Question about a 1.5 model and headlight covers

[Dmark8664]

Dear Forum

I have recently purchased a 1968 model year E type # 1E16067 that was actually produced I believe in October of 1967. There has been some discussion on another forum of the early produced "1.5" cars actually having the covered headlights like the 1.0 did with the changeover occurring after the first 775 +/- cars were produced. My car has been restored and has the typical uncovered headlights but I do not know if this was done during the restoration process or not. Can someone enlighten me if the early 1968 (produced in fall of 1967) cars actually HAD the covered headlights? If so, I am of course planning on converting back....

Thanks for the help in advance

Mark :)

[osgii]

If i'm right, the first change was the headlights (from close to open), and then the inside (from S1 style to S1).
So if your car have a s2 interior (as it seams to be by checking on XKE Data), the car was equipped with open headlights.

However, nothing tells us that your dashboard is the original one.

[christopher storey]

Your car is unquestionably a later model S 1.5 and not what has sometimes been called an S 1.25 . It has the Strombergs , the S2 centre panel , the S2 type console , and the S2 type outer dash pieces with the recessed choke control etc. These are far too many changes to have been retrospective, so I think you can take it as conclusive evidence that your car would not have had the covered headlamps

[steve3.8]

Mark,

Your car will be an open headlight, as Christopher mentioned the changes, also the recessed door levers .
I have an early series 1? or 1? fhc RHD , it was manufactured 4th Sept,1967 and registered on 5th Oct . It is the 47th rhd car off the production line and it has open headlights , otherwise everything else is all pure series 1.

Do you have a Jaguar heritage certificate ? If so the date of despatch may give a clue to the car having a later interior being fitted.

[max-it-out]

I`m in the same situation - mine`s a 67-68 roadster last address in Vermont USA now in the UK.I bought it because it has 95% of the filmstar good looks of the s 1 OTS but at a price I could afford .

However , it would look so much better without those sticking up headlights that make it look a bit like an Austin Healy Sprite So.…my question is , is it possible to convert it to covered headlight S1 spec ? and how difficult / expensive might it be ? Thanks.

[Heuer]

Contact Chuck at Monocoque as he makes a kit for about $900:
https://monocoque-metalworks.myshopify. ... onversions

[abowie]

Prepared to be corrected, but IIRC the numbers of the "S 1.25" closed headlight cars were very small; maybe half a dozen or so.

[skiracer]

"E type # 1E16067"
Your car was 7 behind mine on the assembly line! (1E16060) and mine was definitely an open headlight car. I believe that the open headlights first appeared in early 1967 (January) and never reverted to the closed headlights. The "Series 1.25" cars were the 1967 model year cars made after the open headlight conversion. According to Clausager the first OTS with open headlights was 1E14532, months prior to our cars being built. As mentioned Chuck at Monocoque Metalworks sells a kit to convert the open headlight Series 1.25/1.5 cars to covered headlights. I had him add that to my bonnet while he was repairing it. Looks to be a stock Series 1 bonnet now- uses the stock headlight chrome/glass/seals. There is welding involved however.

[Heuer]

Prepared to be corrected, but IIRC the numbers of the "S 1.25" closed headlight cars were very small; maybe half a dozen or so.

Correction prepared as requested

From the JCNA Judging Guide:

[abowie]

How many of them had the closed headlights?

[skiracer]

Since the last exception to the open headlight revision (for OTSs) was 1E14656 and the Series 1.5 OTSs didn't start until 1E15980 then none of the 1968 model year cars had closed headlights from the factory. It looks like there were 18 OTSs with closed headlights after the first Series 1.25 car with open headlights rolled off the line (see the bottom of the list posted by Heuer above.

[abowie]

Ah I see now. I got confused by all those numbers...

[alfazagato]

I must be barking up the wrong tree but my S1.5 FHC has all the S1 appearances but with twin fans (thank goodness) and open headlights ( even more thank goodness). I do not see why the ineffective closed headlights are deemed to be desirable and indeed why one might want to change open ones to closed. This is my fourth E Type, my second, a similar S1.5 car was my company car in which I drove 97.5k miles with very few minor problems over all that mileage. For quick real-world night driving the S1.5 was head and shoulders better than my previous 3.8 FHC. Please tell me where I am missing the point or do S1 owners not go out after dark?

[Durango2k]

„ Gentlemen don‘t drive after dark“

Joseph Lucas

[Robbiee]

Blimey...how fast do you guys drive at night?
I love my pretty closed headlamps and have never had a problem with seeing enough road at night

Robbie

[skiracer]

"For quick real-world night driving the S1.5 was head and shoulders better than my previous 3.8 FHC."
Back when the only option for headlight illumination were sealed-beam "Glow Worm" lights I would agree with you 100%- the uncovered headlights would allow more light to get to the road surface for better illumination. Now with much brighter halogen or now LED headlights available, the covered headlights provide more than adequate illumination for spirited night driving (just watch out for the deer....). The covered lights IMO look better and were Malcom's original vision for the car, so I made the decision to convert simply as a matter of personal preference. Light output is no longer an issue.

[Heuer]

Headlamp relay conversion and latest generation halogen bulbs are hard to beat in the S1/2/3. See the Upgrades Forum for details and before/after photos.

[alfazagato]

Skiracer, I fully understand that on a personal basis you decided to change you headlights. No problem for me. However, Malcolm Sayers design, which I have to say is fantastic, was not an aerodynamic tour de force. I do not know what difference the exposed headlight might have to the Cd factor but I can't imagine very much. However, and speaking as a designer, the frontal treatment is more complete and finished with the exposed headlights and this is why I purposefully bought a 1.5. Each one to their own!

[Heuer]

The coefficient of drag of an E-Type FHC is 5.2, the OTS 5.4. Jaguar figures.

[Whitact]

David,
Re the extract from the JCNA I have 1E34500, a LHD FHC, open headlights but otherwise all seems to be S1.
The Heritage Cert gives a build date of 26 June 67. So this supports the comment that there was a typo in the build records and that the Spares Bulletin data is correct.
Cheers