Early shell?

[wagstefan]

With or without footwells?

This determins if still flatfloor (until end Jan/beginning Feb 1962 built date) or later early shell.

The first change to the shell (introduction of footwells/heelwells and only this change) at:
- 860175/6
- 885503/4

Later changes came at:
- 860478/9
- 886013/4

This must have been around May/probably rather June 1962. Here the big change in the FHC started and ended like some cars later:
- different roof and roof welding points
- different rear wings with again different welding points
- different car height (like 0.5 or 0.6 cm higher)
- different rear lights
- different petrol flap
- different trunk door hinges
- different trunk door and glass
- carved out rear bulkhead
- different seats and seat runners
- any more?

Nice shell. Maybe keep that early shell for something valuable and search for a "normal" shell to build up into a track car?!

Good luck!

[dxke38]

Thank you very much Wagstefan. Your comments are very helpful. It would appear to have been originally flat floor but has been fitted with heel wells. I don't know about keeping it for something valuable, the condition is probably worse than the pics make it seem. Rear hatch is early type, spot welds around hatch opening show seal channels are separate panels. Getting a good idea now of build date. Thanks again.

[Philk]

The substantive FHC body shell changes mentioned by Wagstefan were detailed in SPB P.60 (June 1962) as per extract below, The actual bulletin ran for six pages given the number of part number changes that were made:

[E600]

It appears to have pressing and bolt holes for internal bonnet locks, does this help to identify age, ie not before xx1961?

[paydase]

Does anybody know the dates (or car numbers) of change between the early "non-bracketed" front frames and the late ones?
Were the first "non-bracketed" frames only used for OBL's?

The picture shown by Derek would be of the second (of three?) types:

The picture on the 3.8 factory fit shows only two types of front frames but without specifying the date of change:

y8Zpcq7.jpg (163.44 KiB) Viewed 2332 times

I saw e.g. that 875740 (manufactured in october 1961) has the latest type:

IMG_20211206_153306.jpg (222.35 KiB) Viewed 2332 times

[tinworm]

The differences are mainly the lower tubes each side where they bolt to the picture frame. The first production type had the triangular plate brazed flat onto the tube. 2nd type had a slot cut in the tube for a modified triangle bracket with a welded 3/16" plate which went into the slot and was brazed rather like the other end of the tube where the bonnet pivots. The 3rd type is the common supported type with a much larger bracket as you show in your photos. My December '61 coupe had the earliest type if that is any help.

Barrie