1938 SS Jaguar 2-1/2 Litre Saloon

Rob

The pic is of the LH windscreen catch ,[ on the pillar]

Most of the other stuff s available. The SS logo d knock offs are available new from UK ,but the SS badge looks like a child has drawn it free hand.

Better to buy them as plain [ no logo] and have the logo engraved. It is a geometric shape > I think I still have template for pantographing somewhere , If not I have a DXF file

My description of the bolt was unclear. Sorry. No, it’s not a shoulder bolt. The only threaded part on the bolt is up near the bolt’s head. The remainder of the bolt is of smaller diameter. The bolt screws into a nut welded inside the boot lid wall, so the unthreaded section passes through the boot lid wall and is long enough to engage in a hole in the body shell. Hope that helps. John C.

Hi Rob,

This is not the tool tray lock. It’s a windscreen lock.


The tool tray locks are budget locks that are controlled by a unique chromed fitting that combines the lock handle and a baggage strap fixing.
The actual budget locks are easily available from various web suppliers.

If you find a source of the chromed parts please let me know. I had to make my own rather poor copies.

The bonnet hinge is stocked by Worcester (It’s also available from Morgan Motors) but needs cut to length.

Peter

Those little one sided wing nuts look like the side curtain mounts from SS1 / 100 and MG P/ N types

Yes, they do a bit.
SS100%20lever

I think you’d need to find a way of attaching a square shaft to it to operate the budget lock.

Peter

Ok thanks again. This forum is wonderful. Looks like I need a right side windshield lock OS.
And two tool tray locks. And two luggage strap loops for the body in front of the boot lid.
The LF door has had the lower 2 inches replaced, a pretty good job, looks like I won’t have to redo any of this work. I noticed a couple of the wood trim parts had NS written on the back in pencil. It is now painted gray, the window lift reassembled and back on the car.
I went on Worcester’s website and tried to download the parts list but it didn’t work so I sent them an email.

Can you folks confirm, is this the correct type ID plate, other than the wheelbase?


I measure my wheelbase at 10 feet 0 inches, front track at 4 feet 6 inches, and rear track at 4 feet 8-1/2 inches.

Hi Rob,

The windscreen catches are in Ashwater’s catalogue.
The reason why that ID plate has the wrong wheelbase is because it’s from a 1937 car (coachbuilt). The track should read 4’ 8" but otherwise it’s the same as your car would have.

I’ve sent you the Worcester catalogue.

You might be able to get most of your missing parts from Dave Davenport.

Peter

The company mentioned earlier by Peter, called Ashwater Classics - http://www.ashwater-classics.co.uk/ - also have the SS/Mk 4 windscreen catch, the pre-war T-shaped boot handle, and the luggage strap handle in their catalogue - http://www.ashwater-classics.co.uk/catalogue.pdf. The Jaguar section starts at page 12.
image.
However, they do state on their website that they only deal with retailers, clubs or professional restorers and they have a minimum order of £100.
I don’t know of a source for the tool tray lid handles, mine are also missing.
The chassis number on the id plate in the photo is from a 1937 SS Jaguar Tourer, not a saloon.

Thanks Peter, Ed, Denis and John.
On my car the track is different front to rear. Crouch confirms this on pg 59. Is that normal?
My ID plate is missing. I have sent letters to the last two owners, in case they might still have it, but have had no responses yet.
I understand there were changes to the ID plate in different years.
Mine was 3-1/4" wide and 4" high, with fasteners at 3" width and 3-13/16" height on centers.
If I have to buy a new repro, it is most important that I get the right one.
Worcester is a little vague as to what they have.
I don’t want to be accused of faking it.

Rob,

The correct Data (Commission) Plate for a 1938-MY SS-Jaguar 2.5L saloon (or DHC) has a winged-SS logo at the top - per attached photo. The one in your photo is for a 36-37 2.5L saloon.

I would also also like to get one or two blank repros.

Ron

Hi Ron,

I’m not sure you are right about the winged SS at the top.
Although not very clear here is the plate of 40038, only 13 cars previous to Rob’s.

Peter

Also from a March 1938 car.

The brass ID plates. I think we can over emphsis the importance on particulardesingns of those overwhat SS did.

The one with the hex SS logo was introduced for my1936,It had dimensions of wheelbase etc appropriate to te wooden framed 1936.7 car [ and asearate version for 1 1/2 litre cars. But SS were a bit easy come, easy go. The SS100 used the same plate even though the wheelbase was incorrect.
Decades ago, someone in US had a batch of repros made and mistakenly corrected the wheelbase. so they are always obviously repros.
Later the Logo was changed to the winged SS logo roughly about the time of the introduction of steel bodied saloons, but not exactly
T e details were not that important to Bill asapperntly the first 3 1/2 litre SS100 was fitted with a2 1/2 litre plate and the Appleyard rally carwas fitted with a MK IV [ Jaguar] plate

W had plates of various configurations made here, and if you buy one from UK it was probably made here in Melbourne.
For Rob, the defining difference is that the early hex logo plates had the lubricants incorporated, but thelater winged l ogos had a separate lube plate. So the number of hoes will tell which it had. 4 holes, theearly plate> 8 holes the latter plate.

