FACTORY FIT - Series 1 3.8

[Heuer]

FHC Sealing Rubber around Boot Lid Aperture



Cars up to #860478/886014 had seal #BD20500/1:


From #860479 and #8866015 the seal shape was changed and received a new part number:


Note the cut-out in the lower part of the installed seal to allow water to escape:


Both seals are still available although the BD23347 seal is sold in two parts and specified by SNGB as for:

E-Type S1 3.8
E-Type S1 4.2
E-Type S2 4.2
E-Type S3 V12 2+2
E-Type S3 V12 Roadster

whereas the #BD20500/1 is specified by SNGB only for the 3.8 cars. So take care when ordering if you want to correct seal! I am told the join should be between the hinges not at the top or bottom.

[Heuer]

FHC re-design

In June 1962 FHC production stopped as Jaguar undertook a major revision of components and body. Many parts changed from cars #860479/886013 which can make restoration very challenging as reproductions are hard to find and later parts are not interchangeable. These early cars had the following unique parts amongst many others:

#BD19543 - Boot lid assembly
#BD19362 - Glass in Boot Lid
#BD20158 - Chrome finisher on rubber seal
#BD20500 - Sealing rubber around Boot Lid aperture
#BD22754 - Casing on r/h boot lid side
#BD22755 - Casing on l/h boot lid side
#BD20165 - Casing assembly on lower boot lid
#BD20682 - Striker and safety catch assembly
#BD21279 - Prop, supporting boot lid in open position
#BD21289 - Pivot bracket for prop
#BD21281 - Bracket receiving prop
#BD20501 - Chrome finisher on r/h roof gutter
#BD20502 - Chrome finisher on l/h roof gutter
#BD22462 - Glass assembly for r/h quarter light
#BD22463 - Glass assembly for l/h quarter light
#BD20367 - Hinge pillar assembly for r/h quarter light
#BD20368 - Hinge pillar assembly for l/h quarter light
#BD21127 - Catch assembly operating r/h quarter light
#BD21128 - Catch assembly operating l/h quarter light
#BD20500/2 - Sealing rubber on cantrails
#BD21577 - Facing assembly (headlining) on r/h cantrail and rear trim panel
#BD21578 - Facing assembly (headlining) on l/h cantrail and rear trim panel
#BD20860 - Headlining
#BD21078 - Panel assembly for trimming windscreen header rail
#BD20191 - crash padding on r/h cantrail
#BD20192 - crash padding on l/h cantrail
#BD20751 - R/h door assembly, complete
#BD20752 - L/h door assembly, complete
#BD20511 - Frame assembly, for window in r/h door
#BD20512 - Frame assembly, for window in l/h door

And not forgetting:
#BD20748 - Body Shell assembly, complete - replacing the original body shell #BD19350. Other changes, not documented, included a different shape windscreen and stop/tail light chrome assemblies. Parts bulletin P60 (6 pages!) and Q43 (2 pages) refer:

[Heuer]

Heater Case Assembly
The heater case and radiator were made by Delaney Gallay Ltd, 103-109 Scrubs Lane, Willesden, London. Delaney Gallay sourced the AC-Delco motor and supplied Jaguar with the complete assembly. The 10w 2.5 ohm green speed control resistor FHE 3103/01 was a Smiths item.

1900 - Gallay Limited founded in Switzerland by the Swiss engineer Jean Gallay who designed and manufactured radiators for bi-planes.
1911 - Delaney Gallay was founded in UK. The original Delaneys were car enthusiasts, manufacturing the Delaney-Belleville car and other accessories for the automobile industry in Maida Ville, North London. The company expanded by building, under license, the Gallay radiator from Switzerland.
1920 - Gallay Limited operating out of 103-109 Scrubs Lane, Willesden, London, continued to develop radiators and oil coolers for the automotive and military market, with Delaney Gallay operating from Cricklewood, Edgware Road, London.
1940 - producing all forms of radiators for military aircraft, notably the Spitfire and the Hurricane, and Gallay became synonymous with the field of heat transfer. The company was also the first to design and manufacture heaters, air conditioning and seat belts for vehicles in the UK. They had five factories and employed 2,000 people
1959 - the company was bought by The Linen Thread Company Ltd
1961 - The Linen Thread Company Ltd, comprising more than 50 companies, changed its name to Lindustries
1963 - Motor Show exhibitor. Car accessories
1979 - Hanson Trust, the corporate conglomerate specialising in industrial holdings and management, purchased Lindustries for ?25 million.
1985 - Delaney Gallay did not fit into Lindustries future strategy and offered for sale various parts of the company.
1986 - Gallay Limited, now operating from a site in Wellingborough, manufacturing radiators, oil coolers, heaters and associated products, was a private management buy-out, thus splitting its links from Delaney. The new owners Tony Bryant-Fenn and John Bridger developed and grew the company, with acquisitions of Peck Vehicle Heating in 1993 and Becool Radiators in 1998.
2004 - with Tony Bryant-Fenn entering retirement, the G&M Radiator Manufacturing Company Limited, based in Glasgow Scotland, purchased 100% of the shares of Gallay Limited, and Gallay became part of the G&M Group.




Heater Case Assembly - Blower Motor C.17427:
The motor was made by AC Delco Division of General Motors Ltd, Watling Street, Dunstable


1909 - The Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (DELCO) was founded by Charles Kettering and Edward E. Deeds. Delco was responsible for several innovations in automobile electric systems, including the first reliable battery ignition system and the first practical automobile self-starter
1916 - United Motors Corporation consolidated many of the automotive accessory manufacturers to reduce duplication of products and services including the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co.(Delco) to form United Motor Services Inc. (UMS) to sell and service parts.
1918 - UMC became part of General Motors which included Delco, Klaxon Co and Remy Electric Co.
1924 - Delco-Remy Ltd acquired Hyatt Ltd
1925 - Delco Remy and Hyatt opened new offices and works at 111, Grosvenor Road, London, S.W.I
1925 - General Motors took over Vauxhall and began assembling Chevrolet trucks, first at Hendon and then at Luton
1927 - After Albert Champion's death, General Motors purchased AC Spark Plug Company
1932 - Delco-Remy granted Joseph Lucas Ltd rights to manufacture and supply in the United Kingdom vacuum control units to a design owned by General Motors
1934 - Began selling car radios under the Philco brand
1940 - Many Delco Remy and Hyatt employees were killed and injured when the plant was destroyed during the Battle of Britain by German bombers. The operation moved to the AC plant at Dunstable
1950 - Agreement with Lucas ended
1952 - Name changed to AC Delco Division of General Motors Ltd
1963 - Motor Show exhibitor. Electrical parts, air filters, fuel filters, motors

Although made by the AC Delco Division of General Motors Ltd it was not marked as such only having the part number stamped into the top case where it could not be seen. This obviously caused some confusion and resulted in a Service Bulletin being sent out:



The AC-Delco blower motor has ~2 3/4" diameter case and eight crimps, four on each side in the lower half of the case to support the field coil. The top cover is stamped '7957136' (Delco part number) and '12v C5'. Early motors were stamped '7957136' '12v' 'L1' and had a three part case with a narrow central band. This central band had brackets welded to it for applications in Bedford vans and Vauxhall cars - the design allowed multiple configurations using the same core. Both motors are referenced as C.17427 in the SPC.


Earlier three part case version:




Note the 3 way bullet connector, not three singles:


The stamped part number '7957136' is in line with the AC-Delco OEM seven digit part numbers as this extract from a 1971 AC-Delco parts catalogue shows:


Heater Case Assembly - Fan wheel
The fan wheels were made by Delaney Gallay Ltd and are a nylon moulding which press fits onto the motor shaft and held in place by a spire nut. It has the words 'Delaney Gallay Ltd', 'Registered Design' and 'Made in England' cast into the underside. The fan vanes are not directional although anti-clockwise rotation is important for the system to work efficiently.



