Crayon Writing

[Welsh62fhc]

Hi Folks ... whilst stripping my 1962 FHC down I have found these crayon marks. On one of the bulkhead blanking plates on the slope below the main bulkhead is has the number 4168, in blue crayon. Then under the dashboard it has 4329 and is signed and undelined by Bob !! in red crayon.

Anyone else found these on the cars, can anyone put an explination on them because non match my body number. Another guy removed his leather off his 65 FHC and a woman called Carol had signed the back of the leather. One suggestion is it may have been the Jaguar employee's identity number ?

Thanks Gary

[Durango2k]

Sorry I cannot be more helpful but it reminds me of TopGear, and the TVR „paintings“ in the boot.

Carsten

[chrisfell]

Crayon markings inside body panels were to identify panels with a chassis. They are the body number. If you have more than one number, the parts may have come from more than one car.

[Welsh62fhc]

My car is totally original, never taken apart until now ... so your theory is not right Thanks

[Heuer]

As Chris says, they are body numbers scrawled in many places on the car to ensure fitted parts were kept together - body, frames, bonnet, doors, trim etc. e.g:

If they are different to the body number of your car then those parts were either replaced during remedial work on the production line or they come off a different car. My guess is the former. What body number is your car?

[Welsh62fhc]

I find it strange to see a crayon number exposed like the one shown above, behind the bottle on the bulkhead. Jaguar Cars would not allow any car out with a crayon marks exposed. I think this is fake added by a later owner, how could a salesman of the day try to explain why the car had a number in crayon so visible.

[MarkRado]

Unfortunately no fake, see Haddock et al. Understandable when you look at the way Etypes were manufactured, I have not yet seen a number on a bonnet though

[Heuer]

I think this is fake added by a later owner, how could a salesman of the day try to explain why the car had a number in crayon so visible.

Before making such authoritative statements maybe you should do considerably more research into the practices at Jaguar and the social norms of the day.

I have not yet seen a number on a bonnet though

They did not need to write the number on the bonnet as it was already stamped as such.

[MarkRado]

Thank you David, shame on me . Even worse, my original bonnet is long gone, so out with the punch numbers...

[Welsh62fhc]

I think this is fake added by a later owner, how could a salesman of the day try to explain why the car had a number in crayon so visible.

Before making such authoritative statements maybe you should do considerably more research into the practices at Jaguar and the social norms of the day.

I have not yet seen a number on a bonnet though

They did not need to write the number on the bonnet as it was already stamped as such.

Wow that's me told !!!

[Series1 Stu]

Hi Gary

You sort of invited that by challenging one of the world's authorities on E Types. Years of experience and patient research makes David a highly respected doyen of things E Type.

It's a good job we're all civilised here.

[Philk]

A further quick question, was the body number on the bonnet support brace for all S1 cars or just up to a certain point in time? I've not been able to find any confirmation on this in the normal reference works.

[Heuer]

We don't have enough data to know when the practice changed. Each bonnet was fettled to fit a specific body and after painting was the last thing to be attached to the completed car so some method was required to make sure they were not mixed up. At first the cars (the photo is of Paul Brown's early FHC) had the number stamped on the brace but later cars do not have it suggesting the Factory came up with a more efficient (i.e. cheaper!) way of doing it. Any information would be appreciated. The number is difficult to make out on the bonnet brace and not many people know about it is there so don't look for it!

[Philk]

We don't have enough data to know when the practice changed. Each bonnet was fettled to fit a specific body and after painting was the last thing to be attached to the completed car so some method was required to make sure they were not mixed up. At first the cars (the photo is of Paul Brown's early FHC) had the number stamped on the brace but later cars do not have it suggesting the Factory came up with a more efficient (i.e. cheaper!) way of doing it. Any information would be appreciated. The number is difficult to make out on the bonnet brace and not many people know about it is there so don't look for it!

Hi David

Many thanks for the prompt response. May be we can canvas the forum as to whether anybody has a 1962 car with an original one which matches their body number. If so, does someone then have a 1963 car with one.... and so on. We may then be able to roughly pin down the changeover point if we have several citing specific months.

[christopher storey]

The problem, Phil , is worsened by the fact that there were many more bonnets made than cars , for the simple reason that they were very vulnerable to accident damage and needed replacement. I imagine that none of these replacements would ever have had a number stamped on them

[Welsh62fhc]

Hi Gary

You sort of invited that by challenging one of the world's authorities on E Types. Years of experience and patient research makes David a highly respected doyen of things E Type.

It's a good job we're all civilised here.

Hi Stu ... I'm from Yorkshire and wasn't affended

[Heuer]

Harold Lang sent me this:


Shows they did crayon the body number on the bonnet.

[Welsh62fhc]

Hi Folks

Two more crayon markings on my car, '4285' rear of glovebox which matches my body number, then 'REY 09' behind speedo

[Jeremy]

Looks like RED 09 to me....

[MarkRado]

From my dashboard (on left and right, but not on centre panel)
7122 = body number;
blk= black? heritage certificate says trim colour red
03 = maybe worker' s signature?