Chief Cohiba

At least one I guess most of us could drive around ourselves. 😉

Honestly, I'm making my peace with the Series 3. It's a totally different car, more than the similar shape would tell, but in a way it makes sense. A bit like a Panamera, when you compare it to a 911. And it looks quite impressive in the flesh, when it sits right in front of you. (But given the need for a big GT, which Series 1-2 weren't, I'd rather go for an XJ-S. Or an Espada. Or a Jensen)

Of course, that's the legit way to go. However, I allow myself sometimes the freedom of a more personal approach, and model a car after my personal tastes as long as it's feasable. Imagine, it'll be early seventies and imaginary me, donning the fanciest sideburns, would walk into a dealer and order a car there. Like in following conversation: Me: "Well, I think brown would look nice (it's the seventies, everything was brown then), metallic, if possible - oh, and, I do love that metal parts around the lights, as on last years model. Why did they remove it?" Dealer (light bellbottom suit, looking just like Brett Sinclair): "What you think about this colour, it's called Luci Del Bosco, and tan leather seats look just great with it. We can even cover the dashboard, too - you'd be amazed. And I'll see about those eyelashes, but what I've heard our boss himself have them installed on his, so you see me optimistic. I think they removed them because of the Germans. Think someone might get hurt. " Me: "Germans - natural born beancounters. The tan dashboard sounds wonderful - where can I sign?" Something like that. (My own budget is not a matter of feasibility here, of course.) Well, I thought so myself, going after those classic, screaming 70ies colours like Lime or Orange, but something like this made me think again (it's from a german site: https://www.classic-analytics.de/de/news/miura-mania-bei-den-monterey-auktionen-2024 )

Ferrucio Lamborghini had his own red SV build with eyelashes, it's the one in the Lamborghini museum. But I think I heard in one of Mr. T.'s other Workshop videos that it was quite common to have SVs fitted with eyelashes, some retrofitted, some factory wise. I even think I recall having seen one gold SV with lashes in one of his videos. So, I'd say, anything goes. Oh, talking colours; Luci del Bosco anyone?

Oh, you have a 1/24 scale cat? That could be a solution, ours in 1/1 scale always gets in the way! But I used one of the whisker hairs as an antenna once. So they can be helpful, sometimes... 🙂 Then maybe you choose this ancient Austrian design because it so oozes outdated-ness? Well, I guess I can see that. 🧐 I can remember when they changed to the new EU-conform design around 89, and what a fuss it was. May I suggest to have a look at Tamiya's offering? I switched from the old common Revell pin spot type to light green (for small, quick drying, precise parts) and white (for slow drying glue on larger areas) Tamiya glues a while a ago and it really changed the quality of my builds. There are other manufacturers as well, like Ammo or many others, but Ifound Tamiya to be a good start to work with something new. Also I use more and more CA for small(est) parts, which I apply via the tip of a needle. 😉

This one did ride the dunes of Bikini Beach, didn't it? Or maybe it's not a Beetle Boxer in it's back, but a pocket nuclear power plant, with just some minor leaks? 😉 Couldn't resist, great build! Those old 70ies American are so weird, that they must be real fun. I remember I build an MPC Camaro when I was young, nicknamed the "Night Prowler". I just loved it way back then.

Hello Wayne, congrats to your E-Type! It's an old Jag, and that said nothing wrong can be here at all. May I just point at two things; it seems there's either a bowling ball, bowler hat or skull hidden under the roof cover - or the neighbour's cat has found a new favourite place? But that hump unter the roof cover looks interesting. Then; as there's the Viennese (my hometown's) number plates on it, it would be a tad more likely to have the steering wheel on the left side, but not impossible to see a RHD car in Vienna in the sixties as well. Of course I'm just kidding, no criticism at all - just couldn't resist the pun. Great E-Type, the combination of BRG and tan interiour looks great! All the best from Vienna, Guenther

Well, I guess we all know about something like that. One of the reasons I'm so grateful for your build is, I can throw in some wise words whole not even clipping a single part from the smallest sprue. 😊 As for the underfloor colours; I see most of the E-types painted in body colours from underneath as well. Floor protection and road grime turns that to the usual blackish grime, of course. The IRS looks very good, some weathering, if you wish to do so, would blend it in with floor and such.

All you lucky guys - how comes I never drove an E-Type myself? I'm quite close to two currently in different state of restoration, plus a few more for regular inspection work, but never drove one myself. Aaargh... Oh, those numbers are so tempting - I'm afraid we have a slight tendency to forget though, that this 6K in say 1980 (just a guess, don't want to offend anyone) is some 25K in todays money. Not your regular budget when you're 21, I guess. And that additional 2.000 for that bit of welding and stuff still translates into plus 8.500,-£ after inflation. Quite a piece of work, I'd say. Tells a bit about the state, and an educated guess, as well as experience tells us this amount might easily have doubled in the next few years. 🤑 Ian, this sounds like a good decision to let this wonderful E-Type pass - chances are, this would have turned out to be quite the money pit. (I hope that helps to ease the regrets of not driving one on a sunny spring day, like it currently is, at least in Vienna).

Well, I guess the science of dating an early E-Type can at least agree on that little thing. Things are complicated, and finding the right parts is a nightmare. What makes it even more complicated that all these flat floor features where regularily changed afterwards. That was done often by Jaguar and dealers themselves, as more modern features like those heel wells and the curved bulkhead were considered an improvement, and simply changed when possible, to make it a better and more comfortable car. I've even seen a picture of a car with heel wells on the driver side, while the passenger side was still flat.

This does look tempting!

I'm by no means an expert on E-Types, so my thoughts might be utterly glibberish, but I agree that there are some aspects of an early Flatfloor model. I agree with the switches, also the rear bulkhead (I think it's part 91, but haven't opened it yet) looks very straight, like one from a flat floor model. The floor itself, though has clearly molded-in heel wells. But it doesn't have the welded louvres, which is a sign of the very first cars as well. As for the fuel filler flap; I learned very early ones had rectangular ones, while they changed it to an irregular shape later, with the leading edge smaller then the rear one. Revell's molding isn't too precise here, looks like something in between. This of course are all very minor things, but like the discussions on minor details over in the aerial group, I guess this nitpicking simply is part of the build and the according discussion itself - and part of the fun, as one might find. This looks like the first proper E-Type we have, so thank you Revell. And thank you @Navy Bird for the chance to have all this discussion during this wonderful build of yours! 🙂

It would have been perfect for a Vignette or Diorama showing four allied soldiers in a Jeep, as on 15th of May would mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the allied occupation in Austria. there are some exhibitions around. The famous "4 im Jeep" (which means four in a Jeep, as one could easily guess) consisted of one member of each occupation force, patrolling the central district of Vienna together and became kind of a symbol of that era. For some it's a symbol of allied forces cooperating in a peaceful manner, and help wartime Austria to get up again, to others one of black marketeering and corruption, which was quite common at the time. However, a French soldier is missing. (And I wouldn't have made it to the 15th anyway) 😉

...and what I've read it's quality is inversely proportional to the price asked. I guess I'll pass on this one. Even more so, that I need to start my therapy soon; I think I got a new variant of the virus that makes us buy models of classic european sportscars. See what I got infected with; It's Japanese. It's from the 90ies. What's next? A Beetle? A Golf??? A PRIUS??? I need to seek professional help...

Did I spread this plague? Sorry, guys...