FACTORY FIT - Series 1 3.8

[Heuer]

HT Leads - Routing

Up until engine number R3854 the HT leads were routed through conduit C2451, into two thick spacer discs C4984 and three thin spacer discs C4983. One of the thick spacers was held by a chrome clip C4982 bolted to the right hand cam shaft cover ? on top on the early cars (OBL's), lower down on the later cars. The discs were made from black plastic or vulcanised fibre. The Factory appear to have fitted them in the following order. Thick spacer next to conduit, thick spacer retained by the chrome clip, three thin spacers between the clip and distributor.


Top is original spacer, repro below for correct colour match:


These are the sets XK's Unlimited supply:


Early car, clip on side of cam cover:



Later car, clip on top of cam cover (the breather re-circulation hose prevents it being mounted on the side):



The clip and spacers and are reproduced although spacer colours vary. SNGB versions appear to be a straw colour and require painting. XK's Unlimited are brick red.

From engine number R3855 the HT leads were made longer (21 feet in total for the set, as part 5520/1) to allow them to be routed over the front of the cylinder head. The spacers/clip were eliminated and replaced by a black PVC sleeve and a black oblong clip attached to the timing cover for retaining a rubber grommet through which the leads were threaded. The conduit C2451 was retained until August 1964 (see earlier post for details).




Clip fitted to timing cover:


The PVC sleeve, clip and grommet are reproduced. The distance piece (thick washer) is no longer available, the 1 7/8" long 1/8" thread hex bolt is pretty standard. Most of these are missing on cars today because fitting and dressing the leads through the grommet and clip is very difficult with the engine or radiator in situ.

[Heuer]

Commission Tag

Every car had a commission tag affixed to the windscreen before it left the Factory. These were removed by the Dealer during PDI checks and are extremely rare to find still intact. The 6" x 3.75" self adhesive label even had a part number - BD48349 - and was either typed or hand written. This one survived because it was inserted into the Owners Handbook:



Many thanks to Harold Lang for the above.

This one was not so lucky but illustrates the hand written details:

[Heuer]

Car Record Book

E-Type manufacturing data was recorded by hand in one of a series of seven books. Similar books were used for all the cars Jaguar produced from the XK120 onwards hence some of the columns are not of direct relevance.

Gearbox number is recorded under 'Chassis number' on the second line. '-9' is CR. 'PL' stands for Powerlock diff'. 'Horse Power' column shows speedometer number e.g S/N 6322/41 and a number I cannot fathom - 966 xxxx, with the last four incrementing. Also in the 'Body No' column there is B 15/7 for each car which I do not as yet understand but could be the build date. The Record Book was updated as new information became available e.g. Owners name, address and car registration number came from the returned warranty card. The entries for each car show different ink hues, pens and handwriting. Broadly speaking the first eight columns were completed by one person, the remainder by others.

Interesting to compare what is in the record books and those on the Commission tag. You can find high resolution versions of these two images in the book 'E-Type 50'.

[Heuer]

Cover Assembly, Sealing Aperture in L.H. Rear Casing of FHC

The cover assembly BD20246 was made from plywood and trimmed with either vinyl or moquette to match the car interior. It was secured with two chrome plated slotted self tapping screws, cup washers into spire nuts.


This photo of an early car in Haddock's 'Restoration and Originality Guide' shows the cover to be trimmed in vinyl:

Photo: Tom Haddock

The totally unrestored 7,000 mile car has the cover in moquette:


Harold Lang's totally original April 1962 car #885963:


The very original February 1963 FHC at the start of this thread appears to show the access panel trimmed in moquette:


Another photo from Tom Haddock's book shows the panel as being trimmed in moquette although this is a post March 1963 car with hinge covers:

Photo: Tom Haddock

So the question is - when did the Factory change from vinyl to moquette for the cover, was it only on very early cars or is the photo in Tom's book an anomaly?

Note - later 4.2's had the cover trimmed in vinyl to match the luggage area:

[Heuer]

Sump Assembly

The very early cars (first 500) used a petrol tank sump assembly C19107 which was considerably shorter than the C19302 sump assembly used later. The change probably coincided with the change of the fuel pump from Lucas 78388/A-2.FP to Lucas 78387/D-2.FP which was covered earlier in the thread.
Early:


Late:


Wagstefan added:

"Hi David,

This is partially correct. The first picture derives from xked.com and from my car; 885017 - I am fine with using it. As you stated correctly and which is also documented is that the first 500 sumps were different. However they were as deep as the later ones and reached out of the trunk as the later do. But the early ones were made out of two parts (a pipe with a male and female thread section at the ends - both made out of solid brass and hard-soldered to a mid section of the pipe out of steel. And at one end a cap made fully out of brass was screwed onto the pipe to seal it. And this brass cap did not have the drain screw as the later ones..... I do have an original one lying around somewhere, will make some pics to compare early and later ones.

But the one found on my car as well as 875190 (see xked.com) and 875192, which I saw in person back in 2011 when the car was offered around the corner, are simply missing the pipe. The cap was directly screwed onto the tank. Theoretically you could argue, that this was change during restoration.

