E-TYPE JAGUAR

CAT RESTORED AND RELEASED

The cofounder of Millbrook Resort, Graham Smolenski, went looking for his Jaguar back in the late ’80s. After some searching, he eventually discovered a forlorn 1969 Jaguar E-type Series 2 Roadster stored in a barn in Southern California. “It had been in storage since 1973, and the owner was a young fellow who had started stripping it to restore the car. He had gone overseas on military duty, and when he arrived back he lost interest in doing anything with it,” Graham says.

The body was in reasonable shape, despite its many colours. Many of the mechanical items were nonoriginal, but at least they were in good condition. A deal was done and the project was shipped home to New Zealand in late 1989. Graham enlisted the services of well-known local restorer Lex Emslie to coordinate and complete the restoration of the Jaguar, which would see it on the road in 1992.

Once the boxes of parts and the car had arrived in New Zealand, it was time to sit down and talk with Lex about exactly what sort of restoration the E-type would be.

“Lex Emslie had a brilliant business restoring cars at his Lake Hayes garage at that time. He led the restoration pathway, which involved several people in the restoration and panel specialists in Dunedin back then,” Graham explains.

Stephen Kydd at Fuji Panels took care of all the metalwork, and when it came time to apply the attractive British Racing Green colour scheme it was entrusted to Chris Weir at Eurofinish.

The result was the creation of a very special Jaguar, one that totally meets modern motoring demands on both the open road and town traffic. It has also been a restoration that has enhanced both safety and comfort levels and negated the shortcomings of a car designed in the early 1960s.

“That was the idea from the start, and my first decision was if it was going to be an original restoration or was it going to be upgraded,” says Graham. “I wanted a sports car to drive regularly, and in any event you can see from the vehicle that it didn’t have all its original parts. The gearbox wasn’t original, the motor wasn’t original, and all the other components had to be restored or replaced. It was the suspension and body that was original, and it was in great shape when Lex inspected it.”

Looking after the cats

Graham was well versed in the demands of Jaguar restoration, as at that time Millbrook Resort ran a small fleet of Jaguar Mark IX and Mark X saloons as courtesy cars for its clients: “We had the contacts for people to restore and maintain the big saloons, and the E-type fitted in with ordering of parts and re-trimming the upholstery piece by piece at that time.”

Work began on the E-type and the bodywork was stripped back to bare metal and prepped for painting.

“It went through the whole ‘Steinschlagen’ process, which is a process taken out of Germany for sealing the whole base of the lower floor. It must be perfectly clean and with no bubbles, and that has protected the whole thing,” says Graham.

All mechanical work was done through local engineer Marty Strain’s workshop. “Tony Thompson [who worked at Strain’s at the time] did the work on the engine. He was a real specialist and very passionate about it, and he would come around and tinker with it. He did a superb job.”

Graham has never regretted the decision to not only rebuild the car but also modernize key components, resulting in a very usable sports car able to be driven with ease in modern road conditions: “It was in line with my desire over the years to build a drivable car, inspired by companies such as Beacham, Vicarage, Eagle, and a huge international industry which has been built around sympathetically modernizing Jaguar E-type components. For example, the electronic ignition looks exactly like the original, but it has all modern internals and reliability.”

Hours of research also turned up LED units for the E-type headlights, replacing the weak standard units. It was an important consideration, and not only for E-type aesthetics. US regulations outlawed the faired clear headlight covers, as seen on the Series 1 forcing Jaguar to fit upright units. Many enthusiasts thought this spoiled the clean lines of the original design, he explains.

“Changing to LED lighting allowed me to cover in the headlamps just like the Series 1,” Graham tells us. “The Jaguar E-type Series 2 and Series 3 headlights had kits available from a German specialist with LED. Modern illumination at night meant that it was no longer a danger. The original style was weak and hazardous at night with the speeds at which the E-type could be driven.”

Making the choice to not only rebuild the car but also modernize key components was a decision Graham never regretted, resulting in a very usable sports car able to be driven with ease in modern road conditions

A journey of updating

Completed in 1992, Graham’s E-type has since enjoyed a programme of constant revision, upgrade, and maintenance. No expense has been spared, either in the restoration or since, and specialized components have been used all the way through.

A case in point is the gearbox, sourced from the US. A JT5 five-speed Medatronics E-type full-synchro gearbox made especially for Jaguars was installed, a modification that enhances the car’s cruising ability.

Says Graham, “The gearbox we installed was OK, but it wasn’t a Moss box, and that was one of the reasons I bought it. But a fourspeed, in terms of a modern car, feels as if it is over-revving all the time. I had read such good reports of the special JT5 five-speed gearbox rebuilds in the States, so I forked out for it and loved it.”

It wasn’t a cheap conversion but thoroughly worth it in Graham’s view and was the correct modification to make, rather than resorting to a gearbox from another make.

“It’s a very tight gearbox and very strong. It’s just a wonderful, driveable car on a daily basis, and it keeps the feel and appearance of the E-type,” he says.

Everyday driver in summer

The latest upgrade was to the steering. The system was sourced from a Dutch company, EZ Electric Power Steering, which takes units from Koyo and NSK in Japan and converts them for use in Jaguars.

“The conversion to electronic powersteering has been a recent development and it has a variable power input. It keeps the original feel of the E-type steering, and in the city it kicks up the power even more and you can drive around in traffic with ease,” says Graham.

