Well, I do not know who put the engine in the car, but it works as I am about to describe.
My main question is: why do these things fit together.
The plate on the engine compartment, after researching the numbers, shows that my car is
a 2.4 Litre left-hand drive Mk 1 built in early 1958 with a four-speed gearbox with no overdrive.
The engine has raised casting marks saying Jaguar 3.8 L (or maybe Litre, I forget.).
The engine number next to the oil filter mounting is R 5414. This number identifies the
engine as an early E-type 3.8 Litre engine.
The head, on the vertical face in front of the frontmost spark plug, is stamped
KE 3190-8. This identifies the head as that for an early 3.4 Litre Mk 1 engine.
So how or why does the head fit to the block? Its -8 suffix identifies a 8/1
compression ratio. I wonder what the real compression ratio is.
An E-type 3.8 head has three carbs, and these carbs would not fit in the
engine compartment space. The 3.4 head has only two (SU) carbs that do
fit with not much extra room.
The car has a four speed gearbox with overdrive. I have not tried to look for the
numbers on this gearbox. The overdrive switch is correct (wonderful back lighted
lucite toggle when engaged) mounted in a hole on the horizontal board covering top
of the dash (correct English word?). This wooden piece must have come from a Mk 1
with an overdrive. The speedometer goes to 120 MPH not the 140 MPH that 3.4
MK1 have. So the rest of the dash is probably original.
The gear shift lever is very short which, I believe, is correct for a Mk 1.
I would very much appreciate comments and explanations on how these things
fit togetner.