• The Roadster Factory Recovery Fund - Friends, as you may have heard, The Roadster Factory, a respected British Car Parts business in PA, suffered a total loss in a fire on Christmas Day. Read about it, discuss or ask questions >> HERE. The Triumph Register of America is sponsoring a fund raiser to help TRF get back on their feet. If you can help, vist >> their GoFundMe page.
  • Hey there Guest!
    If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this UGLY banner)
Tips
Tips

Found an E Type in a Barn. Bought it. Let's Make it Run

jeep937

Senior Member
Offline
So I tripped and fell on this
936052_10204219658674630_5085021438587883486_n.jpg






Which turned out to be this
10353114_10204220442094215_8760655200431802461_n.jpg



And had these...
10353174_10204227129581398_4626105240583897711_n.jpg



It's a 1970 E Type Jaguar XKE 2+2 with 60K. It's sat since 1987. I am super stoaked. Appears to be real real solid with only rust under the battery box and a few little spots on the rear wheel wells. Missing radiator from some joker who said he was gonna fix it. Got a ton of other things going on right this second but this is first on the list when I'm done with 3 other cars.. Can't wait to dive into that DOHC 6 banger and make this thing run. Real quick, do these carbs look like the correct e type ones with manual choke and proper intake?
 

Healeysince59

Jedi Warrior
Country flag
Offline
If that was a US import, it would have had 2 Strombergs. Series 1 4.2s had triple SUs. Series 1 1/2 and Series 2 US cars had 2 Strombergs. All non US 6cyl E Types had triple SUs. What you have is not original but is a very popular (and pricey) conversion.

Marv J
 
Country flag
Offline
Nice find. Like Marv J said, it should be a 2 ZS carb but those are original Series 1 E type carbs. They are worth a couple grand by themselfs. I have a 68 roadster that I put triples on. Makes a big difference.

Marv
 

trrdster2000

Luke Skywalker
Country flag
Offline
Don't know if the car or you are lucky. Another one saved!
Why is it when I find the old British car in a barn or under a cover it's a rusted out Midget or 2 MGB's back in the woods with 8 inch trees growing out of the floor boards. Good find.

Wayne
 
OP
J

jeep937

Senior Member
Offline
Oh I've seen them too. Recently I was told and shown about a taken apart Alpine in a carport. So the carbs are a series 1 set up?
 
D

Deleted member 8987

Guest
Guest
Offline
Jags do not like to sit.
All sorts of bad things happen.
Count on all hydraulics, period.
Carb gaskets shrunk.
Fuel pump diaphragm rotted.
Fuel tank full of all sorts of stuff (flush, have it boiled and inspected).
Blow out fuel lines.
ALL hoses, fuel, coolant, brake, clutch, power steering.

Pull the plugs (crack them, blow the carp out of the valley with air), then pull all the way. Oil the cylinders.
I don't think I'd change oil right now, as you don't want to be cranking a dry engine with new oil and filter trying to pick up pressure.....but if the oil is black, best change it and filter.
Roll it by hand at least two full revolutions. If it was mine, I'd be doing it with the rocker covers off to make absolutely certain the pucks follow the cam back up...all of them. Last thing you need is a valve hanging up and hitting the opposing valve or piston. If you can't reach the crank pulley bolt, and it's a stick, fourth gear works and roll it.
Once you have done that and are certain it will do what it's supposed to, plop a new battery in it, crank it for oil pressure with no plugs. Keeps the compression pressure off the rods and crank.

Did you ask "why" it was parked?

Something serious?

Got the rest of the air filters?

Something not right about the way the bonnet sits at the scuttle.
 

Geo Hahn

Yoda
Country flag
Offline
Step 1: Remove bonnet. Then all the things noted above are easy to get at.

Mine had sat for more than a decade, took me about 3 months working a list similar to the above before I took the first test drive (in the snow):

MtLemmon_zps4f7fa6ac.jpg


No point in putting the bonnet back on until you're happy with it.

...Something not right about the way the bonnet sits at the scuttle.

Yes, the bonnet sits a bit forward, you can also see it at the rear of the front wheel well. Might be a simple shim adjustment.
 
Country flag
Offline
If the story of finding and rescuing the car is interst you might consider writing it up and send it to the guy who's done the "in the barn" series of books. Who knows, might be published in whatever the next volume might be.
 
