Goodrich’s 1968 Jaguar E-Type

While spending the winter in Florida in 1995 my wife and I drove by a garage in St Petersburg where they did antique car restorations. It looked like an interesting place to visit so we stopped in to meet the owner who gave us a tour. Among disassembled Bentleys, Studebakers and the pieces of a 1939 SS100 Jaguar was a 1968 blue Jaguar E-type which was receiving the finishing touches of a refurbishing.

My wife, who usually is not enthusiastic about visits to car garages, thought that Jaguar was, as she put it “art in motion”. I seized the moment and immediately asked the owner if the car was for sale. It turned out that it was his wife’s car which they had reluctantly decided to sell. We left the shop, talked it over and decided that if he would repaint it red, we would negotiate to buy the car.

A few weeks later we were the proud owners of the ’68 Jaguar which we drove to our first car show in Tarpon Springs. After winning a first prize we were returning to our condo in Largo when true to Jaguar reputation, first the horn failed, then the radiator cooling fans followed by the car overheating. We pulled off the road and were soon passed by two model A’s and a model T!

I mentioned the car to my son who lives in Nashville, TN. He said that he had a friend who had owned a similar car years before but it was blue. The friend mentioned that he had sold it to an antique car restorer from St Petersburg, FL! On a visit to Nashville a few years later I met the previous owner who said that he had to sell the Jaguar to finance his new business. It was the same car.

jaguar e-type cutaway

Since then we have enjoyed the Jaguar, taken it to many shows where it really is: Art in Motion (at least most of the time!).

I grew up in Sheldon, VT & while in college I worked summers at the state park at Lake Elmore and the Tyler Place in Highgate Springs. At Elmore in the 1950’s I met Adrian West (deceased but long time VAE member) and we enjoyed our mutual interest in old cars.

After college and marriage, work took my wife and I permanently from Vermont in the late 1950’s. We kept a camp on Fairfield Pond in the family and have returned there for a few weeks each summer since. After retiring my wife and I became reacquainted with Adrian and joined VAE about 15 years ago. We have enjoyed attending the VAE shows.

We keep a house in Lake Forest, IL where the Jaguar E-type and my son’s 1967 Jaguar 420 currently reside; the 1963 MGB now being in Florida. My son and I brought his Jaguar 420 to the British Invasion at Stowe two years ago where it won second place in the Concours class.

Coolants 101 – Dave’s Garage

Recently I got a question about the many different types of antifreeze available today. Specifically, what type to put in a new Honda with blue coolant. So, here it is:

Types of Coolant (Antifreeze)
Today’s coolant market is confusing. In days past all coolant was the green ethylene glycol variety, one type of coolant for every car. Now it seems that every car manufacturer has at least one color of coolant. What Type of Antifreeze Should I Use?…..All Makes and Models?…Extended Life 150,000 Miles?…..Green, Red, Yellow, Orange, Pink, Blue? There are a lot of choices of different automotive coolants today. So, which one should you use in your car? You should use what your car was made to have. However, sometimes it may be difficult to decipher what the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) used, especially if you purchased your car used.

Basically, there are three basic types of automotive coolant: Inorganic Acid Technology (IAT), Organic Acid Technology (OAT), and Hybrid Organic Acid Technology (HOAT).

IAT coolants are the “traditional green” variety used in virtually all American vehicles from the late 1920s to the mid to late 1990s. Like all antifreeze, it is naturally clear; its color comes from dye. Unlike the other types of antifreeze, it uses silicate and phosphate corrosion inhibitors to protect the metal parts of the engine and cooling system. However, these inhibitors wear out quickly, so IAT type coolants need to be flushed every two years or 30,000 miles. OAT coolants typically do not use silicate and phosphate corrosion inhibitors. Different manufacturers use different chemical additives to battle rust and corrosion, and they all dye their coolants different colors. GM’s ubiquitous DEX-COOL coolant is an OAT antifreeze dyed orange. Toyota, Volkswagen, and Audi all use their own formulas that happen to be dyed pink. Honda uses a dark green (blue) dye. OAT coolants have longer service lives than IAT coolants, needing to be flushed every 5 years or 150,000 miles. HOAT coolants use different additives than OAT, but also use some silicate to protect aluminum surfaces. Modern Ford, Chrysler, and most European vehicles use their own HOAT coolant formulas. Ford’s is dyed yellow and Chrysler’s is orange (not to be confused with DEX-COOL). Both use the marketing name of GO-5. HOAT coolant has the same service interval as OAT (5 years or 150,000 miles).

Summary:

  • IAT – Used in early to mid-late 90’s Domestic vehicles…….This type is good for our antique cars
  • OAT – Used in late 90’s GM and most Asian vehicles
  • HOAT – Used in 2000’s Fords, Chryslers, and most European vehicles.

Although you can mix coolant types without harm, it is highly recommended against. If you mix an OAT or HOAT with an IAT, you will lose the extended service life of the OAT or HOAT coolant. Some people say that if you mix these types of coolant it can result in the coolant gelling, but if you keep your cooling system well maintained, this should not be a problem.

And finally, what about the “Universal, All Makes, All Models” coolant you see stuffing store shelves? Basically, those are OAT DEX-COOL clones. I would personally steer well clear of them unless your vehicle is de-signed for OAT coolant. You should always check your owners manual, and make sure the coolant you add is the same type of coolant your car requires.

Thanks to “how-to-matthew” for information contained in this article.


Please email all inquiries to: Dave
or snail mail
32 Turkey Hill Road
Richmond VT 05477