FACTORY FIT - Series 1 3.8

[Heuer]

Part #8567 'Dust Cover, for bearing bracket' fitted to the Lucas 3GM radiator fan motor. Invariably missing because the heat, air flow and friction melt it away!



Somebody has gone to the trouble of reproducing the part which suggests it is probably a worthwhile investment for your car!

[Heuer]

Part number BD19297 - Shakeproof shim used between the door lock striker and the rear quarter panel. It was fitted to all S1 and S2 cars with the exception of the 2+2's and is there to make sure the striker does not move once set. Made of spring steel with raised 'teeth' on either side. Usually missing on restored cars but essential if you ever want to maintain good door fit and closure:


Now available and made to the correct specification from Richard Smith: 01270 780954 rmj@rmjsmith.fsnet.co.uk ?8 each and you will need two.

[Heuer]

Quarter Light Catches

Part numbers #BD21308 and #BD21307 Catch Assembly Operating quarter Light.



This part was changed four times during the production of the 3.8 because of complaints the quarter lights were closing at speeds in excess of 60mph. Clearly Jaguar had considerable difficulty resolving the issue and approached it in several ways.

1. After Chassis #860194/885584 a reinforcing plate was pop riveted to the body beneath the catch assembly to try and prevent flexing - the assembly part number was changed to BD21127 and BD21128.

2. After Chassis #860479/886014 the set screws securing the catch to the body were replaced by self tapping screws - the assembly part number was changed to BD20467 and BD20468.

3. After Chassis #861099/888302 the catch assembly was redesigned to incorporate a screw thread on the central pivot pin so when it was screwed clockwise it would stiffen the catch - - the assembly part number was changed to BD24406 and BD24407. Jaguar also supplied shims to be fitted as required under the catch to ensure it would be 'over-centre' when opened. This last version was fitted to the car with the pivot tab at the top rather than at the bottom as seen in earlier cars. It continued this way through 4.2 FHC production.




So all cars previous to #861099/888302 should have the catch tab pointing downwards! The very early cars (first 500) had a round and smooth pivot tab BD21307/BD21308:


Note: If you think your catches have been fitted the wrong way it is fairly easy to remove them, turn over and refit. The only part that needs to be flipped over is the attachment block #BD21230 which attaches to the quarter light frame and links to the catch with a threaded hinge pin.

[Heuer]

Flat Floors

Jaguar built 2,615 cars with flat footwells (about 17% of 3.8 production, so they are not rare) before changing to a dished pattern for greater comfort. Interestingly the Factory decided to offer dished footwells as an optional kit for retro fitting to the earlier cars. Some cars had only the dished footwell fitted to the driver side when retro-fitted to save costs for the owner, which makes a lot of sense as the passenger is not affected by the lack of heel space.




So it is quite likely you will find early 'flat-floor' cars with the later dished footwells, or if you feel like it, fit dished footwells yourself to the earlier cars without impacting values. Also interesting to see Jaguar had three interations of hardtop fixing.

A similar modification to the rear bulkhead was not considered worthwhile but note the warning to OTS owners.

[Heuer]

Brake Cylinders

The cast iron Dunlop brake master cylinder assemblies had an alloy tag stamped with the date and sometimes the Jaguar part number C.17234/C.19967 hand engraved. Early cars to #850254/876014/860026/885155 had tags stamped VBM.4039 (rear) and VBM.4038 (front). Subsequent cars had the Dunlop part number VBM.4706 (rear) and VBM.4705 (front). The difference between the earlier and later master cylinders was in the valves, piston, pushrod and washers. The cylinder bodies were the same for front and back, early and late cars - VBM.4126.


Some tags were engraved with the Jaguar part number as well:


Between September and December 1962 the tags changed to plastic:

Car 886953 FHC 09 1962 with alloy tag:


Plastic tag dated 12 62:


Casting Markings

The brake cylinder markings were different on the very early cars with the Dunlop name running lengthways on the side of the casting. The body number was cast into the side as VBM.4126:



Later cars had the Dunlop name on the top of the casting in a larger font followed by the bore size. The body number was cast into the base as VBM.4126:


The cast VBM.4126 refers solely to the body number shared by both front and rear castings on all 3.8's, not the assembly as a whole:
Early:

Late:


The master cylinders were hot oil dipped before machining resulting in a matt black protective finish. They were not painted or plated.

[Heuer]

Moss Gearbox



Loved and hated in equal measure the Moss gearbox is part of the 3.8 driving experience. The gearbox and engine together cost Jaguar £109/4/4 each. With no synchro on first and slow synchro on the remaining gears it was an odd choice for the E-Type at its launch. Some history - starting with why it was called a 'Moss' gearbox in the first place. Read on to find out more!

Moss Gear Co of Crown Works, Tyburn, Birmingham 24. Telephone: Erdington 1661/23/4. Telegraphic Address: "Mosgear, Birmingham". (1937)

1910 Company founded. The company was formed under it's original name of Moss Gear Co by the Dukitt family in Aston, West Midlands. They named the company Moss Gear, as the family originated from Moss Side in Yorkshire. The company started by manufacturing Spiral Bevel gears and Gearboxes for the developing car and motorcycle industry.
1920 The company expanded its product range to include the production of Industrial Gearboxes.
1935 Public company.
1937 British Industries Fair Advert for Efficient and Compact Units for every Industrial Transmission. Machine Cut Gears, Industrial Gear Units, Automobile components, Traction Gears, Camshafts, Geared Motors, Deep-well Pumps, Universal Joints, Diesel Gears, Stoker Gearboxes, chain Wheels, Aircraft Gears and Components, Geared Pumps. (Engineering/Metals/Quarry, Roads and Mining/Transport Section - Stand No. D.520)
1938 Moss Gear employed over 2,000 employees and relocated production to Tyburn. The company expanded it's product range again to include Prop Shafts, Gear Couplings, Agricultural axles and mechanics joints.
1940 The company was taken over temporarily by the British Ministry Of Defence for the duration of the Second World War. The production is switched to the transmission for tanks and other military vehicles.
1949 Production reverted to civilian applications such as gearboxes for companies such as Jensen,Morgan Motor Co and Jaguar.
1961 Manufacturers of automobile, industrial and aircraft gears. Also produce component parts of internal combustion engines, complete front and rear axles, propeller shafts, universal joints, industrial geared units, couplings and other parts for light and heavy motor cars and road haulage vehicles. 1,000 employees.
1963 Motor Show exhibitor. Gear box and components.
1966 The Tyburn factory closed and production was split between Merthyr Tydvil in Wales, and Accrington in the North West of England. The Accrington factory concentrated mainly on gearboxes, forklift truck and commercial vehicle axles.
1982 Due to restructuring at Moss Gear, there was a management buy-out of the Accrington division. The newly formed company, F. P. W. Axles, was named after the management team: Basil Fone, Frank Pickles and Len Wilson. F.P.W. Axles consolidated the product range to allow the specialisation of axle production.
1983 Axle manufacturing rights of British Leyland's Light Axle Division purchased in order to complement the existing product range.
1995 Woodfield Engineering Co was purchased to further increase manufacturing capacity and product diversity.
1997 British Standard ISO 9001 was attained.
Present F.P.W. Axles continues to extend the product range while continuing to invest in modern design and production techniques.







