"Thomas James Pokrefke, III" wrote:
> I know some of you own E-Types, so I'll pose this question.
I have a 69 E-type roadster and a Midget, Magnette, and had
a B up until this spring, so maybe I can offer insight.
> There is an E-Type for sale locally for $6,000 us. The engine ran 'a
> few months ago', and probably will eventually need a rebuild. No
> problem there, I enjoy rebuilding engines. What is a ball park price
> for rebuild kits?
To rebuild the six cylinder engine, look at maybe $1500-2000. It's
pretty straightforward, more parts than an MG engine because of
the cam arrangement, but not tougher.
The 12 cylinder e-type engines (Series 3 cars) cost about twice
as much to rebuild, just because there are twice as many expensive
parts to replace. Again, not complex, but don't expect to do
it on the cheap.
> The interior is in passable condition, but would eventually need new
> carpet. Ball park prices on carpet sets?
Affordable. Not far off MG prices, a bit more just because
they are for a jag.
> The body is in near horrendous shape. There is a hole in the right
> front fender big enough to stick a child's head through (where did I get
> that from?!?).
Walk away. It's not worth it.
The structure on these cars is very complex, and the fitting
of panels, especially the bonnet, is very difficult. I know the
british car shop here charges a week's labour to fit an etype
bonnet, and they earn it.
Understand where I am coming from, I restored my MGB with
many new panels, new sills, etc. Same thing with my Magnette,
rebuilt the whole lower structure, made a few panels that
aren't readily available, and so on. Even to somebody with
a lot of welding and panelbuilding experience, an E is
a complex buildup.
As an example, the front subframe is made of reynolds
tubing which can't be welded. Repairing even minor
damage here can test your patience and wallet.
> When I tilted the bonnet forward, it fell on the ground.
> I would have to manufacture and weld new supports in.
That's likely not a big deal, but even that is complex. The
e-type bonnet is counterbalanced so that you can tilt
it to any position and it will stay. Remember that it has
about 15 linear feet of panel mating surfaces so the
hinges have to be VERY exacting to make the car look
right when it's closed.
> I think I could have it if I offered $4000 cash. Does this seem to be
> too much???
You can get a usable 2+2 for around $10000. Turning that
car into a good usable car can not be done for $6000.
Unlike an MG, an E is not a car that you can restore
on a shoestring just because you do the work yourself. One
of the biggest factors is parts cost. There are almost
no E-types being broken for spares out there, so almost
everything you need to buy has to be new and pricey or
you aren't finding it.
As an example, a local E-typer had a chrome strip fly
off on the highway. This is a small chrome piece
on the side of the windshield. It cost him $200 to
replace, when he finally found one. You can get an
MG engine for that if you look around. ;>
--
Trevor Boicey, P. Eng.
Ottawa, Canada, tboicey@brit.ca
ICQ #17432933 http://www.brit.ca/~tboicey/
"Mmm ... a gumball... how fortutious" - Ajax
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