2021-04-25 12:16:05 | pauls writes:

Car to be at auction 4/21

themarket.co.uk/listings/jaguar/e-type-s1-38-fhc-flat-floor/1b3b83b7-3483-4cd1-8 ...

Winning Bid (27 bids) £70,000

Auction description:

Location: Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Odometer Reading: 70000

Chassis Number: 860162

Engine: 3800

Gearbox: Manual

Colour: Black

Interior: Black

Matching engine / chassis numbers

Superb project base

This is not just any old E-Type.

This is a Series 1 3.8 FHC ‘flat floor’.

It’s number 162 of the 72,515 E-Types ever made.

It’s one of only 631 RHD ‘flat floors’ ever made.

It’s got matching engine and chassis numbers.

And it’s had one owner for nearly 50 years.

If it wasn’t currently sitting in a line-up of E-Types at our Abingdon HQ, we’d think it was a figment of our imagination.

This is the sort of thing that people dream of finding under some bales of straw and a few sleepy chickens in an abandoned barn.

Only this isn’t a barn find.

It’s far, far better than that. It’s just been garaged and unused for about 20 years.

The vendor is a Jaguar enthusiast who bought the car from the wife of the man who’d owned it for almost half a century. He was also a Jaguar enthusiastic, was mechanically very skilled and had a garage full of Jaguar bits and pieces.

In our opinion, the car’s current shabbiness is little more than skin deep. There is no rot anywhere that we can see, it seems to have a great deal of structural integrity and, although we haven’t run the engine, we know it isn’t seized and can’t think of any reason why a bit of expert TLC wouldn’t get it up and running again without too much fuss.

This is a fabulous project car. It’s one the most sought after iterations of a true automotive icon. We think any flaws are largely cosmetic, and it’s a good, solid base from which to begin the process of creating something really very special indeed.

On the Outside

Eagle-eyed E-Type aficionados among you will have spotted that it has a Series 2 bonnet.

Yes it does. We don’t know why.

It also has non-standard flared wheel arches. These are steel, not fibreglass and seem to have been added with a good deal of skill. You may or may not wish to retain or replace them.

The black paintwork is peeling, flaking, scuffed and, in some places, just missing. Underneath, though, there is nothing more worrying than entirely superficial surface rust.

The panels are largely free of any dinks, dents, warps, folds or creases. The rear door is in decent condition and has escaped the attentions of any meaningful rust.

All five wheels are in reasonable nick. The n/s/r light cluster is missing.

It’s all a bit dusty and care worn, but it’s certainly no basket case and we haven’t seen anything that would raise either an alarm or an eyebrow.

On the Inside

This appears to be a highly original and intact interior.

The seats are not those with which it left the factory. They need some attention but they’re not completely beyond hope.

A quick look at the footwells will have you saying, “Hang on a minute, you duplicitous bounders, didn’t you say it was a Flat Floor?”

Well, yes, we did. Because it is.

But somebody has replaced the flat panels with dropped versions. The reason could be as simple as needing the space to accommodate feet larger than about size 6½.

The Flat Floor models were famously unforgiving of the larger-footed driver.

“So”, we hear you ask, “how do you know it’s a Flat Floor if it hasn’t got flat floors?”

Because of the date of manufacture. That and the fact that the bulkhead behind the seats is the flat, non-scalloped version that came with the Flat Floor models.

And you really can’t fake that.

Underneath

The engine bay doesn’t contain any surprises. Everything appears to be as it should be and is in its right and proper place. There is no sign of any leakage, seepage or weepage.

There are even one or two shiny bits here and there: reminders that the long-term owner of the car maintained and spent money on it as and when necessary.

The subframe looks to have plenty of integrity and there’s nothing more than a superficial bloom of rust dust on the car’s undersides and suspension components.

History Highlights

This rare car comes with a Jaguar Heritage Trust Production Record Trace Certificate, a wad of old MoT certificates and a few letters, one of which establishes that the car was being used and driven in 2005 (and presumably up to 2007, as suggested by the tax disc).

There are various receipts and bills, the original manuals and a few photographs taken, we’re guessing, some 15 years ago

It doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have the car re-MoT’d at the earliest.

The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies.

2021-05-12 14:27:05 | pauls writes:

Also on ebay 5/12/21

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333992391360

Classified ad price: £95,500 seller eanosh2014

Seller's description:

This is a Series 1 3. 8 FHC ‘flat floor’.