But:
1.) it seems to appear on several cars within a short range (190 and 192 (will check, if I can find the pics I made at the visit and will upload them on xked.com)) and I also count 885017 to them. Yes 017 is admittingly and undoubtedly a later production car than 190 and 192, but checking body numbers (V1021) it appears that it has an earlier body than 885013 (V1025), which is an earlier production car. Thus the body and maybe also the fuel tank could fit into the time when 190 and 192 was produced (like assembled to a certain state earlier in time but finished later). Yes, it is only an assumption. Nobody knows, what the heck they did at Jaguar during the first production months of the E-Type. And back then, they did not care at all ;) But it would fit into my assumption ;)
2.) I read about this "flat" sump config to be a kind of experiment. But the author assumed that this was right in the beginning. Looking at the time, when it appeared, it can only be seen as a kind of short term experiment some when in the middle of the first 500 cars, which was withdrawn after a few "test cars"....

You can check on xkedata:
875025 (here you can slightly see the brass cap on the pipe/at the end of the sump, which means that this is definitely the first version and not a replace tank and tank sump) -110 - 137 -139 -157 -169 -232 etc. <-- most likely not all have their first configuration in the boot. But most likely not all have replacements....

Original first tanks (first 500):

Best pic can be seen at xked.com at car no. 875101. it is original (same with 885017) but different to the remanufactured version at classicjaguar.com for 885013, There the flange (or muff / bead) is missing...

Cheers!"

[Heuer]

Tyre Valve Core's and Caps

A. Schrader's Son Inc, of Erdington

1844 - August Schrader sets up a business in Lower Mahattan as a turner of brass parts
1845 - supplies fittings and valves for rubber products made by Goodyear Brothers
1849 - produces copper diving helmets
1850 - develops air pump for diving suits
1890 - August's son George joins the business responsible for experimental work that results in the design of the tyre valve
1891 - produces the first tyre valve for bicycles
1896 - patents the valve cap. Valves for car tyres introduced
1905 - introduces accurate tyre pressure gauges
1914 - company established in Birmingham.
1951 - starts experimenting with valve for tubeless tyres
1955 - produces the first tubeless tyre valve
1961 - Manufacturers of "Schrader" tyre valves, and a variety of equipment concerned in air control. 800 UK employees.
1963 - Motor Show exhibitor. Tyre valves. Schrader Automotive Products was a division of Scovill Manufacturing Co.
Today - continues to produce tyre valves and TPMS electronics as Schrader Global


Tyres and inner tubes for the E-Type were supplied by Dunlop who used Schrader patented valve cores and caps. The caps were nickel plated brass. These metal caps were standard fitment to the E-Type. They are marked *Schrader GT. B. - i.e. Great Britain



This is a blow-up of a period photo of 9600 HP from page 1 of this thread and you can see the cap at 12 o'clock:


In 1963 Schrader introduced a black plastic cap. These did not prove popular with owners at the time as it was difficult to spot where the valve stem was and they were easily lost if put down whilst tyre pressures were being checked. As a result Schrader did very good after-market business selling tins of the metal caps!



Genuine Schrader valve caps appear frequently on eBay, just make sure you buy the correct NOS ones rather than the 'vintage look' caps or TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System) which do not effectively seal. Factory correct for 1961 - 1963 cars, your choice for others.

[Heuer]

Water Outlet Pipe

The water outlet pipe C15905 attached to the cylinder head was different on the first 500 cars as it had a downward curve towards the redundant choke thermostat aperture (someone has wrongly fitted a thermostat to this example):




Later cars had a flat water outlet pipe although the part number remained the same:]

[Heuer]

Bracket Assembly for mounting of Control Box

The first 500 cars used the Lucas RB310 control box mounted with bracket C17102. This was then replaced by the RB340 control box which used a smaller bracket C18289. For some time after the change the cars still had the mounting holes visible for the earlier bracket:


Note: all the lRB340 regulators had 30 handwritten in yellow crayon to signify they were 30amp versions. See earlier in the thread.

[Heuer]

Rubber Plug, behind Handles (16-10)

Part #BD10734 is a rubber plug which fits inside the door and window handles and acts as a buffer between the cast handle and the regulators. Not sure of the reason they were specified or the need but Jaguar, or at least Wilmot-Breedon who supplied them, thought they were necessary. From the drawings it looks like they were tubular rather than solid. In the SPC they also have a code "16-10" which I have been unable to de-cypher. I have never seen (or maybe noticed) them and they are no longer available:


They were fitted to all S1 door and window handles:





They are 3/8" x 3/8" square, 11/64" thick with a 11/64" centre hole. Although they may be present in the handles they will invariably have gone hard. As a replacement some 3/8" square rubber cord cut into 11/64" chunks would work e.g.

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?pat ... id=2854847

[Heuer]

Horns

Series 1 cars were equipped with two Lucas WindTone model WT 618 horns. Cars up to 850499/877154/860435/885970 were sold with Lucas part number 69087 (C.17192) low note and 69090 (C.17193) high note. After car numbers 850499/877154/860435/885970 (October 1962) the horn design was changed slightly with an altered top cover to accommodate a new resistance terminal block:


The part numbers can be found on a piece of tape affixed to the front frame member:

There is also a date stamp on the frame. In this case, October of 1961:


What is curious about these horns is that both have identical dents in the cover, about an inch from the fixing screw. The placement is a mirror image, and too perfect for mere coincidence. Nor were they created by wear and tear, because the paint in them is not scratched. They must have been intentionally placed to solve a clearance issue.


