A few years ago I purchased a replacement map light seeing as my car had it’s own light “lost” before I owned it. This replacement, that I never fitted, uses a festoon type bulb. Looking at the current SNG offering…
…I’m wondering which type is correct for my car?
The one in the photo is correct. I don’t know when the festoon bulb was invented, but I don’t recall seeing ine prior to avout 1980.
I agree - the one pictured looks like what is on my S2.
But – the reverse lamps on my '69 use festoon bulbs so I think they were around back then.
Hmmm, I seem to recall seeing these type of bulbs in use in the overhead interior lights of loads of old brit iron back in the 60’s/70’s…long time ago so my memory might be tricking me.
Les are you sure you did not order it for your cabin lamp?
You will find FESTOON bulbs in use in Jaguars from the 1950s, so well and truly available and in use through entire E-type period, albeit available I different lengths and wattage to suit application.
Don’t know off hand when they were first introduced whether in 1950s or even earlier maybe, but period Lucas catalogues will show.
Used on 1950s Brit motorbikes too and probably 1940s? Very odd to hear people think they are comparatively recent when they’ve always struck me as old-fashioned.
I ordered it as and for the map light George. Now as to whether the supplier provided the correct lamp assy, who knows and given that I had no original part to compare, I would have been and am, none the wiser. Here’s a pic of the one I have, with festoon bulb installed…
Yes, me too Pete, I always thought the design was ancient.
The map light is entirely invisible unless you’re splayed prostrate in the car in the footwell and looking up under the fold down centre panel. While I can imagine, perhaps from muddled memory, that finding myself in that actual situation might be a wakeup call, the correctness of the maplight’s not likely going to be the first thing I think of the next morning. More likely aspirin. My car’s mostly (whatever that means) original spec, but it does have halogen headlights and LED brake lights, and a superior modern map light costing $3. When the car is relegated to a museum long after I am gone they can make it all authentic with little effort.
For those E-type owners with the temerity to tart up their valuable cars even further, there are LED replacements for festoon bulbs. In saloons, the interior light lens often melts/yellows due to the heat generated by its festoon, so LEDs are a good fix.
The better LEDs contain an internal diode bridge so that they have no polarity, just like the tungsten ones. The are brighter too, but some (not all) have that annoying bluish colour temperature.
I only have one LED inside the car and that is the subject map light. I like the light it creates and the low draw, low heat is appreciated as it may be on for a long time if I have a door open working on something.
Nick, just fyi, your post sounds like the map light in your car is located UNDER the instrument panel. The owners manual for my car clearly states that the map light is located ABOVE the fold down instrument panel, in which case you could of course see it. There are also holes in the dash top for rivets to hold said fixture.
As I say, just fyi at least for my car. Manual also covers OTS and FHC.
PS. The Bentley book (section on the earlier cars) also states the map light is above the fold down panel.
PS+…the owners manual for my car calls for Lucas lamp 989…a search shows that lamp to be of the same type used in the SNG replacement…as George pointed out earlier, looks like I have the wrong lamp fixture…live and learn…thanks George.
Les, that looks to me like the electrical guts to the interior light back by the hatch. At least that’s how I remember it looking on my 2+2.
I just looked at the interior light on my FHC, 10 Feb 1969 build date and see this:
No festoon bulb, but two standard socket type bulbs. Were FHCs different? Did Jaguar switch, is this a light from another car? I don’t know, it looks identical on the outside to what I recall the 2+2 having and I have nothing that would indicate this was a replacement.
The map light on the FHC is shown below. It was the same as on the 2+2 and I have no belief that either is not original. And the only way to actually see the fixture is if your head is resting on the seat squab or console. No way one sees it under normal circumstances.
John, my '64 FHC has the same fixtures.
Jerry
Thanks Jerry.
That said I would like some brighter bulbs in both fixtures. I’ll have to see what LEDs are available. And If I can find decently bright LED festoon bulbs for the reversing lamps I’m thinking of changing them as well.
Yep I think you guys are right–I think I am thinking of the OTS or the XK150 cabin lamp.
Thanks John. Yeah, I’ve no idea what my new light fixture is/was for then. No matter, I just ordered the correct one from SNG.
It looks like your maplight is glued on. Can’t see any rivets and the dash top definitely has holes for them. Either way, my dash top is covered and I’m not taking it apart just to fit this light. I’ll glue it on.
No, it’s riveted. They are just out of sight in that shot. I don’t think you’d need to remove the covering to rivet the light in place. The rivets are pop rivets started from the exposed side.
Thanks John. I guess there’s enough “space” in the padding to allow for the rivets
