Dash top pad

[peters3103]

Hi gents,
I believe my car, being built 8th November 61, should have the early thin type dash pad. Looking at two photos on the 3.8 Factory Fit sticky, the first is 885169 built 7th November 61, the day before my car. The second is 875103 built 27th June 61 and shows a much thicker pad than the November car which is very thin over the speedo/tacho and glove box. Both of these cars are listed as being original and unrestored.
Has 875103 had its dash top replaced with a later thicker type? When was the change to the thicker type?

Cheers
Pete

[budmarston@aol.com]

Hello,
- Anders Clausager, formerly of the Jaguar-Daimler Heritage Trust, states in his book "Factory-Original Jaguar E-Type" that the changeover from thin dash to thick dash is not known.
- According to Michael Mueller in his book "Jaguar E-Type Six-Cylinder E-type Originality Guide", 876052 had a flat dash. XKEDATA lists 876056 as being built on 7 November 1961.
- I owned 885117 (built 24 October 1961) a few years ago. It had a flat dash.
- All-original 885169 (see Factory Fit) was built on 7 November 1961 - it has a flat dash.

Conclusion: 875103 almost certainly would have originally featured a flat dash and is not now completely original. I think you're safe in assuming that an E-type built on 8 November 1961 would have originally had a flat dash.
Regards,
Bud Marston

[peters3103]

Hi Bud, thanks, I thought as much with 169 having the thin one. I was talking to a chap from New Forest Classic Cars at Beaulieu on Saturday who insisted my car was too late for the thin dash top but it seems he’s probably incorrect. I did however manage to buy a fibreglass glovebox liner from him so all was not lost. I need to find someone, preferably in Australia, who can perhaps modify my dash pad to the correct thinner profile using an original to copy from.
Someone must do it as early cars get high end restorations done including I presume the dash pad.

Regards,
Pete