The apertures are triangular and marked H for high and L for low:


Later cars were equipped with Lucas part number 69127 (C.19080) low note and 69128 (C.19081) high note:


This particular high note horn shows a date stamp of October 64:


The only real difference in construction between the two generations is the method of connection. In the earlier horns, the wiring went through a rubber grommet in the cap and connected to the voice coil with standard bullet connectors. Later horns had a bracket and two Lucar spade lugs mounted externally:




When received from Lucas the horn openings would have had a Lucas 12V stick on label which were left in place on many cars as they left the Factory:


Replacement parts were readily available in the Lucas catalog of the day:


Many thanks to Dave Schinbeckler (bopperd) for researching this and providing the text and photos.

[Heuer]

SU Damper Assembly

Up until December 1962 the dash-pot caps were made of brass with the letter 'O' stamped in them. After this date the dash-pot caps were made of black plastic. The brass caps were stamped with an "O" to indicate they had their pistons reduced in length from .378" to .308" to improve performance. The SU part number for these modified damper caps was AUC8114. The damper change was quite common as can be seen from this MG service bulletin:



The brass caps were cadmium plated to give them a silver colour, they were not originally the bright polished brass now seen on almost all restorations. A concours correct car would have plated damper caps although there is evidence to suggest later cars (mid 1962 onwards) had plain brass caps - see below.

These photos are from the November 1961 silver FHC which is un-restored with a recorded mileage of 7,000.



9600 HP Geneva launch photo (Notice the brass throttle linkage parts are cadmium plated and a different hue to the plated caps):


Note 1: According to David Lonsdale the early XK engines had nickel plated SU parts including the damper cap. From the XK150S onwards the caps were cadmium plated, including those of the E-Type. He has however seen unplated brass damper caps on SU carbs dated from about May 1962. The cad plating is easily polished off the top of the cap but invariably remains on the underside where it is protected from rubbing and is covered in oil, which is why he can be fairly precise.

Note 2: According to Burlen SU dampers were supplied either as hex top, knurled top with opening slot top (to accommodate an old one penny), dust proof (no ventilation hole) or with 'Oil Reservoir' stamped in them. Only the hex cap with 'O' stamp were used on the E-Type because they had the correct length pistons.

[Philk]

I think I can vouch for the SU Caps being in unplated brass from mid 1962. This is a picture of the carb assembly from our unrestored July 1962 S1 OTS. There is no sign of cadmium plating any where around the edges of the hexagonal caps (where some would remain if they've just had occasional polishing over the years.

[bopperd]

Reverse Lamp Assembly

The Lucas model 595 reversing lamp was commonly used by Jaguar, MG, Triumph, Rolls-Royce, and Bentley. Two variants were installed on the early E-type; part number 52570, which employed an amber lens to meet the requirements of the French market, and part number 52567 with a clear lens for everywhere else.



The lens appears in at least three variants:



The lens on early cars says only LUCAS L595 across the top and MADE IN ENGLAND across the bottom:


Later lenses had additional information inscribed on the left side. Uppermost was the capital letter A in a small square box. Below that, a round area inscribed with the E11 EEC logo dating it to post 1973 production. And at the bottom appears the number 7319:



The third version is likely what you would receive if you bought a reproduction or even a boxed OEM lens on eBay. It is additionally marked on the right side SAE RP 70 (USA certificate) and the E11 logo indicating it was made after 1973:



The lamp body is stamped in the same manner as the lens:



The only lens which should be on the S1 E-Type will be the one with 'Lucas L595' and 'Made in England' markings. All others post date the car production. Concours entrants please note!

The body is date stamped on the right. In this case, 9/61:



The lamp body on early cars was Jaguar part number 8720 and Lucas part number 54570992. It is distinguishable by the single green/brown wire and external female bullet connector for the earthing lead.



The single wire and cable entry grommet 8719 is verified in figure 48 on page 307 of J30:



Interestingly, the 1961 Lucas catalog for Jaguar, whilst ending with a four page supplemental listing of parts for the new E-type, makes no mention whatever of the reversing lamp assembly. However, the relevant section of the 1962 catalog, excerpted above, shows the body part number as 54573143. And the body pictured clearly has two leads, supply and earth, within a sleeve. As well, the cable entry grommet has been deleted. So at some point in 1962 cars were fitted with this updated version.

A rubber gasket (8717) seals the body to the housing, while gasket 8716 seals the lens to the body. This gasket is often omitted from restoration rubber kits, but is available from XKs Unlimited:



The body is secured to the housing with two screws (UFS.419/3H) and shakeproof washers (C.723.A). The two screws securing the lens and ring to the body (8718) carry Lucas part number 54111011 and are chrome plated:



Two small rubber washers (6524) seal the lens screws. These are identical to the washers used to seal the front and rear signal/brake lens securing screws and equally essential. Many cars have cracked reversing lenses, likely because these rubber washers perished or went missing when the lamp failed and was replaced. As posted elsewhere, the washers are M4 9mmx4mmx1.5mm, available here:
http://shop.deltarubber.co.uk/rubber-wa ... herm4.html



The restored reversing lamp and housing:



Dating the Lens - David added:

The lens markings indicate beginning of production. E11 means the lens complies with Economic Commission for Europe regulations (E) and belongs to the UK (11). These regulations were applied after the UK joined the EEC on 1 January 1973. The lens with SAE North American markings (Society of Automotive and Aerospace Engineers) has RL (reverse lens) and 70 (year the regulation applied from) - in this case 1970. So the SAE RL70 lens would not have been introduced before 1970 and the E11 lens would not have been introduced before 1973. Therefore the only correct Factory Fit lens would be the one with only 'Lucas L595' and 'Made in England' markings.


You can find information on the lens codes here: https://www.danielsternlighting.com/tec ... codes.html

[265bhp]

Hi Dave

Fascinating....didn't even realise there was a date stamp..so I retrieved mine as soon as I read this....

