2020-12-21 14:41:47 | pauls writes:

Car offered at:
hymanltd.com/vehicles/6739-1966-jaguar-xke-roadster/

Seller's description:
This 1966 E-Type 4.2 OTS is truly outstanding inside and out, benefiting from a complete restoration by a highly-regarded marque specialist. According to the Jaguar Heritage Certificate, this car was built on August 27, 1965, and dispatched on October 6 to Jaguar Cars, New York. When it was new or near new, a young man from Los Angeles received this Jaguar as a high-school graduation gift in the spring of 1967. While attending USC, he apparently didn’t use his Jaguar very much, and by the time it was parked-up in the late 70s with running issues, it had very low mileage.

The car stayed in his possession until 2014, when the original owner sent the car to Illinois to be evaluated for restoration. When confronted with the estimate, he passed the car on to its second and current owner. A highly-respected Jaguar restorer, the new owner bought this car for his personal collection. Despite showing its age from years of storage, they found this was the most solid, rust-free E-Type they’d ever seen. An incorrect bonnet was fitted in the 1970s, and some very minor repairs made related to that, yet the remaining sheet metal, body tub, firewall, and subframes were in superb original condition. The restorers took great care to ensure all of the original spot welds and assembly imperfections were preserved and not “restored away.”

Records show an extensive list of new and hard-to-find parts used for the project, including a rare New Old Stock bonnet and NOS exterior trim and light assemblies. The beautifully straight and meticulously aligned body was then finished in a striking period-correct shade of Opalescent Dark Green, paired brilliantly with a tan canvas top and biscuit leather interior. The overall finish quality is superb, although some minor fisheyes on the bonnet are noted on close inspection. Virtually every piece of rubber weatherstripping is new and expertly fitted. Brightwork is excellent all around, and the car rides on new chrome wire wheels with period-correct Dunlop SP Sport “Aquajet” radials.

The interior trim still appears fresh from the restoration. It was expertly crafted by an upholstery specialist from scratch (not a kit) and is finished to beautiful concours quality standards using correct materials throughout the cockpit. Instrumentation and switchgear are all in superb order, and details like the restored steering wheel, shift knob and rubber boot, and authentic seatbelts round out the marvelous presentation. The odometer shows 421 miles, which amounts to the total mileage since the restoration was completed in 2017. A factory tool kit and jack reside in the boot, and the original owner’s manual and a new top boot accompany the sale.

This car retains its original, numbers-matching block and head, and it was completely rebuilt in 2016 during the restoration. Notable work includes a reground crank, new rod and main bearings, new cylinder sleeves as a matter of course, new pistons, and much more. Every component was carefully disassembled and checked to ensure reliable running. The engine was then thoroughly detailed to factory-correct standard with finely polished cam covers, carb dashpots, and intake manifold, along with porcelain-coated manifolds, correct clamps, and paint finishes. The original gearbox was rebuilt with new synchros and bearings, and the rear diff fitted with 3.31 gears, which vastly improve its high-speed cruising ability over the standard 3.54s. The undercarriage and suspension are fully detailed with highlights including correctly painted suspension and a polished Bell stainless steel exhaust.

This exceptional Jaguar E-Type is outstanding in every respect, and the meticulous nature of the expert restoration shines through in the details. The restorer built this Jaguar from the ground up to excel at JCNA concours events, while also being a reliable, highly capable rally and event car. With little more than shakedown mileage since its completion, this stunning Jaguar is prime and ready for its next caretaker to enjoy to the fullest.

$249,500