Rotting Jaguar sports car dug out of garden after 30 years restored and worth a small fortune
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A restoration shop has proved its mettle by resurrecting the metal of a historic Jaguar sports car that had been rotting away in a garden for 30 years.
The 1964 E-Type was the 10th example of the classic model off of the production line and completely original, but it was mostly disintegrated after sitting outside so long with foliage growing through it.
The car, which was unearthed on the Gloucester, U.K., property when its original owner fell ill, found its way to Jaguar specialist E-Type UK, according to The Sun.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The outfit said the car was toast. Parts from the running gear and engine were salvaged and refinished, but practically everything else had to be replaced or recreated – including the body and floor pan.
Some of it was handled with period-correct equipment that it managed to track down, while the rest fabricated from scratch to the original specifications.
(E-Type UK)
The cam covers and cylinder head were salvaged from the original engine, however, then refinished and installed on a new 4.2-liter inline-six.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The car is now in the hands of its new owner and has been valued at approximately $125,000, while a perfectly preserved example would be worth closer to $200,000.