Smiths Blower Motor
There has been a great deal of debate as to whether Smiths Industries provided the S1 heater box and motor. There is evidence some of the very early E-Type's were fitted with Smiths motors at the Factory (see at end of this post) but there is currently no paper records of this. The S2 SPC shows Smiths blower motors marked with the model number FHM 1204/05 but still uses the Jaguar C.17427 part number. Early motors were stamped on the base in red or white paint whilst post 1968 a sticker was used. The heater box was still the Delaney Gallay Ltd unit.
S2 J38 SPC:





All heater cases made by Smiths are clearly marked as such with the logo and FHR model code. Here is a heater case from a Daimler SP250 Dart and it has 'Smiths' embossed on both sides and riveted identification tags. A MGB heater case also has the same markings. All Smiths blower wheels have aerodynamic vanes angled in the direction of intended rotation:




Note 1: The reproduction Smith Industries Direction of Rotation sticker should obviously not be on the AC-Delco heater motor or any S1 car; in any case it was only on post 1968 Smiths motors!
Note 2: Reproduction fan wheels are made of metal and will not fit the original AC-Delco motor shaft. Equally the nylon D-G fan wheels will not fit new after-market Smiths Industries motors without modification.
Note 3: The AC-Delco #7957136 motor is no longer available. A modern Smiths motor is available but it is wider, will not accept the original fan and will not fit the original top plate without modification. Best to buy the complete reproduction assembly if you cannot find a good working AC-Delco motor. Richard Smith can supply a NOS Smiths motor which is a direct fit and will accept the Delaney Gallay fan wheel
Note 4: The only part of the S1 heater assembly that came from Smiths was the speed control resistor FHE 3103/01
Note 5: Delaney Gallay Ltd supplied the heater box for the S3 and the air conditioning units for the S2 and S3
Note 6: The S2 used a Smiths blower motor FHM 1204/05 but still shown as C.17427 in the SPC. This motor could be retro-fitted to earlier cars and was supplied as an in-service replacement which can cause confusion.

Heater Case Assembly - Fixing Ring
On all 3.8 cars the intake mesh fixing ring is different to that seen on the later 4.2 cars. The fixing ring #C18239 is narrow, at 1" wide, and exposes more of the heater volute. Later, the fixing ring (with same part number) was made wider to more closely match the volute opening. The changeover to the wider fixing ring seems to have been January 1965:




Later version (~January 1965 onwards):


The original intention seems to have been to secure a rubber bellow intake seal under the fixing ring rather than glue a foam one to the fresh bonnet air intake. This would require a fixing ring with the larger internal diameter to accommodate the rubber seal lip. The narrower one unfortunately caused dirt and insects to gather under the mesh, look unsightly and be impossible to clean without disassembly, hence it was eventually changed:


All reproduction heater boxes are supplied with the later style fixing ring, which is a shame because the wider opening highlighted by the plated mesh is a readily visible period detail. The early fixing ring is not reproduced but if there is sufficient demand Richard Smith may make a batch. Ring him if you want one.

Heater Case Assembly - Side Panel
The side panel changed three times during 3.8 production and there were two versions of the Lever assembly, although the part numbers remained unchanged. On the first few cars they were held in place by two self tapping #6 screws and the spring steadying the air control flap was hooked on to a bracket welded to the panel. The rear end of the panel had a tapered return. The lever assembly had a hole to allow the spring to be attached.


The second version of the panel was held in place by 12 #6 slot head self tapping screws, three on each side. The spring retaining bracket remained on the panel and the lever assembly continued with a hole to retain the spring:


From the end of April 1962 the number of screws was reduced to six (two per side, one top and bottom) and the spring retaining bracket was moved from the panel to the heater case. The panel was now of a simpler construction with just two edge returns at top and bottom. The lever assembly was also modified with a stud added to retain the spring.



The early heater case side panel and associated lever are available from Richard Smith: 01270 780954 rmj@rmjsmith.fsnet.co.uk The panel is a direct fit to any heater case although you will need to drill the additional holes and remove the small spring retaining bracket on the case.


If you have a pre April 1962 car you will need the early panel - once it has been pointed out to you, not having the correct one will irritate you no end!

Ian Howe adds:

Early Heater Box

9600 HP:



This Jaguar photograph of 9600HP is well-know - and shows an unusual heater box arrangement that has always puzzled me. I think I have solved this? Of note, other (later?) photographs of 9600 HP show the 'Normal" heater box arrangement.

Heater Box 875007:



Heater Box 875039:
The heater box on 875039 is the same as that shown above - and came with the open circular dish with a downward lip. Underneath is a larger hole than normal, allowing the fan to be fitted from above. Obviously, without a mesh this will allow ingress of foreign matter!




Heater Box 875047:
The heater box on 875047 has the 'production' version with a smaller hole despite going down the production line only 8 days after 875039. Note the mesh is steel and quite weighty compared to modern reproductions.:


Comparison to 'Normal' Heater Box:


Additional minor differences include screws holding on the resistor and the Air Release Duct (both normally riveted) and a slightly different flap shape.:


Whilst visiting a friend of mine who owns a very very early LHD OTS I discovered that his car’s heater box was an early example - but also had the normal mesh and retaining ring. The holes in the top of the heater box on 875039 line up exactly with an original mesh retaining ring. Problem solved.

Original Heater Box Arrangement from a very early car:


Once restored the heater box is hard to tell from a later box - but you can clearly see the extra plate on top:



IMHO these heater boxes are very rare and only appeared on the very earliest cars - in the case of 875039 you might ask why? I guess stock control was sporadic and 875039 has other features that are ‘out of normal sequence' (whatever that might be - the body number is 65) - for example a Marston Radiator serial 32!

Forum member 'poofacio' adds:

Smith's heater blower motor

I have owned four of the earliest RHD OBL's, all pretty unmolested and all have had Smiths heater motors.

I am currently restoring 850039 and this also has a Smiths heater motor. Jaguar informed me this car was with the Experimental Dept for a while and then put back into line. It has a lot of features that are earlier than its production date would dictate. The motor is dated "11 60" ( see photo).

[Heuer]

Conduit, Along Centre of Cylinder Head, Enclosing Spark Plug Leads

The conduit #C2451 retaining the spark plug leads goes right back to the XK120 and did not change until 1964. It was made of Vulcanized Fibre, a hard, durable, electrically insulating and chemically pure cellulose product. It is still widely used today, even as a skin on mobile phones.

1859 - The British patent filed for vulcanized fibre by Thomas Taylor
1871 - Thomas Taylor obtained the United States Patent for vulcanized fibre.
1873 - Vulcanized Fibre Company was first organized industrial company to make vulcanized fibre
1884 - the Vulcanized Fibre Co. formed
1901 - changed its name to the American Vulcanized Fibre Co.
1922 - name changed to National Vulcanized Fibre Company
1937 - British Vulcanised Fibre of 21 Major Street, Manchester, Manufacturers and suppliers in Great Britain
1947 - Vulcanised Fibre Ltd of Guildford, manufacturers of "Castle" Vulcanised Fibre Sheets, Rods, and Tubes for the manufacture of electrical and mechanical components; also for travel goods, suitcases, industrial containers, washers, abrasive discs, knife handles, buttons, helmets, cycle saddles, gaskets etc.