How it Works
The Moss gearboxes are constant mesh so all gears except reverse are always connected, but spinning freely on the mainshaft. It's the synchro hubs which are locked to the mainshaft, and engage with the gearwheels one at a time as you change gear. The mainshaft is permanently connected to the driven wheels, so will always turn at a speed proportional to road speed regardless of what gear you're in, and this is where the speedo drive is taken from. The synchro hub has a ridged coned face which mates with the gear wheel, and drive dogs which are like castellations around the circumference which lock with matched castellations on the gearwheel. When you engage a gear on the move, the mainshaft is turning proportional to road speed, the first motion shaft and laygear are turning at engine speed when the clutch is engaged. So you press the clutch pedal to disengage the connection with the engine, and engage the gear. When you do this as the sychro hub contacts the gear wheel, the coned mating surfaces match the first motion shaft and laygear speed with the mainshaft speed, and the last few mm is where the drive dogs lock together. When you fluff a change, the grating noise is the drive dogs not matching properly, not the gears grinding - except when its reverse. Reverse is the only gear which is not in constant mesh. When the sychro hub cones are worn releasing the clutch when in neutral gives the first motion shaft and laygear a kick of momentum when otherwise they would continue to slow down with the clutch disengaged. Push in clutch, engage neutral and let up clutch. Next you 'blip' the throttle to raise the gear revolutions above those you'll eventually need. Then push in clutch again, and hopefully select the new lower gear. The purpose of the 'blip' is to accelerate the engine shaft in the gearbox so that the when you select the lower gear, both cogs are moving at almost the same speed - so the gear then goes in. This is double de-clutching and is essential knowledge and practice if you own a Moss box. If 1st gear is only engaged when starting from standstill double de-clutching is never needed.





Parts Supply:

Jaguar offered two types of Moss box in the E-Type - the EB prefix and JS suffix box #C17600 which had 'shaved' (a fine machining process applied before hardening by heat) gears and the the EB prefix CR suffix box #C19280 which was described as "Close Ratio Ground Gears" - the gears are finished after hardening by grinding. There are many differences, starting with the gearbox case and other parts. The ratios were changed simply by increasing the number of teeth on the primary (input) pinion gear from 25 to 28, and correspondingly reducing the number of teeth on the mating layshaft gear from 39 to 37. The effect is to make the indirect gears higher and the gears close.

CR ratios: 2.98, 1.74, 1.21 and 1.0
JS ratios: 3.38, 1.86, 1.28 and 1.0

Incidentally 'N', 'E' or 'S' added to the suffix denoted an overdrive box and therefore a long mainshaft, obviously not fitted to the E-Type but good for parts. The E-Type gearbox was assembled by Jaguar from parts supplied by the Moss Gear Co and some bits were made in house to Jaguar's own specification (the 'J' in the suffix?). The gearbox case was made by Qualcast Ltd (Close Ratio) and Dartmouth Auto Castings (Shaved Gear). Gear stampings came from English Steel, Sheffield.

Close Ratio Gear case:

Shaved Gear case:


The Moss box is incredibly strong, which is just as well because they cannot be restored as new parts are no longer available. The synchromesh cone is integral with each gear so the only way to replace a worn out synchromesh is to replace each complete gear and no one makes them due to the cost. You are limited to replacing bearings, lay shaft, gaskets & oil seals. Fortunately they were fitted to Jaguar saloons so there is a relatively decent supply of second hand parts. In fact the Moss box was fitted to Morgan's from the 1930's up until 1973 also Alvis, Les Francis, Jensen, AC and Triumph TR2/3. The main differences between the Jaguar and Morgan gearboxes are different primary (input) shaft, front cover, rear cover, top cover and gear change. The two speedo drive gears are different too, as they rotate in the opposite direction. The Moss gearboxes are also found on Mark 5-9 and XK120-150 Jaguars (suffix "JL"or "JH") and early Mark 1,2, or 3.4 Jaguars, suffix "GB". The "JH" type gearbox is to be found on early XK120, Mark 5, 6 and early Mark 7 Jaguars. The "JL" type gearbox is to be found on later XK120, XK140 and XK150, later Mark 7, 8 and 9 Jaguars. The 'JS' suffix gearbox is to be found on later Mark 1, Jaguar 2.4 and 3.4 all Mark II and some XK150's and the 3.8 E-Type. The Jaguar prefix denotes the gearbox "application" (i.e. the position of the mounts, lever, rear extension, etc.) so could provide a source of parts other than the case. The best place I can find for spare parts is JB Sports Engineering - http://www.jb-engineering.co.uk/ - who can also convert your Moss box into an all synchro version with new gear sets:



Others to try are Ken Jenkins and Richard Smith. SC Parts advertise gears as being available ... at a price i.e. 1st gear = £1,069, 2nd gear = £495 and 3rd gear = £419. No idea if these are NOS, reclaimed or re-manufactured. Klassic Transmissions offer overhaul services - http://www.klassiktrans.co.uk/

Most Moss box owners (and I am one of them) say filling with Redline MTL oil rather than 30WT non detergent oil improves the quality of the synchromesh. As to problems with the box the most common seems to be sticking in first gear and there is an excellent article on the subject, and a solution, here: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xk-lovers/lib ... eilly.html It also has several drawings showing how the unique synchro works. The other problem is with the rear seal. They were originally made of leather and marked 'Angus' (George Angus and Co of Newcastle-upon-Tyne).


