2006-08-13 07:52:50 | pauls writes:

Ebay item 8/13/06
cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jaguar-E-Type-1972-Jaguar-XKE-Coupe-40-Pics_W0QQitemZ130 ...
Current bid $1,025 reserve not met, 2 bids, 6 days left in auction.

Sellers description:
For those of you who are offended by a Chevrolet conversion, this car is not for you.

The conversion was done a long time ago by a previous owner. The fact is, these were high maintenance V12 cars and in the early days, this was an option chosen by many (far too many and the wrong car to do it to if you ask me). Twenty years from now, folks will turn their nose up at the conversions being done today to the XJS and other fine Jaguar models. The fact is, owners want to drive the cars and enjoy them more and maintain them for less!

For those of you who have chosen to read on, this has been my wife's daily driver for just under a year now. She has put over 4000 trouble free miles on this car since August 2005. We purchased this car out of Oklahoma in April 2005. The car had been parked for a couple of years due to several issues - brakes and suspension were the top two on the list. The complete A/C unit was given to me in a wooden create along with some chrome body parts. The car was advertised to have very little rust (I should have known better from spending many winters in Oklahoma in my younger days) and overall good body and paint. Well, let's start by saying this is one persons opinion! The car has rusted floorboards and is showing a few bubbles of rust around the rear passenger wheel well. The car needs paint!. It is a 20 footer that still draws attention, turns heads and is a conversation piece at every stop. Many folks don't see or share my opinion on the condition of this car. In fact, many comment on how good it looks for its' age. It's very hard to describe a car on eBay and ensure your buyer will not be disappointed. It is a metallic eggshell blue (original English White car) in which the metallic was not mixed well and clouded (it is hard to describe- good paint coverage, it just has an uneven changing effect that looks like clouds depending on the light). There is bondo in the car, I have not investigated to know just how much.

Here is the GOOD about this car - It is a daily driver because it is a Chevy conversion. It had a fairly fresh stock crate long block Chevy 350 with a TH350 & shift kit installed. The previous owner felt it had less than 2000 miles on it when we purchased it. I believe this is due to the appearance and some issues I corrected. One issue is the torque converter came loose, what a noise! No damage was done, all three bolts were a little less than finger tight and it only rattled on startup. As I stated above the brakes were shot! I pulled the entire system off and sent it to Apple Hydraulics in New York for a rebuild at the tune of $1300. The power steering was disconnected because it was too responsive (as if I fell off the cane boat yesterday). Sent the steering rack in to be rebuilt for $387. The brake disk had been replaced new just before we got he car, I put new pads on the front and emergency brake. The rear pads were just fine, in fact the rear calipers were not functioning well enough to cause any wear. Replaced the rear end U-joints on both half shafts. All new suspension bushing all the way around along with rear end mounts and radius arms ($500+). New front ball-joints (upper and lower) along with the front wheel bearings. New ALUMINUM universal RADIATOR and 3600 CFM electric fan replaced the leaky V12 radiator and worn out fans. New heater core, alternator, Edelbrock Performer and Carburetor, Mallory HEI distributor, wires, plugs and finished off with a full complement of Autometer gauges ($500 plus). Yes, we spent some money! However, my wife has driven this car for the past 10 months without a single problem. It drives very nice, our local British Auto Service center aligned to to spec. They did mention that two support braces were removed, one to accommodate the V8 conversion and the other appeared that someone used it as a tow bar at one time. Most all the items I worked on were powder coated and assembled with care. Tires are in good shape (were almost new condition when we picked up the car), the wheels are old and need some love but fit well considering the overall condition of the car. This car is ready to drive and enjoy the attention that will come your way! Very few know or care that this piece of jewelry has a cubic zirconia in it! Because of its' condition, it needs to be enjoyed and not worried about, something you can not do with an all original collector's XKE.

In addition - I have the majority of the chrome trim from the previous owner, I have not inventoried it but a quick glance looks to be all here. I do know the floor rails are missing for the hatch area. No rear seatbelts, or dome light. I will change the oil and service prior to pickup or delivery. Our reason for selling is the age old excuse of too many projects. I'd like to direct my attention to a 49 Chevy truck at this time. This car has been very stable over the past 4000 miles and I expect it to treat you just as good. It does like to run a little warm on 100+ degree days. I believe this is due to missing the proper shielding around the radiator. Start and stop traffic is not a problem, the electric fan pulls enough air to keep it under control.

2006-08-19 11:41:12 | StevenD writes:

Added other numbers from data plate based on info from current seller.