I think the original question was regarding the viablility of doing a cheap
resto on a clapped-out E-Type, both regarding value and trouble. I'd say we
both agree that the car he described was a very bad idea. As far as the
E-type vs. B comparison, they are certainly in a different league entirely.
The E-Type is much faster, sexier, prettier, etc... (the best thing would be
to own one of each...)
The different league issue isn't necessarily bad for the B... for one thing,
the "average" B is cheap enough that it allows many of us to indulge in other
hobby automobiles as well...
The B has other benefits as well...
There are roads I can drive and places I can park my B that I don't think I'd
be comfortable with in an E-type. For example, in your own Santa Cruz county,
there are back-roads where the mildly modified B I had at the time left a
friend in his (very) stock 68 E-coupe in the weeds, because of sheer agility
and braking ability. ( his was a good example of what is now the typical 15k
car... pretty and ran good, but no upgrades..)
When we got to Santa Cruz, I parked near the Crepe Place in the first
available spot, while he had to circle around looking for somewhere where
some cretin in a corrolla wouldn't back-up over the unprotected nose of the
jag.
Also, in your comparison, you are still pitting a fully developed, "ultimate"
version of one marque against a used, un-debugged version of another... to do
to an E-Type the equivalent of what you wish to do to your B would set you
back the purchase price again...which is part of my point about apples and
oranges.... and of course it would still be faster, but I don't think that
was the point
Yes, I do still agree that the E is a highly desirable car. But we shouldn't
get preoccupied with looking too hard for the greener grass over the fence.
The B is a highly enjoyable toy that is cheap to own and easy to fix, the
same can't always be said about jags in general. Part of the enjoyment to me
in owning my B is knowing that (a) there is Nothing on it I can't fix myself,
and (b) there's nothing that can break that I can't easily afford to replace.
This keeps me from cringing when I hit an unexpected rise and find myself
airborne, or hear a "mystery noise" under the hood. Jags give me more worries
than my B.
When it all comes down to it, the best part about all these cars is the fun
factor. I would maintain that someone who has an old ugly midget and drives
it with enthusiam is probably having just as much fun as the guy in the
pristine E-type or Aston Martin, and possibly more... once you're behind the
wheel it's all about what you like driving, not value or looks...
---------------------(parts of long discussion ommitted for bandwidth
sake)-------------------------
lrcar@red4est.com wrote
Yes, but a reasonably stock E-type would blow the doors off just about
any MGB that was still recognizable as such.
> proverbial 12-15k E-coupe would not be close to a show car by Jag
standards..
But for $12-15k you would have a car with more torque than you're
likely to get out of an MG motor that would hold together more than a
month, a car with one of the prettiest shapes to ever grace the public
highways, and an engine note so beautiful that it could put most symphonies
to
shame.
> So maybe throwing buckets of money at a GT could bring you close to a jag
> price, but in this example it seems that for the money you would have a
> Perfect GT as opposed to a decent but used and worn E type. Considering
what
> it would then cost to perfect the E-type, the B looks like a bargain no
> matter what you spend on it.
Yes, and $16,000 would also buy you a brand spanking new honda civic in,
by definition, perfectly restored condition. Said car would also blow the
doors off of almost any MGB on the road (the Vtec civic puts out about the
same horsepower as the mgbgt-v8).
Also a lot of the restoration cost depends upon what you are starting
with. If it's a complete rust bucket, the MG would be cheaper. Ifi
it's a fairly complete car that needs an engine rebuild, interior,
paint job and suspension bushings the delta in price is probably less
than 30%
lrc
> _______------------------------------------------________________________
> From: Larry Colen <lrcar@red4est.com>
> Subject: Re: Jag XKE
>
> There are a few things that I've learned over the years.
>
> 1) It is cheaper to buy a car that is already fixed up than to fix it
> yourself.
> corollary: the most expensive cars I've ever owned were given to me.
>
> 2) It basically costs as much to restore an MG as a Jaguar.
>
> You can buy a nice E-type coupe for about $16,000. That is about
> what I was figuring that I would have spent on my BGT when I was
> done fixing it up. So, you can buy the Jag for about $4,000,
> and spend $10-15,000 fixing it up. Or you can buy one in nice
> shape for about $15,000 and drive it.
>>
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