They attract and hold water if the car was left standing. Ditto the front seal. The output flange rusts at the point the seal touches and the resulting pitting destroys the leather or replacement rubber double lipped seal when the gearbox is run. You could try machined or weld repair but the cost will be about the same as having a new output flange made - and the aforementioned JB Sports Engineering can supply them. Final option is to use a SKF Speedi-Sleeve which is a brilliant ?20 fix! - http://tinyurl.com/khlod4f

[Heuer]

Lucar Connectors

The electrical connectors on the E-Type were of the generic 'Lucar' type. Many people assume the name is an amalgam of the words Lucas and car - but not so.

The 'Lucar' was a 1094 cc light car manufactured in Brixton, London from 1913 until 1914 and it featured, unusually for the period, electric lamps. A 'light car' meant an engine of no more than 30 b.h.p. and not exceeding 1500cc - a class of vehicle which started in the Edwardian era and was, of course, how William Lyons eventually started in motor manufacture. Typically components were bought in from various manufacturers and assembled onto a pressed steel chassis fitted with custom wood and fabric bodywork. This is a 1914 Horstmann Light car to give you an idea:


The history of vehicle wiring goes back to around 1910 when some form of short circuiting wire switch had to be provided for the ignition magneto to stop the engine from inside the vehicle. At first the wiring was only required to supply power to the ignition, lights and horn (if fitted) and this was done using twin cables insulated with rubber and covered in cotton braid. The cables were individually routed between components and the bared cable ends were connected to brass terminal posts encased in the newly released 'Bakelite' thermoplastic. Twin cables were replaced by single cables when it became established practice to use the vehicle's chassis as an electrical return. The 'Lucar' car made extensive use of electrics and in an attempt to reduce costs and weight, featured a crimp spade connector in place of the brass terminals on its wiring. Unfortunately the fledgling car company became a victim of the onset of war and concentrated on production of its simple, effective and low maintenance connectors for military vehicles. Although the company folded the Lucar name lives on and is still used today as a generic term for crimped spade connectors (it is not a registered trade name) and there is no trace of the company to be found - I can't even find a picture of the car!.

On early E-Type's the Lucar connectors were insulated with black rubber sleeves (boots):



On later cars the boots were changed to a clear plastic material which is what all reproduction wiring harnesses are fitted with. The black rubber boots are still available from http://www.vintagemotorspares.com/phdi/ ... ent&part=3 at 71p per packet of 10. Many thanks to Bob Stevenson for supplying the pictures.

[Ian Howe]

Dating SU carburettors

On the back of the carbs, on the metal flange that butts up to the insulator and gaskets, is a code. 'U' being 1961 and 1-12 being the month. The date codes counts forwards and backwards from ''U' :

T - 60
U - 61
V - 62
W - 63
X - 64
Y - 65
Z - 66

'U9' - September 1961 on a RHD 860525 build date 8 May 1962. All carburettors are dated 'U9':


'T7' on the front carburettor - July 1960 on LHD 875039 build date 13 May 1961. Interestingly two carbs are 'T7' whilst the center is 'T5' May 1960. This car has many components dated 1959!


Another source suggests:

A 1945
B 1946
C 1947
D 1948
E 1949
F 1950
G 1951
H 1952
I not used
J not used
K 1953
L 1954
M 1955
N 1956
O not used
P 1957
Q rarely seen, but not a year code, something else?
R 1958
S 1959
T 1960
U 1961
V not used
W not used
X 1962
Y not used
Z not used
A 1963
B 1964
C 1965
D 1966
E 1967
F 1968
G 1969

There is no definitive or SU Factory published list.

Float Chamber Lid

The design of the float chamber lids changed early during production. Float Lid from RHD 860525 - the more common lid with an 'oblong' marking on the fuel pipe and the redundant 'tickler' hole.


The earliest type of float lid on 875039 - the number 4260 is cast on top and there are two round castings on the top and the redundant 'tickler' hole - the lids for the center and front lids are marked AUC4261. Of note, the carb tag for the front carb is on the rear!


Early float lid that has AUC4261 - as opposed to just 4261.


Finally, a hybrid! The later float lid without the two castings - but no oblong marking and some (unreadable) lettering.

[Ian Howe]

For those sad people like me - more on the fuel system. In the parts manual (OTS) there is no note of a change to the petrol filler box assembly - but the early cars have the drain hole at the front of the box! On the FHC there is a change listed to the petrol filler box - 860478/886013 but this is coincident with the change to the rear wings. I am not sure when the change to the drain occurred.

Picture showing drainhole at forward end:


Internal shot of drain tube at the forward end. Note the paint drip direction!:


The drain pipe impinged on the metal work - so there was a small section of cut pipe pushed onto the flange to prevent chaffing:


The early rubber pads around the sump were square:


I am still learning.

Ian

[Ian Howe]

JAGUAR Motif

Joseph Fray of 36 Albion Street, Birmingham - Manufacturers of Medals, Trophies and General Silverware. Birmingham Jewellers' and Silversmiths' Association Member.

The JAGUAR motif BD17726 was different on early cars as the motif had a more 'square' cross section although the part number did not change:


Spire nuts were used to secure the motif as opposed to the friction bushes on the 4.


The JAGUAR motif part number was changed for the 4.2 cars to BD26762.

[Heuer]

UK Registration plates

The font used for all UK registration plates is 'Charles Wright 1935'. Modern plates use 'Charles Wright 2001' font

Charles Wright of Churchway, Edgware, Middlesex and of 88a Snow Hill, Birmingham

1860s - Founded by Charles Wright at Clerkenwell, initially making Crimean war medals and later producing seals, dies and embossing presses.
1900 - Moved to Thorn Bank, Edgware due to the factory growing too noisy for an inner city location.
1920s - The company produced 35,000 First World War medals a day. Charles' son, also named Charles had joined the company by this point and it also became known as Wright and Son.
1935 - Now producing car licence plates, the company invents the font that is still used on British licence plates to this day.
1940 - During the Second World War they had the most remarkable contract was for the metal parts of respirator filters, 94½ million being made between 1937 and 1943.
1963 Motor Show exhibitor. Number plates etc. There were 70 workmen employed, together with an office staff of 30.
1970s - The company closes down.




