FACTORY FIT - Series 1 3.8

[Heuer]

Jaguar SSPC (Secret Spare Parts Catalogue!)

Jaguar produced a number of parts that were not available to the general public. The standard parts had either a four digit number or a number with the C or BD prefixes as we are used to seeing but some parts had an XR prefix.

These were designed to different specifications and used for testing or for cars where enhanced performance was expected as in Competition. As far as I know there was no public issue of this list to Dealers or Distributors as it was Factory support only.

Here is a partial list of the parts fitted to the Coomb's E-Type (right hand column) in 1962 compared to stock (left hand column):

[Ian Howe]

OFFICIAL FACTORY CRAYON/INSCRIBED BODY NUMBER/COLOUR MARKINGS AND UNOFFICIAL SIGNATURES AND INITIALS

Thought it might be nice for completeness to have a section on handwritten markings. I have divided this post into official body numbers, official destination markings, official special markings and unofficial signatures or initials. The idea is for David to collate markings from all the members and have a more complete library. This is the start.

OFFICIAL BODY NUMBER MARKINGS OTS and FHC

The practice of marking cars with the body number was started (I think) when production ramped up - I have yet to see an early car with crayon body number markings. Crayon markings were yellow for dark coloured cars and black or blue for light coloured cars. Areas marked were:

Firewall


Picture Frame
Marked where the radiator fan bolts.


Engine Frames
The engine fames were marked with the last 2/3 digits under where the engine mounts are bolted on. Can’t find my picture as the moment.

Bonnet
Front of the bonnet was marked. I’m not sure when this practise started and I think this is from a 4.2.


OFFICIAL BODY NUMBER MARKINGS OTS ONLY

Hood bag
Often marked with body number and colour.


OFFICIAL BODY NUMBER MARKINGS FHC ONLY

Inside rear hatch.


OFFICIAL BODY NUMBERS ON TRIM

Dash
The rear of the dash was marked with the body number and paint colour. The partly hidden marking is BLUE.


Body number mistake - scored out at factory.


Seat Leather
The back of the seat leather was often marked with the body number.


This is from body number R1065 and yet destined for R1078 which was built some 10 days later. Once the seats were built, the numbers were obviously hidden so it is highly likely that many car body and seat numbers do not match.


Door Trim
Upper door trim panel assembly (aluminium so early car) scored with body number.


OFFICIAL DESTINATION MARKINGS

This is a picture of 875039 (bonnet reinforcing angle between wings and centre section) - so destination markings started fairly early during production.


OFFICIAL SPECIAL MARKINGS

Special markings
This 'SHOW' marking is on the back of the wooden seat structure from 850011 - destined to become a Jaguar press car.


FACTORY ASSEMBLY LINE MARKINGS

This picture shows the practice of marking the rear number plate area.



UNOFFICIAL SIGNATURES/INITIALS

Trimmers often signed their work! Signature on the back of the wooden seat structure.


Seat frames were often scored with the craftsmen’s' initials. 'RM' in this instance


Dash underside
Underside of dash signed with body number. I have only seen early cars with markings on the dash


Ian

[rswaffie]

I also had the incorrect body number scored out on the back of my lhd dashboard, with the correct number added. The tailgate had the correct number as per the tag and vin plate.

[MarekH]

Personal markings on trim probably just reflect piecework. Body numbers also might reflect that it was known some bits didn't fit and thus needed to be tailored or moved to another car for better fit. In that respect, not having markings is good sign. It means someone actually put your car or trim together reasonably correctly first time around.

I certainly hope people are not going to start writing over their cars with crayon just to make them "more original". Even worse, I hope no one starts complaining that the wrong colour crayon has been used....

kind regards
Marek

[Heuer]

Trico Washer Fluid

Trico supplied Jaguar with the Reservac, a repurposed wiper vacuum tank, and they supplied Lucas with the wiper blades who then supplied them to Jaguar. 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". More detail on wiper blades is in post #217

Although Lucas supplied the Screenjet washer system the bottle was filled with Trico All Season Solvent WA 30 at the Factory.





