IRS access panels

[baliniere]

I own a late 1968 Series 2 2+2 which has been four years in a total bare metal strip down and rebuild.
I am now setting up the brakes and getting her ready for the road.
I removed the two panels on the front of the IRS tunnel behind the rear seats without problem
I also removed the panel on top of the IRS tunnel to allow access to the handbrake set up, but the cover was not servicable am am looking to replace it with a new or second hand cover.
Here is my problem..
No one can suppy a new top cover and everyone l have spoken to who supplies parts tells me that they have not seen or heard of a top access panel for he lRS tunnel.
I could just make one but l would prefer the real thing to match the quality of the restoration..

Can anyone help me find this panel. Or tell me if they have ever seen or heard of this panel??

Nick

[cactusman]

My series 1 3.8 has the panel on top of the IRS but not the ones behind the seats. I think the two behind the seats were fitted to later cars and possibly just the 2+2 cars although others will know better.

[christopher storey]

The panels behind the seats are for 2+2 cars only . The top access panels were widely fitted to series 1 cars , but seem to have been less widely fitted from S1.5 onwards, although my S2 OTS has one which I am quite sure is original. The factory panels themselves are well made, rhomboid in shape and about ( at a guess ) 450mm wide and 200mm fore and aft, with several stiffening indentations pressed into them . I do not have a pic of the plate itself, but here is one of the floor beneath the plate which shows the shape : the indentations in the plate correspond roughly to the holes in the floor

[baliniere]

Thanks Guys you have restored my faith in my sanity..

I have heard in the past the Jaguar used up the bits in the parts bin when they started a new Series so it is possible that the IRS panel was from a Series 1 or 1.5 which ended in 1968. The Series 2 came in late in 1968 and that is when my car came off the line

I will now try again to source this bit from suppliers with the info that you gave me..

Any ideas where to go?

Thanks

Nick

[Bob.]

Happen to have this picture labled "1963 FHC"- might help.

[baliniere]

Thanks.. l will send the photos to suppliers so that they can see that l am not crazy..

Nick

[Polse7317]

Here what i have on my 63 FHC

[baliniere]

If all these cars have the panels as shown in the photos then why can l not buy a replacement panel???. Anywhere...

Even Jaguar say they don’t have them yet they are restoring ETypes themselves...

[mgcjag]

Have a look here https://www.sngbarratt.com/uk/#!/Englis ... c50a359e27
http://www.welshent.com/product_info.ph ... 79_189_194

[vikla]

I think the part in question is BD18492.

On my 1966 4.2 FHC I don't believe the cut out holes had been factory provided. But it was clear a previous owner had just taken some tin snips and made a very messy hole in the metalwork to get to the IRS.
As a result I wanted to have the correct panel to cover up the mess.

I ordered one from David Manners who seemed to have one reasonably priced. When I got it I realised why, it was just a piece of plain aluminium sheet cut to shape. They still list it for £15 + VAT.

The Barratts one is much more expensive - https://www.sngbarratt.com/uk/#!/Englis ... c50a359e27
This looks similar to the Manners one but just painted black and also with no pre-drilled screw holes.

The Welsh Enterprises one seems to be the real thing - http://www.welshent.com/product_info.ph ... 79_189_194