The love affair is over - Etype woes

[Coco H]

With my E-type. I don't like it anymore.
Stupid back brakes keep binding on and are to be rebuilt for the umpteenth time in the years we've owned it. I suppose the best solution is to bite the bullet and buy the Coopercraft bits but right now I can't stomach the cost.
The trouble is two two seaters are sat in the garage but we are a family of 5 so they can't even go out together and the cars rarely get driven which is part of the problem.

[e42]

Hi,

I had a niggling problem with my E, on and off, for over a year, to the extent that I couldn't rely on it getting me home. Now that's sorted though, it's bliss. Had a geat run up to the Lakes last Sunday - makes you forget any hassle on a day like that.

Stick with it (pardon the brake pun), you know it's worth it in the end!

Dom

[Elderly]

Is it 'Chicken or Egg'? Do you not like it because the rear brakes bind or do the rear brakes bind
through lack of use?

If you don't use the car, I really don't see much point in keeping it but I wouldn't get rid of it just because the brakes bind on.

Edited by Elderly on Thursday 19th August 11:57

[lowdrag]

Rear brakes or hand brake? There is a well-known scissors conversion which is in stainless which I've had on my E-type for over 20 years and have never had a problem at all. Mind you, I never park up the car in the garage with the hand brake on - ever. As regards the rear brakes, it sounds like calipers to me. Have you regularly changed the brake fluid? If not, being hygroscopic, it absorbs water and rusts the pistons so they stay on. That being said, If you do change to Zeus or Coopercraft (same thing, but invented by Zeus for London taxis), don't just change the rears - change the lot. Upsets the brake balance if you don't. And never just put them on the front - that is dangerous.

[alfa pint]

The point about the handbrake being left on when garaged, especially after a wet run, is a very valid one. Used to happen to one of my dad's cars frequently.

[jason156v6]

I never had a chance to own (or drive an E-type)- would like, no.. love to though! Coopercraft serviced my old MG a few times when I lived in Exeter.

Its many years ago and of course things may change but they were an honest bunch who while specialising in Jaguars never looked down on their noses if you wanted work done on more day to day stuff.

All the Jaguar customers swore by their kit, the boss took time out to explain in detail what the kit was all about even though he knew I was just interested and was never going to buy on....an enthusiast

[Coco H]

No the handbrake is never left on. Brake fluid changed frequently. It's the rears. I suspect the calipers. I am aware that if I do the rears I will have to do the fronts too which is why I am holding off got to be over1k in total.
I think it will be on the 2011 shopping list once I have sold one of the other cars. It's funny though I just don't want to drive it anymore. I used to look forward to driving her but she is so impractical. I can only get my eldest in and not any of the others.

[richw_82]

Has the E-type got the lovely little flexible hose that attaches the main brake line to the rear suspension cage, like on the later cars (eg XJ6's?)

When that ages it collapses internally, acts like a non return valve and the brakes bind.

Regards,

Rich

[DBSV8]

Coco H said:

With my E-type. I don't like it anymore.
Stupid back brakes keep binding on and are to be rebuilt for the umpteenth time in the years we've owned it. I suppose the best solution is to bite the bullet and buy the Coopercraft bits but right now I can't stomach the cost.
The trouble is two two seaters are sat in the garage but we are a family of 5 so they can't even go out together and the cars rarely get driven which is part of the problem.

Coco do you have any photos of your E-types you can pm me Like the look of your series 1 in Carmen red

thanks

[Coco H]

I don't think I have many pictures of her in a digital format. It wasn't red originally, but gunmetal a much better colour IMHO

[VetteG]

Your kids will soon grow up and will hate you if you part with the E. When they are older they will hopefully enjoy it as much as you. Both my lads now drive my Corvette and its fun to share and has got both of them into classic cars to the extent that one now has a racing Spitfire under development. Stay with it, you will kick yourself (or your kids will) if you get rid of it.

G

[cdodgyd]

I disagree - get rid of it. I had a series 1 4.2 FHC E-type from 1997-2003. It was the worst car I've ever owned. Yes, they are beautiful and quite fast but the damn thing cleaned me out financially and nearly put me off classics for good despite being a life-long fan. It was a restored car to start with, but everything and I mean everything, went wrong with it. I had the engine rebuilt twice by a well known specialist (who will remain nameless). The third time I did it myself before selling it. That of course is just the engine; I could go on at length about the brakes, electrics, interior, wheels/hubs and UJ's, suspension, cooling system, etc, etc. I used it regularly and estimate in my 7 years of ownership I spent on average at least an hour a day sorting things out. Every long-ish trip extracted a price with something or other.
They were cheaply put together when new and 40-50 years on you really need a brand new car such as those done by Eagle to maintain any semblance of reliability. Of course you're going to have to be a millionaire! As the late, great Alan Clark once said "If the E-type had been made by the Germans it could have been the greatest classic of all time". I took that to heart and now run a 1971 Mercedes W108 - its virtually trouble free even in daily use.

[a8hex]

cdodgyd said:

its virtually trouble free even in daily use.