My 63 car has the same single wire and centrally located earth connector...but I also have a 64 version as a spare which has the same single wire and earth...but the earth is at 90 degrees to the earlier one...so instead of being at say 12 o'clock it is at 3 o'clock ...so am not so sure it all changed to twin wires in '62....

All the best
Jonathan

[bopperd]

Jonathan, thanks for your observations. I did a bit more snooping on the body wire configuration and there are ample grounds for confusion. Firstly, I have seen other lamp bodies with the earthing connector at 3 o'clock rather than 6 o'clock. There are two for sale on eBay right now. One has a date stamp of 7/63:



So as you point out, Lucas continued to produce this single-lead style well past 1962. However, I cannot find any reference to Lucas part number 54570992 later than their 1960 parts catalog.
If we look at page 264 of J37 for the 4.2 litre, the part number for the body has been changed to 54573143, which agrees with the 1962 Lucas catalog.



But when we look at the illustration in J37, while differing from the illustration in J30, the lamp body still has a single lead and rubber grommet, which disagrees with the Lucas catalog illustration.



So based upon what we can observe in the wild, it looks like Lucas placed the wrong image in their 1962 parts catalog. It would be great if other owners came forward with photos of their lamp bodies to help sort this out.

Ralph added:
Here are some pics of the reverse lamp on my S1, built Sep 62.
Unfortunately it was dismantled when I got it, without the seals. But luckily it had not been touched otherwise. My guessing is that it is the original one, but who knows...
I have just softly cleaned the lens, it has lost its gloss and taken a slightly greyish-brownish hue. The colour is not truly reflected here because of the flash:


The rubber boot at the base has disintegrated, but the green-brown wire is yet in good condition:


However, there is no mfg date visible, but rather a stamp on the lower right corner next to “England”, a similar stamp is also seen on the pics posted above by Dave:


Bud Marston added NOS item on eBay:

[Heuer]

Reflex Reflector - part numbers 8084 and 9322

The Lucas rear light assembly contains a circular reflector lens, known by both Jaguar and Lucas as a 'reflex' reflector. It had a threaded mounting stud moulded into the rear as correct design and installation are critical. They were made from Diakon as were all the E-Type plastic lenses.


The History of Diakon
1934 - the ICI Plastic Division began experimenting with MMA (methyl methacrylate) and this resulted in a technique called suspension polymerization by which ICI created clear, round pearl shapes. The developed version was trademarked Diakon by ICI, and marketed by the Lucite Corporation which was eventually detached from ICI into a separate company. It is now owned by du Pont in the U.S.
1940 - used for aircraft cockpit canopies and gun turrets, under the trade name Perspex (ICI in Britain) or Plexiglas (in the U.S.). Its main advantages were that it was dimension-ally stable (especially when metal inserts were moulded in), tough and scratch-resistant with a hardness similar to aluminium.
1990 - detached from ICI into a separate company - the Lucite Corporation.
Present day - now owned by du Pont in the U.S.

The Manufacture of Diakon
The raw material from which Diakon is produced from coal, air and water but as received by the manufacturer it is a liquid very similar to water in appearance and about equal in density. This liquid is first filtered to remove dirt, etc., and is then mixed with the catalyst necessary for the subsequent chemical reaction. The mixture is then warmed and maintained at a steady temperature for a period during which it changes to a solid, Diakon. The transformation which occurs is not the creation of a new chemical compound, since the resultant Diakon still consists of the same carbon and hydrogen atoms which constituted the original liquid, and the catalyst (as its name implies) merely assists the change but does not itself undergo modification. The metamorphosis which occurs is "polymerisation," and is briefly the linking together into chains of the molecules which in the original substance were more or less dissociated. With Diakon the molecules may reach a length of up to 300 of those constituting the original liquid. The process occurs accompanied by the evolution of much heat and precautions have to be taken to prevent the reaction from getting "out of hand." To avoid the contamination which would occur if attempts were made to break up large blocks of material into a form suitable for use in the moulding press a device is introduced whereby the liquid solidifies into small spheres instead of into a complete block. After the removal of the catalyst, etc., and thorough washing and drying the final powder emerges. When Diakon granules, prepared as described above, are moulded, the resultant mouldings are completely transparent.

The Moulding of Diakon
The mould is first closed under pressure and the Diakon is forced into the cold mould at a pressure of up to 15 tons/sq. in. from a cylinder in which it has been heated and to which the mould is connected. The Diakon must be at about 200°C before injection may take place and at this temperature, although plastic, it is far from being fluid. Narrow vents are left to permit the exit of the air which originally fills the mould. When injection is completed the material remains for a short time under pressure until it has hardened sufficiently due to the falling temperature for the mould to be opened and the moulding removed. This whole process is completed in about 90 seconds. Diakon softens under heat and is therefore unsuitable for use at raised temperatures.




There were two versions on the E-Type:

The first version was Jaguar part number 8084 'Reflex Reflector' and Lucas part number 574914 'Reflex'.


The second version was Jaguar part number 9322 and Lucas part number 54573735 'Reflector'.


Both had a mirror image pair of lens patterns with a vertical line where they meet. The lens is marked 'Lucas' 2.0 England' with 'TOP' beneath at twelve o'clock and 'BS2515', the BS kitemark and 'Grade 1' at six o'clock. At three o'clock there is a small box with 193 in it and a logo with a B inside an arc with an 'H' on its side below. The number 2.0 is code for 2" diameter.