Manufacture
Vulcanized Fibre is made from layers of paper. More than 99% of the finished product is cellulose, so Vulcanized Fibre, although not paper, is made almost entirely of paper; there are no glues, resins or binders. The layers of paper pass through a bath of Zinc Chloride which makes the surfaces of the individual fibres gummy and sticky. When pressed together the gelatinous fibres create both a stronger bond within each layer of paper and a stronger bond between the layers binding together to form Vulcanized Fibre, a chemically pure product of excellent physical and electrical properties and bond strength. The Zinc Chloride is gradually leached out of the fibre in a series of water baths leaving only a trace amount (typically less than 0.1%). The fibre is then dried over a series of large heated rolls to its final moisture content. After that, the fibre is calendered through a pair of rollers which compress the fibre significantly, making it smoother and denser and it is either wound into rolls or cut into sheets. Vulcanized Fibre is almost completely pure cellulose, free from any artificial glues, resins or binders. Other than trace elements, it contains entirely natural components. When dipped in water it becomes very flexible allowing it to be easily shaped. It is made as thin as .005" and as thick as 1" and in several colours and grades. It is unaffected by organic solvents, petrol's, oils and greases but is limited to temperatures below 150C .

Commercial Grade - standard grey, black or red, used for many applications such as fibre washers, mobile phone skins, abrasive discs, suitcases, speaker components, welding masks etc
Electrical Grade - high dielectric grey, 100% cotton, very flexible, (historically called Fishpaper), this grade is suitable for layer and ground insulation and has variations including top-stick grade used for wedges in small motors. Typically from .0078" to .062" thick.
Trunk Fibre - Tough and abrasion resistant; used to surface steamer trunks, suitcases drum cases, wear and skid panels.
Bone Fibre - Exceptionally hard and dense, used for tight machining, tubing, pool cue ferrules (tips), cut out fuses.
Wood Laminating - Tough, multi-directional tensile and torsion strength, provides support and strength wherever wood laminations are used, particularly used under thin and exotic veneers as a stabilizer/strengthener.
Abrasive grade - used as abrasive disc substrate

Colours - Grey, Black, Dull Red, Bright White, Bright Red, Green

The Spark Plug conduit is made from a sheet of 1/16" Vulcanised fibre 18.5" in length, 5" wide one side and 2 3/8" on the other, folded into a tapered U shape and pinned with nine steel rivets 2 1/8" apart starting 3/8" from the wide end. Five circular 3/8" holes were punched out of the top, starting 3" from the narrow end, for the for the leads to exit (sixth went through the open end) and two shaped brackets were riveted (11 13/16" apart) near the top to secure the assembly to the second and fifth cylinder head studs. The conduits were red Fibre over-painted with black. The black paint was not long lasting leaving all or part of the conduit its native dull red. This is also case with the later conduit with red painted black being seen up to and including the S2's. There is no chronological pattern for colours on the conduits and one cannot state that early units were red fibre painted black while later units were black fibre. There is evidence of original conduits being red and black vulcanised fibre so it seems that whoever was supplying it was using either colour depending on availability.

Note one bracket is missing on this original example and the rivets have been replaced - they should be semi tubular rivets, same as the nine on the base:


Rivet detail:


Round holes:


Original black version:






Shaped brackets:



Attached to studs 3 and 6:


Car 875103:



Original red conduit on car 860897:




In April 1964 a Spare Parts Bulletin A.139 announced the assembly was changed and re-numbered to #C23608 from engine no. RA5634 although it was backward compatible with the old part #C2451. The five lead exit holes were punched as ovals to allow the leads a lower exit and made it easier to thread new HT leads and the brackets were flatter to push the conduit closer to the cylinder head.

Note red colour of this original later conduit:


Note oval holes; brackets now attached to studs 3 and 5:


In August 1964 SPB A.146 (from engine no. RA 7324) announced the conduit was changed again and the rear attachment bracket was moved to allow it to connect with the fifth head stud rather than the sixth stud, in preparation of the fitting of the engine lifting brackets. One of the attachment brackets was moved. The part number was changed from #C23608 to #C24126 and continued as such throughout E-Type 6- cylinder production. The part could be retro-fitted to earlier engines "IN SETS".


Flat bracket:


Attached to studs 3 and 5 to clear lifting brackets:


A search of the SNGB catalogue shows #C2451, #C23608 and #C24126 all superseding to #C34080, although that is not an E-Type part number as far as I know. The conduits were used in all 6-cylinder engines up to the XJ6 S2 so perhaps the number comes from there. It is however a good reproduction of #C24126:


Despite being fitted to every Jaguar engine from the XK120 onwards #C2451 seems to be incredibly rare, perhaps because removing hardened HT leads from an aged conduit is very difficult without causing damage. Ditto installing new HT leads. It has a continuous heat resistance of 115C and a maximum resistance of 150C. Exposure to damp causes the Vulcanised Fibre to become flexible and distort.

In summary:
C2451 - carried over from the XK150S and fitted to all E-Type's up until April 1964. Page B26 of the Service Manual illustrates it.

C23608 - a direct replacement for #C2451 from April 1964 (SPB A139 refers) engine no. RA5634 and supplied for all in service replacements going forward. My research suggests the difference was to change the HT lead exit holes from round to oval following complaints of the difficulty in threading new HT leads into the conduit. HT leads at that time were copper cored so quite stiff.The oval holes also had the benefit of allowing the leads to sit closer to the body of the conduit. The brackets were modified to be flatter so pushing the conduit closer to the cylinder head.

C24126 - from August 1964 a revised conduit bracket location to allow the fitting of the engine lifting hoops from engine no. RA 7324 (SPB A146 refers). The flat brackets allowed the conduit to sit lower in the cylinder head to clear the two lifting brackets, four revised studs and four revised washers. It was not backward compatible with either C2451 or C23608 unless the other listed items were fitted."

So almost all 3.8 E-Type's had the red conduit design rather than "early" cars which we tend to regard as the first 500. Detail changes to the conduit apart, for originality and most certainly concours entrants I would expect to see every 3.8 E-Type not displaying the lifting brackets to have the red conduit, painted black for the purists, left red for the more style conscious or those who want their car to have a 'patina'.

Thanks to Tadek Malkiewicz for helping me research this. Thanks to Julian Barratt for agreeing to produce exact replicas of the early conduit as part C2351* based on an original supplied by Tadek:



They are now available from SNGB and here is one fitted to my car:


Note: Having looked at dozens of period photos I think it is almost certain the conduits were black (red over-painted black) when they left the Factory so if you are entering a concours competition you may want bear that in mind. If you are just having fun, go with the red because it does look good!

[Heuer]

Extras and Deviations from Standard, October 1963

[Heuer]

Front Subframe Assembly

The front subframe assembly was made from Reynolds 531 tubeset.

