Stephen T.'s 1964 Jaguar E-type FHC restoration
1964 E-type FHC restoration
Photo: 1964 E-type FHC restorationA 1964 Jaguar E-type FHC taken to bare shell and rebuilt
Stephen T. documents a multi-year restoration of his 1964 E-type fixed-head coupe, starting from a fully stripped shell that was sandblasted to reveal old accident damage and poor prior repairs. The body and paint were handled by a specialist husband-wife team, after which Stephen has been working through the mechanicals himself, rebuilding the rear end, engine and running gear, and sourcing correct period parts to replace earlier owner substitutions.
Specs
As stated in the original write-up.
- Engine
- 3.8 litre XK six, rebuilt and bored .020 over
- Brakes
- 1 7/8 inch rear calipers refurbished; correct 3.8 litre pedal box and servo sourced to replace a 4.2 litre setup
- Interior
- Correct coupe seats for the 1964 car sourced to replace incorrect 1968 seats
Parts used
Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.
Engine 1
- Pistons and rings
New set fitted after the block was bored .020 over following a broken ring that scuffed a cylinder wall
In the shops
Piston Ring Set ↗
Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $159.50 USD
Piston Ring Set, .020" ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $166.81 USD
Piston Ring Set, .030" ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $172.25 USD
Gearbox & Drivetrain 2
- Half shafts
New half shafts fitted to the rear suspension
In the shops
Half Shaft Components ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.00 USD
Flange-to-Half Shaft Bolt ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $13.61 USD
Jaguar NOS Unipart Half Shaft U Joint ↗
Sports & Classics· $34.95 USD - U-joints
First set of U-joints fitted during rear end rebuild
Suspension & Steering 2
- Upper and lower wishbones
Reinstalled into the front suspension, requiring grinding of the picture frame mounting brackets to fit
In the shops
Lower Wishbone Lever, Left Hand ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $697.29 USDLower Wishbone Lever, Right Hand ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $642.52 USDLower Wishbone Assembly, Left Hand ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $1,051.99 USD - Steering rack
Reinstalled during reassembly
In the shops
Steering Rack Stop ↗
TRGB· £4.95 GBPSteering Rack Spacer ↗
bpnorthwest.com· $17.10 USD
Steering Rack Boot Kit ↗bpnorthwest.com· $11.02 USD
Brakes 3
- Rear brake rotors
New rotors fitted to the rear end during teardown
In the shops
Rear Brake Rotor Set ↗
Good Parts· $120.00 USD
Rear Brake Rotor Set, Drilled and Slotted ↗Good Parts· $220.00 USD - 1 7/8 inch rear calipers
Refurbished and fitted to the rear brakes
- 3.8 litre brake pedal box and servoDan Crook
Correct early pedal box and servo sourced to replace an incorrectly fitted 4.2 litre unit
In the shops
Pedal Box Gasket ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $4.65 USD
Pedal Box Rebuild Kit ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $66.50 USD
Late Pedal Box Rebuild Kit ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $67.50 USD
Body & Trim 1
- Replacement bonnet
New bonnet ordered to replace a rough original; required trimming to narrow and shorten it for correct fit
Interior 1
- 1964 coupe seatsDan Crook
Correct period seats located to replace incorrect 1968 seats fitted by a previous owner
Photos
136 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from 1964 E-type FHC restoration. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.
1964 E-type FHC restoration 33this post at 1964 E-type FHC restoration ↗
1964 E-type FHC restoration 19this post at 1964 E-type FHC restoration ↗
1964 E-type FHC restoration 25this post at 1964 E-type FHC restoration ↗
1964 E-type FHC restoration 19this post at 1964 E-type FHC restoration ↗
1964 E-type FHC restoration 40this post at 1964 E-type FHC restoration ↗
How it was done
Starting condition
Stephen stripped the car down to a bare shell, front frame rails, picture frame and bonnet, then had it sandblasted. This uncovered extensive old damage that had been poorly repaired with bondo in the past.
Body repairs and paint
A husband-wife team, Machelle and Chris Holloway, did all the metalwork and painted the shell. A new bonnet was ordered since the original was rough underneath, but it arrived too long and too wide and needed trimming and narrowing to fit.
Mechanical teardown and rebuild
Stephen tore down the rear end, fitting new rotors, half shafts and U-joints, and refurbished 1 7/8 inch rear calipers. He also tore down the 3.8 litre engine, finding a broken piston ring had scuffed a cylinder wall; the block was bored .020 over and new pistons and rings fitted. A friend, Terry G., finished machining and assembling the engine and cylinder head.
Correcting earlier modifications
Stephen discovered a previous owner had replaced the original 3.8 litre brake pedal box and servo with a 4.2 litre setup, and had fitted incorrect 1968 seats. He later located the correct 1964 coupe seats and the correct 3.8 litre pedal box and servo through fellow enthusiast Dan Crook.
Reassembly progress
Work so far includes refitting the upper and lower wishbones, the steering rack, and spark plug wiring, with ongoing progress on reinstalling the rebuilt engine.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at 1964 E-type FHC restoration ↗