#9322:


I have had to process this photo to bring forward the embossing and it looks better in black and white:


Used on on ebay:


New Old Stock 8084:


E11 marking means it was made after the UK joined the EEC - Jan 1973:


Unrestored FHC 875039 (courtesy of Ian Howe):



Fixing bracket:


Courtesy of Dave Kerr here is one of his original early reflectors, one of which came apart. Someone tried to repair it with glue (badly) making it ineffective. The photo shows the reverse of the reflector with the pyramid shapes visible between the non original glue, the rubber buffer washer, the rubber disc which sits between the Diakon and the housing:


The date of the change is only partially documented in that the J30 SPC June 1963 edition lists the #9322 reflex reflector as being fitted from FHC 860479/886014 and subsequent which coincided with the FHC redesigned bodywork requiring new Stop/Tail/Flasher lamp assembles from June 1962. No mention of the change is made in the OTS parts listing so we must assume the change occurred at a similar date. So all cars up to June 1962 (specifically to FHC 860478/886013) would have had the first 8084 reflex reflector. All later cars would have had the later 9322 reflectors. The #9322 reflector continued to be used in the 4.2 cars.

However as yet I have not been able to find out what the difference is between parts 8084 and 9322. They appear to be identical. More research is required to determine the reason for the change. There has to be a difference both technically and for reason of differentiation at the Lucas factory.


Notes:

1: BS2515:1954 "Specification for reflex reflectors for vehicles" was first published in 1954. Compliance requires "Resistance to vibration, penetration of moisture, corrosion, petrol; photometric tests for colour and intensity of reflected light, and reflected uncoloured light." The reason Lucas include the 'TOP' lettering was because the reflector would not be compliant unless orientated correctly. BS2515 was superseded by BS AU 40-2:1965 which may be the reason Lucas altered the product. Both standards are available but at £164 each our curiosity will have to go un-sated!

2: Haddock & Muller in their Originality Guide have observed a reflector of a different design and marked solely with TPV.471. These appear on eBay, are certainly non Factory and are after-market fake replacements. All reflectors supplied by Lucas from 1954 onward were marked with their logo and, most importantly, the BS kite and BS number to confirm compliance for Construction and Use regulations and the Road Transport Lighting Act 1957 regardless of the end destination.
Fake - "sold as very early E-Type":


3: Although the #8084 could have been discontinued earlier than June 1962 it is shown in both the 1961 and 1962 Lucas catalogues

4: The early reflector #8084 was also used on the Mk IX, Mk2 (1959-1961) and XK150 cars

5: On many cars the reflector is not mounted correctly such that the vertical line is not vertical despite the lens having 'Top' embossed in it. Also the rubber gasket must be fitted to avoid cracking the reflector.

6: I am not sure if the 9322 Lucas reflectors are still available. Last pair I received were marked 'Carello England'. Check before you buy.

7. Both reflectors have a slight curve to the front surface.

8. You may find 9322 reflex reflectors with E11 and SAE A 69 markings on them. These will be modern replacements to comply with SAE regulations 1969 and ECE regulations after the UK joined in January 1973. 02 = Lamp version fulfils regulation amendment 02


9. You can find information on the codes here: https://www.danielsternlighting.com/tec ... codes.html

[bopperd]

Wiper Rack Assembly

This was produced by Lucas as a complete motorised unit specifically for the E-Type:



Wiper Arms

The 'Arm for Windscreen Wiper' #8663 was made by Lucas and specified as being chrome plated, 10.5" long with a tip cranked at 10.5 degrees. The wiper blade #8664 was supplied by Lucas (marketed as 'Rainbow') and specified as being 11" long and chrome plated (after market and modern replacements are polished stainless steel). Some cars are reported to having been fitted with Trico 'Aeramic' blades. Trico was a supplier to Jaguar so it is possible they were fitted at the factory.




Around November 1963 the wiper blade specification was changed to 12" long #10232 and the wiper arm #10079 was a modification to compensate, with a 10 degree cranked tip rather than 10.5 degrees used with the 11" blades. The arm length remained the same and both parts were supplied by Lucas. The change to the crank angle does not sound like much but Jaguar and/or Lucas obviously thought it was important.



Best wiper blades available today are the Lucas/Aeramic copies at a cost of about £16 each. Avoid the £6 Tex blades as they look clumsy and don't work very well on the E-Type's curved screen.

Windscreen Wiper Blades - early 11" version

E-types were fitted at the factory with Lucas windscreen wipers, part number 54711281, as shown on page 298 of J30:



They were chrome plated steel and 11" long, with a spring-loaded pivot point in the centre. They were manufactured by Trico, who supplied them to Lucas. There are numerous examples of such co-operation between the two companies, dating back to 1928 when Trico was contracted to supply "trafficators" (mechanical turn signals) to Lucas for distribution. Trico introduced the "Panoramic Rainbow" (P.R.) line of wiper blades in 1956, primarily for curved screens. Thereafter, these blades could sometimes be found in both Lucas and Trico boxes, stamped either "P.R. Rainbow", or, sidestepping the redundancy, simply "Rainbow".
An example of this practice is found with these identical period blades for Triumph that were available from both Trico and Lucas, and were clearly produced in the same factory:



While the blade from the Trico box is stamped "Rainbow", the blade on the Lucas card is stamped with the pentagonal Trico logo:



Here is an image of the blade from the 1962 Lucas catalog:



