Full of surprises
1966 Jaguar E-type 2+2 auto
Owned by Malcolm Mckay
(c/o classic.cars@bauermedia.co.uk)
Time owned Six years
Latest/total mileage 276/49,398
Latest/total costs £5/£4900
Previously Discovering quirky features while researching a new book on E-types
Ileft my last column on a bit of a cliffhanger – me, the car and my newly written Original Jaguar E-type book, had to be at Shelsley Walsh for the E-type 60 event. Would we make it? The Porter Publishing team pulled out all the stops to get the book ready, as did Welsh printer Gomer Press, and copies arrived just in time. After burning copious amounts of midnight oil finishing the book, I had no time to recover because I was straight into helping with the launch of a new trade association for the classic car industry, HCVA, which has kept me thoroughly busy ever since.
But there was no question that I had to be at E-type 60 for the book launch – and I was not going without my E-type! Taking a stand to promote our rally-organising business meant cramming a large gazebo, folding table, tent, chairs, stacks of brochures and more into the E-type along with wife Helena and daughter Fifi – so thank goodness it’s a 2+2…
I had not topped up the automatic transmission for a while. I have to confess I still haven’t serviced the transmission since buying the car, and it does lose some oil. Consumption has decreased since I put auto transmission seal sweller in it in Ireland in 2019, but I really needed to check it – not the easiest task if you have a sloping drive.
The level has to be checked with the engine running and the transmission warmed up, so it needed to be given a run first. Then it was put in the garage with the engine running for the check. After pouring oil into the dipstick hole you need to wait for it to settle, otherwise you end up with a false reading.
Fortunately not much oil was needed, which was good news, and the engine oil consumption was also acceptable. I was pleased to see it hadn’t got any worse since I managed to find an extra 10psi oil pressure last year, when I discovered that the gasket for the oil gallery had been fitted the wrong way round…
Our journey up to Shelsley for E-type 60 was somewhat fraught. Friday afternoons on the M5 this summer have been hell, and this time was no exception. What should have been a two-hour journey took four, in serious heat, crawling for mile after mile. Thankfully the E-type – which has an aftermarket aluminium radiator made in the US and a Japanese electric fan of unknown origin that also came with the car – coped admirably with the heat and didn’t miss a beat all the way.
Ours was probably the scruffiest E-type at Shelsley that weekend, but I was still very proud of the car. It works hard and rewards with a great driving experience – not to mention the shape that, even in 2+2 form, makes you keep looking back and think, ‘Wow, I’m so lucky to own that car…’