2007-03-26 11:31:47 | pauls writes:

Ebay item 3/26/07
cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jaguar-E-Type-COUPE-1969-69-JAGUAR-XKE-2-2-Coupe_W0QQite ...
Current bid $1,000, reserve not met, 1 bbid, 6 days left in auction.

Sellers description:
1969, 4spd, Signal Red, Jaguar 2+2 which has four documented owners since new. Ladd Motors, an authorized new car Jaguar dealer located in Lebanon Pennsylvania, sold this Jaguar new. Its first owner took possession on 1-23-70. This car has never been registered outside of a 30-mile radius of the original selling dealer. On 11-30-74 Ladd Motors resold this vehicle to its second owner, who resided in Reading, Pennsylvania, for the amount of $4,398. Mileage at that time was 31,000. From the date of 11-30-74 until today, I have every service record this vehicle has generated, which is substantial. On September 19, 1986 Ladd Hanford appraised the vehicle, which at that time had accumulated 82,982 miles, for a value of $9,500 to $10,500. Shortly thereafter, it was sold by the second owner to the third owner, who both knew each other. The new owner, a prominent local business owner in Reading, PA, bought the car and had a complete restoration performed on the vehicle by Classic Motor Cars, which was completed in June of 1992. On July 27,1992 an appraisal was performed which valued the vehicle at $60,000, with a mileage recorded at time of 83,553. The third owner had spent over $50,000 dollars, not including the cost of the vehicle, to restore this car to make it a 99-point car. The body was striped to bare metal, door skins were replaced, and any rust was repaired and then the bare body shell was shipped to New Hampshire to be painted. During the body restoration the engine and other mechanicals were rebuilt. The number of new parts is too extensive to list but is documented in the restoration receipts. Once back in the Reading shop a new Connolly leather interior was installed. All exterior chrome was re-plated and four new Dayton wire wheels were added. At the time, vintage Jaguars were bringing good money and this was considered an investment, so no expense was spared. After completion, the vehicle was driven only briefly by the third owner and then placed in storage, occasionally being taken out for inspections and service. After keeping this vehicle for nearly 18 years, he decided to sell the vehicle to make room for a brand new 2007 Jaguar XK convertible. I was made aware of the owner’s desire to sell the car, as I am an executive at one of his companies in Reading. Realizing what he had spent and knowing the quality of the car, it was too tempting for me to resist. He and I came to an agreement on the price and I purchased the vehicle in late 2005. Since it’s restoration back in 1992 various items on the vehicle started to need attention. I spent over $3,500 on getting this vehicle back to it’s former pristine condition which mainly consisted of consumables such as tires, belts, cooling hoses, sparkplug wires, filters, gas line hoses, replacement of all fluids, rebuilding of carburetors and a new master cylinder. All new parts were purchased through SNG Barratt an English based company, which supplies Jaguar parts. After the mechanical process was completed it then went to a locally known and trusted detail shop to be completely buffed and detailed. The pictures will show the quality of this vehicle. This car drives extremely well, never overheats, runs and shifts smoothly, doesn’t leak or smoke. It is a joy to sit behind the wheel of this car looking out over its long hood. Everything works on this vehicle including the A/C and all gauges with exception of the clock, which needs a battery. I have all restoration documentation, repair orders back to 1974, original owner’s manual and documentation and owner history. I also have a spare wire wheel with jack, lead hammer and knock off tool.

I can only fault this car for a very few cosmetic things, which are very minor and don’t detract from its overall condition. A dime on the hood to give scale to a slight crack in the paint on the front bonnet. This was done during the reassembly process when fitting the new radiator. When the bonnet was closed it made contact with the top of the radiator and slightly cracked the paint. It was not an option at the time to send the bonnet back out to be corrected. The other two imperfections are above the door handles on both the driver and passenger door. In the crease of the door skin below the chrome trim and above the door handle there is a very small-elongated blister in the paint that probably was the result of not properly prepping the surface before painting. These are small imperfections and I have tried to capture them in the photos. As mentioned earlier all exterior chrome has been re-plated and is in excellent condition. I believe this car to be Barrett Jackson quality--it’s that nice.

Being in my early fifties and having been fortunate enough to own several other vintage and classic automobiles along the way this was a very nice addition to my ownership history. I have enjoyed owning this vehicle immensely as it turns heads and gets the thumbs up and compliments from all who see it. My decision to offer this vehicle for sale is difficult as I probably will never be able to replace it. The reason for selling has nothing to do with the vehicle itself but is to help offset the cost of constructing a new four seasons family room on our home.