Lost In Gloucestershire Project Saves The 10th E-Type 4.2 Built From A Rusty Demise In The Undergrowth

Jaguar restoration specialists E-Type UK are no strangers to ground-up rebuilds of some rather far-gone classics but even this skilled crew must have taken a deep breath when they first set eyes on the 1964 4.2-liter E-Type languishing in the undergrowth on a Gloucestershire estate. Any E-Type is a special car but this particular right-hand-drive fixed head coupe happens to be the 10th 4.2-liter car built so the E-Type UK team felt duty-bound to restore this historically significant car.

Having spent much of the last three decades exposed to the elements there was not a single panel of the car’s bodywork that was deemed salvageable. It was however still fitted with its original matching numbers running gear and suspension units. What followed was a painstaking rebuild that involved sourcing many components like a period-correct floorpan, rear bulkhead, roof and tailgate, and fabricating many other parts. The Opalescent Silver Grey paintwork went through 60 hours of polishing to bring out its true luster and the interior was also completely refurbished receiving new electronics, dashboard, seats and door panels.

Under that curvaceous hood, the team tried to salvage as many parts of the original 4.2-liter motor as possible. They also fitted the car with a stainless-steel sports exhaust system and upgraded manifolds. Further improving the E-Type’s performance, the car’s new owner took the opportunity to have high-lift cams, a lightened crank and five-speed gearbox installed.

“We have seen and completed a number of ‘Bush-Find’ restorations,” says E-Type UK founder, Marcus Holland, “but this must be one of the most significant E-Type UK has ever undertaken. Learning of its wonderful history, and being able to restore another Jaguar classic to its former glory has been a pleasure. It is now back on Britain’s roads, upholding the incredible legacy of the E-type and ready to be enjoyed for the first time in over thirty years.”

Images courtesy of E-Type UK