Pity the same can't be said for their more recent produce

[lowdrag]

Then you bought a pup, quite frankly.I've had mine 28 years and rebuilt it over 20 years back. In that time it has let me down twice where I couldn't repair it on the spot. Both times it was the dynamo bearings that let go, requiring a new dynamo. Once we found a Mini dynamo in a breaker's yard and made up some brackets to fit it and it lasted 2,000 miles before we got home from the Alps. In the 28 years I've done over 100,000 miles, rebuilding the engine about 85,000 miles back after it overheated at Donington and cracked the block between 5 and 6, requiring stitching and a rebore. It still uses a pint of oil every 3,000 miles, runs like a swiss watch, takes all kinds of abuse, yet still I can jump in it anytime I like and do 1,000 miles without a problem, as I did in July. Yes, she's starting to rust a bit, but not seriously, minor stuff that will be put right in a month or two. The hood has a slight hole where it has rubbed on the struts, the wheels are a bit rusty, but even after 20 years the suspension is still perfect, the shock absorbers and torsion bars working fine, the axle without a whine, the steering accurate, the old Moss box still as good as ever. I hear so many complaints about E-types, but they are tough as old boots if looked after well enough and you have the right people to look after them. If an engine rebuild is necessary, then a complete flushing of the block will cure overheating problems and a correct running in will obviate oil consumption. Then it'll last you for ever, as my car has proved. All of my Jaguars run on ther button, some using oil because the engine is in race tune and designed to do so, but all rarely cause me a problem. I can only assume you trusted people that didn't know what they were doing.

A good E-type will go on and on, as long as you maintain it properly and buy the right one to start with. Four years back I did the trip from Le Mans to Rijeka in Croatia in a day, about 1,200 miles in all, at an average of 24mpg. The problem with E-types, like many classics, is lack of use, not excessive use.

[mph]

lowdrag said:

A good E-type will go on and on, as long as you maintain it properly and buy the right one to start with. Four years back I did the trip from Le Mans to Rijeka in Croatia in a day, about 1,200 miles in all, at an average of 24mpg. The problem with E-types, like many classics, is lack of use, not excessive use.

Couldn't agree more.

Unfortunately there are a lot of very badly restored cars out there and unless you're an expert it's not always easy to sort out the real deal.

The other problem is the extremely poor quality of some of the replacement parts available,even from some of the major "specialists". Again not always apparent and often the cause of premature failure or poor driving characteristics.

My last E-type - a 4.2 fhc is still in regular use and the owner bought it to replace his Boxter.

[cdodgyd]

lowdrag said:

Then you bought a pup, quite frankly......I hear so many complaints about E-types

Absolutely, but there seem to be a disproportionate number of E's like this as you say.

lowdrag said:

I've had mine 28 years and rebuilt it over 20 years back.

I think you've hit the nail on the head here. Of the owners I've spoken to, only those with long term ownership seem to have reduced problems overall. As also mentioned in another post, poor quality repro parts are a significant headache.

lowdrag said:

I can only assume you trusted people that didn't know what they were doing.

Agreed again - I bought it from a now defunct (surprise, surprise!) but previously long running large Midlands based firm. The XK engine specialists however are still going strong and advertise regularly.
I learned two valuable lessons from this which have shown to hold water with later purchases: 1) I'll never buy a car from a dealer again, even if they are "specialists" 2) I'll always do any work on my classics myself from now on.

lowdrag said:

The problem with E-types, like many classics, is lack of use, not excessive use.

That is also true but certainly did not apply for me. At one point I tried to commute in it daily until it proved too unreliable. I did manage 15K miles one year however (it was naturally a major struggle!) - for me classics are meant to be used.

Well, its all food for thought for the original poster. I'd love to know what he decides.

Edited by cdodgyd on Friday 27th August 10:01

[Coco H]

Well mine certainly wasn't a pup. It's just the brakes. I know it must be lack of use that causes them to bind on. IN the days when we used it every weekend then it was fine. Since our son was born we have tried to drive it three times in ten months. That's the issue. Three children and two sports cars doesn't fit. With all the time my son has spent in and out of hospital, the jag hasn't had its winter maintenance this year either.
I would also agree about the poor quality of some of the replacement parts. Some of them are not very good. However we have removed bits and replaced them with better or different.... not for the purists our car.
The engine was rebuilt by my other half when we bought the car and has been fine since. Probably should be rebuilt again soon when we get to 10 years. We used to rebuild our racing engine every season

[DBSV8]

Coco H said:

Well mine certainly wasn't a pup. It's just the brakes. I know it must be lack of use that causes them to bind on. IN the days when we used it every weekend then it was fine. Since our son was born we have tried to drive it three times in ten months. That's the issue. Three children and two sports cars doesn't fit. With all the time my son has spent in and out of hospital, the jag hasn't had its winter maintenance this year either.
I would also agree about the poor quality of some of the replacement parts. Some of them are not very good. However we have removed bits and replaced them with better or different.... not for the purists our car.
The engine was rebuilt by my other half when we bought the car and has been fine since. Probably should be rebuilt again soon when we get to 10 years. We used to rebuild our racing engine every season

Have you thought of fitting an ISOFIX point professionaly in the rear then installing a child seat in the middle , get it sva approved and problem solved .

[Coco H]

Do you mean on the ledge? or something?

[a8hex]

Isn't your E-Type a FHC, I have seen child seats in the "boot" of E's before now.