1961 E Type Roadster (875098) Total  restoration

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Specification (briefly) for this project is as follows: Total restoration, British Racing Green coachwork with biscuit hides.

It was great to see you yesterday, Pablo, and I am delighted that you are so pleased with your car. The following photographs show Sam and Eric putting the final touches to the old roadster, as they install the new convertible top, etc.

As you can see, the interior is looking great and is really only waiting for seat belts and the installation of the convertible top. This car will be delivered very early in the New Year.

Felise Navidad, Pablo, to you and all your family!

For various reasons, this has become our longest running project ever! I am delighted to report, however, that we are now entering the finishing straight and should have the car wrapped up in a few short weeks.

New interior being installed	Dash virtually complete
Rear chrome now in place
Front chrome finished	Door window and latching mechanisms have now been installed
	Note body colour headlamp scoops

The following photographs show David trial fitting some of the major chrome items before they are submitted for replating.

We swapped out some of the components that came with your car for earlier (more correct) versions. These items include such things as the convertible top latches, air intake plenum and bumper blades, etc.

We swapped the later (4.2) style bumpers with some correct 3.8 blades	Restored early style wheel is gorgeous
Early style intake plenum	Note smooth top
Miscellaneous items are taken from storage and 'unwrapped'	Overriders are brand new but are still trial fitted
	Even door handles are tested for fit
Here's why!	Now fitting perfectly

Finally an opening in the trim room schedule! Over the next few weeks we will be installing the interior, glass and chrome. Look for regular updates from this point forward.

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I am delighted to report that we have now test run the engine and given all the major mechanical components a clean bill of health.

Here you can see the new stainless steel exhaust going into place as well as the installation of various other engine bay ancillaries. Your car is now at the front of the queue for the trim room!

Getting very close to firing the car up now! All that remains is to install the new gas tank and ignition system and we will be able to breathe life into 875098 once again.

Notice that we have gone ahead and installed one of our aluminium radiators for the initial shake down/run in period, although we will of course be installing the original finned radiator for show purposes.

Lots of progress since our last report on this project. Basically the engine and gearbox have been rebuilt and installed along with the IRS, front and rear suspension, fuel, brake and clutch lines, steering rack and brakes. Notice the 'pumpkin' colour of the cylinder head and the use (where possible) of original/replated hardware.

Where improvements would be invisible (to the dreaded concours judge), we have installed a number of common sense upgrades. These include stainless steel heater transfer pipes, stainless steel caliper sleeves, a composition head gasket, grade 8 bolts throughout the IRS, stainless spokes to the new Dayton wheels, intake valve seals, uprated (submerged) fuel pump, etc, etc. As this car will be shown during the 2001 concours season, originality is the key as the restoration enters the finishing straight.

The paint work now complete, we expect to be taking delivery of the new body in the next few days.

This is another very early E Type (car number 875098) that is receiving the full Classic Jaguar treatment.

We pick up the restoration with the bodywork almost ready for paint, the engine and gearbox rebuilt and the majority of the interior trim work already completed. We hope you enjoy watching the car being assembled over the next few months.

Click on thumbnails to view larger images.