Reynold Tube Co. of Hay Hall Works, Tyseley, Birmingham. Telephone: Acocks Green 1607. Telegraphic Address: "Butted". (1937)
1841 - John Reynolds started as a nail manufacturer, in Birmingham.
1875 - John Reynolds retired, passing leadership of the company to his sons Edwin Reynolds and Alfred John Reynolds
1890 - Alfred John?s sons, John Henry Reynolds and Alfred Milward Reynolds, joined John Reynolds and Sons, Ltd
1897 - Alfred M. Reynolds and J. T. Hewitt patented butted tubing.
1898 - The predecessor of today?s Reynolds bicycle tubing company was formed, called The Patent Butted Tube Co, on 20th December.
1902 - The Patent Butted Tube Co published its first bicycle tubing catalogue, boasting a 4?-pound tube set.
1916 - During World War I, The Patent Butted Tube Co started manufacturing tubing for military bicycles and motorcycles.
1917 - With wartime production, The Patent Butted Tube Co relocated to a large Tudor house known as Hay Hall in Tyseley.
1923 - The Patent Butted Tube Co Ltd. changed its name to Reynolds Tube Co Ltd.
1924 - Reynolds introduced high manganese tubing.
1928 - Reynolds Tube Co was acquired by Tube Investments.
1935 - Max Bigford and Austyn Reynolds introduced the Reynolds 531 tube-set, in manganese-steel alloy.
1937 - Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Seamless Steel Precision Tubes, in plain and alloy steels, Seamless Tubes, Extruded bars and Sections, in high strength aluminium and magnesium alloys. Manipulated Tubes and Sections and Built-up Components
1939 - During WWII, Reynolds ceased bicycle tube production and switched production to fighter plane tubing for the Spitfire.
1976 - Reynolds introduced heat-treated 753 tubing; which rapidly became the competition tubing of choice worldwide.
1995 - Reynolds introduced the world?s first commercial air-hardening steel for bicycle frame tubes.
2000 - A management buy-out on 24th January, took Reynolds back into private ownership, whilst keeping all the employees. Manufacturing of metallic products continued at Tyseley. The company is named Reynolds Cycle Technology (2000) Ltd.
2006 - The company was renamed Reynolds Technology Ltd, to reflect the increasing revenues from diversification into ?new? sectors for tubing outside the cycle industry.
2007 - After 90 years at Redfern Road, the company moved to a modern factory building in Shaftmoor Lane, Birmingham.



Earlier versions of Reynolds tubing were called HM, for "High Manganese," but in 1935 the company introduced "531" which, after butting, was regarded as a major breakthrough in strong, lightweight bicycle tubing. Butted 531 was considered revolutionary and quickly became the tubing of choice for most bicycle builders. The "531" name is a reference to the metallurgical components of the tubing - five parts manganese, three parts carbon, one part molybdenum. In general terms, it can be referred to as "manganese-molybdenum" or "manganese-moly" but should not be referred to as "chrome-moly."

In the early 1930's Reynolds began working in aluminium to meet the demands of the Royal Air Force. A product of their aircraft endeavours was the introduction in 1935 of the legendary "Reynolds 531" tubeset, although it came about unintentionally. Chief Inspector and Metallurgist Max Bigford spotted an aircraft tubing which he thought held the potential for making an excellent cycle tubeset and reworked the specifications along with Director Austyn Reynolds. Reynolds 531 was used, amongst other things, on the frames that held Rolls Royce Merlin engines in Spitfires. So important was the introduction of 531 that the Cyclist's Touring Club awarded Reynolds their plaque for the most meritorious contribution to the sport of cycling after chalking up 27 Tour de France victories. Reynolds also made up complete 'sets' of tubing for different cycling applications - for example 531C (Competition), 531ST (Special Tourist), 531ATB (All Terrain Bike) and so-on. Reynolds 531 was so successful that it wasn't until 1976 that Reynolds was able to improve on it with the introduction of Reynolds 753. The widespread use of TIG and MIG welding in cycle manufacture became a problem as 531 reacted poorly to the higher temperatures produced and 531 has been gradually phased out as a result. The most common like-for-like replacements for 531 are Reynolds 520 and 525 - a Chrome-Molybdenum tubing with very similar characteristics but more suited to TIG and MIG welding - 525 is made by Reynolds themselves, but 520 is an identical tubing made in Taiwan under licence. Reynolds 531 is now only available to special order.

It is a commonly held belief that the E-Type was the first production car to use 531 frames but this is not so - it is a far more interesting story full of intrigue!

In 1935 William Lyons Swallow Coachbuilding Company was put into voluntary liquidation, and was replaced by the Swallow Coachbuilding Company (1935) Limited. S.S. Cars Limited concentrated on manufacturing cars and later became Jaguar. The Swallow Coachbuilding Company (1935) Limited continued to make side-cars. In 1945 the company was sold to the Helliwell Group. Manufacture of Swallow side-cars was transferred to the Helliwell factory at Walsall Airport, where the company manufactured aircraft components. In 1946 Helliwell was taken over by Tube Investments and continued to produce Swallow products. The first and only new model produced by Swallow under TI ownership was the Swallow Doretti car, designed by in-house engineer Frank Rainbow with a tubular Reynolds 531 chassis, a body made of a steel inner structural skin, aluminium outer and engine/running gear from Triumph. It was aimed squarely at the American market. Most cars were supplied with overdrive and they were capable of 100 mph although not quite as fast as the TR2 on which they were based. A total of 276 cars were made between 1954 and 1955, including a single fixed head coupe version.

Production stopped in 1955 when the parent company TI changed policy - William Lyons threatened Tube Investments he would stop buying component parts from them as he felt the Doretti was a competitor to his new Jaguar XK120. The directors of TI were thus convinced continued production of the Doretti sports car placed TI in direct competition with their main customers creating a serious conflict of interest. And so production of the Swallow came to an end.




More info on the Doretti here: http://www.doretti.info/history.htm

[Heuer]

I am pleased to say that Julian Barratt has agreed to get the conduit #C2451 made to the original specifications. This has been a group effort given the rarity of the originals and Tadek Malkiewicz has agreed to lend his to Julian for copying along with the correct brackets. I believe they will be made of dull red Vulcanised Fibre - we have found a mixture of red, black and red painted black originals - to differentiate them from the later version. I will update the thread when they are available. Big thanks to SNGB for being so pro-active.

[bopperd]

Great work, David. Ray McPhail and I will be the first with our wallets out when the new conduits appear.

Dave

[Heuer]

Lucas C45PVS/6 Dynamo




Up to car numbers 850091/875385/860004/885020 the "Lucas 22531A C45.PVS/6" special equipment' dynamo (Jaguar part C16054) was specified and it incorporated ball bearings at the commutator end, bare aluminium end brackets, black painted plated machined yoke (body) and a machined armature. Output was 25 Amps, 13.5v at 1700rpm dynamo shaft speed, in combination with Control Box 37304A/B RB310 and pulley C14590. Resistance at the exciting coil was 6 ohms. It used Lucar connectors and was only used on the E-Type in this guise, a total order of maybe no more than 500 units + 10%, so they are very rare indeed. The non special equipment C45.PV/6 generator (note missing 'S') was fitted to the MK IX and Mk 2 saloons; the C45.PVS/6 fitted to the XK150S had Lucas part number 22496D. In summary:

The Lucas coding for the C45PVS/6 generator model is:
C = concentrically mounted armature
45 = armature with 4.5" diameter yoke (width of case)
P = long pole type
V = ventilated
S = special equipment (for high speed sports cars)
6 = indication of design update (25 amp output in this case, /5 was 22A)
22531A = Lucas part number
12V = nominal voltage
XX XX = production date

XX XX = Type (only stamped on some models)

C.45PVS is the ‘Special’ version for high performance cars with a ball bearing race at the commutator end and machined plated yoke. In production from 1948 with three versions, 5 and 6 suffixes and different Lucas part numbers
C.45PV is the normal version fitted to Jaguar saloons
C.45PVS/5 with Lucas part number 22496B was used on the XK's and competition saloons; 20A output, post terminals
C.45PVS/6 GC51 with Lucas part number 22496D was used on the XK150S; 25A output, post terminals
C.45PVS/6 with Lucas part number 22531A was specified for the first 500; 25A output, spade terminals
C.45PV/6 GC85 was stamped on the generators fitted to the first 500; no S but unique
'Type' code and 22531A part number
C.45PV 6 with Lucas part number 22489B/22528D was used on the Mk2 2.4/Mk IX saloons respectively



All 21 parts of the 22531A assembly are taken from 22496D (PVS 6) with the exception of the commutator end bracket, the terminal set and the commutator thrust screw which were unique. The one part where no number is listed is for the generator yoke which must be generic for the C.45 series. This begs the question did Lucas repurpose existing pre-stamped yokes with part number 22531A and C.45PV6 GC85 for the 500? It could explain the disparity of what is stamped and what is listed in the catalogues. More likely it was because the yoke stamp rollers were limited to 15 characters (including spaces) on each line so they dropped the 'S' because they wanted to get the 'GC 85' mark in. So the Type code was of some significance to Lucas, if not Jaguar. Maybe GC51 is post terminals, GC85 is spade terminals.


