MK V Headlights

For my MK V Saloon 1951 I need the two headlights completely. Unfortunately, I can’t find a supplier who can supply me with these. My question in the forum, do the headlights of the XK 120 also fit?
Thank you very much for your help.
Gerhard

Hi Geri, perhaps you can post a bit more detail on what you seek. Mark V headlights have a few variations depending on car delivery location. Are you able to list part number you seek?

Yes, XK120 takes all the same various parts and configurations.

PF770 dipping left for UK, OZ, NZ.
PF770 dipping right for Europe et al.
PF770 yellow bulbs dipping right for France
7" sealed beams dipping right for US (also supposedly for Canada, but I have seen Canadian cars that were delivered with PF770s)

Are you looking for the full assembly like this picture?

I believe these are from a 120

Tom

here is the second picture

Yes, those are Mark V / XK120 headlights, the 7 inch sealed beam type as installed here on pretty much all Mark V and XK120 cars that came to the US.
The sealed beam bulb was a patented American product of the Guide Lamp Co., actually an improvement over the unsealed PF770 type, and since they were preferred by the customers here, or it may have been a law, Jaguar just sent cars over with no headlights at all, and the US distributors installed these.


You can also install aftermarket headlights in them. These are 7 inch tri-bars.

1 Like

A couple of comments…
I don’t know specifically for Mark V, but being 1949-51 built, I presume they had same arrangement as with XK120. Jaguar installed the complete Wiring Loom with the headlamp loom having the specific bakelite connector that suited the USA made/fitted Headlamps. So a unique headlamp loom for USA market cars, as the standard Headlamp loom for all other Mark V had of course the round bakelite connector that suited the BULBS fitted into the PF770 Headlamp Units…

Having said that, and picking up on Robs earlier uncertainty, I am 99% positive that all Mark V and XK120 sold new into the Canadian market, received the same PF770 Headlamp as supplied to other LHD markets… Back in the 1940s/50s Jaguars exported to Canada were supplied direct to Canadian Distributors, and were specified/built to suit the Canadian market and any local lighting regulations, thus did not get built to comply with any parochial USA lighting regulations, nor indeed any local market preferences of the USA Distributors. Things got a little confused in the 1960s, when there was changes made to the North American Distribution arrangements, so in the BMH and LEYLAND-USA arrangements from late 1960s onwards you started to get USA requirements introduced into Canadian market cars as well…
Personal Delivery cars to Canada, as picked up from the factory under Personal Export arrangements, were in fact stricter in having to comply with Canada’s minimal unique requirements, than was the case with cars being imported to USA…
From where I sit in Australia, the regular movement/sales of cars between USA and Canada, have significantly blurred what exactly was there original build of Mark V and XK120, and indeed given the numbers of USA new cars significantly overwhelms the numbers of Canadian new cars…
This was all most illuminating when I have been researching XK and E-type Tool Kits, and indeed XK and E-Type Literature Packs where I do attempt (I think successfully) identify differences with Canadian Market cars and USA Market Cars…
With Mark Vs I have published a booklet on Tool Kits, and there is no differences at all due to the market sold into new, whether UK, Australia, USA or Canada etc. I haven’t similarly yet produced anything on Mark V Literature Packs, but unlikely to be any North American peculiarities yet, albeit we did see the first Australian market ‘variations’…

Here is the reason there is a question about what was with Canada; from the SPCs…

Mark V

XK120 OTS

XK120 DHC

The unique headlamp loom mentioned by Roger is this 553724 Adapter with 3-way socket to take the 3 flat blade prongs on the sealed beam lights.



As an interesting aside, notice that in the Mark V headlight pod there are extra holes provided for two different Fixing Rings, 552704 and 553614.

The headlamp loom was a separate harness about 2 feet long with 3 wires, and the sidelamp harness was also a separate one maybe a little longer with 2 wires because of the turn signals. They both had bullet ends to connect into the main harness.

I had forgotten that Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Holland are also mentioned in the SPCs as having different headlight requirements, different bulb wattages apparently.

Hello Tommye

As you can see from the photos, I still have two complete headlights, but with different lenses. Unfortunately, the reflectors no longer meet the Swiss approval criteria.

Greetings
Gerhard



Hi Gerhard,

You can also have the old headlamps refurbished, the silver surface under the glass inside the headlamp can be restored to like new.

Over here the headlamps need to have the Left Hand Drive pattern and EU codes only if the car ws originally first registered after 1.1.1968. Older cars do not have to have the modern light pattern or dipping, so even US Sealed Beams are ok and basically anything but the left dipping UK/AUS/NZ headlamps are ok. :slight_smile:

Cheers!

Ps. Mine with US headlamps.


I am thinking of buying new headlights from Holden or converting to halogen headlights. Does anyone have experience with halogen headlights? It would cost me about €150 per head to re-vaporise the old headlights, new ones from Holden £175.

Gerhard

Hi Geri,

If you use halogen bulbs, please be sure to use a relay. The light switch and the dipper switch can not handle the current peak of the halogen bulbs. This applies also to E-types, I learned it the hard way (a burnt dipper switch) in my 1st car (E-type). All XJ’s have a relay for the headlamps and high beams.

Cheers!