It is nearly impossible to find an original wiper in the wild. They were not particularly effective, and when they failed, which was frequently, the car owner could not be bothered with fitting the available refills, choosing instead to replace the complete blade with readily available Aeramic or Tex blades and bin the old one. Here is an original, fitted to 875343:



The Rainbow stamping is on the lower arm, under the bayonet mount:



The short centre arm is plastered on all four surfaces with patent numbers, foreign and domestic:



Blade from 875039 courtesy of Ian Howe:


One of three NOS Rainbow blades owned by Bud Marston:


The original rubber flopped back and forth on a very thin rubber hinge, and was prone to tearing, as shown in the photo. Later refills, still bearing the same part number, were much more robust and 2mm taller:



NOS refills are Trico part number P20-11, and the box may have either early or later rubbers inside:



The retaining caps on either end of the rubber frame have their own Lucas part number, 737916:





The rubber in the refill frame is kept from sliding out by a tab on the frame which engages a notch in the rubber:



The refill is locked into the blade by engaging two notches in the frame at its lower end, and then installing the retaining cap:



The restored blades, ready for installation:



After-market Parts - Arms

Two styles of wiper arm have been observed - those with rivets on the front and those with rivets on the side. The version with side rivets was made by Trico and had an easily adjustable spring tension and length. The version with the front rivets was non adjustable and made by Lucas (two) or Tex (one). All types are secured to the Lucas 9/16" splined wiper rack boss by spring clips.

Trico with plain polished front. Side rivets and adjustable tension and length. Stamped Trico on underside of arm.



Unstamped two rivet, non-adjustable tension.



Tex produced a one rivet wiper arm but it is not original to the car although Tex Automotive Ltd have been in business since 1947 and were OEM suppliers to Jaguar (optional wing mirrors certainly), Rover, MG and Triumph. Stamped 'Tex Made in England' on shaft and 'Tex' logo cast in the boss socket; non-adjustable tension. They look similar to the two rivet arms but they are most certainly from a different manufacturer when you look closely



After-market Parts - Blades

Trico sold replacement blades under the 'Rainbow' product line name.


This NOS Lucas packaged blade is marked Trico:


The Trico 'Aeramic' name was registered by Trico UK Ltd in 1961 and used as a product line. It has been claimed the brand was launched in 1967 and the first car to be fitted with them was a Mazda Luce - obviously nobody told Trico UK about that plan. e.g. Glasgow Commercial Vehicle Motor Show report 10th November 1961 - "On the other side of the Bunhouse Road entrance Trico-Folberth Ltd. show screen washers and cleaning preparations, also their interesting double-leaf Aeramic windscreen-wiper blade."

Trico stamped the Aeramic name on each blade together with the country of manufacture (England, Italy etc).


The Trico catalogue lists vehicles using their B11 blades which may help if you are searching for originals. Lucas would have supplied these vehicles with the same blades as the 'E' Type:


Tex also sold after market blades of a different construction and outline which made them look 'chunky'. Here is a picture of a Trico Aeramic blade (top) next to a Tex after market blade. You can see the different articulation and slimmer inverted V profile of the Trico primary lever which makes it much more elegant on the car. The Tex looks heavy and clumsy and do not do a particularly good job of cleaning the screen.



Lucas also sold replacement blades and they also branded them 'Rainbow' "for curved screens".


Trivia:

1. Some are of the opinion the drivers side wiper arm was different to the other two and the tip was straight, not cranked over, allowing the blade to sit on the windscreen rather than resting on the rubber. This is not supported by the SPC which lists only one part number and gives the quantity as three. I also cannot find any pictorial evidence that a straight arm was used.

2. The usuals sell the two rivet arms at £9 each. The Lucas/Aeramic style blades are available at £18 each but not branded at all. The blunt looking Tex branded versions are £8 each - don't even think about it!

3. The spring clips which hold the arms to the wiper rack boss are easily lost and replacements do not seem to be available - you have to buy the complete arm

4. Original arms and blades were chrome plated - all current replacements are stainless steel.

5. "Trico and Lucas agreed not to undercut each other's prices to their respective initial equipment customers for goods embodying the patented inventions. Each party was to quote for and supply such goods at prices which were exclusive of any other articles and were not to include any allowances, rebates or discounts other than the usual terms "which might be adjusted in consideration of the supply of other goods". I think this is how we ended up with a Lucas ammeter rather than Smiths

[Heuer]

Dunlop RS5 Tyres


Dunlop Rubber Co of 150 to 152 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC. Works: Para Mills, Aston Cross, Birmingham (1914) as Dunlop Rubber Co. Ltd - Goods Division of Fort Dunlop, Erdington, Birmingham, and of Cambridge Street, Manchester.

