Technical
Technical reference
Notes on the jobs and faults an E-Type owner meets, grouped by area and written from named sources. Where a figure cannot be attributed, the article says so rather than filling the gap.
26 articles in the reference so far
Structure and bodywork
The monocoque, the front frames, panels and corrosion.
- Rust and where it startsThe E-Type is a monocoque with a bolted front frame, and corrosion in the wrong place is structural rather than cosmetic. Where it begins, and why the order of inspection matters.Open question recorded
- The front framesThe E-Type's engine and front suspension hang from a tubular frame bolted to the bulkhead. Bent tubes from an old accident are common, hard to see and decisive for how the car drives.Open question recorded
- Bonnet fit and alignmentThe one-piece forward-hinging bonnet is the largest panel on the car and the hardest to fit well. What good and bad fit look like, and what each says about the car's past.Open question recorded
- Doors and panel gapsDoor fit reflects the state of the sills and bulkheads behind it. Reading the gaps tells you about the structure before a spanner is lifted.Open question recorded
Engine
The XK six and the V12, cooling, fuelling and ignition.
- OverheatingAn E-Type that runs hot in traffic is usually telling you about airflow, water flow or ignition timing rather than about a fundamental flaw. How to narrow it down before spending.Open question recorded
- Head gasket failureMayonnaise under the filler cap, coolant loss with no visible leak and a pressurised header tank all point the same way. The gasket is often the symptom rather than the cause, so establish what made it fail before fitting another.Open question recorded
- Oil pressure, and what the sources disagree aboutTwo published buying guides quote different oil pressure figures, measured at different engine speeds. Both are set out here with their sources, and the archive is plain about what it has not found.Open question recorded
- The rear crankshaft sealNamed as a leak point on the E-Type, and significant for one reason above all: putting it right is an engine-out job. That is what turns a small drip into an expensive decision.Open question recorded
- Timing gear and top-end noiseA rattle, a tap and a knock are three different sounds with three different levels of seriousness. What each tends to mean, and why none of them should be ignored on a test drive.Open question recorded
- Triple SU carburettorsThree SUs suit the six and are cheap to rebuild, and rough running usually means setting up rather than wear. Balance them together, and only after the ignition is right.Open question recorded
- Modern fuel and E10Ethanol-blended petrol and a car designed for plain petrol are an uneasy pairing. The general principles are well established; which specific E-Type parts are affected is less certain.Open question recorded
Transmission and drivetrain
Clutch, gearboxes, propshaft, rear axle and differential.
- The Moss gearboxThe four-speed Moss box fitted to early cars has no synchromesh on first and a slow, deliberate change everywhere else. Knowing what is character and what is wear matters.Open question recorded
- Clutch and clutch hydraulicsJudder, slip and a heavy pedal each point somewhere different. The hydraulics share their fluid system with the brakes on some cars, which changes the diagnosis.Open question recorded
- The rear axle and limited-slip differentialThe differential lives in the independent rear cage with the inboard brakes. Whines, clunks and what the Powr-Lok unit is doing, and why oil choice matters.Open question recorded
Suspension, brakes and steering
Torsion bars, the rear cage, inboard discs and the rack.
- Torsion bars and the front suspensionThe front suspension runs on torsion bars rather than coil springs. Sagging ride height, tired dampers and worn bushes are the routine findings, and each is diagnosable without dismantling.Open question recorded
- The inboard rear brakesThe rear discs sit inboard beside the differential, which is brilliant engineering and awkward servicing. What that layout means for inspection, heat and handbrake cable.Open question recorded
- The steering rack and its mountingsThe rack-and-pinion steering is light and accurate when its joints, bushes and mountings are sound. Play and vagueness are cheap to find and important not to excuse.Open question recorded
- Wire wheels and splinesMost E-Types run on centre-lock wire wheels held by a single spinner. The condition of the splines and the trueness of the wheel decide both safety and ride quality.Open question recorded
Electrics
Charging, earths, the loom, lighting and instruments.
- The charging systemA battery that keeps going flat is telling you about the alternator, the belt, the wiring or the drain, in that order. A methodical half hour beats a new battery every spring.Open question recorded
- Earths, wiring and the loomMore E-Type electrical faults are bad earths and tired connections than failed components. The loom is sixty years old, and the diagnosis should start at the simple end.Open question recorded
- Instruments and switchesSmiths instruments and period switches fail in familiar ways. What tends to go wrong, what can be repaired, and why a dead gauge deserves a check of its sender first.Open question recorded
- The ignition systemPoints, condenser, coil and distributor: simple parts whose condition and setting decide how the whole engine runs. Timing errors masquerade as carburettor faults.Open question recorded
Ownership
Storage, recommissioning, paperwork and use.
- Winter storage and lay-upMost E-Types sleep for part of the year. How a car is put away decides how it wakes: fuel, moisture, tyres and the battery are the four things that matter.Open question recorded
- Recommissioning after storageBringing an E-Type out of hibernation is a checklist, not an event. An hour of checks before the first drive prevents the failures that storage causes.Open question recorded
- Paperwork and the Heritage CertificateA Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust certificate records how a car left the factory. What it proves, what it does not, and how it fits with the rest of a car's history file.Open question recorded
- Driving an E-Type regularlyThese cars last best when they are used. Regular driving, warm-up discipline and a routine of small checks keep an E-Type healthier than cosseting does.Open question recorded