looking for a restorable Series 1 car but I guess it doesnât hurt to ask. Bring a Trailer has a nice feature. Use their Search button and you can pull up the sales history of every car they have ever listed. Iâd recommend on using âJaguar xkeâ as your search term. And if you really want a restoration project, search on âjaguar xke projectâ. Youâll get the actual sales price or the âBid toâ price of everything that has passed through BAT. If the price that some of the âprojectâ cars fetched doesnât strike you as crazy, then you may be mentally prepared for the expensive road ahead. That said, it costs just as much time and cash to restore an Etype as a Yugo, and it will have a much better resale value when you are done.
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Are you saying the 4.2 S1 wonât stay cool? I was worried about that, but my S1 4.2 stays cool in Houston summers no problem. It has a CoolCat primary fan upgrade, stock thermostat, stock radiator, and it has a secondary, manually activated, fan in front of the radiator.
But the funny part is that it doesnât need that secondary fan to stay cool, so I only turn it on when I want to keep the engine bay heat lower for the bonnet health.
So not sure that scaring the guy about an S1 4.2 for overheating is accurate.
Iâve spent a lot of time dealing with V8-swaps over the years, and this is a common approach in that corner of the car hobby.
I canât say Iâve ever understood the rationale behind it. The secondary (pusher) fan probably does more harm than good to the efficiency of the primary (puller) fan. Plus, once you kick on the secondary fan, itâs not as if they are working hand-in-glove at that pointâŚinstead, it probably sets up some very strange aerodynamic âfightâ that is far from optimal.
My philosophy on this is you install the most powerful (highest cfm) puller fan you can fit, and if that doesnât resolve your cooling issues, you start looking elsewhere.
In your case, canât you wire up your CoolCat Fan to control under-hood temps after shutdown, and just eliminate the secondary fan?
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I know the Series 1 can be made to work well in hotter climates but from everything I know the stock twin fan cooling system on the 68âs is better for this than the earlier stock systems. Years ago I did have an all original '66 that I was going to restore and I knew immediately that I was not going to keep the original type 'lawn mower blade" and still feel comfortable about driving it around much in Houston.
David
68 E-type FHC
It is: that said, an S1 can also made to be âhot-weather compatible,â with the simple addition of a free-flowing radiator (one not plugged up), and a CoolCat fan, which is a GREAT piece of kit.
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This is what I have. I put the fiberglass shroud back in place with a new aluminum radiator and added a CoolCat fan with the included blade and it keeps my engine cool in Texas and Arizona temps up to 100 degrees F unless I am in stop and go traffic. Even in 100F stop and go traffic it is manageable as the temperature stays below 95C although it edges pretty close at times. The fan shroud definitely helps.
âDrew
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Would not get hung up on assumed shortfalls of your dream car. Any E type can be massaged into a great running and handling and also reliable automobile. Think it comes down to your mindset. Happy hunting
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I had a 65 coupe with the original fan and a high cfm pusher. It had all been gone through very thoroughly and it NEVER came close to overhearing on hot days.
Having an S2 OTS now, I do miss that beautiful interior, and toggles of that era of 4.2 S1. It was magnificent. I wouldnât go earlier into the 3.8s as the trans, brakes and seating all combine to make the later cars more comfortable and safer (relatively). Especially if you want to put miles on it. My 2 centsâŚ
Your original two-blade fan was so wimpy, that your âsecondaryâ fan probably became the alpha-dog very easily, and the OE fan probably just went along for the ride (aerodynamically) when they were both running.
Iâd wager that as the âprimaryâ and âsecondaryâ fans get closer to each other in cfm rating, the benefit of have two opposing fans quickly starts to diminish.
Nah, the original fan didnât work at all so it was up to the pusher totally. The car was done by Owen Auto in Victoria, BC and John and Richard know what they are doing. The car was an amazing piece of functional artâŚ
You know the S1 fans are highly coveted by the Ferrari crowd as they are the same fan as many of the 60s F carsâŚ
Arnât we all? I would buy that too if the price were right. Good luck finding what you want with your specifications. Itâs not impossible but highly improbable. But good luck on your search. I hope you find it.
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Hi Gary I have a couple of coupes Iâm selling. Iâll send you an email.