The 'E' Type Forum

Hi all,

I am going that far, yes- I need a new handbrake handle rubber. Mine is loose, fell almost of by its own, and it is grey, which of course shows the original interior of my car was grey (before PO decide to spray it all with a rattle can, being it seats, windows, dashboard, you name it).

Now- can this item be sourced somewhere ? I could of course try to fit mine, using strong glue and black rubber paint, but if there's a proper source it may be easier to go for a new item.

Carsten

Handle is just chrome on my cars.

Yes of course it is.

If I read the parts manuals and SNG correctly, the only cars to have rubber grip handles and inserts in the handle to take them were the 2+2 versions, and maybe the V12 went back to pure chrome (am not sure).

It's a feature of the 2+2 range, and maybe partly of the S2 cars. SNG show both handle types on their S2 pages. Sadly they have no graphics on the S1 2+2 cars.

Carsten

I thought the S1 2+2 handbrake was similarly bare (can't remember having seen a grip) but stand to be corrected. Is there a part number ? Is there a picture as it might be handy for the factory fit thread ?

Here is SNG's website pic:

http://www.sngbarratt.com/CatalogueProd ... 75&a=13135

It shows both versions. Mine is the upper, and on part 8 (the lever) you can see were the rubber grip was mounted to.

Carsten

Hi Carsten....mine is also the upper one as in the SNB diagram....i have never seen a rubber grip and cannot see one listed in the parts catalogue in the knowledge base section......all the ones like this i have seen are fully chromed

Ok,

Will send a picture, but I am very sure there was a rubber when the cars left the factory.

I mean, see how the handle is made- it has the dished section for a reason.

My handle is also fully chromed- they glued the rubber on the chrome, in the dished section. If the rubber becomes loose, PO would have removed and discarded it, and cleaned the chrome, job done.

Carsten

Hm,

This may become very difficult to proove.

I checked *any* book I could find, xkedata and google. And found zero evidence.

Maybe in my case it was a dealer fitment ?

However, if there was never anything rubberish there- and there is no source for a replacement part - I am very happy in leaving it as is now, clean the glue up, job done.



Carsten

I can tell you definitely that no rubber grip was ever fitted. What I think has confused you is that the 2+2 cars had a fly off type handle, as shown, where the button is pressed to engage the pawl, whereas the SWB cars had a conventional handle where the button was pressed to release the handle

Hi,

Well, what confused me was that I had some rubber fitted which looked so professional that you may think it was a factory fit :-)

I won't be near the car that soon, but when I am there I'll trial-fit it and show you.

Only explanation, if it is not a factory item, it may be that a PO tried to "improve" something, for whatever reason.
Or a dealer fitted it.

Carsten

christopher storey wrote:I can tell you definitely that no rubber grip was ever fitted. What I think has confused you is that the 2+2 cars had a fly off type handle, as shown, where the button is pressed to engage the pawl, whereas the SWB cars had a conventional handle where the button was pressed to release the handle

Not mine.

Chrisfell : interesting , that. I have just looked at the first dozen or so 2+2 listed with photos on xkedata, and every one has the type of lever listed at 8 in the SNGB catalogue . Is yours different from that, or have I perhaps misdescribed that as a fly off ? ( I should know as I drive a friend's 2+2 regularly, and yet I can't remember, but I also drive a 150 which definitely is fly0ff!)

Hi Christopher...my 69 2+2 also has the handbrake lever as No 8 in the SNG diagram..its not a fly off....If you pull it up it ratchets for on and you have to pull up and press to release

christopher storey wrote:Chrisfell : interesting , that. I have just looked at the first dozen or so 2+2 listed with photos on xkedata, and every one has the type of lever listed at 8 in the SNGB catalogue . Is yours different from that, or have I perhaps misdescribed that as a fly off ? ( I should know as I drive a friend's 2+2 regularly, and yet I can't remember, but I also drive a 150 which definitely is fly0ff!)

Christopher,
My car has a lever identical to 2+2 chassis 12. Not a fly off, no rubber handle. Just pull up to engage, press the end to release. I can see there is a separate part number in my SNGB catalogue, but it is not available new, and there is no photo in mine. The non 2+2 lever has a different end. Mine has a bucket end, not a button.
Chris.

I'm a '69 2+2, and again I have a bare chrome handle, and it's not a fly-off; just a conventional press button to release.

Showing my ignorance again, but what is a fly-off handle?

A fly-off hand brake is (was) usually a handle that was pulled up or out from under the dash. Called a fly off because releasing the handle required just a touch or a squeeze. My 1963 Ford Corsair had one, as did an older Vauxhal Victor. More than one owner of a car has returned to find it in a ditch or hedge and a confused dog or frightened child in the front seat.

Ref " Fly off handbrake? "

Mark, imagine the following scenario.

You are cruising through your local McDonald's car park at approximately 11.30 pm and wish to impress a group of female Yoofs by performing a handbrake turn.
You merely yank on said handle without needing to press the button in to release it and thus embarrassing yourself in the process as the handbrake jams on, you stall the car and spill your milkshake in your lap.

With your fly off handbrake ,should you then wish to park up next to the impressed Yoofs, you would press the button in to hold the handbrake on.

Probably much more use in the world of rallying etc but hope that clears things up .

Simon

Huh! Never seen one of those.

Mark,

The XKs have them, as do many cars of that era. Not really a big deal to get used to, but if you end up shuffling a bunch of cars with and without them it sometimes makes for a cortical pause. Similar to remembering where reverse is on a variety of cars. I live in a hilly country, this is one of the things I try to remember to check before I set off on a test drive.