Jaguar E-Type Series 2, US-specification imports and auto to manual conversions (1968 to 1971)

The Series 2 E-Type was announced in 1968 and built until 1971, when the V12 Series 3 took over. It kept the 4.2 litre XK six-cylinder engine, four-speed all-synchromesh gearbox and independent suspension of the later Series 1, but gained the changes that the American market increasingly demanded. The glass headlamp covers disappeared, the lamps front and rear moved beneath the bumpers, the air intake grew, and cooling was improved with a larger radiator and twin electric fans. Inside, rocker switches replaced toggles, seats reclined and a collapsible steering column was fitted.

Three bodies were offered: the open two-seater, the fixed-head coupé and the longer 2+2. Left-hand-drive cars dominated production, and a large share went to North America. Cars for the US were built to federal emissions and safety rules, with twin Stromberg carburettors in place of triple SUs and detuned engines.

This file focuses on a common UK buying scenario: a left-hand-drive Series 2 imported from California, often a 2+2 originally supplied with the optional automatic gearbox, where a conversion to manual has been started but not finished. It describes the type of car and the type of project, not any individual vehicle.

• Production: 1968 to 1971; 18,808 built according to the Jaguar Enthusiasts' Club's figures.
• Left-hand drive: 7,852 open cars, 3,785 fixed-head coupés and 4,286 2+2s, against 775, 1,070 and 1,040 right-hand-drive cars respectively.
• Engine: 4,235cc XK six; quoted at 265 bhp in triple-SU form.
• US fuelling: twin Zenith-Stromberg 175 CDSE carburettors; UK cars kept triple SU HD8s.
• Gearbox: four-speed all-synchromesh manual; a Borg Warner three-speed automatic was a factory option on the 2+2 only.
• Brakes: Girling discs all round, rear discs inboard.
• Options included wire or steel disc wheels, power steering and air conditioning (left-hand drive only).

• Sources differ slightly on timing: one parts specialist links the twin-Stromberg arrangement to the 1968 US model year, while club and magazine sources describe it as a Series 2 federal feature. Check the specification against the chassis number and Heritage Certificate, not the badge.
• US cars carried secondary air ducting for emissions, which a parts specialist says compromises performance. Conversion to triple SUs is common and kits are available.
• Later US cars often have a 3.54:1 final drive, recorded on a plate on the differential housing.
• Chassis series identify body and steering: 2+2s begin at 1R35001 (right-hand drive) and 1R40001 (left-hand drive); fixed-head coupés at 1R20001 and 1R25001; open cars at 1R1001 and 1R7001.

Identity and paperwork

• Record the chassis, engine, gearbox and body numbers. Cylinder head colour on its own proves nothing about whether engine and chassis belong together.
• A Heritage Certificate from the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust records the car's original colour and trim, build and dispatch dates and original destination. It is the best way to confirm that a car was built as a left-hand-drive US car and in what specification.
• For a US import, ask for the US title, the shipping bill of lading and the NOVA confirmation. HMRC must be notified within 14 days of arrival and DVLA will not register the car until that is done. DVLA keeps the original foreign registration document.
• Ask whether HMRC treated the car as a historic collector's vehicle at import. Hagerty UK notes that cars over 30 years old, no longer made and largely original can qualify for reduced import tax treatment, and the result should be shown on the customs paperwork.
• Cars of this age are exempt from vehicle approval and, if not substantially changed, from the annual MOT. They can also be taxed in the historic class. The owner must still keep the car roadworthy, and an unfinished project is not.
• DVLA's leaflet INF318 lists replacing a gearbox as a repair that does not need reporting unless V5C details change. Changes are notified only once the vehicle is fully built.

The unfinished auto to manual conversion

• Owners describe this as a major, engine-out job. The engine and gearbox come out together, the bonnet has to be removed or stood on end, and the reaction plate must be taken out.
• Check what parts are present: a correct manual gearbox (owners refer to compact Jaguar units with or without overdrive, sometimes needing a different top cover to put the lever in the right place), flywheel, clutch, bellhousing, clutch pedal and master cylinder, slave cylinder, gear lever and any altered propshaft. Owners report that the 2+2 automatic pedal box can take a clutch pedal and master cylinder with modest work.
• The automatic transmission tunnel is larger than the manual one, so a manual box fits; some owners restore manual-type panelwork afterwards. Look for any cutting of crossmembers or the tunnel, which may indicate a non-Jaguar gearbox.
• Ask which final drive ratio is fitted and whether it suits the chosen gearbox.
• Inventory every loose part against a list and photograph boxes at the viewing. Missing small parts are a common reason for a project stalling.

Body and structure

• Check sills, A-posts, floors, the floor to inner sill joint, rear wheel arches, spare wheel well and the area below the rear bumper. A magnet and an inspection camera help. Dry-state cars can still hide earlier poor repairs.
• Inspect the front tubular frame and its mounting points on the bulkhead for cracks, rust and accident damage, and check bonnet hinge points and the bonnet to bulkhead gap.
• Look at the battery tray and its drain.

Engine and running gear

• Look for frost cracks in the block, leaks at the block to bellhousing joint and evidence of worn throttle spindles. A parts specialist suggests at least 40 psi oil pressure around 3,000 rpm when warm, but an unfinished car may not run at a sale.
• Check steering column and rack bushes, ball joints, rear wheel bearings and the inboard rear brakes.

Left-hand drive in the UK

• Headlamps and lighting must suit UK roads before the car is used here. A conversion to right-hand drive is a separate and substantial project.

The Jaguar Enthusiasts' Club (https://jec.org.uk) offers a technical adviser and model specialists, DVLA assistance for cars without a V5C and the monthly Jaguar Enthusiast magazine. The Jaguar Drivers Club (https://www.jaguardriver.co.uk/html/) is a further UK club for Jaguar owners. The Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust (https://www.jaguarheritage.com) issues Heritage Certificates. Specialists remanufacture many E-Type parts; the sources consulted mention complete triple-SU carburettor kits and remade gearbox top covers for manual conversions.

• What does the Heritage Certificate show for original body, steering, colour and destination?
• Which manual gearbox, clutch and pedal parts are with the car, and which are still needed?
• Has any structural cutting been done to the tunnel or crossmembers to fit the gearbox?
• Can you see the US title, shipping papers and NOVA reference, and has the car been registered with DVLA yet?
• Are the original Stromberg carburettors and emissions parts retained, or has the engine been converted to SUs?