The ample high-backed seats are covered in fawn-coloured leather, and I ask about their origin. This draws an amused response from Graham: “They’re Ferrari. The only clash with the original concept was the seats, and again it was a matter of comfort and safety for everyday driving. They are more supportive and comfortable than the originals.”

The Jaguar has endeared itself to Graham for the way it gobbles up the miles in journeys around the South Island, especially with regular trips to Oamaru and through to Twizel over the Lindis Pass.

A bonus in summer is having the twin electric radiator fans — another subtle improvement helping the big cat to keep its cool as it idles while we take photos.

“You couldn’t have done that with a normal Series 2. It would have overheated by now,” Graham says.

Déjà vu

Life is full of coincidences, and back in the early 1990s, New Zealand Classic Car published a story on former Invercargill restorer Ray Larsen, who had moved to Queenstown and established his business at Frankton industrial park.

One of the products he was making for Jaguar E-type roadsters was replacement removable fibreglass hardtops; a big improvement over the one-size-fits-all Jaguar originals. Each top was made especially for an individual car to cope with the variability in Jaguar’s assembly practices.

Graham’s E-type is in at Ray’s workshop the day we call to see progress.

“Most E-types came out standard with

Completed in 1992, Graham’s E-type has since enjoyed a programme of constant revision, upgrade, and maintenance

the roof and it leaked badly,” Graham tells us. “That was the first one Ray had done and he took a mould of that car. Ray did lots of other little things too, like the wooden steering wheel it now has fitted.”

Sifting through some old photographs recently, we found the original photo taken of Graham’s car being fitted for its roof, but we can’t find a photo of it fitted on the car.

Needless to say, it still does not leak, and not only is it nicely trimmed but it also enhances comfort levels while cruising. However, the hardtop can make it a challenge getting in and out for taller types, but more on that later.

Graham recounts how the Jaguar has also carried out a role usually given to its more commodious stable-mates: “Even though it’s a thorough sports car, it has done a wedding and the bride did fit in there. She shuffled in there OK, wedding dress and all!”

Making friends

Being involved in the build of the Jaguar and then getting out and driving it and attending events proved something of a pleasant surprise. Most people would agree this is part and parcel of being involved in car clubs of all types.

“I had a good group of individuals which I got to know during the restoration,” Graham says. “For me it was a joy from the point of view that I was introduced to a group of car enthusiasts who also became friends. I would never have mixed with them and I would never have met them otherwise, so it had a social benefit too.”

That Jaguar growl

With all the enhancements this Jaguar has to offer, the chance to spend some time cruising the highway in it is eagerly welcomed.

Graham has maintained this car exactly as it should be — ‘fastidious’ is the word that springs to mind. The 4.2-litre sixcylinder engine sits pristinely under that huge bonnet, which makes up about a third of the overall length of an E-type. The car is spotless everywhere, even under the wheel arches.

Another upgrade that purists may not agree with was the change to American Dayton wire wheels. Still having the centre hub attached with knock-off hubs, they use

stainless-steel spokes, which alleviate much of the tension loss and cracking of chrome items. They look just as good too.

Getting into the close-fitted hardtop turns out to be a hilarious contortionist effort, but it is manageable, and once settled in and belted into those Italian seats, we agreed with what Graham says: they are a huge improvement over the Jaguar seats normally fitted.

This car is beautifully finished, and there is that familiar deep Jaguar growl as the engine is warmed up. Not entirely happy with the engine, Graham had it rebuilt again in 2017 by local engineer Tony Thompson. It must be one of the quietest-idling Jaguars engines around.

The day we go for a drive preceded one of the heaviest snow falls the region has had in 20-plus years. It’s pelting down with rain, sleeting, and there’s a cold southerly blast. Great driving weather! If you have ever experienced driving a standard E-type in rain and cold weather then you’ll know there is a certain level of care required.

This particular E-type destroys a few myths as it performs admirably at a fairly reasonable pace, considering the conditions. Kumho tyres are fitted, along with Spax shock absorbers all around. And a thoroughly sorted suspension, along with uprated XJ-S disc-brakes, make what was already a very good handling and stable car even better.

That big old 4.2 engine pulls like it will never run out of puff, especially on the hills. Changing to the new gearbox has noticeably improved progress, with quieter cruising and well-chosen ratios. Shifts are direct, quick, and positive, without the crunch often found with Jaguar gearboxes, and the gear lever needs only small movements while selecting ratios. It is a very enjoyable and comfortable drive despite the conditions and with a Jaguar heater that works well! Thanks to Graham for the opportunity.

Time to say goodbye

Putting so much time, research, effort, and money into a project like this makes it difficult when it comes time to move on to other things. It can be a real challenge, and in Graham’s case there is a genuine tinge of sadness when he contemplates parting company with what has been a very reliable car.

But the time has come to move on and Graham has reluctantly sold the Jaguar. He admits that, without a doubt, the price asked does not reflect what has been spent over the years. It’s a wonderful car, and while purists may not agree with all it has to offer, it is a genuinely usable car for modern conditions without many of the usual Jaguar shortcomings.

“I’ve got to an age where it needs to go to a younger enthusiast. It’s hard to let it go but it needs to be driven more,” he says.