Listed For Sale is my 1967 Jaguar E-Type 2+2. I have owned this car for over 20 years. It’s history under my ownership is extensively documented on my website, www.newhillgarage.com. Specific links are provided below. Here are some highlights and interesting details.
The Jaguar E-Type, also known as the XK-E, was introduced in 1961, as a coupe and as a convertible. It was an immediate hit and demand for the cars was intense. Jaguar was frankly caught by surprise and struggled in the first few years to ramp up production. But by 1964, about 15,000 cars had been produced, with many of these coming to the US. In late 1964, a significant upgrade occurred, with the most obvious difference being that the engine size was increased from 3.8L to 4.2L. In 1966, the 2+2 was introduced. It was advertised as the “family man’s sports car”. The major difference was that the cockpit length was increased by about 8”, which allowed for small jump seats to be added behind the main seats. In order to keep the external proportions looking reasonable, the roofline was raised by about 2” and the windscreen was given additional rake. The bonnet and rear of the car were basically unchanged. As noted, there are two jump seats. The backrest for these can be articulated forward if desired to allow longer items to be stored in the rear hatch area. Another advantage of the 2+2 is that there is room for a taller person to fit in the car, as the seat can be moved farther to the rear and there is additional headroom.
I will not gloss over the fact that some find the external proportions of the 2+2 off-putting. That is the downside of changing the body shape on what many consider to be the most beautiful sports car in the world. The upside for Jaguar was that there was a strong demand for these cars. “Honey, it’s such a practical car!” It also came, for the first time in the E-Type, with an automatic transmission, made possible by the extra length. I will say that the view through the windshield is the same as a standard E-Type, in other words glorious.
I will note that, although not originally a terminology used by Jaguar, the E-Type has been categorized into Series 1, 1 ½, 2, 3, and even 1 ¼. I will leave it to others to explain the differences. All I will say is that this car is a pure Series 1 car. This gets you closed headlights, triple SU carburetors, smooth valve covers, toggle switches on the dash, and the “dangerous” wire wheel knockoffs with ears.
I purchased this car in 2000 from a local party. He had had enough trying to maintain an E-Type in concert with a growing family. The car looked presentable but had many issues. I wanted an E-Type, I wanted a project, and the price was right. The process of my 10 year restoration effort is covered in great detail in a series of articles that I wrote for our Carolina Jaguar Club newsletter. You can find the articles here: https://newhillgarage.com/category/current-restoration/ There are over 50 articles so suffice it to say, the restoration is very well documented.
In 2019 I was reviewing the car’s condition and decided that another restoration was in order, which I called Restoration 2.0. My goal was to bring the car up to a condition such that it would be competitive in a Jaguar Club of North America (JCNA) concours event. This restoration phase is documented here: https://newhillgarage.com/category/white-etype-restoration/ In order to minimize deductions, I totally repainted the car. I re-chromed various chrome bits on the car. I refurbished the upholstery. And I detailed the engine compartment. I should mention that I have been a certified JCNA judge for 10 years. I am not allowed by rule to judge the class that my car competes in. But I certainly know what a JCNA judge is looking for and I made sure that my car was properly prepared. My efforts were rewarded with a recent 1st place in category (Driven Class D2/E1) at a JCNA sanctioned concours in Little Switzerland, NC, with a score of 9.991.
If you purchase this car with an eye toward campaigning it in more concours or just regular car shows, you can be confident that it is in good shape for that endeavor. In that regard, I would consider it to be a strong Hagerty #2 car. But what if I want to drive it, you may ask? I’m glad you asked. During my first restoration, my goal was to make this car a capable driver. Here is the list of upgrades and improvements that I have made to the car. Almost all are technically “reversible” if your goal was a absolutely authentic car but I suspect you will really like the car as it is. Here is my list:
- Engine and differential professionally rebuilt by Dick Maury at Coventry West.
- Car converted to a 5-speed by Paul Cangialosi at 5Speeds.com, using a Borg-Warner T5 World Class (Tremec) transmission. The original numbers matching 4-speed transmission is included in the sale for the cost of shipping.
- Front brakes converted to Wilwood calipers, using a kit from Dan Mooney’s Classic Jaguar. OEM front calipers moved to the rear for better brake balance.
- Various suspension items upgraded to use Classic Jaguar parts, including sway bars and shocks.
- Left and right engine frames were replaced with new frames from E-Type Fabs in the UK.
- Aluminum radiator, modern fan, and spin-on oil filter installed, as manufactured by Mike Frank at CoolCatCorp.com.
- A complete new period correct wiring harness installed, as manufactured by Rhode Island Wiring.
- New SU fuel pump with electronic points.
- New electronic distributor as manufactured by 123Ignition.com.
- New Lucas alternator and voltage regulator.
- New “tartop look” AGM battery as offered by Batterycentralmall.com.
- Tachometer converted to modern internals by Momamanufacturing.com.
- Clock converted to modern internals by Mike Eck at http://www.Jaguarclock.com.
- Gear reduction starter.
- New fuel tank.
- Cockpit lined with heat/sound insulation as manufactured by Koolmat.com.
- New MWS “tubeless” wire wheels, including the spare.
- New splined hubs for all 4 wheels.
- New Vredestein “Sprint Classic” tires, including the spare. 185VR15.
- Stainless steel exhaust.
Last but not least, the car comes with two sets of seats. For the original restoration, I “upgraded” to seats from a Series 3 car. These seats have an adjustable incline feature and include headrests, for improved occupant safety. In order to show the car in JCNA concours, I had my original seats professionally upholstered in matching period correct materials (leather and moquette) by BASJaguartrim.com. Both seat pairs are included in the sale.
Not really an upgrade but the car comes with a complete period correct tool kit and jack. None of these items originally came with the car but I was fortunate to be able to piece together a combination of original and reproduction tools, refinished to a high standard, and assembled in a reproduction tool roll. The jack is an original period correct jack, also refinished in new authentic battleship grey paint. It won’t fool a true anorak but most folks will be suitably impressed. For more info, read here: https://newhillgarage.com/2020/07/09/1967-etype-22-factory-tool-roll-and-jack/
A common question is “Would you drive this car anywhere”? My honest answer is yes and no. Yes, I feel confident that the car can pile up the miles without breakdown or incident. But I personally am past my days of long trips in such a car. No aircon. No cruise control. A rather tight footwell. Call me a whimp but I find those items pretty necessary for longer trips out of North Carolina. The 2+2 E-Type did come with aircon option but it was an ugly affair, both cosmetically and functionally. I’d rather just roll the windows down. Another thing you may note is no radio. You are welcome to add the sound system of your choice. I just enjoy the sound of the car. Finally, you will note that there are no side mirrors. This was intentional. The E-Type did not leave the factory with side mirrors. They were typically added by the US dealership. I had wing mirrors installed on the bonnet as part of my first restoration but I removed them and welded up the holes during my recent restoration. I find that mirrors are a very personal thing, again both cosmetically and functionally. If you want to add them, it will be an easy project to do so. I will also note that the speedometer reads about 10% faster than the car is actually going. I made several attempts to get the speedometer calibrated but was not successful. I now use a gps function on my phone as a backup.
It is time for me to move on and sell this car. I am fortunate to have 2 more waiting in the wings. I would like for this car to go to a good home and I will be happy if the new owner is happy. I also offer unlimited free advice and hand holding after the sale! There is very little about this car that I don’t intimately understand. Feel free to ask questions. I am located just 30 minutes from the Raleigh-Durham airport (RDU), if you desire to come inspect the car. And international shipping can be arranged.
Best Regards,
Harvey
New Hill Garage 
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