The 'E' Type Forum

Can anyone help please? Tried usual research but not much luck.

At what engine number, or simply when, did the recessed bonnet louvers change? Factory RHD cars.

What percentage of early cars 61- 62 (or perhaps all 3.8s) were delivered with body colour wheels? I seem to remember that when these cars first came out the majority I saw had body colour wheels. Long time ago though. Again RHD cars.

Thanks. Cbbear.

The welded in louvres were replaced with stamped out versions in about October 1961 so were only on the very first cars. As far as I know the E-Type was only offered with silver painted wheels as standard with chromed wires as a factory option. If they were body coloured it would have been done by the owner or perhaps as a special order by the factory. The headlight 'sugar scoops' were body colour on the very early cars and later changed to silver.

Am I right in thinking that the recessed louvered cars were effectively the outside catch cars of which only about 70 RHD were produced and 300 or so world wide??????

There were 500 outside bonnet latch cars - 91 RHD OTS, 4 RHD FHC, 385 LHD OTS and 20 LHD FHC. It seems Jaguar placed the orders with suppliers for this number because they did not know what the demand would be. After the first 500 there appears to have been a bit of a production gap as they refined the product from experience. The welded in louvres were changed when someone at Abbey panels pointed out it was cheaper to press them out of the single sheet rather than weld in an already pressed out louvre set.

This was around October 1961 which coincided with the last of the '500' but there seems to be some argument as to whether a few of the next production batch had the welded in louvres or not.

Thank you David, great help.

cbbear

Hi there,

regarding the welded in louvers, they were continued a while after the first 500 cars. I am very much into early cars and I do own 875521 (approx 135th) LHD roadster after the outside bonnet latch cars, which still wears its original bonnet with welded in louvers. As well I have seen a lot of other flatfloors but non-outside bonnet latch cars featuring welded in louvers. Nevertheless not all flatfloors had them.

According to the original guide, this went at least up to 876052. So I would assume that approx the first 2000 cars had welded in louvers, whereby I do not know, if there have been any irregularities saying if they were continuously installed.

However the early carb leverage was changed before the welded in louvers (the one with split shaft and the three levers mostly from brass clamped on the shafts).

I hope that helps!


Best regards

Stefan

I find the early cars interesting and a lot of information has been discussed in detail. One point I have never seen debated before was the colour of the air intake snorkel. I always assumed they were black but saw a film of Dewis driving a car to the front of the factory to a customer (I assume). When he opened the bonnet, the intake for the heater box looked like it was white (body colour).

Has this been debated before anywhere?

There are a series of articles in the E-Type magazine on the early cars written by Ian Howe - a detail spotters dream come true. Things there that are not even in Haddock! PM me if you want a sight of them.

Heuer wrote:There were 500 outside bonnet latch cars - 91 RHD OTS, 4 RHD FHC, 385 LHD OTS and 20 LHD FHC. It seems Jaguar placed the orders with suppliers for this number because they did not know what the demand would be. After the first 500 there appears to have been a bit of a production gap as they refined the product from experience. The welded in louvres were changed when someone at Abbey panels pointed out it was cheaper to press them out of the single sheet rather than weld in an already pressed out louvre set.

This was around October 1961 which coincided with the last of the '500' but there seems to be some argument as to whether a few of the next production batch had the welded in louvres or not.

My car which was manufactured on November 21st 1961 and is chassis No. 876160 has the welded in bonnet louvers. I know there were cars after mine that also had the welded in louvers.
Of course mine was originally LHD.

Dave

Mine also has the split shaft carb linkages and a whole host other bits that are not found on later cars. Where the outside bonnet latches were located on the sill top there were and still is two self tappers shoved in the hide the holes.
My snorkel was black Angus.

There is currently for sale a flat floor No. 876336 registered 8/12/61 which has the older louverd bonnet. Apparently, Eagle have looked at this car and it is correct. So these spec cars ran on quite late on LHD cars. But it seems the RHD cars do not seem to suffer this "late bonnet" syndrome??

cbbear

Where is it for sale - do you have a link? It's not on XKEData.com

Pete

It's on XKEData.com now...

XKE Data shows it as LHD, originally supplied by a New York dealer.
Photos show it to be RHD with the wipers parked on the wrong side, but if Eagle say it's correct I suppose it must be.
Do such minor details not matter in a concours condition restored car? I would have thought a drive side conversion should have been mentioned in the advert.

Still has its original number?? DSK200 is a number given to re- imported vehicles , and is non-transferable . The codswallop that gets churned up in these advertisements is extraordinary

christopher storey wrote:Still has its original number?? DSK200 is a number given to re- imported vehicles , and is non-transferable . The codswallop that gets churned up in these advertisements is extraordinary

Christopher,

I also picked that up.

Dave

Interesting........We have just purchased 860052 which does not have the welded-in louvres - we had thought the bonnet must have replaced with a later one, but perhaps not going by previous posts re RHD fixed heads.