Bluemels Ltd

Up until October 1963 car registration plates in the UK consisted of up to three letters and up to three numbers or two letters and four numbers of 3.5" height on a black plate. The individual characters were typically white or silver and made of plastic or aluminium. From car registered after October 1963 onwards the characters were 31/8" high, reduced in size to accommodate a seventh alpha character to denote year of first registration. For most of the 20th century there was one motor accessory manufacturer whose name stood for top quality British Engineering and that company was Bluemel Bros Ltd. At one time they manufactured a huge range of superb quality products including OEM steering wheels, auto lamps, cycle lamps and accessories for grand touring cars. They were one of the few regular suppliers to the bespoke coach builders of the 20's & 30's, catering to the likes of Rolls Royce & Bentley. However as the coach built motor business shrank dramatically with the introduction of serious mass production in the 50's so Bluemel's fortunes changed.



Bluemels of Wolston, Coventry.

1860 Company founded by the three Bluemel brothers
1902 Purchased old synthetic silk works at Wolston
1913 Became public company.
1914 Cycle and Motor Accessories Manufacturer. Specialities: celluloid cycle pumps, handles, mudguards, gear gases, dress guards, sparking plugs and accumulators for motors. Employees 550.
1927 Stand 226 at the 1927 Motor Cycle and Cycle Show at Olympia
1932 Supplier of the iconic MG 'Brooklands' banjo spoked steering wheel
1938 Ernest Adolphus Bluemel, last surviving founding brother, dies
1940 Sons, Frank William Bluemel and Roland Edward Bluemel, continue running the business
1948 Supplier of steering wheels to Jaguar
1951 Supplier of the Aston Martin DB2 steering wheel
1961 Manufacture cycle and motor accessories, plastic mouldings, number plates, name plates and signs, patented plastic "Firmoid" coverings for wood and metal.
1963 Motor Show exhibitor - Accessories
1983 Company taken over by SKS-Germany (SKS= Scheffer-Klute Sundern) a manufacturer of bicycle parts.



Jaguar Distributors were supplied with a bespoke Bluemels pack "No. 6b" containing the alphanumeric characters and "specially cut plates for E-Type Jaguar, rear". The Distributors would also have required the Bluemels workshop equipment comprising templates, piercing press, stand, punch and riveting block which were supplied free with orders of £35 or more. Distributors charged £3.7.6 for a pair of E-Type plates in 1967.





The characters were silver aluminium or white plastic and up until the change in size in 1963 would have been the peaked or "Pyramoid"shape. After 1963 the smaller characters were available in white or silver "flat topped" font to comply with new MOT regulations. Blumels also supplied the stick on front number plate and associated characters in both sizes.

31/2" "Pyramoid"; 31/8" Flattop





From October 1963 these characters were in use:


By the time the 4.2 was launched the number plates were listed under optional extras in the SPC although, interestingly, only silver characters were to be supplied. I am guessing this is because the white characters quickly discoloured when exposed to the E-Type exhaust.



The characters were held in place by "star-lock washers" covered with a rubber grommet which invariably has rotted away:


So if your car is pre 1964 with a six character number you need plates with 3.5" peaked characters, white or silver and post that date 31/8" in flat topped silver. Front plates would have been 3.5" characters and 31/8" respectively. Blumels also supplied pressed plates where the characters were embossed into the plate from the rear but these would never have been fitted to a Jaguar because they were standard fitment to trucks, delivery vans and low priced cars. An E-Type original Bluemels rear number plate is the Holy Grail of authenticity, certainly rarer than the associated Butler light trims.


Early Blumels logo:

1950's Bluemels logo:

1960's Bluemels logo:

1970's Bluemels logo:


Ace

Cornercroft Ltd of Ace Works, Coventry
1936 Public company.
1939 Manufactured parts for the De Havilland Mosquito
1961 Manufacturers of "Ace" motor accessories, "Beresford" water pumps and rail carriage equipment, jigs, tools, gauges and assembly fixtures, specialised machine tools and equipment, metal spinning, press tools and presswork, dies tools for plastic industry and thermo-setting and thermo-plastic mouldings. 750 employees.
1978 Armstrong Equipment acquired Cornercroft of Coventry, light engineers in automotive and aeronautical engineering
1998 Original Cornercroft Ace die sets and die casting equipment was acquired by Ace Peak Plates of Dublin

Ace produced silver peak aluminium cast characters of superb quality and they are easily distinguishable from the Bluemels versions by having a sharper peak and different font. It was probably down to the Jaguar distributor to decide whether they were going to use Bluemels or Ace. As was the case with Vaumol (a mid priced car leather) the Bluemel plates were also considered 'mid-price' whereas Ace number plates were thought to be the ultimate in quality and fitted to Rolls-Royce and Bentley. In 1954 Ace plates cost 5 guineas a pair, equivalent to about £100 now, whereas a set of Bluemels plates for an E-Type in 1967 cost £3.7.6. The original Cornercroft Ace die sets and die casting equipment was acquired by Ace Peak Plates of Dublin in 1998. They are still produced: http://www.acepeakplates.com/

Ace Peak 3.5"; Bluemels Pyramoid 3.5":



Ace plates had a silver on black printed tin logo which was put through two slots in the back plate and the tabs bent back. Reproductions of the Ace logo are available.


Original Ace plate from E-Type 850022:


HILLS

The other major number plate supplier in period was Hills. Hills was founded in London in 1927 by Kenneth Garle and started making number plates from metal plates with individual embossed letters attached rather than the hitherto pressed plates. The law relating to number plates was for a time a serious obstacle however. The registration and licensing provisions were precise: ?that no letter or figure shall be capable of being detached from such a surface?. It required a change in the law, Garle lobbied hard for it and secured amendment of the regulation as follows: ?no letter or figure shall be capable of being detached from such surface, provided that is shall not be an infringement of these Regulations if the letters or figures are made separately and either welded or firmly riveted onto such surface?. Garle?s entrepreneurial spirit was troubled by the time taken to make each plate and in his search for efficiency developed Flexwyt letters, white plastic letters that fit on top of the plate, and these were launched in 1948. These letters and figures were designed with a plastic spigot instead of a metal rivet for attaching to the backing plate. As the law specified riveting or welding, another amendment became necessary, and the regulation was revised so that ?every letter or figure shall be indelibly inscribed or so attached to such surface that it cannot readily be detached therefrom?. The Flexwyt letters are so pliable that they can be bent or twisted in any way and yet always return to their original shape. The company still exists today as HILLS (Patents) Ltd with 150 employees and still making number plates.




Each of the three major manufacturers freely used their own style of font until in 1935 the MOT introduced standardisation regulations.

