My S type

[abbirkin]

Just to expand a little on the last photos. I said earlier the car had been in a wooden garage 8-9 years. Someone broke into the garage at that time and stole the radio and leaving the interior as it is on the photo. The owner lost heart in the car and just left it as it was with roof open, broken garage window and ill-fitting garage doors. I'm convinced this is what saved the car with natural air flowing round it for so long.

After we dragged it out of the garage (brakes not locked) we put an upturned petrol can to feed the carbs, put on a battery and it started! The clutch was seized temporarily but came off with a bang!
We towed it home with my brother's Granada Estate, only about a mile but was apprehensive of ramming him down a hill, but used the handbrake successfully.
The Webasto roof, having been open for all that time would not stretch to completely shut, so I waited for a warm day, kept damping it with hot water until it shut. I later had to renew the fabric roof as it was going rotten.

After playing around with the car for a while, I decided to drive it locally to a car valet who washed the wheels with acid and cleaned the car. When I went to fetch it later, it was astounding. I decided to call in my local garage asking him to test it to see what what wanted doing. Again, astonishingly, after fitting a new exhaust (the old one had rotted, but it sounded great without one) and fitting a new ball joint, he gave me a clean certificate! I taxed and insured it and just drove it for a while. After finding it was doing about 50 miles per pint of oil, it was then I knew I had to do something drastic.

Hope the above is interesting.

[jonesdl]

Looks like you have a great car there Barrie it looks really good. Also nice to have the back ground to finding your the S type, welcome to the group.
Regards
Dave J.

[cass3958]

Great story Barrie keep it coming.

[JCS]

Barrie

Cass said “One of us might live around the corner,you never know”

Beautiful car you have and as expected it looks well in Black and chrome.

My own car, with some exceptions such as the roof and colour is an almost copy, I even have identical wing mirrors, roof aerial and wheels, albeit I have Red coachwork but Ivory XJ seats.

As Cass said “you never know” well I pass straight through Matlock on the A6 very often as my daughter lives very close by, but I stay in Wessington when I drive the Jaguar as I now live 70 miles away.

Years ago I used to turn around in Matlock centre when road testing cars. Notice that the tree on the Matlock side of Whatstandwell bridge has a single trunk It originally had a split of three trunks until one of my testers placed No 2 cylinder of a Bentley MkIV around that centre trunk and I had a Diamond T unhook it.

Norman



Those were the days….so if you see a Red 3.4 ltr S type on the A6 “You never know”

[abbirkin]

Thanks Norman.

Interesting to see you have a similar car, albeit different colour etc., any pictures available?

Sounds as if if you used to have some fun on the local roads some time ago - I know the route you ‘raced’ well!

I’ll look out for you in the local area.

On another tack, has anyone a preference on tyres for the S type; I’ve just had a puncture and it seems I’m ready for a couple of new tyres. Existing are Avon 185R15 93H.

Barrie

[Glyn Ruck]

185 VR 15 Michelin XVS or 185 HR 15 Michelin XVS-P

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