Although WA30 is no longer available Trico Vision is and as luck would have it the same blue colour.

[Heuer]

Outer Toggle Clamp Assembly

The first 500 cars were fitted with outer toggle clamps with 'necked' arms. These were prone to failure breaking at the transition point so Jaguar introduced new toggle clamps with more robust arms and slightly thicker tabs. The part numbers remained the same however.





As most of these early catches broke they are extremely rare although reproductions are now available.

It is worth noting the outer toggle clamp assemblies had different part numbers for cars fitted with the glass fibre canopy as against the more common metal canopy. The difference was in the four set screws and washers used on each.

The center toggle remained the same throughout production and used two small and two long screws for attachment.

[ysmalkie]

Re #228:

Original carpet studs, also used throughout the 4.2 production.


David, maybe you could adjust to post them in the right place.

Thanks!

[Heuer]

These high resolution photos from the October 1961 Motor Show give an indication of how the first production cars were finished. Worthy of note:

- Heater Vent supply box and fixings painted body colour (painted in situ prior to gasket being fitted?)
- Engine number stamping on left side of head as opposed to in the valley
- Bonnet balance springs and mechanism also body colour as is the stone guard
- Headlamp inner panel painted with black stone guard - other panels, white
- Shock Absorbers appear to be black
- 'Fluid Filled' Lucas coil decal







Click on image to zoom in. Thanks to PhilK for finding these.

[paydase]

David,
Does this mean that all early cars (at least before October 61) had originally these painting colours or could it be a one-off for the show?

[abowie]

Interesting that it's not an OBL car so it's a reasonable way on into production.

I'm not sure how many OBL cars were produced, but you'd expect by that time they would have got the finish standardised.

The black paint on the stoneguard on the bonnet valance looks like it was done with a brush, so at lease there's some consistency there..

Excellent and very interesting historical pics. PhilK, how did you find them?

[Heuer]

David,
Does this mean that all early cars (at least before October 61) had originally these painting colours or could it be a one-off for the show?

We do know that Jaguar 'prepared' cars for shows and this information has been found crayoned on parts. This 'SHOW' marking is on the back of the wooden seat structure from 850011 - destined to become a Jaguar press car.


So it could be parts were painted to make the car look better and they did not bother on the main production line. Quite why they stamped the engine number to one side of the head is a puzzle. Really we need to find other examples of these 'features' before saying this was production practice. Keep your eyes open for more examples!

[Allrand]

Maybe just the camera angle, but the engine no looks fairly central to me.

[Philk]

Excellent and very interesting historical pics. PhilK, how did you find them?

I was browsing the motorsport image collection and found it there. Original link here:

https://motorsport-images.smartframe.io ... tmccl3w8yz

You can click to expand the picture and then zoom in on various features.

This link will take you to all of the Jaguar related pictures for the 1961 Earls Court Motor Show

https://www.motorsportimages.com/photos ... 961+jaguar

[DWW]

Amazing, thanks.

[abowie]

Incredible pictures. There appears to be what must have been a prototype MGB on the MG stand.

[bitsobrits]

I'm going to conjecture that is a Midget Mark1 on the MG stand.

[abowie]

I did wonder about that. There seems to be another dark coloured one behind the lights.

[Philk]

Door Lock Push Buttons

Original Door Lock buttons are marked with an arrow showing the direction the key should be turned to lock the door. From what I have seen over the years, reproduction lock buttons do not have the arrow present.

[Philk]

Engine Number - Other Locations

Sadly, these can only be seen once the engine is stripped down but, in addition to the head and the block, engine numbers are also present on the flywheel and crankshaft

[paydase]

Actually, no need to strip dow the engine to see the engine number on the flywheel, at least on a 3.8.
You have just to be lucky and have the flywheel rotated as it needs to be

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