Rob, Your photo showing front of Plaque after rivets have been removed, looks as though it still has residual Nickel Plating where it had been protected by rivet heads…, but you have it in hand to have a closer examination…
Mike’s photos shows this much better, and is typical of many LOCKHEED Plaques and indeed earlier XK120 Chassis Plates originally Nickel-plated over brass sheet, that over the years has lost most of the Nickel, and superficially just looks brass…, but the mounting hole corners often reveal original Nickel…
on this subject I have a metal tin with lid designed to fit in this housing
Something tells me that some countries either did or didn’t allow glass bottles for brake fluid.
Or the tin is something aftermarket?
I forgot to mention I have a bracket with no tag nor markings of any kind, which came off a Mark V later than mine. So I think the unmarked brackets are from or intended for later large saloons up through about 1958, as the first 6000 Mark IXs had the glass reservoir.
I found the aluminum rivets, but I had to buy a box of 250.
Now that my tag is off I can read the patent numbers, which I always find an interesting study.
GB211838 (1923) is for crimped hose end fittings, assigned to Malcolm Loughead and Hydraulic Brake Company of Detroit.
All these belong to Hydraulic Brake Co. and either Malcolm Loughead or another employee. Loughead patented the 4-wheel hydraulic brake system in 1917, and with his brother Allan became Lockheed Corp.
GB236584 (1926) is for a dual acting wheel cylinder
GB280502 (1928) is for a master cylinder
GB299370 (1930) is for brake fluid, and the HBC employee was a citizen of China working in Detroit.
GB305994 (1930) is for a master cylinder which is similar to that of our 120/140 single.
GB315796 (1930) is for high pressure hose.
GB329387 (1930) is for hose couplers.
So these patents cover all the components of our familiar hydraulic brake system.
Could be, but he was from Santa Barbara.
When I was a kid we had a Gordon Laughead piano, which we thought was funny because my baby brother Gordon laughed a lot.
Would you please send me about a dozen of the aluminum rivets? On second thought, if you send me 50 I’ll include four with each plate. Just let me know how much. Thanks.
Charlie Schott
117 Grand Heron Drive
Panama City Beach, FL 32407
I have a reservoir which must have come off something other than an XK120 - maybe Mk VII, VIII or IX, or maybe a Bentley or Rolls of the period? It has an additional pressed steel bracket between the bodywork and the bracket on the reservoir itself. I don’t have a picture of it to hand, unfortunately. There are no markings on the reservoir bracket either. I’ll be restoring this one to put on the car. Am I right that the top cover and lid are both cad (zinc?) plated, but the bracket was painted black? Are the long bolts and nuts attaching the bracket to the top cover also plated?
Ok Charlie and Chris, but the rivets have not yet arrived. McMaster-Carr is only 5 miles from my house but I forgot to click Local Pickup so they probably will go through 2 other states before they get here.
BTW notice the original weld slag from stick welding the bolt heads, the sandblaster didn’t get it off.
If this is what you have, it’s from a Mark V, and here you can see why XK120s have those two unused studs on the wiper motor bracket.
But if it is curved it may be for a Mark VII which had it on the inner fender.
As to finish, we’ve gone around and around on that without a definitive proof either way, so maybe it’s both. My view is early cars were black, later cars were plated. 670178 has it black.
Rob, it does have a curve on it, but I can’t see from that Mk VII picture if it’s the same as mine. I’ll take a picture of it and post it in the next day or so.
Hi Rob. All the Mark V’s I have seen have the Girling plate but not the same one as the 120 so perhaps it is a LHD vs RHD thing with the V’s??
I’ll endeavour to take a photo of mine.
Charlie, the post office is closed so I’ll get them in the mail to you on Monday.
I was at JK Restorations yesterday and asked Jim and Gary about the top finish. They have had a lot of 120s through their shop and they’ve seen plenty of both black and plated tops, and even plated tops with black lids. No rhyme or reason to it, early or late, LHD or RHD, no discernible pattern. But they’ve never heard of anybody being deducted for it either way. They generally restore them plated because their customers prefer it.
Sorry for not getting back to you sooner but we’re in the middle of selling one condo and buying another one (as well as getting ready for a car show) so my free time has been limited. I haven’t forgotten you or the others who replied so please be patient and I will get you the info. Thanks.
