On 4-12-96 Eric Munoz wrote:
>I am undecided among three options:
> -Jaguar XKE-Thunderbird(55-57)-Corvette(53-63).(The car has to be
>AUTOMATIC)
> I am inclined for the E Type, which in my opinion, is one of the more
>beauti-
> ful cars ever built
Depends, of course, of what you are looking for.
For my part, I would say: Stay inclined for the
E Type. I tried all 3 over the past 15 years, all
frame-off restaurations by true experts (T-Bird
and Vette restored in the States, Jag in Europe
where I live), and you could hardly find 3 cars more
different from each other than these.
The Vette (1960)and T-Bird (1956) are cruising cars,
but no drivers cars (poor roadholding, poor brakes,
lots of body movement, poor road contact thru
steering, moderate power). So if you want to slowly
cruise down the main road to impress people, that's
the thing to buy (at least over here).
The Jag (and I take for myself to be unbiased (if at
all this is possible), having owned different cars,
and still regularly driving, besides the E Type,
an Aston, Bentley, Cooper S, Lagonda, Volvo Sport
and Maserati) is an entirely different affair. It is
as reliable (or unreliable) as the other two, depending
on how you use it and its condition. The parts are
readily obtainable if you have the right connections.
It's a thoroughbred (most fun you can have with your
clothes on, as one British car dealer uses to say)
and it's a masterpiece to look at, a milestone in
automobile history (which surely can't be said about
neither of the other 2).
Glue Man
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