OP
J

jeep937

Senior Member
Offline
So the story continues. Saw an ad for a motor and went and bought it. Got a fully assembled short block with pop up 9:1 pistons, two heads one fully set up and ready to run, one apart but everything to assemble including shim assortment pack. Also has everything including all gaskets to fully assemble including polished and plated covers and parts that look insane. Plus there's extra cams on top of the two complete heads. New clutch and preasure plate with aluminum fradanza flywheel! All receipts too. Plus he threw in a stack of vintage car and drivers and road and tracks from the 50's and 60's. I also picked up a complete Buick 215 today with trans for a buck and a quarter.
10524323_10204287493370455_4405789168283596545_n.jpg
 
D

Deleted member 8987

Guest
Guest
Offline
Did we ever hear why you're changing the motor? Seller tell you something?
 
OP
J

jeep937

Senior Member
Offline
Well he mentioned that there was an oil leak. THe stick is dry and kinda rusty. The clutch and brake pedal is stuck and I want more power without having to mess with the original motor. Still have a massive amount of reading about this car before I jump on it plus I have huge projects ahead of it but when I saw a Jag motor with all that stuff for cheap, I had to go buy it. The sickness is starting. I will probably buy everything Jaguar that's within an hours drive of me. haha
 

trrdster2000

Luke Skywalker
Country flag
Offline
Jeep, I'm going to take a guess here, either you are not married or the wife wants the XKE. One more car in my garage and I will not sleep in this house.

Wayne
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
J Found an E type in Bergenfield/Dumont NJ sitting in a garage Jaguar 2
S TR2/3/3A What are some unusual places you've found parts for your car? Triumph 11
mezy Just found this on ebay UK, Other British Cars 1
Popeye Wanted WTB: two speed wiper motor TR4A / 75568 - Found Triumph Classifieds 2
DrEntropy MGB And now, NO ARP head studs to be found! MG 13
Rob Glasgow Finally Found It (Original License Plate Number) Austin Healey 3
Rob Glasgow Found Original Owner Austin Healey 2
J Walnut veneer for the dash, Look what I found! Austin Healey 12
2 TR2/3/3A Headache: Magnaflux found a crack Triumph 5
Editor_Reid Oddities Found During BN2 Revival, Part 2 Austin Healey 6
Editor_Reid Oddities Found During BN2 Revival, Part 1 Austin Healey 4
B Lost & Found FORUM Navigation Questions 3
B Wanted FOUND. TR10 Fan mount Bushings Triumph Classifieds 3
AngliaGT MGB I think I found the Cause MG 5
1 MGB Found the leak, now what? MG 11
C MGB Found this spring in my gas tank MG 8
jackq MGB MGB Roadsters with a V-8 found. MG 1
M General TR Found on Google books Triumph 0
J Found something new on a Healey engine Austin Healey 3
Michael Oritt Strange debris found in sump Austin Healey 19
J Found a 1963 BJ8, by the serial number, built in October of 63 Austin Healey 26
jackq TR2/3/3A TR3s found Triumph 5
Popeye TR4/4A Found this odd long bolt in my fuel tank... Does anyone know what it is? Triumph 17
PeterK General Tech I've found the light Triumph 8
Number_6 TR2/3/3A TR1 Prototype found Triumph 2
K TR4/4A Look what I found in a 4A oil filter? Triumph 14
Patrick67BJ8 Healey Abbott Found Austin Healey 8
M TR4/4A More Commission Number Questions. Mine is nowhere to be found! Triumph 6
drooartz Finally found one Spridgets 8
anarchy99 Found the only other British car at the show Spridgets 2
T TR2/3/3A Finally found and fitted paper carb air filters on my TR3 Triumph 28
Steve P. Finally found a RWA Midget Spridgets 1
J BJ8 windshield-shroud seal installation-found way to help keep ends from popping out Austin Healey 1
N TR6 found a Soft top frame from a 1972 for sale Triumph 2
LarryK Found MK2 parts in cavern. Jaguar 3
TulsaFred Fixed One Oil Leak, Found Another! Spridgets 12
H Aston Martin DB4 converible found in UK awhile back--what was paid for it? Other British Cars 0
CLEAH Found another number on my frame [BJ8] Austin Healey 6
PAUL161 Found My old 60 midget engine Racing 6
J Found an oil leak Austin Healey 7
germanmichel Horror story what I found below the battery... Austin Healey 9
RickB Found on Craigslist - 2 Midgets, one is RWA for $600 Spridgets 1
C Mystery Parts found in intake. What are they? Austin Healey 21
J Funniest thing you found working on your car Austin Healey 32
RickB Found this on Ebay - NFI Spridgets 2
YYCDave TR2/3/3A Lost Triumph Found Triumph 5
Jim_Gruber So who has found Basil's Holiday surprise? Spridgets 8
Boggsy64 MGB Found parts at local auto store MG 4
J TR2/3/3A Found my overflow problem from the radiator , Triumph 9
Gliderman8 TR6 Oil Leak found! Now what? Triumph 26

Similar threads

Top