"Jaguar E Type Series1 3.8 Roadster
Gavin King and his team at Concours rebuilt my Jaguar E Type Series1 3.8 Roadster from the ground up in 2002. I was delighted with the project, from start to finish. Like most E Types of its vintage (1962), it suffered horribly at the hands of some bodgie restorers over the years. While it looked ok on the surface, beneath the skin it was a patched-up mess in almost every way, so badly out of shape that the chassis had bent like a banana.
Working with Gavin over a period of months, we decided what could be salvaged and what should be replaced. The instruction was to rebuild the car close to 100% A1 concours condition, but with modifications that would retain all the original Jaguar style and spirit while adding subtle touches to make it more driveable in the modern era.
His craftsmanship was meticulous. Gavin sourced parts from both the UK and the USA or, where they were not readily available, or of sufficient quality, he made them himself in the workshop. (This particularly applied to body panels, some of which are, quite literally, a hand-built work of sculpture.)
I particularly appreciated his willingness to have me, the client, involved at every stage of the process. Many workshops won’t do this, but I was welcome to drop in at any time, unannounced, to see how things were going. He kept a complete photographic record, and every item was carefully costed and billed, so I knew exactly what was happening and when. Modifications included wheels slightly wider than the original, to improve handling, (although only a truly expert eye could tell), bigger calipers and pads for the disc brakes, and conversion for the engine to run on high octane unleaded fuel.
The result is an E Type close to perfection as could be certainly a far better car than the original that rolled off the production line at Brown’s Lane 41 years ago. You can see his project on his website. I can thoroughly recommend him as a classic restoration expert without peer. "
Mike Carlton
Radio 2UE
The Sydney Morning Herald.
1995