TO my mind the issues are…
The originals weren’t etched very deeply. When making brass plates , the depth of etching ca be controlled by the time in the acid. left to their own devices , the makers will etch them more deeply…a giveaway .

The other issue is the number stamps , I see many where the owner has reached for the nearest numder stamps and done them in a modern font . SS used a serif font which was the same but a different size for chassis and engine numbers
I just copied the originals[ by tracing and /or using a plasticine impression and had new stamps made from a computer scan.
How neatly the originals were stamps depended probably on how long the apprentice had been doing it , what he had drunk the night before and how much his mind was thinking about what he and his girlfriend would do that night.
I have a jig to get the number level but the one here was copied from an original and the wobbly arrangement was copied from the original.


![ss%20ID%20plate%20008|443x500](u

Hi all, after considerable research (on 20 or 30 cars) I concluded that the winged logo was only introduced around April 1939.
John C.

And I have seen four variations of this 1936-1938 era SS (logo) JAGUAR 2 1/2 LITRE Chassis-Plate blank, all of basically the exact same overall design, but with small print variations to the Wheelbase and Track dimensions, and also the In. and Ex. Valve Clearances, before you get into the SS-Jaguar Wings plates, or worry about 1 1/2 LITRE and 3 1/2 LITRE variations.

All we need to do is convince Ed there is sufficient demand for other than the SS100 short wheelbase variant, as he has already done the artwork (the hardest part), so easy to alter (easy for me to say that is) the variable small-print dimensions, if a small production run can be cost and time/effort justified which probably cant be given negligible demand.

Otherwise Rob may have to make do with the already reproduced variant, which apart from some small detail, looks 99% correct for his early 1938 Saloon.

Roger

T’wasn’t me who did the corrected SS100 wheelbase plates
I just looked through my box of bits , But have run out of the ones mentioned. Unfortunately one doesn’t ge them made singley. There is a minimum of a sheet [ probably about 6 plates. Which someone has to stump up the $ for in the hopes of collecting it later
If someone wants to be entrepreneurial and get some done I probably still have the art work or the company who made them should. They are helpfull but a visit always requires a chat about Jaguars and who the owner always wanted one , but his wife… etc

At some stage in my car’s life its original engine L1424 was changed for an earlier engine L20E. Unfortunately a previous owner decided that matching numbers was more important than historical accuracy so I now have a fake plate displaying this worthless information complete with JAGUAR lozenge instead of SS logo.

I would quite like a good replica of my original plate but I would never consider replacing my dreadful plate with either of the first two fakes in Ed’s post on account of their obvious inaccuracy of layout and fonts.

I think the SS100 18004 replica looks very good and I would buy one of those if the chassis dimensions suited my car although I suspect mine should have the winged logo as I have my original lube plate and it is winged.

Peter

Fakes? You may have meant reproductions or replacements.

I have dug through my computer and found the artwork for the winged 2 1/2 . which seemed accurate as it was computer scanned from an original a tBoeing and the image cleaned up. But That’s all academic as don’t have any left in stock .Perhaps Ron Laurie could tell us where his was sourced.

Another forum watcher sent me a private note, and he said the ID plate I want is mostly the same as the '37 plate, with updates for '38.
wheelbase is changed to 10 ft 0 inches and track to 4 ft 8 inches.

So it should be like this:

hexagon SS logo (but no wings)
SS Cars Ltd. Coventry
Jaguar 2-1/2 Litre
Bore & Stroke: 73 x 106 mm
Cubic Capacity: 2663.7 c.c.
R.A.C. Rating: 19.84 h.p.
Wheelbase: 10’ 0"
Track: 4’ 8"
Firing Order: 153624
Valve Clearance: In. .012
(Engine Warm) Ex. .012
Chassis No.
Engine No.
Body No.
Approved Lubricants
Mobiloil Castrol Essolube Shell

Ed, I believe it was from your very self.
Ron

Ron , ah! I’m ubiquitous
I saw an SS Car Club founders badge on ebay , one of mine and was pleasantly surprised at the asking price. If he succeeds I shall have to finish some more.

But all this talk of spare parts and accuracy makes me think about spare parts and where they will come from in the future

There hasn’t really been somewhere the equivalent to Moss Motors or Guy Broad, for SS/ Mk IVs.
Most has been produced by individuals initially for their own needs and supported by Registers.

Consider. Bob Brosen produced some very nice stuff , but He’s now in that SS Register in the sky . As is Michael Roberts.
Cordell Newby still has some stuff but said he’d like t wind down and spend more time on his own car.
Alan Gibbins produced some excellent parts but he’s , well, 10 years older than me and I’m winding down
You realise you’ve spent too much time making parts for other people at the expensive of your own projects.
There Upper Classics in NZ who make some lovely stuff, but not mechanical parts ,mainly SS1 fittings.
Owners have been used to probably unrealistic prices, based on some idea that the costs of making small batches of parts for old cars should be cheaper than mass producing them or modern cars.
An apart from all of that many of the materials we use are either no longer available or the sellers have minimum order sizes that preclude small batch making.

I had a call recently from someone wanting a set of cam followers. I said I still had some left $ 550/ set of 12 inc postage
To which the enquirer said he might make them himself. I said, well good luck , but you probably couldn’t buy the Toyota corolla equivalent at that price.

So a few days later, same caller , who will now take them at that price.