I also noticed the painted guides and thought them incorrect but checked the JCNA guide before posting a faux pas. I am daily reminded of the things I don’t know about E-types. I was also surprised that they’re correct, though apparently not common. Is it that some cars were painted bonnet on but most were bonnet off or was it that some had the guides mounted before the monocoque was painted when most didn’t?
Perhaps this was just some kind of production process mixup in that some guy erroneously put he guides on before the paint shop got the tub so the paint shop just hit everything that was put in front of them. The paint shop probably had no interest in whether the guides should or should not have been painted.
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Small production, hand built, I think we can only generally know what is " correct". There seems to be plenty of evidence, that whatever worked that day or that week, was just fine.
Could be that a painted bonnet was the last piece to go on,so to save time the guides were already attached way before on the assembly line.
I noticed that the hold down straps for the convertible top were hardly worn. If the top was down a lot
you would notice wear.
Benny
I know of at least 1 Series III car restored to a very high standard in England that had them painted as well. I asked the owner if that was correct as I’d never seen it that way before. The only reply I got was no real reply on way or the other.
Personally it doesn’t make sense to me to paint in place parts that are adjustable for fit.
I’d guess that the guides were mounted during the bonnet assembly/alignment process. Then the bonnets were removed for painting. Maybe they removed the guides, or maybe they said, “nah, then we just have to put them on and align them again.”
Yes, but under that scenario I’d expect the corresponding latches on the bonnet itself to be left on and painted.
It’s a mystery wrapped up in an enigma. All I know is that I don’t like the way it looks, like when painters don’t take off door knobs or light switches before painting a room…ick.
That makes a sense, Benny. For a close fit between bonnet and skuttle you’d fit and adjust the guides during assembly and paint prep and leave them in place for the paint job. If removed before shooting paint there’s the extra effort of having to put them back into the same position for final assembly.
So should the latches be painted? I think I saw someplace that even the rubber bumpers were sprayed? Yuk! Erica is right, the painted guide version looks like sloppy work.
Same issues for the bonnet hinges. Factory - painted, restorations - not painted?
I wouldn’t paint them even if it was “correct”.
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Took me a while to find it but this photo from the 1967 Production Line (?) provides a clue to one side of this apparently continually fluctuating issue: Any one own 51312?
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The one behind it is a 2+2 as well, you can see the red rear seat cushion in the trim cart to the left.
I’d love to be able to step into that photograph and walk around the factory. 
In fact, I guess we all would.
Hi Robert, I did have the judging guide, but the judges said mine was too dark. Every other car there was silver. Went up the ladder to the national chief judge and he sided with the local judges who were both wrong. That event made me realize it was a good old boys event and inexperienced judges can do what ever they want. Will never show the car again at a JCNA event. Their loss.
Regards,
Allen
Hi Geoff, opalescent silver gray is as close as you can get.
Regards,
Allen
Hi Allen,
Your car is probably the nicest car I’ve ever seen (I still have photos of it). Please reconsider showing it at JCNA events, it is truly a loss to everyone not to see it not just JCNA members. Regarding OSG, I’ve seen a number of shades of that color and some are to dark. Speaking of Wayne Rasmussen’s car that was painted OSG and the car would be described as gunmetal by most I’m sure even me. Not unlike BRG which has morphed into different shades over the years, some so dark they look black in poor lighting. Seems to me Classic Jaguar were selling a proper match at one point, darker than silver but not the darkest OSG I’ve seen. Possibly Coventry West may have it as well, maybe someone will post a photo of the paint they got from Classic Jaguar.
pauls
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Interesting video, but you have to question it’s accuracy. The very first little detail he mentions (slotted screws on the headlight covers) disagrees with the JCNA Judging Guide. According to it, the early 3.8s had slotted screws, but the later 3.8s and all Series 1 4.2s had ***“4.2 - Posi-drive (Phillips) Part No. BD 26675/4 (J37 – Pg. 160)”***. I happened to notice this, as I was looking at the 1965 FHC being auctioned on BaT which is claimed to be very original, and noticed posidrive screws there, and was reminded of this video. I’m no expert, but the Jaguar Parts Lists are usually pretty accurate, so the video appears to be in error. Puts everything else in the video into question in my mind…
I noticed that too, David. When I ordered new headlight screws from SNG they sent posidrive screws and these were just like the ones I took off.
It is interesting to note the willow green OTS to the right of the primrose car in the other line. It appears to have a matching hard top, but hard to tell for sure in the light.
–Drew
That is super weird. You can see it’s definitely an OTS, and it’s green on top, but where’s the rear section of the hardtop? Even if the rear screen hadn’t been installed yet, you should see it wrapping around behind but all that’s visible is the rear pillar.
Over 40 years ago I was a judge at a national Triumph meet. This was another era. We were instructed to use what I thought then, and still do, was a very sensible method for local shows with less than expert (but well intended) judges. While this was a National meet, recall the era - just not that sophisticated.
Here’s the method (best as I recall ! ) :
A third for originality, a third for function and a third for craftsmanship. The small number of cars meant you didn’t have “driven”, “unrestored” and many other sub categories as now. You were divided more rigorously when the autocross was competed. Our TR250 did take 2 awards (not first places !) in autocross and concourse. I was not a judge in that class and there were few entries.
A poor photo, but so long ago I have only slides and hard copy.