Old Enthusiast but New to S-Type

[barryjagman]

Hello everyone,

I have been a Jaguar Enthusiast for over 30 years having owned and restored many jaguars including MK2, XK120, 140 and 150, SS1 and the later XJs and XJSs.

I have a soft spot for Jaguar cars and when i see an interesting or abandoned car i can not resist the temptation to return the car to its former glory. This has happened recently when browsing Ebay i spotted a 1966 3.4 S-Type in Surrey. This particular car was bought in 1973 and used until 1981 when the owner decided to restore the car. During the next few years various new parts were obtained, new wire wheels and hubs, a complete new trim kit, the wood work was restored by a craftsman, etc etc. Unfortunately two years ago the owner passed away in the middle of the restoration and now his widow was selling the car as she was moving to a smaller home. I made a sensible offer for the car and i am now the proud owner.

I traveled to Surrey last Saturday by transit van and returned to Tyneside with a full load of parts and spares. The rolling shell is being
collected tomorrow. As you can imagine, taking on a project like this will require some help and assistance so i hope i can rely on other S-Type owners with any problems that might occur.

Best Regards, Barry

[JAGAZ]

you`re brave taking on an unfinished resto,but it sounds like a good one to do.You don`t get lot`s of traffic on this forum but it`s getting better and those that are present are very helpfull.Good luck Barry and may it all go smoothly,Howard.

[smiffy]

Hi Barry
Good luck with this, you are brave to take on a part-finished restoration. If you have previously restored a Mk2 you will find the S-type very similar in many respects. I've got a 1966 Mk2 2.4L as a running restoration, and have tackled a few major jobs over the last couple of years - brake system overhaul, front-end rewire, power steering conversion, front subframe rebuild. She's just had a new clutch and I've made a start on the welding. As Howard says, this forum is not heavy with traffic, but people do try and help.
Best wishes, David

[Davgro]

Good luck with this.
I bought my 3.4S in 1983 and it had been stored then since 1976.
I've now had it completely restored and its really a new car as everything has been done. I either did the work myself or was around when the work was being done.
What a beautiful car to drive and i've owned BMW's and MERC's but this takes some beating for shear personality, looks, power and comfort.
As an example, I recently moved from Southampton to Nottingham and drove the car up non stop in 2.5 hours and it was 190 miles.
I drive the car as its meant to be driven.
If you want to know anything about what to get or where to get it from the don't hesitate to ask.
Cheers
Graeme