British Classics Tour 2023 (May 7)

British Classics Tour 2023

The British Classics Tour, Sunday 7th of May with valuable support from the Victor Harbor Council. Gathering at 8.30 am at the McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Coast Visitor Centre where the traditional Scones, Jam and Cream with Tea or Coffee will be available for purchase. Vehicles will be marshalled out of McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Coast Visitor Centre between 10:30 and 11.00..

The travel route is through numerous, picturesque Fleurieu towns, enjoying a wonderful scenic drive, culminating in Victor Harbor, between 12:00 and 12:30, here vehicles will be on show to the public, and judging of various categories will occur.

Modified E-Type

The Classic Jaguar Magazine for April/ May contains a story about a highly distinctive E-Type Coupe owned by John Beasley and restored, upgraded, and modified by JDCSA member Alan Baker.

Alan had already finished the magnificent restoration of John’s 1965 white Series 1 4.2 E-Type Roadster when the two got together again.

The story goes into John’s love of cars and motor bikes, and details some of those that he has owned. John also raced a number of cars over the years from a Ralt RT3 to a Torana XU1.

While John enjoyed his E-Type roadster, there was an inkling of an idea in the back of his mind that said he wanted a 4.2 coupe - but John’s E-Type coupe would be like no other that left the Browns Lane plant – the rear had to be a lot wider!

The first thing was to find a suitable car and Alan knew of a recently imported E-Type Coupe from the United States, and that car was secured by John in 2016. Although John had said that Alan was not totally convinced that his vision was realistic, Alan took the car into his workshop and started the work.

John also drew up a very specific list of how he wanted the interior finished.

Alan Baker’s Story

John had seen Alan’s E-Type Coupe and liked what he saw. He wanted the same but with a difference. The difference being to widen the body from the doors back to the rear by a whole six inches. Something very few people in the world would have been brave enough to contemplate.

The car was taken to pieces and despatched to the body-shop that had done such good work on behalf of Alan in the past, ‘Marz and Cars’ in Adelaide. The instruction was that the car would have “deep dish” Dunlop period racing wheels, the original six-inch wheel rims to be replaced so the E-Type ended up with ten-inch on the rear and eight inches at the front. The story then details the drastic work involved in achieving this result.

Step by step, the article then goes into specific details regarding this epic restoration.

Essentially what Alan ended up doing was using all the best bits from both the early and late E-Types and merging them into one package making for a unique look, both inside and out.

All mechanical components of the car were meticulously rebuilt. Work included electric power steering, air-conditioning that operated when the engine was not running, Tremec five-speed gearbox, highly modified engine, MSD ignition and a Ferrari clutch with lightened flywheel. All outlined in the article.

The final part of the story goes into the body and paint finish that lasted more than two years and could, in itself, warranted a stand-alone article in Classic Jaguar magazine filling several pages! To preserve all this hard work, the car was then sent to another local company to be ‘wrapped’ thus giving the car the attractive satin finish that we see today.

John was obviously delighted with the finished product that had been hiding away in the back of his mind, and that had now become a reality. He was quoted as saying that “It is simply perfect!”

If you can get a copy of the April/May 2023 edition of Classic Jaguar, the story is compelling reading covering 7 pages of detailed facts and lots of photographs of this very special E-Type. .