Where to buy today:

Bluemels original logo'd back plates come up regularly on eBay but are sought after so expect to pay ~£30. Characters are no longer available so you will need to buy individual ones off eBay. Occasionally the Bluemels stamps and rivet equipment appears as well if you want to make up your own. The special Bluemels E-Type backplate may prove to be a bit of a challenge though. The Bluemels logo is now being reproduced and on eBay.

Ace silver peak characters are still available. You can try the manufacturer, Ace Peak Plates of Dublin http://www.acepeakplates.com, Paul McNaughton http://autojumbler.ie/ Frampton's or Tippers. They can either be polished or matt silver. Specify the back plate size you require as a standard plate will look odd on the E-Type. The silver/black Ace decal reproduction is available from eBay. The white plastic characters are best avoided because they discolour quickly due to the proximity of the exhaust which may be why Jaguar specified 'silver' in the options list.


Front adhesive plates - these can be a bit of a challenge if you want to get them right. Frampton's can provide a set but the characters are cut using a computer programme that can only use the current modern MOT approved font, which looks awful on the E-Type. The best place to start is Tippers and explain you want a period font (31/2" for pre 1964 cars) which they will hand cut for you and they look superb:


According to the Jaguar Service Bulletin:


This was superceeded by this October Bulletin:


Trivia 1: 3rd April 1953
"The Minister of Transport has been approached by various national organizations to amend the regulations concerning number plates, so that there may be no doubt about the legality of those with polished aluminium figures. This action follows the conviction at Glasgow Sheriff Court of a motorist who-had such number plates on his car. The Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations, 1451, require the figures to be white upon a black background. It was contended in the motorist's defence that aluminium could be regarded as the equivalent of white, but the Sheriff said that whilst aluminium was a "white" metal it was not white in colour. There was also a charge that the rear number plate was so lit that the registration mark was unreadable. This was accepted by the Sheriff, who said that the reflections made by the polished metal made the figures on the plate indistinguishable. A spokesman of the Automobile Association, which supported the motorist in the action and have, on his behalf, asked for leave to appeal, stated that number plates with polished aluminium figures have been accepted as adequate for over 20 years. He doubted whether the conviction would have any widespread repercussions. Confirmation by a higher court of the Sheriff's decision would precede any general action by the police, he thought. It is believed that there are similar actions pending throughout the country. Whilst a decision by a Scottish court is not binding in England, it can be taken into consideration. Possibly half the vehicles in Britain have number plates with aluminium figures and Bluemel Bros., Ltd., makers of number plates, have suggested that they can be suitably modified with white paint."

Trivia 2: Charles Wright senior was born in London in 1842 and founded his sheet metal pressing plant in 1867 at Clerkenwell, initially making Crimean war medals, and later producing seals, dies and embossing presses. He set up home in Mill Hill, married in 1870 and had twin girls, Annie and Christina born in 1870, and a son also called Charles born in 1874. Business flourished, and when the factory proved too noisy for an inner city location in 1900, Charles Wright Ltd moved to new premises at Thorn Bank, Edgware. By the 1920s the company was also known as Wright & Son, Charles junior having evidently joined the family business, and was producing huge numbers of medals for soldiers from World War 1, an article from The Record News on 19th June 1923 boasts an output of 35,000 medals a day.

By 1935, the Wright company would have been a logical choice for pressing vehicle number plates and presumably the lettering would have been created in consultation with the Ministry of Transport. It’s unlikely that Charles junior himself would have designed the idiosyncratic sans serif, but perhaps the design work was assigned to a company draughtsman at a time when drawing office jobs accorded little prestige and individual innovations went uncredited. However, since the business was wound up in the early 1970s, it’s doubtful we’ll ever know who masterminded the company’s legacy, the typeface that still bears its name.

The current lettering is sometimes referred to as Charles Wright 2001. At the turn of the century, the numbers and letters were condensed from 57mm wide to 50mm in order to make room for an additional character and an optional European symbol / GB legend. The 2001 style became compulsory and a growing trade in fancy, often illegible, registration plates was eliminated.

[Heuer]

Service Tools

To aid service centres Jaguar commissioned a series of special tools to simplify working on the cars. They used V. L. Churchill to produce the tools.

V. L. Churchill and Company Ltd of 27 Walnut Tree Walk, London, SE11 (1937) and London Road, Daventry, Northants

1937 Automobile service tools and equipment manufacturers. "VLC" Tool Kits and Service Equipment.
1939 Aircraft Industry Suppliers
1958 Subsidiary of Charles Churchill and Co
1963 Motor Show exhibitor. Tools and equipment.
1966 Tube Investments acquired Charles Churchill and Co
1970 Part of Tube Investments' Machine Tools Division



Most of the service tools are generic Jaguar 'J' series. Some examples:





There is only one item specific to the S1 3.8:


The J8 lifting bracket was required up until engine # RA7324 (August 1964) when lifiting straps were fitted as satandard.

The full Churchill catalogue is available in our Knowledge Base or direct download here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/849 ... 0Tools.pdf

[SEJohnson95]

So David, to clarify, when we're making up the rear plate for the 3.8, should there be a "bluemels" or "Ace" logo visible on it somewhere?

[Heuer]

Simon

Yes. Bluemells would be on either the top or bottom edge, in the middle. Ace logo would be on either the top left or bottom right corner. This assumes you are using either Bluemells (difficult) or Ace (expensive) characters and appropriate fonts. Either is period correct.



There is an original Bluemels blank plate on eBay at the moment: http://tinyurl.com/qy32yuj It is 21" x 5 1/8" so you need to check how it will fit/look on your car. To give you an idea the plates on both my cars FHC/OTS are 21" x 7" but that is personal choice as to how much paint you want showing above and below the plate (none in my case).

Alternatively give Paul McNaughton a call at Autojumbler http://www.autojumbler.ie/Ace%20Peak%20 ... lates.html He will make you up a set complete with Ace logo - nice guy to deal with as well. Frampton's will also make you up a plate to a similar spec but no logo. Tippers were supplying unpolished Ace characters which I have on my OTS but I understand they have suspended production for some reason. They would be my 'go to' for the still available front plate though.

[Ian Howe]

David - excellent reading. All I have to offer is a minor change to the markings on the petrol pump harness terminal block.




