Like all restorations NFCC undertake, the process begins with disassembling the car. Through-out the strip down process, components are recorded for their presence and condition. We use a tagging system which highlights ‘serviceable’ and ‘unserviceable’ components. This process helps to highlight which parts need to be sourced.
In this edition of the 100-Point E-type, we discuss a selection of original components from chassis #824 that have been retained throughout its life.
It is common knowledge that when acquiring an E-type, owners are often faced with a number of missing components. This is often due to the car’s age or simply down to a previous owners desire to modernise their car using the latest components available at that time.
Features: Dot patterned aluminium fascia & cigar lighter
About: The early 3.8-litre instrument fascia featured smooth headed, raised dots against a slightly dimpled background. This feature was present up until chassis numbers #850610 and #878302. The instrument panel then changed to a cross-hatched pattern until it was eventually replaced with an all-leather center console and black instrument panel fascia.
The cigar lighter found in the very early E-type's had a larger diameter than the cars produced after September 1961 (chassis #850169 - #875590). Jaguar went on to use much smaller cigar lighters which is still present for #824. Understandably, many cars lose their original cigar lighters during the course of their lives.
Features: Various – see below
About:
Features: Swage line on bottom edge
About: Early drop-head coupe chrome door tops featured a swage line along the bottom edge. This was removed from production of later models and the chrome became a smooth panel. The image shows that #824 has retained its chrome in a good condition and clearly displays the swage line.
Features: Insulating covers
About: The original wiring looms found on early E-type's had black insulating covers over the terminals as displayed in the image above.
Features: Leveroll units
About: Jaguar fitted Leveroll seat runners as displayed in the above image. You will find Leveroll stamped into the end of the release bar.
Features: Slim in appearance
About: The original 3.8-litre bumpers and over-riders are in good condition. The over-riders are the original style – slim with a slight ridge running down the face.
Features: 3-ear style, brass tops, stamped according to year of production
About: The early 3-ear type carburetors remain with original throttle linkages in situ. In November 1961, from engine number R 2934, the slave shaft throttle linkages changed from 3-ear to 2-ear.
The original brass carb-tops are all still present. Jaguar changed the brass carb-tops to black in December 1962.
In the image above, you will see a stamped carburetor body reading ‘U3’. These stamps were used by Jaguar in accordance with the year they were produced. This confirms that the carburetors are correct to the year of #824.
Each letter is a reference to the year the carburetors were produced: T = 1960, U = 1961, V = 1962, W = 1963, X = 1964, Y = 1965, Z = 1966.
Each number refers to the month the carburetors were produced: 3 = March etc.
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