1889 The name Dunlop Rubber Company was first used for a private company created to serve as one of the manufacturing units for the Pneumatic Tyre and Booths Cycle Agency Ltd
1896 Byrne Brothers India Rubber Co was set up
1896 Rubber Tyre Manufacturing Co was floated as a public company to take over the Byrne Brothers India Rubber Co
1901 The Rubber Tyre Manufacturing Co was purchased by the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co. This included the Dunlop Rubber Co which was of comparatively small account at that time
1907 In a re-structuring of the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co, that company set up a new company, the Dunlop Rubber Co by offering existing shareholders the opportunity to subscribe for shares to provide capital for the new company .
1912 August. Financial issues between the company and the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co. It was agreed to amalgamate the two companies with transfer of assets and goodwill to this company . The Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co would change its name to the Parent Tyre Co to avoid confusion as it continued to pay dividends to its shareholders.
1912 Purchased 200 acres of land to build Fort Dunlop.
1913 Acquired Coventry Rim and Wheel Co; formation of Dunlop Rim and Wheel Co as a subsidiary.
1914 Established Castleton Mills to manufacture the fabric which would be the foundation of Dunlop pneumatic tyres.
1914 Manufacturers of Dunlop pneumatic tyres for motors and cycles.
1919 New issue of shares. A. L. Ormrod is Chairman,
1925 Eric Geddes is chairman. Issue of shares to pay for acquisition of various companies which would broaden the business into general rubber goods trade
1929 British Industries Fair Advert for Tennis Machine, Balls, Rackets; Racket Presses; Golf Balls; Hockey Sticks; Bowls; Football Bladders; Sundries.
1931 Dunlop Rubber Company went into liquidation.
1933 Concentration into 4 divisions. As a result a number of the subsidiary companies were liquidated with their business carried on by the parent company
1935 Mr H. L. Kenward is the Sales Director for the Dunlop Rubber Co and has also been elected President of the Motor Trade Association.
1936 Acquired India Tyre and Rubber Co
1937 British Industries Fair Advert for Industrial and Mechanical Rubber Goods. Driving, Conveyor and elevator Belting hose. Anti-corrosion rubber. rubber Rollers. Rubber Blocks for road lines and pedestrian crossings. Rubber Flooring. Gloves.
1938 J. George Beharrell (Chairman); C. A. Proctor and John L. Collyer are joint MD appointed this year. Other directors include Clive L. Ballieu and S. Hardman Lever
1959 Acquired Slazenger and John Bull Rubber Co
1960 Organised in 9 main divisions
1961 Group employees are 100,000. Sales in 1959 were £261m. Manufacture tyres, tubes, brakes, aviation equipment, adhesives, flooring, footwear, hose, belting, rubber goods, sports goods and marine equipment.
1962 The company operated over 100 factories, at home and abroad
1963 Motor Show exhibitor. Car tyres and tools.
1968 Testing of aircraft tyres at Fort Dunlop.
1968 Queen's Award to Industry for Export Achievement.
1971 Dunlop merged with Pirelli of Italy to form the world's third largest tyre company after Goodyear and Firestone. The merger was not a takeover by either company, but a joint venture arrangement where each company took minority interests in the other's subsidiaries.
1981 Split partnership with Pirelli. Pirelli was not profitable throughout the entire duration of the merger, and by April 1981 'Dunlop nearly stopped making tyres in Britain'.
1985 Dunlop Rubber Company was acquired by BTR plc, and Sumitomo acquired the rights to manufacture and market Dunlop branded road tyres.
1997 Sumitomo gained agreement to use the Dunlop name in its corporate name, and changed the name of its UK subsidiary to Dunlop Tyres Ltd.
1999 Sumitomo and Goodyear began a joint venture by which Sumitomo continued to manufacture all Japanese-made tyres under the Dunlop name, while Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company bought 75% of the European and North American tyre businesses of Sumitomo
2006 Closure of the Washington plant Goodyear Dunlop ceased mainstream tyre production in the UK. There is still a bespoke Motorsport manufacturing site on a corner of the original Fort Dunlop factory in Erdington, Birmingham, opened in 1891, which supports specialised vintage, classic, motorcycle and touring car tyre production. The factory produces around 300,000 specialised Racing tyres per year which are shipped all over the globe.
2014 Goodyear Dunlop occupied a compact part of the site with their British main office. In the UK, the company operates as a sales organisation, importing tyres from manufacturing plants around the world, including China, Slovenia and Poland
2014 On 30 May the Birmingham factory ceased tyre production, ending Dunlop tyre production in the UK. Motorsport and specialised historic racing tyre production moved to Portugal
2016 It was announced that Sumitomo Rubber Industries would commence the second phase of its $131 Million investment for the upgrade and expansion of its Dunlop tire manufacturing plant at Ladysmith, in South Africa. Dunlop are no longer producing any historic road tyres.



In the 1950s Dunlop controlled half of the British market. Dunlop launched the RS5 in 1954, the first tyre with precise tread indentations, a nylon coating for stability and strength at high speeds, and an additional reinforcement system developed at laboratories in Germany. However in the following decade the firm’s power began to wane in favour of its competitors, including Goodyear and Michelin. This was related to a mistaken assessment of the demand for radial tyres. At the start of the 1960s Dunlop’s bosses made a serious error by opting to produce cheaper textile (nylon) radial tyres, instead of the steel-belted type, which offered significantly longer lifetimes. By ignoring the latter option, Dunlop came to experience its first problems.

Jaguar specified Dunlop RS5 6.40" x 15" tyres for all S1 E-Type's (part C17422) although a white wall (C22229) was available to special order. Dunlop R5 6.00" x 15" tyres (part C18923) were available for racing. The Dunlop SP and Pirelli Cintura tyres became an option in 1963.


