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erics_story

This is all my Mom's fault. I was eight years old when she returned from a day of shopping with a 1/32 model of an E-type FHC. Unfortunately my clumsy eight-year-old hands managed to break one of the hubs during assembly. I was completely entranced by the styling and deciced I couldn't live without a finished rolling model E-type.

I set off for Moorpark pharmacy on my Sears 5-speed and found one remaining E-type model in their toy aisle. I departed without bothering to pay for it - a premeditated act as I had no money of my own. This would be the first of two thefts I would commit in my life. The second (NOT premeditated!) would be a 68 series 1.5 2+2 from a used car lot in Redondo Beach in Sept 87 - which I brought back within the hour and locked up to avoid any further temptation. Anyway, after completing the model, I must have stared at it for at least four hours, changing the viewing angle every few minutes. It was like seeing a naked girl for the first time (except she didn't tell me to stop staring!).

At this point I had previously never known of or seen a real Jaguar, E-type or otherwise. But it burned such a deep impression on me that I can recall clear as day that this model was a series 1 3.8. It was British Racing Green and had the long silencers and is also the only model I've seen to date that had the Amco bars on the bumpers.

Years would pass by and high school would bring an interest in mechanical engineering to the point that I became quite idealistic about how a car should be equipped mechanically. The perfect balance of an inline six was mandatory as was a DOHC valvetrain. Four wheel disc brakes and fully independent suspension were the other requirements and full analog instrumentation would round out the package. In 1984, one car met all these requirements............the Toyota Supra! :-(

Having grown up with parents who drove Oldsmobiles and Mercurys (all powered by crude pushrod and rocker arm V8s driving cart sprung rear axles with drum brakes), I was under the erroneous impression that my ideals were new technology. I knew nothing of the mechanicals of the E-type (or it's forbears and contemporaries) until I picked up Paul Skilleter's book in 1985, after seeing a series III 2+2 in a mall parking lot that re-ignited my interest.

I was amazed to find EVERYTHING I ever wanted in the E-type, but specifically in the covered headlight coupe that I fell in love with as a child. On top of all that, the 4.2 model w/ the all synchro gearbox, alternator-supplied negative ground electricals, improved vacuum servo and ergonomic seats was produced the year of my birth making my choice of an E-type simple - A 1966 Opalescent Maroon fixed head coupe w/ black interior. Perhaps finding one with less than 85K miles on the odometer wouldn't be unrealistic.

Unfortunately I chose to forego a college education and pursued my vain dreams of becoming a famous bass player, a pursuit that didn't exactly make E-type ownership viable. Nonetheless, I frequented all the classic car dealers in the southern California area making my desires known. In August of 88, my daily driver (87 Toyota PU) and I were broadsided by a Cadillac that ran a stop sign. I was towed to a salvage yard that happened to be across the street from Cars With Class in Van Nuys. As we pulled into the yard, I spotted a 66 fhc in opalescent maroon being offloaded from a flatbed truck! A genuine one owner car with 86K miles, a well worn drivers seat and minor door dings - just the right amount of patina. Asking price: $14,000.

Well I still have a net worth of approximately zero at this point, but Mom is a VP in the consumer lending division of Gibraltar Savings, so no problemo. Well, as it turns out, being 1988, the S&L industry is under close government scrutiny and Mom would probably prefer to avoid all allegations of nepotism and the loan dies in commitee at the dinner table.

Shortly thereafter, my dream gets exported to France and within months, E-type prices triple. I never anticipated the collector car market to crash like it did and so decided that E-type ownership was an unattainable goal. Despondent, I didn't bother picking up a Hemmings again until 1995. By 1996 I spotted a 66fhc for sale at a classic car dealer in Costa Mesa. Asking price: $16,000. This was only the 4th series 1, 4.2 coupe I had seen for sale in southern Ca. in the past 10 years. Vince, the proprietor informed me over the phone that the car was painted gold and that the original color was red. Neither of these colors was acceptable to me, but a trip to Costa Mesa to see the car meant the rare chance of actually driving an example of the exact E-type of my dreams.

I arrived and began looking the car over. To my amazement, the hinges and boot floor of this car were actually opalescent maroon, not red!!! It fired immediately and drove flawlessly even though it hadn't been driven in at least 18 years (it was last registered in 1978). Virtually everything was original and there was less than 80K miles on the clock. I had found the car of my dreams. I had no money.

The car was sold the following day to a man from Santa Monica. I promised myself I would call Vince to get his contact info, in hopes of talking him out of the car, should I acquire the funds. I never got a round tuit and Vince Eventually withdrew from the classic car business.

In May of 98 my Mom passed away from cancer. Being an intelligent and caring woman, she had her affairs in order and left me with a reasonably good sized estate. This, of course, put me in a position to finally purchase an E-type, if there were any rust-free California Jags left. In the meantime, I had spent the previous 18 months experiencing the trials and pleasures of E-type ownership vicariously through the Jag-Lovers E-type mailing list.

In July I see a posting w/ the subject line: "Anyone live near Ventura, CA?" I respond affirmatively to this message from Bob Hardington in Michigan. He would like somebody to inspect an E-type for him before purchase. Good, a chance for me to give back to the list! I phone Bob and he describes to me a gold 66fhc in very original condition at Pacific Motorgroup - Asking price: $17,000. Could it be...? Of course it was and I reported back to Bob that the car was as it was represented. I explained to him my dilemma but gave him right of first refusal. He was very compassionate and gave me his blessings to buy the car for myself!

At this point the car had 84K miles, a rebuilt engine, new Koni's all the way around, driver's seat recovered in Connolly hide, new sill covers and some new body rubber! Probably the last available rust-free, california car that has not been seriously bodged. After 14 years, I finally had the E-type of my dreams! Next year, it will receive a complete bare metal, nut-and-bolt restoration, returning it to it's original opalescent maroon. It will retain "trailer queen" status for a year after that to collect a few trophies, and then be liberated for another 35 years of reliable road service!

 

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