Wilder added:
As a PS: My Sept 62 car has a alightly different font and elongated spacing after the words battery and removing

[Heuer]

Fascia Panels

The left and right hand fascia panels which house the glove box and main instruments were steel pressings covered in black textured vinyl. Many people assume the vinyl was glued to the pressed metal and the various apertures then cut out which would have been both labour intensive and non durable unless the vinyl was folded around the edges. Jaguar clearly wanted to differentiate their product from lower priced vehicles which used crackle finish paint on the dashboard and looked for something more consistent and luxurious. They opted for "skin plate" which is made of galvanized sheet metal covered with textured vinyl that has been bonded to it during manufacture. The vinyl/metal laminate was then pressed into shape and the apertures punched out. The trade name of one such laminate was 'Lamiplate' produced by Huntley, Boorne and Stevens of Woodley, Reading (1832-1985) which started off making decorative hinged tins for its parent, Huntley & Palmer, the Reading-based biscuit company.




1970's:


The texture is unlike anything available today so it is very worth while trying to conserve the originals. The texture of the vinyl on the first 500 cars was different to those that followed being embossed with random short dotted strands. The later vinyl has a coarser grain with longer creases:
Early:


Later:


The manufacturing process involves:

1. adhesive is applied to the sheet metal
2. adhesive is oven cured before lamination
3. the textured vinyl and metal substrate are laminated together by rollers
4. the vinyl is trimmed to the sheets edges (sides and ends)
5. the vinyl-clad sheet is immersed in cold water, strengthening the vinyl adhesion and improving surface uniformity
6. the fascia panels are pressed into shape and punched - not sure by who though (Jaguar?)

Over time the vinyl does detach from the metal and it is very difficult to find an adhesive which will hold it in place. Restoration involves stripping it off and re-covering with vinyl cloth but that means having to fold it around the edges, precisely what Jaguar was trying to avoid. Lamiplate is still made today by Replasa Recubrimientos Plasticos of Spain although the materials used are more advanced and probably very unlike the Jaguar product.

Trivia: Red Lamiplate was used on the dashboard and interior panels of the Lotus 7:

[Heuer]

Jaguar made extensive use of Connolly Brothers hides and their usual choice was a mid range luxury leather called 'Vaumol', a trademark name and patent for a method of colouring leather hide.




Connolly Brothers (Curriers) of 101/104 Chalton Street, Euston Road, London, NW1. (1922 and 1937) Telephone: Euston 1661. Cables: "Cowhide, London". (1947)

1878 Connolly Leather Tanners and Curriers were established by the Connolly Brothers, Samuel Frederick and John Joseph, sons of a successful tyresmith and wheelwright, who set up in business as shoesmiths and saddlers. The family-owned business concentrated on tanning hides and supplying hood-makers, coach builders and Hansom cab manufacturers, the wetted hides being shrunk on to the bodywork with dope
1890 Suppliers to the emerging motor industry with leather for car seats, dashboards and trim
1904 Suppliers to Rolls Royce
1912 Samuel Frederick's four sons joined the firm, all enthusiastic motorists
1922 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Harness and Saddlery, Bag and Case Leathers, Upholstery Hides, Enamelled and Japanned Hides for all purposes; Leathers for Railway Requirements. (Stand No. J107)
1927 devised a revolutionary new finish which made hides available in the whole spectrum of colours such as brown, tan, red, green and blue.
1937 Leather upholstery for aircraft, flying jackets, flying helmets for the RAF
1939 'Vaumol' process patented by Connolly Brothers, the name 'Wandle' was used for the furniture upholstery hides
1947 British Industries Fair Advert for: Upholstery Leather for all purposes; Leather for Travel Goods and Hand Bags; Harness and Saddlery Leather; Japanned and Enamelled Leather. (Leather Goods Section - Earls Court, 1st Floor, Stand No. 411c)
1963 Motor Show exhibitor. Upholstery
1965 A record 85% of processed hides (out of 10,000 hides/week) sold to the motor industry
1968 Queen's Award to Industry for Export Achievement
1975 Hides sold to the motor industry drop to 60% as cheaper ICI artificial fabrics take over
1985 Vaumol production process changed to 50% water based
1990 Expansion to the USA automotive market (a disastrous move with hindsight)
1994 Vaumol process changed to 100% water based
1995 Connolly Retail Ltd established as separate company selling luxury fashion goods from Belgravia Mews
1999 Connolly Retail Ltd sold to Joseph Ettedgui and continues to trade from 41 Conduit Street
2002 Connolly Brothers (curriers) ceased Trading
2003 Jonathan Connolly established C B Leather Ltd and resumed the manufacture and production of high quality leather and now sells under both C B Leather and Connolly names.
2013 Connolly re-launch the Vaumol range of leather made to original specification

Most of the hides used by Connolly's came from Scandinavia, where the quality was better because the cattle spent most of their lives inside to escape bad weather. They were also not threatened to the same extent with damage from barbed wire and warble fly (small grubs which burrow their way through hides).

Samuel Frederick's son, Frederick Ignatius, grew up alongside and became friend and confidant to many of the great names of the motor industry including William Lyons. Samuel Frederick was a pioneer motorist and reputedly, the only man who could get Herbert Austin and William Morris to sit at the same table!


Connolly offered three ranges of leather to the automotive industry:

Autolux - This premium leather was the flagship of the Connolly range used for decades by Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Maserati and others. Supple and naturally finished but with no embossed grain, it is specially tanned to retain its shape and durability and has a vast range of colours. It has also been used in the House of Commons and Windsor Castle and is favoured by interior designers and boat manufacturers. Jaguar used it for their Daimler Limousines.

Autocalf - The Autocalf range was developed by Connolly to run alongside the Autolux range using the same colours as Autolux but at a more affordable price. The hides have an embossed grain and are hard wearing yet soft and supple. This hide was used by MG, Morris, Wolsley Morgan and others.

Vaumol - A mid priced leather used extensively by Jaguar and about 1/16" in thickness. Patented in 1938 Vaumol used a two layer colour coat consisting of a first layer of cellulose based colour spread over the stretched hide, followed by a second lacquer applied with a spraygun. Environmental considerations meant that it was supplanted in 1985 by a half water based process until about 1994, when it switched to a fully water based process. Post Vaumol leathers produced by Connolly are considered by some experts to be of inferior quality. An identifying feature of Vaumol is it can have two colours - the main colour and black - the black colour can be seen in the pores of the grain, which is sometimes mistaken for trapped dirt! Some hides, including some of the Jaguar ones, were given a 'Luxan' antiquing treatment, which involved swabbing a contrasting dye over the proper finish to highlight the grain. The hides were also available as 'classic grain' or 'crushed grain'. Because Connolly used a solid pigment mixed with cellulose lacquer sealing coating on the leather it makes it almost impossible for leather treatments to penetrate past the surface. One of the problems with cellulose lacquer coating is that they tend to dry out, become inflexible and crack. If you find any new old stock it is likely to be useless as the lacquer will crack on stretching as it does not store well. Nothing can reproduce the smell, finish or feel of Vaumol leather however. It does feel a bit harder than the leather used in modern cars.







