Vehicle Description
1964 Jaguar XKE OTS Roadster
• VIN 880297
• Engine no. RA3795-9
• Body no. R7061
• One of 1,078 Series 1 LHD Roadsters produced in 1964
Chassis No. 880297 was delivered new on February 1, 1964, by
Overseas Motors Corporation of Fort Worth, Texas to Captain Arthur
L. Nisle while stationed at Carswell Air Force Base. Captain Nisle
enjoyed the XKE for 11 years, always having it serviced at Overseas
Motors (as verified by a thick stack of original service receipts)
until 1975 when he made good on a promise to sell the car to
Captain Harold W. McCullum, an Air Force buddy who had just
returned from his final tour in Vietnam. Capt. McCullum only kept
the car briefly, selling it a year later to Major Robert Isaak, who
was also stationed at Carswell at the time. He would later be
transferred to Maxwell Air Force Base outside of Montgomery,
Alabama, and in 1979 Major Isaak sold the car to another pilot
under his command, Captain Mark Thompson. Captain Thompson would
become the XKE's longest and most devoted steward, owning it for
nearly 30 years and commissioning an exhaustive, concours quality
restoration in 1982, which totaled to over $40,000 in receipts.
All the previous owners took exceptional care of the car and
consequently, it was an incredibly solid and sound platform for
Thompson's restoration. After trading hands through a few owners in
the late 2000s, the vehicle eventually found its way over to West
Coast E-Type, a well-known Jaguar restoration facility in Newbury
Park, California. At West Coast E-Type the vehicle was completely
disassembled, stripped down to the bare metal, and repainted in
Carmen Red. The intent behind the restoration was to keep the
Jaguar as period-correct as possible while adding many modern
upgrades to improve the driving experience.
Upgrades included the following:
• High-performance engine
• Heritage throttle bodies
• Electronic Fuel Injection and engine management
• Upgraded manual 5-Speed gearbox
• Haywood and Scott tubular exhaust manifold
• Haywood and Scott exhaust
• Vented front disc brakes with six-piston calipers
• Vented rear disc brakes with four-piston calipers
• Upgrade hand brake assembly
• Easy bleed rear brakes
• Hi-Torque starter motor
• Lightweight alternator
• Correct period look aluminum radiator (improved cooling)
• Upgraded cooling fan assembly
• Silicone cooling hoses with period cloth appearance
• Fast road front torsion bars
• Front height adjustable reaction plate
• Fast road front anti-roll bar
• Gas adjustable front and rear shocks
• Fast road rear springs
• Poly steering rack mounts
• Added air ducting for front brake cooling as per factory
recommendation (correct period modification)
• Modified front bumpers for improved aerodynamics (correct period
modification)
• Factory hardtop and soft top
This has been a California car for the past 15 years finished in
Carmen Red over a Black leather interior. The body is incredibly
straight with excellent gaps and panel fit throughout. The
paintwork is beautiful with a few blemishes on the front bonnet.
Brightwork, aluminum moldings, factory glass, and the black factory
hardtop are all in remarkable condition. The black leather
upholstery is in excellent condition with Wilton wool carpets,
Willan's 4-point lap and shoulder belts, an original wood
three-spoke steering wheel along with factory Smiths
instrumentation. 15" painted competition wire knockoff wheels are
paired to Falken Ziex ZE950 A/S 215 60 R15 tires.
Mechanically powered by the matching 3.8L six-cylinder engine which
starts effortlessly, idle consistently, pulls incredibly strong
with many performance upgrades including a manual 5-speed
transmission. Complete with 57 years of service history going back
to 1964, original books, manuals, manufacturer's warranty card,
tool kit, and the original Thor knock-off hammer. An excellent
opportunity to acquire a stunning, investment grade, final year of
the 3.8-liter tri-carb Series I E-Type OTS with an extensively
documented history and recent restoration.