This 22496D (XK150S) generator retains the 'S', includes the 'Type' GC51 and omits the 12V to get the line down to 15 characters:


The reason Jaguar did not use the XK150 22496D seems to be down to standardising on Lucar connectors for the loom which required a new terminal set and commutator end bracket to accommodate it.



Lucas parts catalogue (1961) for early E-Type's:


Lucas parts catalogue (1961) for XK's and saloon's


Not sure what the 'Type' code stands for. G = ?, C = Clockwise rotation ?, 85 = ?
The Lucas wiper motor has the code GC88 so it is not specific to the generators.

This one shows a double stamp, GC51 along with the normal GC85, perhaps a clue as to how they were produced. GC51 is the correct code for the C.45PVS 5 used on the XK's and competition saloons from 1952 to 1959 but the C.45PVS 6 did not have a type code stamped.




Note the large diameter ball bearing end cap:


C45.PVS and C45.PV showing end cap difference - the 'S' has ball bearing bush at commutator end:


Fan blade is a Jaguar part C7428, not Lucas:


The C14590 pulley was secured by a Woodruff key and a special nut - Lucas 180620 which fits only 17 mm shaft dynamos. It had a special thread .668-20 meaning 0.668" thread and 20 TPI pitch. The two terminals were Lucar.


The C.45 also had a different dynamo mounting bracket C14917 to those of later cars:


The brackets are available from Richard Smith. The RB310 37304A control boxes were used on many cars in period so are not rare but you need the correct specification to match the generator output.

Notes:

1. Lucas supplied 'Special Equipment' or 'S' versions of its dynamo's from the late 1940's designed for "high speed sports and special cars". They incorporated ball bearings, a machined and plated yoke, bare aluminium end brackets and could maintain a very high air extraction rate of more than 18 cu. ft. per minute at 6,000 rpm dynamo shaft speed. There are many C45 generators, fewer with the 'S' marking and only 500 or so with the Lucas part number 22531A.

2. This is the Lucas master Parts Catalogue 1948 - 1962. It makes no mention of the 22531A . Shows how rare they must be:


3. Lucas 1950 - 1964 catalogue:


4. The Type code stamped on some Lucas generator's have different values but on the C.45 series for Jaguar they are GC24, GC51, GC78, GC85 or GC86.

5. The Lucas C45 Dynamo Workshop Manual: https://www.dropbox.com/s/mwhakbecsjekk ... 5.pdf?dl=1

6. Jaguar referred to the unit as a 'dynamo' and Lucas called it a 'generator'.

Lucas RB310 37304A control box
"Regulator Box with three separately wound bobbins for Voltage Regulator, Current Regulator and Cutout. Fitted with screw or 'Lucar' connections". There were 22 RB310 variants. The only difference between the 37297B used in the XK150 and the 37304A was the latter had three Lucar terminals (plus earth to casing)
rather than screw terminals. Otherwise they have identical components including the 54380858 resistance. It was also the only RB310 with three main Lucar terminals:

[Heuer]

C42 Dynamo

From car numbers #850092/875386/860005/885021 (~September 1961) a new type of dynamo was fitted - Lucas Model C42, Lucas part number 22902A or B. This had a 4.2" diameter yoke - which meant the whole unit was slimmer - spade terminals and a revised pulley #C18227 and nut for the 15mm shaft.







Output was 30amps, 13.5v at 1,250rpm measured at the dynamo shaft and controlled by the black Bakelite bodied RB340 which had the spade connectors at the bottom.

Notes:
1. Jaguar referred to the unit as a 'dynamo' and Lucas called it a 'generator'.

2. Lucas was producing the higher output C42 as early as March 1961 (see above photos) but Jaguar chose not to use it on the first 500 cars presumably because they had stocks of the C45/RB310.

Lucas RB340 Control Box
Fitted from cars #850092/875386/860005/885021 to control the C42 generator. The Lucas RB340 came in 11, 22, 25 and 30 amp versions, all indistinguishable from each other so the 30amp versions were marked as such with yellow crayon by the Factory:


A revised bracket was required for the C42 #C18228:


Notes:

1. The Lucas RB340 Workshop Manual: https://www.dropbox.com/s/hfqcpxqzvyc6a ... 0.pdf?dl=1

[Heuer]

Lucas Coil

Jaguar fitted a positive earth Lucas HA12 'high energy' Fluid Cooled coil to the E-Type, a coil that was fitted to a wide range of vehicles in period.



Lucas produced three main series of 12 volt coils:

LA12 = 20Kv standard coil (6" long)
HA12 = 30Kv high energy coil (7" long)
SA12 = 40Kv sports coil (1/8" thicker than HA12)

Note: MA12 were motorcycle coils, BA12 were internally ballasted coils

All had a 3 ohm primary winding and did not require a ballast resistor. The diameter of Sports Coils is 1/8" larger than a standard (LA or HA) 2 1/4"coil, because of the increased number of turns on the secondary winding. The LA12 is an inch shorter in the body. Only the HA12 was specified for the E-Type and fitted by the Factory. The black Bakelite cap was marked "Lucas", "Made in England", "SW" (switch) and "CB" (contact breaker). The HT lead was retained by a black fluted threaded nut. The low tension connectors were threaded 2BA and held single Lucar blades secured by brass nuts. The month and year of manufacture, model number, Lucas part number and a three pointed star in a circle logo were stamped on the base. The aluminium case was anodised to give a grey metallic finish resembling cadmium plate. The Lucas part numbers are difficult to de-cypher and were changed regularly but are always in the format 45XXX with a letter suffix, A to J, as a production indicator which can mostly be ignored. The coil was 7" long and attached using the Lucas supplied 'saddle' with the lower end over a stud in the engine breather housing. When the housing was changed after the first 500 cars an extension bracket was required #C18525.

The Lucas part number, according to the J30 August 1961 SPC, was #45067A and the Lucas HA12 silver and black 'Fluid Cooled' decal was attached:



The 1948 - 1962, 1961 and 1962 Lucas Jaguar Spare Parts Catalogues however all list the coil for the E-Type as #45104H/J. It lists #45067 only for the saloons and the XK150. I am coming to the conclusion the J30 SPC is wrong in listing #45067 as the coil fitted to all 3.8's. It looks like all the 3.8 cars had one of the positive earth #45104 A to J series coils until #45169 negative earth coil appeared in mid 1964. Maybe the Jaguar drawing office got hold of the wrong coil, probably from a MK II?



In evidence here are photos of the original coil fitted to car 875039 and it has a 45104B coil with a date of 1 59. Car 875343 has a 45104D coil dated 5 59 and the picture in the Tom Haddock book shows a 45104F coil with a date of 5 61.




Coil from 875039 showing end cap without 'Made in England' and remains of the decal



Coil from car 875343 showing the remains of the Lucas decal. I believe later coils did not have the Lucas decal when fitted by Jaguar based on period photos.