The company also sold leather-care products (e.g. Connolly Hide-Food) and restoring leather is sometimes known as "Connollising". It basically involves scrubbing down the leather with a cleaner/soap while using a stiff brush or slightly abrasive sponge to thin and remove most of the original surface colour and finish. The leather is then moisturised and recoloured, bringing it back as close to original condition as possible. Connollising involves the leather surface more than the leather itself and can not fix cracks or extremely dry leather. Although the words "Connollising" and "Connolised" are legally protected trade names, most restoration companies employ a similar if not the same technique to restore leather and "bring it back to life," except they cannot advertise it as "Connollising". The recipes for Connolly Hide-Food and their Leather-Cleaner have since been sold or licensed and have returned to market.

Vaumol is now back in production after a 20 year absence thanks to Jonathan Connolly. He has worked very hard to reproduce the patina, aroma and natural grain of Vaumol whilst developing a process that meets all current regulatory requirements. It is not cheap however and a pair of re-trimmed E-Type seats in Vaumol will cost up to £5,000 (the hides are £600 each). Mick Turley and Eric Suffolk can do the work. More details on the colour and hides available here: https://www.ukhide.co.uk/product-category/connolly/


More reading on how the hides were produced here: http://forum.etypeuk.com/viewtopic.php?p=8357#p8357

[Heuer]

Trim materials used in the E-Type

Hardura is the registered trademark of an embossed PVC coated felt with bound edges used to cover areas in vehicles prone to wear and economise on the cost of carpeting. It was manufactured by Hardura Ltd who were established in 1948 at St Lawrence Mill, Mill Street, Great Harwood, Lancashire. The material is very hard wearing with a wipe clean surface offering some limited sound insulation. Used in the luggage compartment of the FHC and OTS E-Type (always beige), under the seats, on the 'A' posts and on the rear shelf (OTS). Very early cars are reported to have used vinyl cloth rather than Hardura under the seats. The company was dissolved in 2010. Hardura is still produced but tends to be advertised as 'Tuffelt' for legal reasons.

Everflex is the registered trademark of a vinyl fabric used as roof covering on hardtops and convertibles. It was popular from the 1960s to the 1980s on luxury cars though its use has decreased in recent years. On hardtop vehicles a fabric is placed below the Everflex material to add definition and make the car look more like a genuine convertible. The Everflex is then glued down and screwed in around doors and windows. Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Jaguar were the main users. It was particularly popular on the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow in the early 1970s. Everflex was used for the hood bags on the very early cars after USA owner complaints of the Twillfast material fading in the sun and later used for the hood material on export cars for the same reason. It became standard on the S2 and S3. It was originally manufactured by Bernard Wardle (Everflex) Ltd and is still manufactured by Wardle Storey.

Ambla is is the registered trademark of a vinyl material backed onto a knitted cotton or synthetic and available in a range of colours. The knitted backing means that vinyl stretches in multiple directions allowing more intricate trim profiles. It was originally an ICI product but now made by Wardle Storey under the trade name 'Ambla'. Used on the gear lever gaiter of the later S1 4.2 cars.

Vynide is the registered trademark of a vinyl bonded to a woven cotton back and is used to trim door panels and other parts of classic car trims. It is less stretchy than Ambla or vinyl on its own. It was originally a Bernard Wardle (Everflex) Ltd product and continues to be supplied by Wardle Storey

Rexine is the registered trademark of an artificial leather fabric (leathercloth) produced in the UK by 'British Leather Cloth Manufacturing Co Ltd' who were later renamed 'Rexine Ltd' of Hyde, near Manchester. It was made of cloth surfaced with a mixture of cellulose nitrate, camphor oil, pigment and alcohol embossed with engraved steel rollers to imitate the grain pattern of a leather. Used as a bookbinding material and upholstery covering Rexine was also widely used in trimming and upholstering the interiors of motor vehicles produced by British car manufacturers beginning in the 1920s and cost about a quarter that of leather. It was used by the British Motor Corporation in the 1960s and 70s, particularly as a covering for 'crash padding' on dashboards and doors. It was used to trim the doors and other visible trim areas along with the dash top.

Moquette, derived from the French word for carpet, is a type of woven pile fabric in which cut or uncut threads form a short dense loop pile. As well as giving it a distinctive velvet like feel the pile construction is particularly durable and ideally suited to applications such as public transport. The upright fibres form a flexible non-rigid surface which is constantly displaced to give durability and anti-stain benefits. Traditional moquette fabrics are made from a wool/nylon face with an interwoven cotton backing. By the mid 1960s there were two suppliers, one of which was Courtaulds. Moquette is used in some car seating and overcomplicated areas that are not suitable for carpet. Moquette is used on the seat E-Type and other areas.

Furflex is a woven wool pile, created from moquette, formed around a rubber tube and used to provide a high quality finish to the inner door edges. Used on the E-Type on the inside of the door windows.

Felt is a textile that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibres together and used to damp the vibrations between interior panels. One of the major suppliers to the British automotive industry was S&J Walsh (Felts) Ltd and used extensively in the E-Type (usually with a rubberised backing) for sound insulation and holding the Shelley jack in place.

Carpets used by Jaguar were 80% wool 20% nylon mix and the backing was dipped in rubber. Wilton 100% wool carpets were not used by Jaguar or indeed Rolls Royce despite the claims of many companies. I have yet to figure out who supplied carpet to Jaguar.

Mohair is a silk-like fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat. Both durable and resilient, mohair is notable for its high lustre, sheen and cost! It has nothing to do with the hood material used on an E-Type which is typically made from fine polyester yarn and cotton with a synthetic rubber interply. The term "Mohair" has become more like a brand name over the years. True Mohair, which used to be made from Goats hair, hasn't actually been produced for many, many years. Most manufacturers offering "Mohair" actually produce the hoods using Twillfast which is a very close and modern representation of the original "Mohair" fabric.

