My XK 120 OTS has the original aluminium Facia-panel BD.4606 (although with a number of extra holes at the LHS where a number of switches had been mounted, I assume).
I understand that left and right of the instrument panel, pieces of leather should be installed appropriately named “Hide for Facia-panel” (BD.4638 and BD.4639) and ditto piping (BD.4052).
I assume the leather trim is glued to the aluminium Facia-panel. But what is the best preparation of the aluminium surface: just sand and degrease it or should I have it painted in epoxy primer? What is the experience in this respect of members?
If it’s like my two from '50, the leather trim is attached to two thin-section pieces of plywood on either side of the center console which are then attached to the aluminum panel with 2BA countersunk screws and also the passenger side grab handle.
I intend to first close the holes that I don’t need. I do want to add one switch for my original Fog Lights and need one hole for the switch (Lucas 31228) that Jaguar positioned behind the steering wheel.
Don’t know whether Chris’ solution with thin plywood is original, but it would solve a lot of problems! It would also explain why Jaguar opted for using 4 set screws C.2015/2 which are (according Tadek) Slotted Raised Countersunk Setscrew 2BA x ¾” Pointed. If these set screws should disappear behind the leather, then Jaguar could/should have used Flat Countersunk set screws.
Can anybody confirm that original OTS dasboards have these RCSK set screws in sight? Philip Porter shows some examples with the set screws clearly visible. Will check what Urs Schmid says…
But then again Peter confirms that you can attach the leather straight to the roughened aluminium.
Further to Christophers remarks on the thin plywood sections, Urs Schmid is not entirely clear in this respect. He first clearly refers to “two separate plywood side panels” used on the Alloy OTS.
He then continuous on the Steel OTS that “a single piece of …aluminium which provided backing for the facia side panels ….”. We may assume from this that the Steel OTS versions indeed had plywood side panels on which the leather is attached.
Where the wooden side panels are listed in the SPC for the early Alloy cars (“Facia Board Assembly LH and RH”; BD.3292 & BD.3293), I cannot find any reference for these plywood sections on the later OTS bodies.
After checking and re-checking I guess you and Peter are correct: there was no wooden plate used for the steel XK 120 OTS versions. So the leather is glued directly to the aluminium surface and the “Slotted Raised Countersunk Set Screws” remain in sight.
