I am reaching the final stages of preparation of my 1963 Jaguar Etype FHC for concours presentation and judging. I will be showing it in the Champion division in JCNA Sanctioned coucours. In my article 1963 EType FHC – Originality/Authenticity Part 1 went over the various techniques and document resources I use to determine authenticity. I just reviewed that article and it remains valid. Now I am doing a Final Review of my car, to make sure I have covered all aspects correctly.
During the restoration process, I have tended to address questions as they came up and then moved on. I realize that I didn’t document some of my findings very well. I have spent the last week pulling my research together into a written document. I can refer to this document if needed to help settle a dispute on the showfield. It also should demonstrate the attention to detail that went into my restoration. I will link this document at the end of this article.
In this case, I am looking at a specific car. Car number 888055. LHD FHC built on January 2nd, 1963. In many ways, this is easier than being generally knowledgable about a range of model years. Most of the information that leads to an authenticity determination is relevant to start/stop ranges based on car numbers. Some are a little more general and may be known to a general month and year of manufacture. Here are just a few examples from my document. Note my car number is listed in Bold, to easily establish its relationship to the range of car numbers refered to.
INTERIOR
| Description | Reference |
| Cross hatch pattern for aluminum dash components | Ref. 3. Pg. 16. Cross hatch used from 887132 to 888984. (888055) About October, 1962 Ref. 5, pg. 480 Also see Ref. 6, pg. 54, for extensive discussion. |
ENGINE COMPARTMENT
| Description | Reference |
| BRAKE AND CLUTCH BOTTLES – 3rd style Metal & white plastic lids on rectangular plastic bottles from 886283 (888055) 4th style same as above with gray rubber cover from 889687 | Ref. 3, Pg. 5. Ref. 4, Pg. 134 Service bulletin L.30 & Spares bulletin K.70 both introduce the rubber cover as part number C.23627 at the above 4th style |
Here are my Reference documents:
1. Heritage Certificate
2. JCNA Concours d’Elegance Rule Book 2025
3. JCNA Series 1 E-Type Judges Guide 7th Revision
4. Spare Parts Catalogue J.30 Issued August 1961 reprinted June 1963
5. Jaguar E-Type Six-Cylinder Originality Guide Haddock/Mueller
6. Original Jaguar E-Type Restorers and Enthusiasts guide to 3.8, 4.2 and V-12, Malcom McKay, June 2021
To a great degree, I went through Ref. 3, the JCNA Series 1 E-type Judges Guide and reviewed every line item for compliance. Some items were obvious in my mind and did not warrant an entry in my review document. Certainly items that evolved over a date range or car number range did warrant an entry to document my research findings. I had also over time highlighted numerous items in References 5 and 6. Some of these became supporting items in my document, as shown above. Just recently, I have obtained a subscription to the Coventry Foundation Bulletin Database Service. This has allowed me to obtain copies of key pertinent documents, such as Service Bulletins and Spares Bulletins. This database is a valuable research tool and in my opinion well worth the subscription price. Another good resource is the Forum.etypeuk.com. Their Factory Fit forums are especially good. My review has generated a few things for me to resolve. Nothing insurmountable.
As I have noted before, I am a JCNA Judge. Doing this kind of research certainly helps me be a better judge. If you are reading this to educate yourself on preparation of your own car, I can tell you that if you do your homework, no judge will likely know your car better than you do.
New Hill Garage 
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