This gorgeous Jaguar E-Type took 3,000 hours to restore!
It’s easy to love the Jaguar E-Type. The iconic roadster is a guaranteed entry for any ‘best Jaguars ever’ list, alongside the XJ220 and XKSS. But there’s one kind of E-Type that hasn’t received as much love over time: the Series 3 model.
That has started to change though, with the Series 3 suddenly becoming hot property among collectors and enthusiasts and those seeking true driving pleasure and usability. And there’s one Series 3 that stands out from the rest: this 1974 example, which has been subjected to 3,000 hours of restoration by specialists E-Type UK.
‘An icon of its time’
Commissioned by an overseas customer, the brief was not only to restore the car to factory-fresh condition, but also tailor it to their exact desires with personalised elements and certain upgrades, creating the customer’s ultimate E-Type.
To use E-Type UK’s words, the end result was a car with ‘true duality of character, capable of offering thunderous performance and smooth grand touring capabilities while maintaining the essence of what makes the E-Type an icon of its time’.
The car’s original 5.3-litre V12 engine was fully rebuilt and reworked with the team creating a totally bespoke downdraft fuel injection system for the car with Jenvy throttle bodies, Emerald ECU and full custom wiring loom.
Once complete, the engine had been increased to 6.1 litres and was producing a dyno-proven 284bhp at the rear wheels and an ‘exceptional tone’ through a 12-branch stainless steel exhaust system.
Other alterations
Changes beneath the skin included strengthened inner sills, the addition of bespoke extended louvres to the bonnet and more air ducting. Steering was given extra weight with the fitment of a sports steering rack, while other additions included adjustable suspension with sports torsion bars and four-pot AP Racing brakes with grooved vented disks to the front.
An aerospace-grade aluminium five-speed gearbox replaced the old transmission, with internal ratios chosen to complement the power band. One-off 62 spoke 16″ Turino wire wheels complete the rolling package.
Inside
As for the cabin, a fully bespoke leather interior was created, with custom seats formed of XJS units fitted, complete with seat heating and a new lower position. Beneath the interior, Dynamat sound deadening has been installed, helping aid the audio quality of the iPod and Bluetooth-connected surround sound.
There’s subtle use of LED lighting throughout the cabin too, with custom lighting in the foot well, boot and on the doors. A statement from E-Type UK read: “Recently delivered to the delighted customer, this E-Type represents a world-class example of a restomod S3. E-Type UK are now accepting similar commissions for those looking to bring their dream E-Type to reality.”
What do you think of this gorgeous E-Type? Let us know down in the comments!
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