Jaguar World – July 2019

July 201 9\JaguarWorld|4 9

CLASSICDRIVE

S2E-TYPE

WhatJohnwantedwasacarhecoulduse
immediatelyandfiguredthatasoundSeries
2opentwo-seaterwouldbejustthejob.
HissearchledhimtoAngusMoss,who
wasintheprocessofimportingasolid
examplefromTroutdale,inOregon,USA,
whichHaroldBauberhadownedsince
1977 .ManufacturedinDecember 19 69,the
left-hand-drivecar,finishedinPrimrose,
haditsshareofparkinglotdents,butitwas
sound.Withnodetectablerust,itwasthe
perfectexampleofacarbeingonthecusp
ofwhethertorestoreornottorestore.
But,Johnwasinnomoodforanother
restorationandjustwantedtohavefun.
Thecarhadlastbeenontheroadin 1979 ,
sotheusualpre-startprocedurewascarried
out–changeofoil,newsparkplugsandso
on–afterwhicheveryonewasamazedthat
theenginefiredupwithouttheslightest
hiccup.Tomakeitreadyfortheroad,all
perishableswerereplaced,itreceivednew
tyresandabrakeandsuspensionoverhaul,
withapreferencetoconverttoright-hand
drivefortheUKroads.Thefinaldriveratio
wasalsochanged,from3.54:1to3.07:1,
whichwasasfarasJohnwantedtogo.
Hewasn’ttheslightestbitinterestedin
changingthecarburettorstotripleSUs.
Hewasn’teveninterestedinfittinganew
hood.Theframelivesinoneofhisbarns
so,fornow,thereisnoweatherprotection.
ButJohndoesn’tcare,heisfinallyenjoying
hisownE-typeontheroad.Plus,he’llhave
atopcarwhenthe4.2isfinished.

Sussexisbaskingunderafullsunwhen

Iseethecar,thePrimroseE-typelooking

splendidagainstthesimilar-coloured

oilseedrapeinthenearbyfields.Whatthis

Series2lacksinglitzitmorethanmakesup

forincharm.Sure,thereareafewdents,

someflakingpaint,too,butJohnletsme

exploretheinnerregionsandIcannotfind

anyrust.Ilookatthefloorpans,bootfloor,

innersillsandengineframemounts,and

everysingleinchisperfect.

Thebeautyofthiscarisundertheskin,

notontop.Inside,thereisasmalltearinthe

passenger(formerdriver’s)seatandthere

aresomeAmericanovermats.Otherwise,

everythingelseiscorrectandinitsplace.

I’mabouttostarttheenginewhenIhave

amoment’sthought.DoItellJohnasitis

orshouldIembossthetruthalittle?After

all,thoseStrombergcarburettorsaregoing

toletthesidedown.Atleasttheengine

startsfirsttimeandsoundsreallysmooth.

Withtheoilpressurelookinggood,it’s

discoverytime.

ThecarwearsdecentDunloptyres,and

IhavealreadynotedtheKonidampers,so

Iamatleastcomfortedthatthechassis

shouldwork.Itakeiteasyforahandfulof

miles,justtoseehowthecarbehaves.So

far,itisrespondingwell.

Thereisnotraffic,and,withanodfrom

theowner,it’scrunchtimeandIfloorthe

gaspedal.Now,Ican’tsaythatthereisa

kickinthepants,butitisn’tsloweither.

I’vedrivenbadlyset-upfull-speccarsthat

havebeenslower.Keepingthingsonthe

boil,Icarryspeedthroughthecorners,

wherethoseDunlopsdigin,effortlessly

maintainingthemomentum.Shiftdowna

ABOVE:TheviewaheadcouldbeanyE-type
LEFT:AyoungJohnHoopergetsbehindthewheel
ofanE-typeforthefirsttime