Dunlopillo is a foam latex created in 1929 by Mr. EA Murphy and his team in the corner of the Fort Dunlop building in Birmingham. It was used for the seat cushions on the E-Type.

[SEJohnson95]

Part number BD.19917, the bonnet resting bracket. The later ones had the outer corner cut off to better clear the bonnet catch, but these are the originals off the car. On the 4.2 these brackets have a gasket behind them but the parts book doesn't list the gasket! Any ideas anyone?

[Heuer]

Lucas Battery

Joseph Lucas Limited, Formans Road, Birmingham. The car battery factory was split into different departments including the stores, warehousing, assembly shop, charging shop and the MILAM (Made In Lucas Acid-proof Material) department. The MILAM shop at Formans Road was a separate area of the factory that was partitioned off.



The battery used on the 3.8 E-Type was a MILAM cased Lucas FRV 11/7A, 9 5/8" x 7 5/8" x 5 5/8", 57Ah capacity, tar topped with separate Lucas branded black filler caps and six exposed round copper cored lead 'links' connecting the cells. The battery had Lucas lettering moulded on the side in black (not white or the 1970's red and gold logo sticker!) and the filler plugs were black to Jaguar specification. Lucas did supply other batteries with red coloured plugs (made them easy to find when you dropped one) but not on the E-Type; probably an aesthetic decision by Sir William! It sat on a moulded ribbed battery tray made of black Bakelite with a spout for a rubber drain tube in the lower rear corner. Under the Lucas 'helmet' type battery connectors there were anti-corrosion felt washers, green for the negative post and dark red for the positive post. The Parker-Kalon self tapping screws holding down the helmet connectors to each terminal post were slot head (documented by a Lucas bulletin). Every Lucas battery was supplied with printed instructions beneath one of the plugs detailing maintenance instructions and specific gravity. Cars for export were fitted with Lucas FRVZ 11/7A 'dry charged' battery which required filling at the final destination - the instruction label was therefore printed in red. A fully charged battery should have an SG of between 1270 and 1290.








The FRV11/7A battery code translates as follows:
FR = Ferguson (tractors) special battery - the XK engine required a heavy duty battery so this was chosen
V = type and size of plates
11 = number of plates per cell
/7 = special assembly to Jaguar requirements (black plugs for a start)
A = terminal layout and nominal voltage
Z = dry charged for export

The battery was held in place by a shaped clamp with rubber pads to cushion it. Up to chassis #850572/877660/860722/886381 there were four of these 1 inch x 1 inch pads, one in each corner, but this was subsequently changed to add two additional filler pads and then changed again to two long pads. Jaguar changed the design because of the potential for arcing from the terminals to the hold down bracket and leaks from the battery. The leaks were caused by the bracket deforming the rubber case at the join with the bitumen. If you want to stick with the original battery design regularly check there is no debris, grease or oil between the metal hold down and the adjacent terminal. Do not over tighten the wing nuts, ensure the Thackary washers are installed and use the rubber buffers.



Two hooked rods secured the battery assembly with wing nuts, plain washers and 'Thackery' double spring washers. The wing nuts were larger than the repro ones (left) commonly available. Correct one are available from http://www.etypeparts.com:

The woven terminal cables were Lucas moulded lead 'helmet' style secured to the battery with slot head Parker-Kalon screws. For reason's I cannot understand Jaguar seem to have built the car around the battery because the terminals are on the engine side which makes it very difficult to remove either the right hand connector or indeed the battery with the blower motor and heater box in place. Later cars had an L shaped screwdriver in the tool roll to facilitate screw removal.



From 1965 a more modern version of the FRE 117/A battery was used with internal links and red plugs. It also seems Jaguar responded to complaints about the difficult access to the terminals by moving them from the inside to the outside:




All the parts are available except the correct battery tray. The current ones are either thin plastic or stainless steel (neither correct) and are remarkably difficult to fit without some metal bending as a bulkhead seam intrudes so worth checking before the body goes to paint. Only the two piece rubber pads are available but these can easily be converted to four pads for use on the earlier cars. The Thackery spring washers can be difficult to find, try a Google search. The red and green terminal post felt anti-corrosion washers are still available from motor factors in the US. Exact copies of the Lucas FRV 11/7A do not seem to be available in the UK but this one is available in the US - "Hard rubber raised letter case, tar top with Lucas black caps, 9" x 6 3/4" x 9"". Costs $260.00 plus $199.11 shipping to the UK + duty + VAT - but if you want to be concours correct ............:


They are AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) so easy to ship and maintenance free although slightly smaller in size then original. However the G22L/B battery can be damaged if it is charged using gel-filled battery procedure so follow the included instructions carefully!:

Note: The period photo of 9600 HP shows a battery with the 'Lucas' script highlighted in white but I believe this was just for publicity. Many period Lucas adverts picture the batteries with highlighted script in white, red, yellow or gold but these appear to have been added by the illustrator for effect. Batteries fitted on the production line were all black with six black Lucas marked plugs.


Lucas produced their 'GT' and 'S' range of batteries from the late 1953 which had a single red plastic manifold top and were link-less (i.e. no exposed links between cells) which gave a very clean and modern look. These batteries were not suitable for the E-Type because the link-less system could not carry the heavy cranking current required by the XK engine:



The gold lettering was applied by the illustrator; supplied batteries had no such highlights.

Fosseway Performance supply Shield batteries which are rubber cased and a reasonably close match to the Lucas although the link bars are the wrong shape, the filler caps are not marked Lucas, they are slightly over-size and there is no embossed Lucas logo. Ditto Lincon Batteries. The rubber cased batteries are prone to leaks especially near the terminals.



Best option is to buy a new plastic cased battery from Halfords or Yuasa - the modern specification/size is a DIN 65011 battery approx 236 x 178 x 182 mm (LWH). e.g. Yuasa 12v 50Ah 530A Car Battery YBX3113.


Remove the labels and attach one of these kits depending on what look you want:





Available from Weskcar on eBay

Note: MILAM, introduced in 1926, was manufactured using blue asbestos so if you find an original battery and want to modify it with modern gel internals be very careful! It was made by mixing three ingredients together (pitch, blue asbestos finely chopped and something else) in heated containers. The hot and ductile mix was carefully weighed and kneaded before being placed in a hydraulic press mould and a pressure of 200 tonnes applied for five minutes. The press is opened and two highly polished Milam cases are produced. These are left for 24 hours to cool before being tested at 50,000 volts.