Bought a pair of E3's in the UK (propshaft question)

[Keith912]

Hi, I have bought two 2500's, one left hand drive white French car and one blue UK right hand drive car. The UK car is badly rusted so swapping bits to get the white one on the road for the summer, I won't throw anything out just in case I want to restore both of them!

The centre bearing has gone on my white car and while I am fitting a new exhaust I am going to change the propshaft from the blue car. The blue car is 4 speed manual and the white car is 5 speed manual (I think original but waiting yet to apply for build sheet to check if an option fitted when new), can anyone advise if the propshaft is the same for 4 and 5 speed manual cars?

Cheers Keith

 

[StephenZ]

A much more knowledgable person will chime in, but I don't believe there was ever a 5 speed option on these, and the shaft for the 5 speed is shorter than the 4 speed shaft. I did a conversion on my old 02' and was pretty easy. Just had to have the shaft shortened...

 

[Keith912]

Thanks Stephen, photo attached (a bit grubby) just in case someone can see it as being from another model.

 

[HB Chris]

It needs to be shortened, a driveline shop can do this. Some use an auto driveshaft, pretty close.

 

[Keith912]

Ok, many thanks

 

[E3_UK]

Hi Keith,
I've seen that pair advertised for a long time, glad someone eventually rescued them. Good luck with the restoration,
Robin

 

[Keith912]

Thanks Robin, white one should be on UK plates next week and hope to be out and about in the spring, K

 

[3.0S]

Hi Keith
Welcome to E3 ownership , in the UK like myself. I'm in South Yorkshire. I had seen your cars advertised but I had no space for them. My 3.0S is filling my single car garage happily but it is close to being roadworthy really soon , despite being dry stored since 1980. I bought it off the original owner in June 2015 with 44k miles genuine . Thankfully the body is amazingly good.

I hope your restoration goes well, please post some pics.

Simon

 

[Keith912]

Thanks Simon,
Car now UK registered and just fitted refurbished wheels and polished up the hub caps. Sloppy gearchange and 5 speed gearknob was giving me wrong info, after its first road drive realised it is a 4 speed after all, doh! At least I can do a straight swap with the propshaft (next job).
Best Keith

 

[Keith912]

Cleaning under the wings, great to see good solid factory paint

 

[Simufly]

Nice work. The earlier e3s were much better at avoiding corrosion. There was talk that later versions were made with inferior steel from the East during/after re-unification.
My first e3 (BUD 707J ) was better put together and has less corrosion on purchase than the the last one, an Si on an R plate.

 

[Keith912]

Ah, good to know

 

[dp]

Nice work. The earlier e3s were much better at avoiding corrosion. There was talk that later versions were made with inferior steel from the East during/after re-unification.
My first e3 (BUD 707J ) was better put together and has less corrosion on purchase than the the last one, an Si on an R plate.

?? Reunification was in 1990?