From what I've read, pulling the engine out of an E-Type is no trivial matter. In terms of engineering and weight.
From what I've read, pulling the engine out of an E-Type is no trivial matter. In terms of engineering and weight.
Yes, great story, do please continue......
JoeTR6 (Forum Supporter) said:From what I've read, pulling the engine out of an E-Type is no trivial matter. In terms of engineering and weight.
Removing the hood alone and storing it is probably a nightmare.
Thanks Wheelsmithy & Slippery!
Can't wait to see how this turns out!
Very cool and I also look forward to seeing the progress.
Here's a picture of my parent's backyard, after Andrew visited...
Every room in the house had major damage, except the garage. A few days later I made the finishing repairs and got the car back to Hallandale. Ironically, our condo on the beach was fine.
I finished medical school in 1994. Miami hospitals where I trained were insanely toxic at the time, (another whole story), and Melanie I wanted out. We headed to Orlando for my residency and her clinical internship in psychology. I didn't do much to the car 1994-1997, but then had a few extra dollars when residency was complete and I had a job as an attending physician. I shipped the motor to North Coast Exotics in Cincinnati, and they put in Venolia 10.7 pistons, did a little head work and a hotter cam. I put in Jaguar sedan front brakes and heavy torsion bars and sway bars. I drove the car and enjoyed in through the early 2000's as we expanded the family with CruiserMatt 1996, Eli 2000 and Adam 2002. Household projects came and went, included a total diaster money pit in 2001 that we still live in to this day. I was getting more tools, skills and confidence to do stuff.
Around 2005 or so the black paint that looked so great in medical school started to bubble through, and I got the crazy idea to repaint it myself...
2004- Charlie Visits
The Jaguar survives another direct hit by a hurricane. (The 1990 Landcruiser is still in the family, with CruiserMatt as the caretaker)
Somewhere in this time frame I developed a fascination with old motorcycles ...
I was working nights, and needed some garage time therapy at 3am on my nights off when I couldn't sleep
My strip down to bare metal attempt...
Down to bare metal. I now had a real good idea of what I was working with. A car that had been abused, hit it multiple spots and many shoddy repairs. Reality was slapping me in the face. I could bail out, pay a lot to get it done right, do it myself, or do nothing.
The Jaguar went into storage, and we remodeled the house. the two car garage became a three car garage with a lift. I was ready to do it right.
2017...
A three car garage with a lift you say? Definitely a home improvement that's top of my list but not budgeted currently.
Oh I see you are related to CruiserMatt. Please don't let him near the car with that tractor, next thing you know he is yanking the engine and putting a V8 in it!! 
Cool story! Glad you stuck with it. As I'm sure you know...this is a hard view to beat!
In reply to Slippery (Forum Supporter) :
don't worry the tractor and Jaguar are safely socially distanced
The Land Cruiser has a V8 in it now though
Thank you everyone!
I was about to get started with the current restoration which started March, 2017. I had forgot a few of the distractions that occurred before I was able to start I bought a Porsche 944s in 2011, and took it from a street car to a track car to an SCCA race car. I got my competition license in 2013, and started acing Chump car and World Racing League with the awesome Mike Van Steenberg of ISC Racing.
In July of 2016 I was pushing the Jaguar into the garage, (dead battery) which is not usually difficult. Except this time.
This is an MRI of my what was left of my Achilles' tendon. This took about 6 months to get somewhat normal again.
I promise the current story will start now...
Great story telling...
So Now to get to the build. Here's the concept:
Semi-lightweight style E type vintage racer
Maintain street manners (loosly)
Under 2500 lbs
320-350 horsepower
I'm not a concours kinda guy. I am not going to spend 5 grand on paint. I like driving cars.
Here's the fictional fantasy story...
The owner/driver/builder
He’s working on a project (due Monday 0800) until late Friday night so he can race that weekend. Late Friday night, he changes the wheels from spokes to mini-lights, and refits the exhaust without the mufflers. He drives the car to the track, tools and his helmet packed on the passenger seat. He qualifies and does a race Saturday. He wins, of course, beating a Corvette and a Cobra. He has a tough time with the 356 Porsche in the corners, but the straights make the difference. After a brief wipe down to clear the track dust from the car, He picks up his girl for their Saturday night date. He’s back at the track Sunday for his second race, and drives his winning car to work Monday morning to present his project…
We will do the build with two simultaneous project lines - 1) The body / 2) The sub-components-
When I have more than 2-3 hours, I work on the body. But to keep momentum, I will work on the sub components here and there..
March 2017, I start stripping the car down- every last nut and bolt....
Notice in the picture the fiberglass hardtop. These are super-rare, and critical to my concept. I found a manufacturer reproducing them in the UK. I've bought a few parts from overseas for this project, the exchange rate has been favorable. Here's what Iearned- If the part comes by air, you pay a small customs fee, usually after the package arrives, no biggie. BUT- If it comes by ship- another story. There is a completely different set of rules with customs agents and freight forwarders. Involve an agent before the part gets on the ship! There are intricacies unknown to the non-initiated, I almost blew this deal!
CruiserMatt works with Macarthy Fabrication (the owner, Charles is an awesome guy!) and we had access to a fixture/ jig welding table. We built this chassis jig in a day. It was originally planned to be a rotational fixture. That is more complex that it seems, and the rotational axis was too wide and we couldn't spin it...
July, 2017 Off to the blasters... August the car is ready to be picked up, as Hurricane Irma bears down on Florida. I get it home safely two days before the storm...
After the car comes back from the blasters, it isn't pretty. All the damaged and half-assed repairs are revealed.
FRONT SUB FRAME
Time to start working - New floorboards...
REAR SUSPENSION
In reply to erdocmitch :
Congrats! You have a pile of parts that will eventually become a Jaguar again.
REAR SUSPENSION/FRONT SUSPENSION
The top of the rear suspension was broken. It seemed very light-weight to me for that Dana differential, so I reinforced it
I put a layer of 16g metal across the top and welded it into place
Al the parts after nickle plating and powder coating- In my office.
You'll need to log in to post.