Tadek confirm's car #875521 has Lucas 45104 with date of 1 59 as original coil:





The J37 November 1965 SPC and the 1965 Lucas Jaguar Spare Parts Catalogue shows the model number as having changed in mid 1964 to HA12 #45169B a negative earth coil which had one double and one single Lucar riveted blade. These Factory coils did not have the Lucas decal as seen by the coil drawing in the SPC but if they did they would have a 'Fluid Cooled' and 'Negative Earth' decal.



April 1964 45104K coil (no evidence of decal according to owner):


June 1964 45169B coil:


One single, one double Lucar blade:


No evidence of decal:


So HA12 sequence is:
#45104 A to D threaded terminals - up to early 1962, 'Fluid Cooled' decal, no 'Made in England' embossed on cap
#45104H riveted single blade terminals - up to mid 1964, probably 'Fluid Cooled' decal, 'Made in England' embossed on cap
#45169B riveted one double and one single blade terminals - mid 1964 onwards, no Lucas decal, negative earth
#45067 was not fitted to the 3.8 cars despite the information in the J30 SPC. It seems to have been specified for the contemporary saloons.

Trivia:
1. Terminals marked "+" and "-" were introduced in 1968

2. The push-in HT lead was introduced in 1968
3. HA12 - suffix digits indicates the voltage - 6 or 12
4. Although the coils are dated don't expect them to necessarily coincide with the date the car was built - they can be anything up to two years earlier. Coils dated after the car was built will be later replacements
5. Up until late 1960 the HA12 coils had a different style of decal, with no mention of 'Fluid Cooled'. The correct style decal is available from http://www.classicrepro.co.uk/aboutus.htm as #ST336 (they also supply the yellow Lucas wiring tape #ST122) or SNGB #ID0089
6. Coils produced before mid 1959 did not have the words 'Made in England' on the black end cap
7. All the coils are interchangeable and the higher output Sports coil would only be of benefit if the vehicle proved difficult to start because of fouled plugs or extremely cold temperatures
8. The modern Lucas equivalent is the DLB101 which replaces all HA12 coils regardless of their part number. It has two screw terminals with "Lucar" blade adapters with push-in (rather than screw in) HT, 6" in length.
9. The transition from threaded to riveted connectors on the E-Type occurred during early 1962
10. Although the Lucas part number changed they continued to hold stocks for a number of years, hence 1959 dated coils on 1961 cars
11. The 1968 - 1978 sports coil SA12 had a red convoluted top and special moulded nut. Looks stunning on the car but not Factory. If you are not concerned it is far nicer to have than the modern gold Sports coil. They come up regularly on eBay and the red sticker is available from Classic Reproductions. Make sure you buy one with the red HT 'nut' in place as they are impossible to find on their own. The groove in the lower part of the SA12 casing was to allow for expansion as Lucas expected the coil to get very hot:


12. Modern Lucas coils are 1" shorter than the period 7" originals; modern cases are natural aluminium, period cases are adonised grey:

13. By the late 1960's Lucas had abandoned the riveted terminals and gone back to threaded presumably because of production/reliability problems. I have seen a #45104H dated May 1969 with threaded terminals which proves the point
14. Do not attempt to remove the large screw in the HT terminal. If you do the oil coolant will flow out and the coil will be ruined

Decals
The presence or absence of Lucas decals after 1963 is still being debated but I am minded there were no decals on Factory fitted coils on the 4.2 cars. The decals were applied by machine and their position was uniform. If you want to add a decal this is where it should be - vertically 1/4" down from the rim and '12V' at top, laterally - centred between the connectors as can be seen on this August 1960 HA12:


Pre 1961 decal - not on E-Type Factory fitted coil although may be found on very early cars (this is a poor reproduction, notice the different font especially the 'A' and 'S'):


1961 onwards decal; all E-Type's up to 1965 plus after-market (very good reproduction with correct fonts):

From mid 1964 onwards the decal, if present at all on Factory fitted coils, would have been marked 'Negative Earth' as this photo in the Tom Haddock book shows:


Technical Information
The coil cases were made using cold impact extrusion and 'HA12', logo and coil number '45104' would have been imprinted at that time. The letter suffix and date code was added later as can be seen by the lack of uniformity in stamping.

This is how the coil was assembled according to Lucas:





The coils were made with a porcelain base, iron core, heavy windings and oil filled so they could stand being stamped when finished. The casings were probably punched in large batches and assembled at a later date. The date and letter codes were done fairly lightly and by hand, looking at the unevenness. The type of ignition coil required for a particular engine depends on the specific requirements of that engine - compression ratio, spark plug type/gaps, valve timing/gaps, rpm, dwell degrees, coil inductance, points gap etc. - all have an impact on the required ignition voltage for the plugs to produce an optimum spark and, importantly, heat produced. There are two things which will affect the temperature of the coil - the amount of energy being put into it and the temperature difference between the coil casing and the surrounding air in the engine compartment. The coil primary resistance is 3.0 to 3.5 ohms cold (higher when hot), and with a switch-on voltage of 12v gives us ~ 4 amps draw. This would generate 48 watts which is too much heat over a long period and can damage the coil (if you need the ignition on for a long period with the engine stopped disconnect the coil! Doubly so if you have 2.4 ohm Sports 'Gold' coil). When running the coil is only energised 35% of the time (dwell angle of dizzy), the voltage rises to 14.3v but the coil will only produce 22 watts. Jaguar and Lucas must have decided the chosen position of the coil on the engine next to the radiator did not impact on reliability. This of course could be the reason for the XK150S using a different coil to the E-Type despite the engines being the same - the position of the coil was different or, in the case of the saloons different air flow and surrounding hardware (e.g. header tank). Unfortunately Jaguar provides no information on the coils in the Workshop Manuals to compare, for example, the 3.8 and 4.2. All we know is #45104 3.8 was a positive earth coil and #45169 4.2 was a negative earth coil:


Coil Polarity
The polarity of the coil should match that of the battery - coil +ve to battery +ve, coil -ve to battery -ve. No matter whether the car is +ve or -ve earth or which way the coil is installed (regardless of coil markings) it will still output voltage. Spark plugs are however more sensitive when it comes to polarity and the coil should be connected to provide negative polarity to the spark plugs centre electrode. It takes 10% less voltage for the plugs to arc if the hotter centre electrode is -ve, and the cooler (by comparison) earthed electrode is +ve. With the terminals reversed and the centre electrode is +ve, the car will still run with but with a 10% voltage handicap and in low temperatures, driving fully loaded and accelerating hard up a hill may misfire. If the coil is modern and has - & + markings connect accordingly. With CB and SW markings there is no way to tell whether the coil is positive or negative earth other than looking up the Lucas serial number. The coil can be tested for polarity using a voltmeter set to its highest range, with the positive (usually red) lead connected to a cylinder head bolt and the negative (black) lead connected to a plug cap - this applies regardless of whether the car is positive or negative earth. Cranking the engine will cause the needle (or digital readout) to swing upwards if the coil is connected correctly. If the needle swings down off the scale (or the digital readout goes negative) the coil is connected wrongly, and the coil leads should be reversed, regardless of markings.

[Heuer]

Rod, Through Clamp Securing Battery

Part #C16475 was originally a different shape and length to the currently available reproductions.



The rod in the centre of these two photos belongs to car 875343 and you can see the flattened part is longer, has a return at the round section, the thread is shorter as is the overall length compared to the two reproductions:


Basically they used a ¼” x 6” steel rod, squashed the first 4” flat and threaded the other end for 1 ¼” with 28 TPI. Finally they curled the last 1” of the flat into a hook. They were cadmium plated.