The Factory issued several Spare Parts and Service bulletins:






NOS set of RS5 tyres with a date code of DOT 142 (14th week of 1982). Tyres produced in the 1990's had a triangle suffix. Tyres produced from 2000 had four digits. Tyres before 1980 did not usually have a DOT date mark. These were on eBay with a price of $3,000 and turned out to be unusable:











The tyres have the early Dunlop GS 'Gold Seal' logo which was used to promote cross-ply tyres in the face of competition from Foreign manufacturers radial ply designs. It ceased to be used in the mid 1980's:




The tyre description 640H15, could be written in a variety of different ways; 6.40H15 6.40 H15, 6.40 H 15, 640H15, 640 H15, 640 H 15, 6.40-15 6.40 -15, 6.40 - 15, 640-15, 640 -15, 640 - 15, 6.40X15 6.40 X15, 6.40 X 15, 640X15, 640 X15 or 640 X 15. However the correct way in period was 6.40H15. This description means that the width and height of the tyre should be 6.4 inches. (It was in fact 6.85 or 174mm wide, and 6 inches or 151mm tall). The H is the speed rating & means 130mph. The fact there is not an "R" in the description means it is a Crossply tyre and 15 designates a 15" rim. The overall diameter is 683mm, which is pretty much the same diameter as a 185VR15 tyre, though a 185VR15 will be slightly wider.

The RS5 tyre ceased production in 2014 and the moulds were relocated to France and Germany. Production was due to resume in late 2016 but they are still not available. Which is a shame because Jaguar thought they were better than the radial SP's in several respects as you can read in the May 1962 Service Bulletin.

[Heuer]

Exhaust Manifolds



The cast iron exhaust manifolds C18396 and C18397 were supplied by Repton Foundry Ltd., Pottery Road,
Smethwick, Warley, Worcestershire.

The Repton foundry buildings:


Scrap metal for the furnaces:


Moulds being prepared:


Rough castings:


Repton Foundry Ltd

1935 Repton Foundry Ltd incorporated 6 April 1935
1960 Acquired Lane and Girvan Ltd, Scotland
1961 Iron founders, manufacturers of general engineering and automobile castings, stoves, cookers, rain water and soil pipes, builders castings. 350 employees.
1961 Lane and Girvan liquidated and bought back from the liquidator by Repton and renamed Lane Girvan 1961
1966 Repton Foundry, (Bingley) Ltd., Phoenix Foundry, Bingley, Yorkshire applied for a licence to abstract water from The Sandstone Series at Bingley
1968 Repton Foundry purchased A. W. Sutton, drop forgers of Wolverhampton
1968 Repton Foundry was acquired by Midland Industries in a reverse take-over. The company was one of the 4 largest suppliers of heavy-duty castings to the motor and tractor trades
1973 Repton Foundry Ltd., of Pottery Road, Smethwick, Warley, Worcs, applied for permission to increase its water extraction from the Birmingham Canal at Smethwick
1974 Repton Foundry (Tipton) Ltd of Britannia Street, Tividale, Warley, applied for permission to extract water from the Wolverhampton Level of the Birmingham Canal Navigation
1975 Repton Foundry (Scotland) Limited changed its name to RMI (Scotland) Limited
1976 After several years of losses, the receivers were called into the company which ceased trading

The original cast manifolds were marked with the 'Repton' logo and were embossed with the part number and casting date. They weigh 9.4 lbs each without the studs.



There are a few differences between the original cast manifolds and the currently available reproductions in terms of markings, shape and raw finish (repro is the bright finish):







The process started by melting new and scrap metal in furnances so it could be poured into the moulds. The moulds were cast in sand with cores added for the voids within. After cooling the manifolds were taken from the sand cast and the cores removed, usually sacrificially. The manifolds were sent for blasting and cleaning and then to the machine shop where the faces and threaded holes were created.

After the iron manifolds were ready a glass particulate called "frit" (a mixture of clay and glass actually) was applied in high gloss black. This was baked on between 650ºC and 750ºC causing the frit to transform into a smooth porcelain surface that is bonded to the iron. The application of industrial porcelain enamel can be a complicated process involving many different and very technical steps. All enamelling processes involve the mixture and preparation of frit, the preparation of the substrate, the application/firing and then finishing processes. Most modern applications also involve two layers of enamel: a ground-coat to bond to the substrate and a cover-coat to provide the desired external properties.

Because frits frequently must be mixed and smelted at higher temperatures than the firing requires, most modern industrial enamellers do not mix their own frits completely; frit is most often purchased from dedicated frit producers in standard compositions and then any special ingredients added before application and firing. The porcelain (also known as vitreous enamel) finish is hard, but can be chipped if banged or dropped. We do not know for sure if Repton Ltd applied the finish to the manifolds but it is most likely they did.

Restoration of the cast iron manifolds is difficult if the original gloss black finish is required. There are companies that add vitreous enamel coating to cookware and stoves but they are reluctant to re-coat exhaust manifolds as they say it will not stand the high temperature cycles in operational use. Even specialist coatings like Camcoat and Jet Hot cannot be guaranteed to survive long particularly when a high gloss black finish is used. The original Jaguar specified finish only lasted a few thousand miles before it started to craze and flake off. One suggestion is to approach SNGB with your original manifolds and see if they will put them in with their next batch of reproductions although you will need to prepare the surface to meet their standards. For the non-purist BBQ paint is probably the best option as it is cheap and can be easily repainted. For a concours car the best option is to use reproduction manifolds and not run the engine above 2,500 rpm to avoid crazing. Bear in mind the Repton logo and other markings are usually impossible to make out once the frit has been applied and fired.


If the manifolds are cracked or broken they can be repaired using oven fusion welding but it is a difficult thing to do and highly specialised. Originals are not that rare so it is more practical to source another rather than repair.

Thanks to Simon (288GTO) for the manifold photos.

[Heuer]

OTS Hood sealing Pad

Early cars had rubber pads at the top of the screen pillars BD21098 and BD21099 secured with a self tapping screw. I have no idea when these were discontinued.