Red Interior advice please etype series 1

[baldyz1]

I am making headway with a 2+2 series 1 1966 rebuild and just starting to get to the interior choices.

The car will be Opalescent Gun Metal and I want a red interior.

I have samples from; Aldridge, Turley, MCT, Manners, BAS and John Skinner.

I expected some differences but it is a total minefield. I must have at least 20 red leather shades and dont get started on the vinyls etc.. Oh and I also have some Vaumol samples and they are different again from everything else.

I do want the car right; I don't feel like I am decorating my lounge where I feel I have carte blanche to choose from a 1,000 shades and match the carpet and curtains. Obviously the wife loves the prospect of choosing colours but surely Jaguar got it right at the time and I want those colours.

On top of all the colour choices there are many differences in the leather patterns and the amount of matt and sheen in the leather.

I think the Vaumol is lovely (and that smell) but it is very expensive and appears that it may mark easily. The Vaumol is very different to the leather in my BMW for instance. The modern leather has a lot of grain and is quite matt whereas the Vaumol is almost smooth and has a sheen. Does the process of painting the leather mean it will age more quickly than some of the more modern leathers? Most of the samples I have are more like the modern leathers in my every day car.

So has anyone built a concours level 4.2 series 1 car with red interior and gone through all this and equally had their decision ratified as being close to correct. What colour codes (or colour names) were actually used and who has the closest to the original materials etc..

As I say it seems like a minefield to me. Maybe some discussion could help others.

Many thanks
Chris

[Gfhug]

Chris, have you looked at Chris Vine's website: http://etype.chrisvine.com/
And this restoration at Moss Jaguar: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9990&start=30

Both have red interiors and I'm sure they could tell you where they sourced theirs. They may not be 'genuine' Series 1, but will give you a good idea and both are planning to be at the Bicester Sunday Scramble on the 23rd April if you want to see them in the flesh.

Maybe that would be a good start for you to find one you like, rather than a 'correct' S1 version?

Geoff

[lopena]

For what it's worth...my '64 OTS was restored ten years ago and retrimmed using a red interior kit from OSJI (formerly G.W. Barrett) in Muncie, Indiana USA. Photos attached below.

Good luck,
Alan
New Jersey

[baldyz1]

Hi Geoff,

That is really helpful I will drop Angus a note and ask about the interior.

Chris

[baldyz1]

Yes Alan in my mind that is the red I am expecting.

A lot of the samples I have are heading to plum and some have way too much brown. Perhaps its a trend.

[64etype]

Depends how one views the definition of concours, but technically Gunmetal was not offered as a standard color in 1966. But then neither were covered headlights and Lotus tail lights on S2 and S3 cars.

[baldyz1]

Technically I am told that Jaguar would paint your car a "special colour" if you wanted it. Not sure if that was strictly true in practice. Personally there are so many colour change cars out there in top condition that it does not seem to be a big deal for most.

Thanks
Chris

[Sarthe72]

A bit late on the scene, but mine came from BAS. Apart from the hood, I am well satisfied.

[richard btype]

Chris

I recall being equally assailed by the variation between the samples provided.

I decided that Vaumol is a must and perhaps? there is not so much leather to make it too expensive...

If you are not in a hurry and attending Bicester meeting in April you would have the opportunity to see a few variations, I've found John Skinner to be very helpful and Turley has original factory experience so should be very clear.

[rfs1957]

From one of the firms frequently referred to here, this is one expert's take on the subject of red : p.m. me for name.

Red, there are many different shades of red out there. Jaguar used 2 different shades. a lighter red and a slightly darker red and unless put together you cant tell them apart. The lighter red was (as far as we have worked out) used in Etypes, the darker was used in the Mk2 saloon.

Lots of interiors have been changed over the years mostly in the 80s when the value was not a lot so the interior was done on a budget.

We use the slightly lighter red as it matches the other materials better.

With the modern way of making vinyl, hardura etc is is very difficult to get the exact shade used at Jaguar. but we think we have it close, we make the carpet and the hardura and we supply everyone else with it. I think a lot of the other companies source their own leather.

With regards to the leather the most common discussion is smooth grain or pebble grain? Which is original? To be real, i have been trimming Jaguars since 1985 and have stripped hundreds of seats, most originals, some not. and out of all the original seat covers it's a 50/50 on heavy grain or smooth. Jaguar sourced their leather from Connolly which varied.. and i am almost 100% sure that the leather was not shiny to start, it was more of a matt but with a very slight shine - leather gets more shiny the more its sat on and used.

Unfortunately due to modern legislations, vinyl and leather cannot be produced the same way as back in the day (just like paint) so some of the colour shade is impossible to get exact but what we do is get it as close as we can throughout the entire material range as different materials require different colouring processes, (and red is the hardest to match)

Looking at the picture of the interior from Gary Bartlett I would say that is the same as ours,

[Philk]

For what it's worth...my '64 OTS was restored ten years ago and retrimmed using a red interior kit from OSJI (formerly G.W. Barrett) in Muncie, Indiana USA. Photos attached below.

Good luck,
Alan
New Jersey

That interior is stunning. One question I have been trying to get to the bottom of via the various guides is what colour the vinyl should be on the hood pan on a mid 1964 3.8 OTS (where the pull straps are located). I see on your car it is beige. On mine it is black (minus the pull straps so not original). On the very early cars, it is part wood. Does anyone know what the correct colour ought to be?

[ralphr1780]

This is mine coming slowly but surely together:

The shade difference between the velours / vinyl / carpet is here exaggerated by the flash. In reality the vinyl / ambla / carpet / leather are very close, with rather a bloodymary shade.
The velours is somewhat lighter and purer.
The kit came from Aldridge.