Note the double spring washer, or 'Thackery' washer beneath the wing nut. The wing nuts were larger than the repro ones (left) commonly available. Correct ones are available from http://www.etypeparts.com:


Ask Richard Smith if he has considered re-making the original style!

[Heuer]

Stop Light Switch




The E-Type used a hydraulic brake light switch #C16062 Lucas HL2 #31802D which screwed into a four way union #C17464 bolted to the front frame cross member. The switch had a 1/8″ x 27 BPTF external male tapered thread. BPTF is an abbreviation for British Pipe Taper Fuel, a conical thread to provide a leak-free seal. It is standard BPT but the thread is adjusted to obtain an interference fit to prevent leakage along the thread. The corresponding internal, female thread of the union is 1/8″ x 27 BPSF, which is a straight (non-tapered) thread. The hex on all the switches takes a 7/8" wrench. This is the switch off OBL car 875343 marked 'LUCAS ENGLAND' 'HL2' '31802D' dated '11 59' . On the side of switch: 'CU-' (symbol for copper):





The exact same switch on car 875039. Note the date, 2 60, is later than the one from car 875343 which shows stock levels were all over the place:



On the other hand this is the switch from 850011 dated 58' - a #31082 (as against #31802). It has the screw terminals as used on the XK150 rather than Lucar blades. The Lucar spade terminals were pushed under the screws although I think the original intention was tothread bare wires into the holes and use the screws to hold them in place:




Tom Haddock in his 'Originality Guide' suggests the very early switches had grooved rather than hex heads and clip on terminal posts, but I believe these were US after market replacements (NAPA/MPE #SL134SN) and not Factory Fit. This one is actually an after-market XK150 #31082 (as against #31802) switch with screw posts rather than Lucar blades (the possibility of the two contacts shorting would be very high, not something Jaguar would have countenanced):

Photo: Tom Haddock

You can buy the switch pictured in the Mueller/Haddock books new for $30 complete with the special contact terminal. Certainly not Lucas: http://www.ronfrancis.com/prodinfo.asp?number=SW-32

[Ian Howe]

Bracket Receiving Rear End of Torsion Bar

Early during production the bracket receiving the rear end of the torsion bars changed - no idea when! The later brackets were thicker and 'beefed up' close to the torsion bar.

EARLY BRACKET from car 875039; part #C15905



LATER BRACKET from 62 LHD OTS; part #C19379:



Note: car #876024 has the early brackets so Jaguar was installing these up to at least November 3, 1961

Ian

[Heuer]

Lucas were a major partner of Jaguar and produced their own Jaguar parts catalogue. It is an excellent point of reference especially as we know the J30 SPC contains some typo's or incorrect information. Here is an extract from the 1961 Jaguar Spares List CCE 906G. It is most interesting as it contains a special "Later Information" supplement for the newly released E-Type and it as definitive as we can get on what was fitted to the very early cars. e.g - there were two versions of the wiper motor:





You can download it, along with the 1948-1962, 1962, 1965, 1968 and 1973 Lucas Jaguar Spares lists, from the Forum Knowledge Base. Thanks to Ray McPhail and Dave Schinbeckler (bopperd) for sourcing and sending me a copy to add to our collection.

[Heuer]

Oil Pressure Sender

Electric Element for Oil Pressure Gauge (PT.1801/06) #C15474 was supplied by Smiths Industries to match the Smiths oil pressure gauge PE.2300/01 #C15473 (early cars) and the later PE.2300/02 #C18641:


It is stamped on the side "Smiths Motor Accessories" and "Made in England". The stamping is too faint to show up in the photo:


The top is stamped "P.I.1801/06", "12 Volts", and "60 PSI":

[Heuer]

Glass

The 'E' Type was fitted with Triplex glass. The windscreen was laminated 'TripleX' and cost Jaguar ?8/7/4 whilst the side and rear screens used toughened glass. The headlamp cowls were also produced by Triplex. Early cars would have had plate glass windscreens (marked as such), later cars would have float glass windscreens but would only be marked as 'Laminated' or 'Toughened' glass. More data is required to know when this change took place.

Triplex of Kings Norton, Birmingham:
1912 - Public company incorporated. The need for the specialist production of safety glass led to the formation of the TripleX Safety Glass Company to operate in Britain certain French patents for laminated glass. The manufacturing process involved fixing Xylonite or some other transparent material between 2 sheets of glass, thus triplex glass
1919 - Triplex safety glass cowlings were added to provide weather protection for the cockpit in the Handley Page aircraft used on the London-Paris service
1922 - The company was taken over by a public company of similar name
1927 - Purchased a new factory at King's Norton, Birmingham with the support of a loan from Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds
1927 - Pilkington developed a process for making thin plate glass suitable for Triplex and became an important supplier to Triplex
1929 - Pilkington and the Triplex Safety Glass Co formed a joint company, called Triplex Imperial, to build a works at Eccleston, St. Helens, to produce laminated glass; the factory had Pilkington management with support from Triplex.
1929 - The company had holdings in Triplex (Northern) Ltd, the Triplex Safety Glass Co, of North America, and Triplex (Continental) Ltd[8]
1930 - Triplex glass was fitted as standard on Austin cars[9]
1932 - A process for large-scale toughening of glass was developed by St. Gobain in France; Pilkington obtained an exclusive licence for Britain. Pilkington and Triplex then entered into agreements for Triplex to manufacture toughened glass for sale only to the motor and aircraft industries. The Triplex companies paid a royalty of 10 per cent on sales until April 1936. Pilkington reserved the right to exploit toughened glass for other uses
1935 - Royalty payments on TripleX toughened glass came to an end
1936 - Reduced prices of safety glass to encourage car manufacturers to continue to fit their products in windows in the face of competition from others who fitted ordinary glass. 18 Manufacturers agreed to fit TripleX in 100 percent of uses. By the end of the 1930s the Triplex companies were producing about five times as much toughened glass as laminated glass
WWII - Manufactured parts for the De Havilland Mosquito and other aircraft, eyepieces for gas masks, etc. Made plastic components at Kings Norton and in one of the 2 factories at Willesden. The Eccleston factory was used for munitions.
1951 - Triplex developed "zoned" windscreens, giving a zone of relatively clear vision in case of breakage, following similar developments on the Continent. Also developed heated rear windows for cars.
1954-1957 - Sir Alastair Pilkington and Kenneth Bickerstaff of the UK's Pilkington Brothers developed the first successful commercial application for forming a continuous ribbon of glass using a molten tin bath on which the molten glass flows unhindered under the influence of gravity - float glass
1955 - Triplex acquired Pilkington's interest in Triplex (Northern) in return for shares in Triplex Safety Glass. Pilkington began purchasing Triplex's shares in the market.
1959 - Pilkington?s Queenborough factory on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent opened, the original glass products were made under various brand names like Triplex, Sigla, Bilglas or SIV
1960 - first significant sales of 'float' glass which would rapidly replace rolled 'plate' glass in automotive applications
1963 - Motor Show exhibitor. Glass.
1965 - Pilkington owned more than 50 per cent of Triplex which then became a subsidiary of Pilkington.
1972 - Pilkington acquired the remaining shares in 1960the company
2006 - bought by Nippon Sheet Glass Company
Today - Pilkington Classic are dedicated to producing low volume glass for classic cars, prototypes and concept cars. Output is typically 50 screens/day

