Sometimes a fantastic find comes through that time just doesn’t permit us to write up as soon as they’ve hit the inbox. The new Reader’s Find feature, which I discussed just earlier today allows us to share them quickly, but it doesn’t give us a chance to really talk about the find. This 1970 Jaguar E-Type was just so fascinating that even though I already ran it as a Reader’s Find, I decided it deserved a full feature. You can find it here on eBay in Santa Barbara, California with 4 days left.

This car caught my eye for two reasons. First of all, it’s a Jaguar E-Type, one of my all time favorite British sports cars. Secondly because of the look it has going for it. This Willow Green paint isn’t my favorite shade of green, but it looks great aged and the dust and clay stains give it a fascinating look.

I wish the seller would have included some photos of how it was found, I struggle to believe the car was stored in a South Carolina barn with big enough cracks for clay dust to collect on the car, but dry enough to keep the car from rusting. Seeing as the car was moved to South Carolina in the ’90s, perhaps it hasn’t been in this humid environment long enough to rust. Or maybe the clay dust really did seal the car like the seller claims, although I have my doubts about that.

It will be quite interesting to see if the clay will all wash off or if it has permanently stained the paint and trim work. I almost hope it doesn’t come off, it gives this car an incredibly unique look!

The interior is going to need work, as the dust made its way into the interior. You might be able to clean most of it off without staining anything, but having cleaned up clay dust in the past I would recommend being careful cleaning it with water.

I would recommend vacuuming it first to get as much dust out as possible before using any type of cleaners or conditioners. Hard surfaces should clean up without much issue, but it could be difficult to clean up the carpets and get the dust out of all the nooks and crannies

The seller claims the engine is free and they believe it will require minimal refurbishment to get it running again. While I’m glad it’s free, I have a feeling it’s going to take more than a tune up to get it running again. Given the amount of dust built up on the exterior and the fact the air filter is currently off the motor, I’m going to guess there is dust inside the motor. I doubt it will require a complete rebuild to clean it all out, it will need to at least be partially disassembled for cleaning and I’m sure the the carburetors will benefit from a good cleaning and a rebuild to work properly.

I love the way this E-Type looks, but I can’t help wondering what impact the clay dust might have had on it. I know the seller believes it preserved the car, and it may very well have, but I have a feeling it did some damage to it. I’ve dealt with clay dust like this in the past and I’ve seen it wash off with minimal effort or turn into a massive mess. It really will just depend on how much dust has accumulated, how deeply it has traveled into components, and how patient you are with removing it. So with that being said, would you tackle cleaning this E-Type up to concourse levels or would you leave it all dusty and dirty?