HI, considering purchasing a 1970 Roadster Type 2 car. Some rust issues underneath, My particular concern is the box section on the passenger side behind the door. Picture attached, Should I run from this car? Also shown is driver's floor which is less concerning to me. In regards to the first issue the car has pronounced growl from the differential when driving, and perhaps more concerning is that you can feel some shift in the rear suspension on initial acceleration. Not sure if that is due to a bushing or a more serious issue. Any insight from the learned would be much appreciated. Thanks for looking

 

Depends on your skill levels or how deep your pockets are. I'd run a mile. The sills are an integral part of the car and obviously rotten as is the floor. Mechanical matters like diffs can be rectified but bodywork is a much bigger process. How much is it?

 

The sills on an Etype are a sandwich of metal. The outer sill is spot-welded to the bottom of the floor pan and the inner sill is welded to the top inside. So there are three panels which need repair. What you see is just a small part and more rust will be revealed during the repair. It’s not an unusual problem and can be fixed but I would budget complete new inner and outer sills on both sides and additional repairs to the floor pans. It all depends on the price of the car and how much you need to spend to sort it.

 

Thanks for the 2 responses so far. Car is priced at about $50K. I am concerned about the frame/body rust, and not financially prepared to get into and additional $50K in body repair. Car has definite needs. In fact everything but the engine and boot needs attention. I was concerned that the rear end movement that I felt on initial acceleration could be due to a compromised body structure. Any thoughts on that issue? Thanks

 

You came to the right place for help, as here is more
youtube, Monocoque Metalworks,( structural repairs)
Richard Michael Owen, (General etype restoration) and one of Europe's best, Maikel Lemke, especially his steps in an e restoration. Watching these will give you a better idea of how Es are built, what to watch for and what it takes to care for them. And yes, I would pass on the one you are considering.

 

I'm restoring a 70 roaster right now. It too has a lot more rust than anticipated but I bought it as a retirement project and I'm doing most, except the engine work, myself. I have already repaired the front toe boxes , replaced all the floors and rebuilt the rear bulkhead, closer panels, and tub area so I have a little experience here. .
If you can see rust like this its the rust you can't see inside the sills and behind the rear closing panels etc that will kill you. There is no correcting this without tearing everything apart to get inside these structures. . Relative to the IRS which I'm currently in the process of removing, its connected to the rear sway bars that are connect to the supports that mount to the rear bulkhead structure which is often compromised inside or out and may need repair or replacement. The sound your hearing may be a shifting of the sway bars due to this or deterioration of rubber grommets. Also it could be the shifting of pressure from the trailing arms that are attached to cups attached to your floors which already look pretty compromised. (or any of a dozen other issues you won't know till you get into it.) Unless your buying this car for a project and your going to do most of the work yourself at today's prices for parts and labor its going to be very expensive to have professionally done. Even at say $20,000 if your lucky you going to end up with a $70,000 series 2 car. At $50 you looking at a $100,000 car which needs to be in near perfect condition to be worth that. . I've seen more solid cars way below these prices. I would pass and start looking at cars on bringatrailer.com. You can review the detailed condition (complete with extensive photos) and sales prices of previous and current cars as well a new auctions as they come up. This will give you a much better idea of what these cars in different conditions are worth before making any purchase. You can also check out the Beverly Hills Car Club. This classic car dealer in LA always has E Types for sale and provides a detailed description and photos of their condition. One thing about CA cars, you usually do not see this much heavy rust. Hope this helps. Best of luck!

 

Thanks Valerie and John. I think based on all the responses that I will pass on this car and continue my search. I really appreciate the insight and expertise.

 

Just a little something to add to all the salient information above. S2 E-Type prices have been holding steady over the last year. According to Hagerty valuation, an S2 Roadster in good condition is about $82,000. Hagerty is usually a little high. But, If you want a nice driver that's in the ballpark of what you are going to pay unless you get really lucky. $50k is too much for an S2 as you described it. To remove the rust would require a rotisserie and bracing to keep the car from folding in half when you replace the rockers. And, as stated before, it is probably worse than it looks. Remember, rust never sleeps.

BAT prices can be a bit misleading because you do not know the actual condition of most of the cars, Pictures are often misleading. Unless you can put a hand on it or have someone you trust who can go see the car in person, I would not buy it.

Herb

 

Note that before you ever buy a car like this its a good idea to have an expert check it out. Beverly Hills is pretty upfront on the condition of their cars but also will set you up with an independent appraiser. Likewise many of the BAT sellers can do the same for you. (BAT may also be able to help you with this.) Not saying you should necessarily buy from either but I still believe if you watch these sites over time as I did/have you get a pretty good sense of pricing for cars in various conditions as a baseline. Cheers. Note one thing I like about BAT having used them to sell a car. They will not list your car with a reserve if they do not feel it is a fair price for the condition of the car. Still..buyer beware.