Triplex Glass Date Codes
All Triplex glass of the period was date marked with a code embedded into the logo. Cars made in the 1950?s to the late 1970?s can be dated by the ?TRIPLEX CODE? etched into the toughened glass. Note that it dates the glass not the date the car was built. The year code can be found in the Nine letters that make the word TOUGHENED or LAMINATED. One dot below a letter gives the year of the decade:
T = 1 L = 1
O = 2 A = 2
U = 3 M = 3
G = 4 I = 4
H = 5 N = 5
E = 6 A = 6
N = 7 T = 7
E = 8 E = 8
D = 9 D = 9
No dot = 0 (or possibly a dot under a space after the last letter)

To determine the approximate month of production look for two dots in the TRIPLEX logo on the glass. One dot above T, R, E, or X gives the quarter of the year the glass was manufactured:
T = Jan, Feb, March,
R = April, May, June,
E = July Aug, Sept,
X = Oct, Nov, Dec.
Example: TRIPLEX TOUGHENED, with one dot over the ?R? in Triplex, and the other under the last ?E? in Toughened, indicates April/May/June 1968

A different coding system was applied for the post-war TRIPLEX laminated windscreens destined for the USA, whereby the year of manufacture was mentioned in two figures e.g L61V. The quarter coding system on basis of the word TRIPLEX was identical to the TOUGHENED and LAMINATED versions. After Jan 1969 the year indication is identical but the month code changed and now indicated by multiple dots over the word TRIPLEX:


Other codes
AS1 = American (National) Standard (AS-1 is required for all windscreens and at least AS-2 is required for sides and backs. AS-1 can only be made out of laminated safety glass while all other AS numbers can be either laminated or tempered, as long as they meet the minimum AS requirement)
AS-WS = American (National) Standard - Windshield. Seen on glass from the early 1950's and was superseded by AS-1
L61V = Laminated 1961 required for USA
M = The M number is a model number for the piece of glass, which identifies the type of construction. The M number is unique to the manufacturer, so an M number of M471 by one manufacturer could be different than glass labelled as M471 by another manufacturer. It identifies the glass construction, including the colour and thickness.
DOT 17 = the Department of Transportation (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) who assign codes to the manufacturer of the glass and '17' is assigned to Triplex Safety Glass Company Ltd
BS857 1967 = British Standard specification for safety glass for land transport, published 30 June 1967 and still in force. A screen marked BS857-1 was produced after January 1973; BS857-2 was produced after the second amendment to the standard in September 1980. In addition either "Z", Z1", "Z2" or "WHP" on windscreens. All other windows either "L", "Laminated", "T", "CHT", "F", "Float", "P", "Plate", "S", "Sheet". ("T" = Heat treated, toughened glass, "CHT" = Chemically toughened safety glass)
Kite mark = originally conceived in 1903 as a symbol to identify products manufactured to meet British Standards' specifications. It came from the kite shape of the graphic device from an upper-case B (for British) on its back, over an S (for standard), enclosed by two lines
SUNDYM = Triplex trade name for tinted glass; note dots over certain letters suggesting a code
AGREE = Agree, French for certified (the dots above the EE are accents, not codes!)
TP.GS.6 = French certification code
XXX in circle - TripleX logo - some have a dot in the centre; meaning of absence or presence of dot unknown
PLATE = Plate glass, manufactured by rolling molten glass on a table ceased production for automotive glass in about 1960
FLOAT = The successor to plate glass, created by floating molten glass on a bed of molten tin in a continuous process. Became the industry standard from mid 1961
LAMINATED = Fabricated by sandwiching and bonding annealed glass (annealed glass has been processed to reduce residual stress - unlike tempered glass) on both sides of a tough transparent plastic core. Also seen as 'L'
TEMPERED = Tempered glass results not from a glass creation process, as does plate and float glass, but from a post-processing thermal treatment. In automotive use both plate glass and float glass are tempered to improve damage tolerance. Both tempered float glass and laminated glass remain in common use today. Plate glass is no longer produced for automotive use. Also seen as 'T'

The codes were sandblasted on using a stencil. Fired-on white ceramic paint, decals and baked on black enamel are not correct.

Example Logos
The first example came off car #885268, the second came from Pilkington Classic, the remainder are unknown vehicle origin








August 1968 car, screen replaced between 1973 and 1980:


Car #888330, March 1963:



Horizontal Triplex logo on headlamp glass of OBL car:


Car #875343 OBL:



Headlamp glass left hand:


Headlamp glass right hand:

Note how the Kite symbol is always pointing to the outer edge.

Headlamp glass from around 1969, logo vertical:



Side glass 1963 FHC:


XK120 Aero screen:


NOS headlamp glass dated 1964:





Headlamp glass:





Trivia
1. Not even Pilkington Classic know why the glass was date marked. It serves no useful purpose apparently and modern glass does not always have it.
2. Pilkington Classic will make new glass with one of their heritage logos with no date code. They can also do tinted, graded tint, heated and containing a radio aerial


Note: If you have a photo of your screen/side/rear glass logo please email or PM me with it as it would be good to create a library of the various styles. Not easy to photograph but putting a piece of black matt vinyl behind helps

[Heuer]

Hood Sticks Assembly and Canopy

The assembly canopy was made of metal on the early cars but changed to glass fibre sometime between November 1961 and June 1963. This must have been a short lived experiment because it reverted back to metal for the remainder of production. Cost of the hood sticks to Jaguar was £2/18/7.





Many parts were different including the outer toggle clamps, chrome beading, seals and chrome bezels.
















The chrome bezels for the strap assembly fixing the hood when folded are also interesting. On the early cars they are #BD20659 and have an 1-7/16" O.D. However the bezels on later cars were 1 1/8" O.D. but the part number remained the same. The glass fibre canopy had different chrome bezels #BD23610 but it is no longer available. I assume it would be deeper to account for the thicker material.

[Ian Howe]

Front Sub-Frame Assembly - Detail

The cars up until February 1962 have the bonnet hanging frame #C16942 - whilst later cars had #C20352. The attachment for the early cars has been documented elsewhere - and involved taking the brackets off the bonnet to withdraw the shafts of the bolt. On later cars, the bolts could be withdrawn without disturbing the brackets on the bonnet.


Early Frame on the right:


A little know fact is the early bonnet support frames had no additional strenghtening supports on the lower rear tubes. Many restorers of early cars have failed to replicate this on new bonnet support frames!

Early Frame without the Strengthening Brackets:


Later Strengthening Brackets:


Front Cross Member Assembly

The Front Cross Member Assembly (aka Picture Frame) did not change - however the marking of the VIN number was on the leading edge on early cars - not sure when this practise stopped. Again, many restored cars fail to replicate this accurately. Early VIN Position on Picture Frame:


Later VIN Position on Picture Frame:


Finally there are differences on the bonnet hanging brackets - the early brackets have a different profile at the end. Early Bracket with part number C16803 cast into it:


Photo: Tom Haddock

Later Bracket with part number C19326 cast into it:

[Ian Howe]

Rear Rope Seal

Went to see Dick Bradley who is overhauling a 62 3.8 engine for me that is suffering from a poor overhaul in the US! Several interesting bits of information gathered today - new to me anyway. Dick mentioned that most off the problems with the rear rope oil seal were caused by incorrect fitting. The Churchill tool below is used to push the seal into the groove on the housing - the tool is inserted into the rear bearing, liberally lubricated, then turned and pushed forcing the seal in. The seals do not need to be cut and need a uniform pressure to locate it successfully:


Pistons

The pistons used early in production had semi-split skirts (due to the expansion of the piston material) and were manufactured by Brico. The pistons were graded F - K to suit variance on bore size! In those days the tolerance used was far less than today - hence the bore was checked, a size allocated then marked with the piston number. Later pistons had a solid skirt.

EARLY 3.8 PISTON 'H" FOR BORE 2 - PART NUMBER C13794/1:


BRICO PISTON TOLERANCE CHART: