When this 1965 E-Type Series I 4.2 Roadster was bought for the proverbial `peanuts` in 1978, little did the, then, young man know that he would lay it up in 1982 with a broken engine and rotten body. Nor did he realise that it would remain that way for a further 37 years…..
To-day, in 2021, after a three year restoration by WinSpeed Motorsport in Guildford, this very same gentleman now has the car of his 1978 dreams: a perfect – `brand new` – E-Type with which to enjoy his retirement. It is, to-day, quite simply, one of the best in the world! UK, Right Hand Drive and matching numbers.
In the WinSpeed Fabrication shop, the car was stripped forensically to its last nut, bolt, washer and split-pin. Every single component was checked to be saved and restored… or, if necessary, replaced. After careful media-blasting two thirds of the structure was replaced or refabricated, such was the extent of its corrosion. The original, damaged, bonnet was laboriously restored and saved (a modern replacement was quite unthinkable). The corroded engine frame was replaced with the very best available.
Suspension, front and rear, was fully stripped, restored and reassembled. The brakes were uprated with WinSpeed specialist calipers together with other WinSpeed upgrades.
The 4.2 Litre XK engine was a fully rebuilt with precision in the WinSpeed Engine shop, with the cylinder head carefully machined and ported to deliver beautiful torque and power. The Heart might rule the Head…..but the head is the heart of the car. The Stainless steel 2” exhaust system, with its finely tuned 6-branch manifold, completed the performance package.
At WinSpeed Motorsport – WinSpeed of Guildford – we are immensely proud to have been part of this exciting, and exacting, journey to provide as we always do the car that our customer requires and hopes for.
Yes: it was not a cheap operation, but it was `in budget` and worthy of values that are appreciated within a discerning market which understands quality. Another WinSpeed E-Type Restoration.
