1970 Jaguar E-Type Series 2 Roadster

We think this is the best series 2 E-type we’ve ever had the pleasure of offering.

It’s fresh from an extensive restoration by a highly experienced hand, with an excellent photo record and enough receipts and history to bury the car in paper, should you want to.  It also has a great history and provenance from its 2 previous owners, it is an original UK RHD vehicle.

Jim Tait learned his automotive skills professionally and is a well-known restorer in Scotland. This one was bought as a project a little over two years ago and the process was managed from Jim’s garage. He used local and national experts to refurbish or rebuild the major components while he tackled the bodyshell himself, using recognised suppliers for the all-important replacement panels and structural sections.

The photo set for this car is extremely extensive and it’s worth taking the time to view it, especially the shots demonstrating the extent of the work. If you want a quick summary, assume that everything on the car has either been stripped, repaired and refinished, or else renewed entirely.

It’s for sale because Jim enjoys the process of restoration for its own sake, and is now well on with an Austin-Healey. With only 100 miles on the Jaguar since completion, this is as close to a new 1970 E-type roadster as it’s possible to find. As Jim says, it’s even got something of that new-car smell…

The paint is Moonwalker Grey, a Mini colour. It’s likely to appeal to many more people than the car’s original hue of Primrose, without looking inauthentic – we reckon it works beautifully as part of a late-Sixties, early-Seventies palette.

Needless to say, there are no blemishes to mention. The paint is only a few months old and has been completed to an extremely high standard. Jim worked with a trusted bodyshop for the paintwork, and between himself and the painters, they’ve created even and consistent door gaps, boot lid and bonnet fit. The only area that draws the eye is the flap covering the fuel filler, which sometimes pops up a little thanks to new rubber stops…it just needs a bit of use.

The car sits on refurbished, painted wire wheels which look superb with the grey paint. With this colour scheme, chrome wires would draw too much attention to themselves…and they’re a pain to clean! The tyres are fresh 80-section radials. The exterior brightwork, glass, lamps and lenses are all sparkling and unmarked, appearing new.

Jim had the interior of the car re-trimmed with leather covers and other pieces sourced from BAS Jaguar Trim in California, fitted by a professional trimmer local to Jim in Perthshire. The dashboard was re-covered and the original instruments refurbished and re-used.

There are a couple of new-car niggles to deal with; the driver’s window is misbehaving having just slipped off its channel and there’s a chrome trim strip at the top of the screen that occasionally pops off and must be pushed back with a thumb. The centre catch of the car’s new hood is not playing ball, though the catches on either side latch to the header rail as they should.

Other than that, everything from the blonde boot carpet to the fresh leather in the cockpit is, well…new. That word again. It’s all fitted to a very high standard and the effect is extremely impressive.

It starts on the button (see the video below) and drives very nicely, pulling with a smooth muscularity that someone will get to enjoy to the full when it’s properly run in. With less than 150 miles since completion, it’s still on its running-in oil. The gear change and other controls match the engine in feel and quality – it’s already a pleasure to use and will only get better.

Part of this is due to a few sympathetic upgrades – 123 electronic ignition makes for instant starting and smooth running, while a high-torque starter gets things moving promptly and upgraded radiator fans keep it all cool.

The engine is not the original ‘matching numbers’ unit for the car, having been replaced long ago. Jim rebuilt the engine, finding it to be a Series 1 ½ unit. As part of the extensive machining and renewal process, Jim had new valve seats fitted to be sure of compatibility with unleaded fuel and treated the car to an entirely new set of three SU carburettors and an inlet manifold. He’s also set up the alternator drive as a Series 2 car should have it, removing the only difference from a ‘1 ½.’

Away from the engine itself, the underside of the car needs to be seen to be believed – go directly to the photos! A new stainless exhaust system passes under a floor as clean and smart as the top side of the car.

For once, there genuinely is too much to mention, at least in any detail. To start at the beginning, Jim says the car had only two long-term owners before he bought it, the other keeper being a dealer who briefly re-registered it. It was red when he bought it and showed a mileage of around 69,000 that Jim believes to be genuine – old MoTs suggest this is the case.

As you sift through the receipts you’ll find an organised folder with the work divided into various sub-headings. There are pages covering the engine machining from Engine Resources in Dundee, back-end and brake caliper refurbishment by Jag Axles in Kent, gearbox by Mackies in Glasgow and a huge number of bodyshell items from specialists such as SNG Barrett and Martin Robey.

Dig further and you’ll find proof of a new steering rack, springs, dampers, countless bushes and bearings and a new wiring loom. Then there are invoices for the paint, interior and exterior trim. We reckon the total is something in the order of £40,000.

There’s also a Heritage Certificate, an HPI check, MoTs and logbooks. There are two sets of keys and an E-Type Series 2 Operating, Maintenance and Service handbook - about the only tired or grubby item in the whole car.

The work to this car would have cost well into six figures if it had been performed by one of the well-known Jaguar specialists. Indeed, Jim reckons he’d be trying for twice the price if he put a cost on his own labour. As it is, we’re not in a position where someone is trying to recover the price of a huge bill from a restoration firm charging £60 per hour.

Instead, we have a car that must rank amongst the best Series 2 roadsters in the country, needing nothing beyond the small measure of de-bugging you might encounter with any new rebuild. We think the car will sell for between £80,000 and £100,000.

Compare that with the sums asked for freshly restored Series 1 roadsters – you’ll find them at £150,000 and even more. That makes this car, which is unique in both its tasteful colour choice and its incredible presentation, look like something of a steal.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.