1968 Jaguar S-Type 1963-68

1968 Jaguar 3. 4 S Type Auto for sale £17450

82155 miles on the clock with a folder full of paper work including old MOTs as prove of mileage. Built in September 1967 but first registered for the road in February 1968. There have been three owners but only two of us have actually driven the car on the road. The second owner started the restoration in 2012 but had to stop due to ill health.

This 3. 4s was restored in 2013/ 14. The body was completely striped and taken back to bare metal. New body panels including a new front near side wing. Sills on both sides, New front crows feet both sides, rear arch repair panels on both sides plus a rear valance and front valance. £5000 in body panels and fitting. Other repairs were made to the bottoms of the doors whilst the car was stripped of paint. The original colour was Warwick grey but during the strip down the shell was grit blasted and all signs of the original paint were removed. The shell was then painted in Old English white which is the ideal colour for a wedding car costing over £3k.

The engine was stripped and rebuilt with a rebore, new 9:1 ratio pistons, new valves and seals, new bearings and fully steam cleaned. This work was completed by Lemar Engines. Over £4k in parts and labour.

The carburettors were professionally rebuilt two years ago for £350.

The BW35 Automatic gear box was rebuilt by Torquay transmissions for over £1000.

The Adwest Marles power Variomatic steering system fitted from factory has been completely rebuild. The steering box is leak free and the pump over hauled. New hydraulic lines were fitted during the rebuild. £500.

The original steel wheels were converted to new stainless steel wire wheels with 205/ 70/ 15 tyres which were replaced last year and have less than 300 miles wear. £2k

The exhaust has been upgraded to a full stainless steel system from Double S exhausts. £750

The chrome work is in excellent condition and the front and rear bumpers have been upgraded to stainless steel bumpers from The Harrington group. £2k

The wood interior was stripped and re-lacquered. The seats have been restored with new foams front and rear but the old seat covers and door cards have been retained to keep the originality. A slightly smaller 16 inch wooden steering wheel has been fitted which gives the interior a real sporty look.

Everything that came off the car was meticulously cleaned and painted and replaced using the original fasteners where possible.

Since 2012 there has been over £20k spent on the car during the rebuild and after. There are numerous spares that can come with the car including a complete set of chrome, glass and spare lights all collected over the years.

I have tried to keep the car as original as possible but some modern upgrades have been made to make the car more reliable include a High torque starter motor, a Dynamator to replace the old Generator and a conversion to Negative earth. The radiator was re-cored and a brass expansion tank system fitted to stop water loss through heat expansion. New electronic fuel pumps have been fitted. The automatic choke has had a switch fitted in the cab so it can be turned on or off when required.

This a drivable classic which with a little tidying up work by the new owner could turn it into a stunning show car.

I have a digital collection of photos showing all work completed on the car. This includes photos of the original owner with the car, Syd Morris, who had the car from new for 44 years until his death. The car was sold by his estate to Mr Ray Mead who began the restoration in 2012 and he spent over £5000 in new body panels for the car. Ill health stopped him completing the work and I purchased it as an on going project in 2013. I have photos of the new body work panels fitted to the car, then the complete strip down and rebuild. Well over 2000 photos which I can supply with the paper work on a USB stick. There is a folder containing receipts for work on the car, Old MOTs showing the mileage history so 82155 is the genuine mileage and the original service book for the car from 1968.

The car was used by me as a wedding car in the Torbay area for many years but ill health and age now forces the sale of the car and the closing of the business. The income over the last ten years from the wedding business has more than paid for the original purchase of the car, the restoration and the running costs and the car could still be used as a wedding car or just for pleasure and shows. The car is not perfect but for a 13 year old restoration it is in excellent condition and no expense has been spared in keeping the car up to the standard you can see.

The asking price is £17450 ono and if you are looking around to buy an Mk2 or S Type Jaguar you will not find a better example at this price and history.

For more information or to view the car which is in Torquay Devon please contact me.

Some would say the S Type is an inferior Mk2 but quite the contrary. It has all the Looks of the Mk2 and more in my opinion. The back complements the curves of the front and from side on it looks if it is already doing 100 mph. Better handling than the Mk2 as it has the E Type IRS rear suspension. Twin fuel tanks in the rear wings give it a larger boot than the Mk2. The interior is upgraded with more wood and due to the IRS has more headroom for rear seat passengers. The engines and gear boxes are the same so performance is not altered but having said all this for some reason the S Type is still £10k cheaper to buy than an equivalent standard Mk2. Having owned this S Type for 13 years I can tell you that it is very rare you will see another S Type at a car show but Mk2s seem to be two a penny.