We’ve never been ones to be bashful about our love of cars! We are the glass half full kind of car guys. Show us a rusty old station wagon or a dirty old Pacer and we will look for its redeeming qualities. You can look for the worst in any car, but to see its good traits first is what it means to be a true car nut. Don’t be mistaken, certain flaws can’t be completely overlooked, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still find the good. We have to admit though, sometimes we get so fixated on the good that we miss or overlook some major flaws. Take the Jaguar E-Type, it is in our opinion one of the most gorgeous cars to have ever graced the road, but it’s easy to overlook some major issues simply because of how much we love the way they look. When Peter M sent us this E-Type that’s been listed here on eBay in the UK, we thought it would be a good chance to look at both the good and the bad.

To start out, yes this car is in the UK, but that doesn’t mean this discussion doesn’t apply to buying one anywhere else. This first bit of advice also applies to just about any old car and that’s to watch out for rust. We will admit that we’ve purchase a car or two thinking that a small spot of rust on the fender would only be a small problem, only to discover after purchasing the car that that small bit of rust was just the surface of a much larger and much more serious issue. It’s difficult to see from these photos if this Jag is rusty or solid, but there are a few things that make us worry. If you take a close look at the first image, you might notice stripes running the length of the car. We’ve seen strips like this before and they happen as a result of being stored in a barn with a leaky roof, which means this Cat has been wet on a regular basis. Something we also noticed was that spot of rust on the firewall; it doesn’t look serious, but could suggest there is more rust on the firewall.

Rust isn’t an issue that is saved just for the body, it can also be an issue for mechanical systems. In the case of the Jaguar, it’s easy to see the 3.8 liter straight six is missing a few important pieces, like the head, which has allowed rust to form in the cylinders. Anything can be fixed or saved, it you have the budget and means to have it fixed. We have no doubt fixing this motor is going to be expensive and seeing as it is going to need a complete rebuild, we aren’t going to touch on any of the other possible mechanical issues. We will however touch on the chance of corrosion and damage to the wiring. We would plan on installing new wiring and on having more than a few issues with the Lucas electrical system.

Your probably wondering when we are going to talk about the good things with this car. All we have to say about that is it’s a Jaguar E-Type! Sure it needs just about everything and is going to be a costly undertaking, but when it’s done you will be the proud owner of one the best looking and driving cars on the road. When you’re buying a project like this you have to be critical or you might end up getting in too deep, but at the same time you have to dream a little and stay excited about the finished product or you will lose steam and never finish. You have to be the judge of what you can tackle and what you can’t, but no matter what, remember to always look for the good or you’ll always want something different right away! Our thanks to Peter for the submission!