See the MIND-BLOWING Photos below!
We have acquired the restored body shell from an abandoned E-Type OTS project. It is a Series 2 roadster shell, but can be converted to Series 1 if you like – we have done this conversion here before and the work would be flawless – as I have said before, “William Lyons himself would swear it was a Series 1.” We can offer this shell in about a dozen different ways – from “as-is”, to a complete project car – read on!
This shell is EXCELLENT! It is COMPLETELY restored, and the metalwork is as good or maybe even a little better than the work we do here! Every seam (even the internal stuff!) has been carefully dressed down to the point where it is very difficult to tell what is new and what is original! Here is a list of the NEW sheetmetal in the shell:
Full floors
Inner and outer sills
All sill closing panels and gussets
Toe or “X” panels
Crossmember
Transmission side panels
Complete rear inner bulkhead (seat dishes)
Shut face panels, the side panels behind them, and the complete B-post inner supports
Rear chassis legs
Boot floor and rear lower valances
Large plate above the IRS unit
And MORE!!!
After the completion of the metalwork, the doors were fitted with the rubber door seals in place, and the whole shell was block sanded and painted a correct maroon color which is not metallic. The paint is EXCELLENT – all seams are sealed with seam-sealer, and the paint was liberally applied inside EVERY SINGLE nook and cranny – INCLUDING INSIDE THE SILLS! Yes – there is finish paint INSIDE the sills!
What you see in the photos below is what I was able to get – the doors and boot lid are gone. The story that I am getting on this one is that it was in a storage unit that was auctioned off, and the rest of the car was in another unit that the person was unable to either bid on or win… I don’t know how long ago that was, and by the time I got involved, it was just sitting in someone’s back yard – but not for long, and there is not ONE SPECK of rust – or any “lifting” of any kind on it – the paint is doing it’s job on this one!
Now, they’re never “absolutely perfect”, and this one does have two minor issues. The first is that some idiot sliced a rectangular hole in the rear end of the RH outer sill, and folded the metal down. While this is mind-numbing in its stupidity, it did allow me to see that the inside of the sills look as good as the outside, and are painted – and the gussets are in place correctly. I will repair this seamlessly – it’s not that big of a deal.
The other issue is that again, some idiot, made a couple of cuts around the defrost holes in the forward bulkhead. Not really sure what was going on here – clearance for an aftermarket AC unit? Big radio?… Whatever – I will repair that as well. Otherwise, I just can’t find ANYTHING wrong with the metalwork – it is SUPERB!
Paint – The paint is excellent… The shell was then filled in the seams, coated with a high-build primer, block sanded, and painted. So the shell is painted and does have filler in it, but it is “good filler” – used in the factory seams and for smoothing – NOT repairs or shaping of bashed up body panels. I think that the pictures speak for themselves in this department – this shell was done RIGHT! The two areas I’ll be repairing could be smoothed and then blended, and this shell could move forward as a maroon E-Type. Or, you could scuff things down and repaint in the color of your choice.
In conclusion – If you have a rusty Series 2 roadster, this shell is the answer to your prayers – and I can offer it at WAY LESS than the cost of what it would take to get ANY E-Type shell to this point! But if you have a Series 1, or WANT a Series 1, have no fear – I can put together a package to meet your needs too!
Here are just SOME of the ways we can do this:
Option A – Series 2 Roadster
As-is – the two small issues will be repaired and primed
With doors and boot lid fitted – Series 2 doors will be built with new skins, and a good original boot lid fitted, all on restored, good original hinges.
Complete body shell with bonnet – In addition to doors and a boot lid, we can also restore a Series 2 bonnet and fit it to the shell – this is going to involve either yours, or a new set of frame rails…
Option B – Series 1 Roadster
As-is with conversion to Series 1 – the two small issues will be repaired and primed, and the shell will be converted to Series 1 specs – with some or all of the following steps: tail will be converted to factory Series 1 specs with all new panels, the door shut face panels will be swapped out for Series 1 units, and the pedal box panels can be converted to 3.8 specs if needed.
With doors and boot lid fitted – Series 1 doors will be built with new skins, and a good original boot lid fitted, all on restored, good original hinges.
Complete body shell with bonnet – In addition to doors and a boot lid, we can also restore a Series 1 bonnet and fit it to the shell – this is going to involve either yours, or a new set of frame rails…
Option C – CONVERSION of your Series 2 Roadster to Series 1 – If you would like to convert your Series 2 to Series 1, this shell is a great option. because it has the Series 2 forward bulkhead, it will accept your Series 2 steering components, and also your door latches. This is how we have helped customers go from Series 2 to Series 1 in the past – you basically end up with a 1.5…
Option D – CONVERSION of your Coupe or 2+2 to a Roadster – If you would like to convert your closed E-Type to an open car – we can do that too! In addition to the doors and boot lid, we can provide a convertible top frame, all door internals, bumpers, tail lights, etc. – EVERYTHING you need to get the job done – right!
Option E – COMPLETE E-type Project Car – we still have a good deal of parts and pieces around here, and could just about assemble this shell into a complete project car. The best bet would be as a non-numbers-matching 3.8 roadster – we would convert the shell to Series 1 of course… I do have a good serial number without a title – I’m working on that. We have the complete suspension, rebuildable 3.8 engine with E-Type cam covers, oil pan and filter housing, top frame, door internals, bonnet, etc. plus many of the parts and pieces need to round out the project.
SO – think about how this FABULOUS shell fits into your project, and give me a ring! But don’t wait – I don’t expect this one to last very long – the last time I had a roadster shell like this, I sent out a few emails and it was gone FAST!
Happy Holidays! – Chuck
