Man build "new" E-Type Jag from original spare parts.

Rowley Birkin QC

jalopnik.com wrote:

At the end of a production run of cars, there are inevitably bits and pieces left behind which aren't assembled and have to be taken off the production line in the boxes they came in. When production on the Jaguar E-Type ended at Browns Lane in 1974, just such a thing happened, and a Jag fanatic picked up those truckloads of leftovers and kept them — for 31 years. When he got tired of being their steward he sold them to an enterprising fellow who thought of another Jag fanatic who might be able to make something of these parts. Turns out the kit was complete enough to finish one final 1974 Jaguar E-Type V12.
With truckloads of parts and a buyer in mind, then-owner Mike Wilkinson went to go see Ray Parrott, enthusiast and restorer extraordinaire. Together they took an exhaustive inventory of the parts included in the leftovers and discovered that about 95% of the components needed to actually build an original car were there. Ray of course could not pass.

Parrott set to work assembling the car in his Essex home, using his detailed knowledge of the car and his fully assembled Series 3 for reference along with shop and original assembly manuals. The idea of actually putting a brand new, still in packaging parts of a thirty year old car together for the first time is astonishing. Things like the mild-steel exhaust system were still perfect, the dashboard came pre-assembled just as it would have in the factory, even the Dunlop tires were orginal and in perfect, new condition. Bolt holes matched exactly, there was no grime to clean out, no rust to remove, nothing to strip and paint and prime. More or less, a car guys wet dream. Ray meticulously undertook the work over the course of eight months and when he fired it up and took it for a first drive, it was as if it were rolling off the assembly line for the first time — because it was.

The car has been tested by the Ministry of Transportation and is awaiting its VIN and chassis numbers along with legal registration, which has been assured will happen. So from a pile of parts forgotten and stored Ray Parrot is now the proud owner of E-type number 72,530.

Longer version here

Some achievement, for those of you not reading the full article; a guy built a V12 E-Type Jaguar from spare parts which were never used in the Jaguar factory.

Surely we can agree that the E-Type is one of the beautiful cars, can we?!

L1011

This is how the current owners of the name of De Lorean intend to make 09 reg DMC12s, theres sufficient spare parts to build entire cars around. But they're an experienced dealers/service centre, not a bloke in his garage! Can't have been easy...

Anan1

bigkev49 wrote: »

Surely we can agree that the E-Type is one of the beautiful cars, can we?!

I hate to say it, but I can't - I think the E-Type looks like it was designed by a 14-year-old. Now the original XJ6 was a good-looking car. Great story, though.

kazul

MYOB wrote: »

This is how the current owners of the name of De Lorean intend to make 09 reg DMC12s, theres sufficient spare parts to build entire cars around. But they're an experienced dealers/service centre, not a bloke in his garage! Can't have been easy...

In fairness a group of school kids could probably make a better job of assembling a DeLorean than the factory did on some of the originals. They made it up as they went along with bits borrowed and copied from other manufacturers. As a car the DMC was a dog and many were re-assembled as soon as they hit the docks in the States. DeLorean is all about the story, the scandal, the man and the legend.

old boy

kazul wrote: »

In fairness a group of school kids could probably make a better job of assembling a DeLorean than the factory did on some of the originals. They made it up as they went along with bits borrowed and copied from other manufacturers. As a car the DMC was a dog and many were re-assembled as soon as they hit the docks in the States. DeLorean is all about the story, the scandal, the man and the legend.

and an irish goverment minister, having the foresight to tell them, you are not getting our taxpayers shekils

L1011

Admittedly, had DMC been supported for another few years they might have pulled through. As they were going under, the British govt. was deliberately dawdling paying them large criminal compensation payments for a loyalist attack on the factory which would likely have kept them going for long enough to maybe pull through that slump.

The cocacine thing, however, would still have caused "problems"!

The IDA did offer them a factory here but it was in need of serious refurbishment and there was minimal money on offer.

L-M

Lovely car, but the pityful thing is people who see it, and have some knowledge in cars (besides us:P) will just think it was a kit car because of the plate. I would anyway.

Fair play though. Although if i had money to be spending on a classic it would be going towards an Austin-Healy 3000. Still beautiful cars, those E-types.

Henry Ford III

A beautiful looking car.