It’s number 168 of the 72, 515 E-Types ever made.

It’s one of only 631 RHD ‘flat floors’ ever made.

It’s got matching engine and chassis numbers.

And it’s had one owner for nearly 50 years.

This is the sort of thing that people dream of finding under some bales of straw and a few sleepy chickens in an abandoned barn.

Only this isn’t a barn find.

It’s far, far better than that. It’s just been garaged and unused for about 20 years.

I bought the car from the wife of the man who’d owned it for almost half a century. He was also a Jaguar enthusiastic, was mechanically very skilled and had a garage full of Jaguar bits and pieces.

In our opinion, the car’s current shabbiness is little more than skin deep. There is no rot anywhere that we can see, it seems to have a great deal of structural integrity and, although we haven’t run the engine, we know it isn’t seized and can’t think of any reason why a bit of expert TLC wouldn’t get it up and running again without too much fuss. ( I can get it running if required )

This is a fabulous project car. It’s one the most sought after iterations of a true automotive icon. We think any flaws are largely cosmetic, and it’s a good, solid base from which to begin the process of creating something really very special indeed.

Eagle-eyed E-Type aficionados among you will have spotted that it has a Series 2 bonnet.

Yes it does. We don’t know why.

A quick look at the footwells will have you saying, “Hang on a minute, you duplicitous bounders, didn’t you say it was a Flat Floor?” 

Well, yes, we did. Because it is. 

But somebody has replaced the flat panels with dropped versions. The reason could be as simple as needing the space to accommodate feet larger than about size 6½. 

The Flat Floor models were famously unforgiving of the larger-footed driver. 

“So”, we hear you ask, “how do you know it’s a Flat Floor if it hasn’t got flat floors?” 

Because of the date of manufacture. That and the fact that the bulkhead behind the seats is the flat, non-scalloped version that came with the Flat Floor models. 

And you really can’t fake that.

The black paintwork is peeling, flaking, scuffed and, in some places, just missing. Underneath, though, there is nothing more worrying than entirely superficial surface rust.

The panels are largely free of any dinks, dents, warps, folds or creases. The rear door is in decent condition and has escaped the attentions of any meaningful rust.

All five wheels are in reasonable nick. The n/ s/ r light cluster is missing.

It’s all a bit dusty and care worn, but it’s certainly no basket case and we haven’t seen anything that would raise either an alarm or an eyebrow.

2021-09-15 12:15:59 | pauls writes:

Car returns to auction 9/21

www.historics.co.uk/buying/auctions/2021-09-25/cars/ref-139-1962-jaguar-e-type-s ...%C3%A9-flat-floor-38-litre-dg/

Auction description:

Ascot Racecourse September 25th 2021

1962 Jaguar E-Type Series I Coupé ‘Flat Floor’ (3.8 Litre)

Lot Number 170 Registration 532 RBM Chassis Number 860162 Engine Number R-3686-9 Odometer reading 71,001 miles Estimate £70,000 - £80,000

Number 162 of only 631 right hand drive Flat Floor E-Type coupés produced

A good base for restoration

Fitted with its original engine

Manufactured on 15th January 1962, this barn find example was supplied new by Henlys of London and is number 162 of only 631 right hand drive Flat Floor E-Type coupés produced. Fitted with its original matching numbers engine this E-Type was originally presented in the very desirable colour combination of opalescent dark blue over a grey leather interior. Previously owned for five decades, it has been laid up for the past fifteen years and is now coming to the open market as a good base for restoration. The body and subframe are in good restorable condition although as expected the paintwork is blistering and peeling throughout. It is also fitted with non-standard steel flared wheel arches which we believe were added many years ago. The interior is also well and retains many original ‘Flat Floor’ features, the bulkhead behind the seats is the original flat, non-scalloped version and the dashboard is correctly finished in aluminium. It should be noted that at some stage the footwell floor pans have been replaced for the later dropped versions. The vendor reports that the engine has been running recently and that this E-Type is a good, solid base from which to begin the process of creating something very special indeed.

This very rare example comes complete with a sizeable history file including an old style buff logbook, Jaguar Heritage Trust Production Record Trace Certificate, many old MoT test certificates, a few letters, one of which establishes that the car was being used and driven in the mid 2000’s, various sundry invoices, original E-Type manuals, various photographs and the UK V5 registration document. We are sure this rare ‘Flat Floor’ example will be a very rewarding project for the new custodian. Arguably one of the most exciting restoration projects on the market today.