2026-08-25 12:55:33 | pauls writes:

Description posted on Jag-Lovers 8/26

FOR SALE: 1964 3.8L Jaguar E Type FHC #889225
This is my best attempt to document what this car is and what I have done, and how to proceed. I am sure I am forgetting stuff. In short, it is a solid body that comes with all its major components, most of its minor ones, and is a great blank slate to finish the restoration however one would like.

My intention for the car was to build a fast road/mild race car, for road rallies and the occasional vintage race event. The fast Pre-63 GT racing E Types of Goodwood fame being the inspiration. This of course means the car is skewed slightly in that direction in terms of its build and parts inventory included.

The Good:
-Body/Chassis: This is where most of the attention has gone since my ownership, and where the car was the worst as found. At this point, I would suggest the metal work is 90% complete.

-Alloy bonnet: This one is special because it is not a full race bonnet, meaning it is an exact recreation of the original in aluminum. This means it has all the original style ducts, structure, etc and is suitable for road use. I have over 40 hrs into fitting it to THIS car, and it fits very well, better than most factory bonnets. It still needs some fine tuning in the body work stage, but the major stuff is done.

-Front frames: I took the high road on the front tube frames. Since I was anticipating vintage racing, I wanted frames that were externally stock to meet regulations, but were better than original. These frames are from the legendary E Type Fabs in the UK, and are works of art in their own right. I paid more than $5k for them delivered, and fit the front end of the car around them. This means they bolt on perfectly, with absolutely no stress on them out of the gate. Very uncommon. I have also coated the inside of the frames from a zinc-based internal frame coating. These are advertised as 20% stiffer than factory.

More frame info:

-Monocoque: this has been a long road. The body appeared to be pretty good when I bought the car. Upon further investigation it was a nightmare and under a skim of filler there was a lot to do. I stripped the car down to bare metal, and the car had previously been sand blasted, so it remains completely stripped or epoxy primed in some areas. The sills were very poorly installed. I cut them off and re-did them, with the Monocoque Metalworks (Chuck Hadley) sills and “hidden subframe” reinforcement which allows for a 1”x 2” ⅛” wall tube to be welded into the inner sill, tying the front and rear of the car together at the suspension/frame mounting points. I have photos of this whole process. The sills are on laser straight. New sill end panels spot/mig welded in. I have an obscene amount of time into the doors, but they are fitting in a way most E Type doors only dream of. Handles and window frames have been test fit. The boot floor was replaced, but it was not installed properly, I cut it out and put it in the right way. I have patched and tuned and worked on the body for a couple of years. It is NOT 100% done, there is more to do, but the major stuff is done, and it is down to metal finishing, trim fitment, and detail work before body and paint.

-The chassis is assembled and includes a NEW grade 8 bolt kit from Monocoque Metalworks, and suspension hardware new from SNG.

-FIA approved roll bar - bolt in with welded plates. The roll bar included is a bolt in style which uses plates included that need to be welded into the floor from the inside. Nice design and does not make entry/exit harder. I spent $1500 on this.

-Chassis is measures square to within ⅛”, ⅜” considered the acceptable standard.

-Numbers matching engine - rebuilt by Doug of Sigy’s machine, nearly 10 years ago. Doug has done many of these engines over the years. Never run. Polished cam covers, head, and timing chest. Recommend resealing before use. 3.8L, the best one. Stock rebuild.

-Fully polished and restored 3.8L triple SU, which we did for the PO a few years ago. Polished professionally by Dunrite Deburring, all original hardware was plated at Denver Metal Finishing. Very valuable on their own. Assembled on 3.8 manifold with same treatment.

-4 synchro transmission - originally this 3.8 car would have a Moss box (lame). This car comes with a full synchro later gearbox with all the parts needed to mate up to the 3.8 engine (flywheel, bellhousing). The bellhousing has been polished by Dunrite as well. Transmission is as-found condition - not yet rebuilt or inspected.

-Rear end assembly - there is a rear drive/suspension unit in the car and it is complete. It appears to be from a later car, which is not a problem and may be an advantage depending on what brakes are desired/used. The rear end will be provided with the correct year differential unit if needed. Also included is a differential out of a later XJ6 - with the highly desirable 3.31 gearset inside - enabling good highway rpm and 150mph top speed. The ring and pinion gears would need to be removed from the XJ6 assembly and set up in the differential of choice. All these parts are in good, clean, and ready to restore condition. Rear end is on new mounts already.

-Suspension - The front suspension provided is all original stuff which is nickel plated and beautiful. Already checked for straightness. The upright/spindle assemblies are not yet plated, and the buyer has their choice of 3.8 or 4.2 size uprights to accommodate the brakes of choice. Front suspension is partially assembled with SNG top tier suspension kit. The rest of the kit is included and organized.

-Wheels and tires - New MWS triple laced, painted 5.5x15 wire wheels. The exact spec of competition wheel specified by Jaguar for racing E Types pre-lightweight. Dunlop racing tires, 600x15 front, 650x15 rear. The rear wheel arches have been subtlety modified to accept larger rear tires such as this 650, perfect for a restomod. This is notoriously difficult and desirable, and it’s done. I paid $5k for this setup.

-All the rest - I have spent a lot of time and money gathering the odds and ends for finishing the build. I have a (the?) original brake master assembly (bellows type), and all the other 3.8 brake components ready for restoration/rebuild.

-New stuff in the box ready to install and included:

-Brand new stainless steel bumpers front/rear. They are really nice and fit well at first glance. I paid $1000 for these.

-Lighting assemblies: brand new turn signal light assemblies with lenses etc front and rear. These are over $1000 new.

-New headlamp sugar scoops, and chromed brass trim rings still in the box.

-Denis Welch racing parts - about $4k in top tier Jaguar racing bits - racing brake rotors, cooling ducts, billet tow hooks, shift linkage, etc.

All suspension assembly parts new

Restorable original fuel tank.

NEW WIRING HARNESS

New wiper rack

All the main components for the original interior, unrestored.

95% complete car in my estimation.

TONS MORE, new and original, with receipts. Best to come check it out.

The Bad:

-Simply put, the metal work is not quite done. There is still stuff to do, and this can be specialized and expensive work. I would have liked to sell the car with this more complete, and could potentially help to make that happen, negotiated into the sale.

-I did not take the car apart, and neither did you. This means there will be lots of time into finding bits, research, etc. Always a pain when someone else dismantled.

The Ugly(Price):

Asking $45k. Negotiable depending on what parts are of interest, etc. Feel free to make an offer.

I am making no effort to recover any of my time in this sale. This price reflects the investment anyone would have made to have a top-level custom/period/restomod E Type. I believe that given the market today, and this being an early 3.8 car, this price is justified and still leaves room to finish the project without being upside-down at all.

I have a lot of money in the car, obviously. I have decided to change direction a little with my personal time. This project is a very exciting one and I have mixed feelings about moving on from it. I am in no hurry to sell and if it does not sell, I can save it for a later time in my life.