Hello from Northern CA

[americium]

Hello all,

I picked up a '74 E9 a few years ago after I sold my last E-Type. Loved the Es but not a car I could drive on a regular basis. I always liked the E9 style and also that they are a good, reliable driver when brought up to par. Actually, I had a 2002 for about a year before the E9. I really enjoyed the roundie but really wanted the E9 for it's style and that it's a much better long distance car. This E9 came up for sale locally for 3K and I figured whatever is wrong with it, I can fix it.... Well the rust is going to test my limits, financially and mentally. It's rough all over but runs soooo good. I took it to my favorite mechanic to rebuild the carbs after I got it and brought it home with a FI system from an E3. Runs great. Previous owner gave me brand new headers with it so I put them on and added Magnaflow mufflers. I may change one of them out for a little more muffling muffler.

There is bondo on the front end, along the front of the hood where the roundel is. The car was in a wreck, I found broken glass under the back seat and the bondo gives it away. The paint color is Polaris and the interior is blue velour. The seats have some great cigarette burns in them.

So far I've replaced all the calipers and discs, changed the tranny (4 sp) and diff to Redline, changed the left rear window motor to a later model, valve adjust, new center steering link and tie rods and the FI system mentioned.

To do:
*all interior, wood included
*all exterior, rust included (can poke my finger through in a couple of the floor pans). Also has some rust on the trunk seal channel. Shock towers are good.
*Would like to spice up the engine someday, may consider 3.5 and 5 speed a few years down the road
*sunroof repair, cable and mechanics
*all rubber seals, doors, windows, trunk, etc
*modify giant bumpers to make them appear smaller (just a dream).

In the meantime, I drive it to work quite a bit as long as it's not raining. Then it sits in the garage.

I have been a member of this forum for a while now and really appreciate all the information and advice. There are some very knowledgeable sages here. Great cars, great forum.

John

 

[Stan]

other To Do

go to www.e9-driven.com and register, share photos

Welcome to the group. Many of us share your story, well maybe not the part about E type Jaguars. My coupe has been a project for ten years and is now nearly done. One or twp small projects.

I would recommend bumping rust amelioration up to project one. You can get replacement floor pans. Check rockers and structural stuff before pouring money into the interior.

 

[dang]

Hi John, welcome to the madness!

About ten years ago I had a '69 E-type roadster and a '72 3.0cs. One of them had to go because of space issues and we decided to keep the coupe for the same reasons you have... we drove the coupe all the time but the E-type never went too far from home. I've missed the E-type a couple times but glad we kept the coupe. That was two coupes ago now. ;-)

Dan
Rocklin, CA

 

[Stevehose]

I had a '62 roadster and while beautiful, I couldn't fit in it and being 6'5 I looked over the windscreen :razz:

Prior to that I had a coupe I loved so I hunted down another - much more comfortable and like you said - driveable. Every weekend - weather permitting - for me.

Welcome!

 

[jmackro]

Hello all,

I picked up a '74 E9 a few years ago ..... This E9 came up for sale locally for 3K and I figured whatever is wrong with it, I can fix it.... Well the rust is going to test my limits, financially and mentally. It's rough all over .
To do:
*all interior, wood included
*all exterior, rust included (can poke my finger through in a couple of the floor pans). Also has some rust on the trunk seal channel. Shock towers are good.
*Would like to spice up the engine someday, may consider 3.5 and 5 speed a few years down the road
*sunroof repair, cable and mechanics
*all rubber seals, doors, windows, trunk, etc
*modify giant bumpers to make them appear smaller (just a dream).

John:

It's your car, your time, and your money, but let me offer a suggestion: A rusty 1974 (= big bumper) e9 is a terrible starting point for what you want to achieve. You will dump far more time and money into that $3,000 car to build something presentable than it will take by starting with a $10 - 12,000 car.

My recommendation is to drive the 1974 absolutely as-is while you look for a better coupe. One will come along. In the meantime, you will learn about coupes, meet coupe people, etc.

If you absolutely have to invest some time or money into that '74, limit yourself to improvements that can be readily transferred to a different body. For example, you might do the 3.5 engine + 5 speed trans because that could easily be transplanted into a sound, pre-74 body. But, don't replace the wood dash on the '74 - it would be a bear to transfer that to a cleaner/earlier car.

If you want a small-bumpered coupe, then by all means get one. A bumper swap may make sense for an otherwise sound 1974 - but not for a $3K rusted one.

 

[shanon]

welcome

Welcome to the neighborhood fellow north state couper.

Live north up the road from Chico. Drop a PM sometime.

-shanon

 

[americium]

Thanks to all for the thoughts and welcoming words. That's what I love about this forum, all sides of a subject are thoroughly covered!

Stan, I agree it's important to deal with the rust as soon as possible. After all, it never sleeps. Admittedly, I have been reluctant to poke into it too far but I think I need to start assessing it so I can determine if I have the resource and patience to deal with it. I registered the coupe and still need to upload some pics, but at least the first part is done.

Dan, It is a form of madness, I agree! Both the E-Type and the E9 are beautifully designed cars. We are all aware of the downsides of each... one is a garage queen and the other is a rust magnet.

Steve, Surprising how many here have had E-Types in the past. Sounds like you needed yours to be super-sized. The second one I had, a '72 V12 Coupe, might have fit you better but that's when they started going downhill.

Jay, I think your advise is sound. Once I get a read on how bad the rust is and if there is any structural rot I will see if it makes sense to mess with this one. I think my wife would agree with your logic as well, she has seen many cars come and go... Starting with something closer to a completion would make it a lot easier to actually finish. I'm fine with all the mechanical work, it's the body and paint that I don't have the skills for.

Shanon, I'll send you a note. We should meet for coffee sometime.

Thanks again, John