I found my original (1954?) Floating Hood Stick for the XK 120 soft top and decided to perform a full “autopsy” as there is little information available on this item.
I can already say that the nowadays recommended method of “gluing” the stick in the rear “flaps” of the soft top, is completely different from the way Jaguar did it in the early days. In case you’re interested:
The original metal stick (see pic below) is a Gauge Nº 6 x 1” strip (5 x 25 mm) and has been chrome plated. It was most likely stamped from a larger steel plate because of the “ear” sections that fit in the “Tear Drops”. These ears are “wedge” shaped as a guidance into the Tear Drops. Over the length of the strip 7 holes have been punched, each measuring 5/32" in diameter, about which later more.
In my case the chrome was still good after 70 years, apart from a 4” section with some corrosion (see above). In the centre of the hood stick I found the letter C stamped in the centre (C for centre?).
As we know, the Hood/Soft Top is fitted to the Floating Hood Stick at the rear, and positioned under the “Tear Drops” on the tonneau. A rather complex method was originally used to connect Hood Stick and Hood (see picture below).
The steel stick was packed in a first layer of a (thin) woven cloth with “velvet-like” top layer (1), about 2⅜” (60 mm) wide. This is the same material as used to cover the two wooden front bows of the (later) XK 120/140 Hood Frames. The complete Floating Stick is then entirely covered in a “sleeve” (stitched over its full length) made of (Mohair) hood cloth (2) but used “outside-in”. This “sleeve” is made of two identical pieces, each measuring 1⅞” wide, positioned mirror image on top of each other.
The parts of the “sleeve” are sewn with two stitching lines about 1½ “apart, with unequal sections at the sides (one is very close to the edge at ⅛” and the other one about ¼ “ from the other edge).
The sleeve, together with the woven cloth (1) inside, is “closed” by sewing one side in situ. These two layers are further held by 7 Bifurcated Rivets Nº 9 x ½ “ (Ø 3.8 x 12.7 mm) divided over the full length (see pic below). The third layer of the hood (Mohair) cloth itself (3) is stitched to the “sleeve” at the rear side of the Hood, together with piping over its full length to hide/protect the stitching.
Thank you Bob, for once again proving this site is an absolute wealth of information, obtainable nowhere else. Those who feel like it should take a moment to make another donation, I am going to! --Dave
Bob, You might consider that your car has been reworked.
I doubt your assessment of the original attachment is correct. Having owned many 120 OTS, I have never seen the holes you have in your bar. The floating stick was different between the steel and alloy car but I believe in both cases the construction was to weld the ears to formed bar stock then chrome. The sleeve method of attachment was popular with aftermarket top makers. I no longer have an original XK120 hood but if my memory is correct, many years ago I duplicated the design of one which was glued. Maybe someone who still has an original hood can confirm.
I cannot proof (yet?) that this is a genuine factory solution, hence the question mark behind the year 1954.
I quote Urs Schmid (Volume 2 pg 98): “Along the rear edge of the hood was a floating chrome stick (covered with twill woven wool and cotton material) ….…” So in that aspect my version seems in line with his description. On the same page, Urs also showed a photo (1) of the later hood version (with the 3 Durable Dot fasteners at each side) where we can clearly see the LH end of the floating hood stick. It is exactly covered as mine was and I doubt whether this particular version was ever glued to the Hood as there is no cloth visible (torn or otherwise) from the outer hood Hardura.
I’m surprised in how many cases Jaguar used “bifurcated rivets” and I’m still discovering new applications. Apart from the well-known application to hold the sound dampening material on the gearbox cover, these rivets have also been used for the chrome cover plates on the door cards of the XK 120/140, the tacking strips of the battery box cover (OTS), the “hinges” of the flaps over the door pockets, etc
So I wouldn’t be surprised if they did use these rivets also for the floating hood stick, but that’s of course no proof.
Finally, I fully support your final remark about someone with an original hood to confirm…
I do not believe the floating stick was glued to the hood fabric but sewn inside.
obviously two types early short hood XK’s and later long hood XK120’s
Certainly I do not believe that attached with bifurcated rivits but yes these were used in many located heat shield to bottom of steel floors etc
terry
There’s an “original” Top Frame offered on eBay USA at present. The “floating stick” is completely identical to mine, including the same hole pattern for the Bifurcated Rivets. Of course both could be an American aftermarket version, but there is some “reasonable doubt”.
They don’t look the same to me. The many more drilled holes in the Ebay item are toward the rear, not centered like yours. It seems very likely this method was a way to simplify installation of a replacement hood.
I am still going to say these holes not put in by factory one way of checking s the accuracy/spacing of holes from each other and from edge. Even the XK140 roadster ones I have seen do not have holes
OK you all convinced me! So what I found with my car was an aftermarket replacement soft top that apparenty has been used more often on American XK 120s.
Mike
That is what I would call “solid evidence”.
So my floating stick has been modified when a new hood/soft top was fitted many years ago.
I will have a look at what kind of soft top brands were used in the States say around the Eighties… And also whether they recommended drilling holes for bifurcated rivets to fit the replacement soft top.
