[pre-xk] Early Leaper Question

Recently for fun, a crouching radiator leaper was purchased from
Motorden on ebay, from Brisbane, Australia. This cat has arrived
and compares in interesting similarities and differences with the
original cat that came with my 1950 Mark V from California (and
still resident there).

The cat from Brisbane has the same overall dimensions as the cat
which came with my car. However, there are differences which
require a different casting mold or substantially different
finishing methods.

One difference is the size of the mouth opening as viewed from the
side. The mouth gap is about 7 mm in height and depth from the side
on my original cat. It also has about a 2 mm gap between upper and
lower teeth. On the Brisbane cat, the mouth opening is about 4 mm
height and depth, the teeth nearly clench.

At the base of the original cat has an indent under the rear legs,
i.e. inside the thighs, with the pedestal metal extending only 5 mm
in front of the feet for strength. The Brisbane cat has no
indentation in the inner thigh area and the pedestal metal extends
solidly down to the front of the base from in front of the cat’s
rear knees.

The Brisbane cat has small bubbling in the metal work consistent
with pot metal, similar to the original. The Brisbane cat has a
little more detail in the lines, sharper definition (such as a
slight backbone ridge) not present in my original. However, my
original was rechromed and may have seen major buffing at that
time. My original is very similar to the typical reproduction model
presently available from places like Cordell Newby.

The triangular base of the Brisbane and original cats have similar
concavity on the underside. But, at the start from the edge of the
original cat triangle there is about 5 mm vertical rise before
sculpting moves inward. On the Brisbane cat, this initial shelf is
2-3 mm.

I’ve attempted to load a photo of the two side-by-side into the pre-
xk photo section http://www.jag-
lovers.org/snaps/snap_photo_section_index2.php3?s=pre-xk&pics=1 but
am not sure if posting is accepted yet.

Is the Brisbane cat an original, implying there were variations
among the early cat casting molds, or does it have characteristics
which identify it as a reproduction?–
Roger McWilliams
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–

No mystery at all.

Sounds like you have one of the Brylaws/Brysons supplied leapers made in
a foundry in South Melbourne, along with other bits Brylaws had made,
like bumpers and over-riders.

Immediate post-war British cars were exempt from import duties into
Australia - all part of the British Commonwealth trade deals of the
time, however certain things were dutiable if imported fitted to car,
such as mascots, bumpers etc, so Brylaws had them locally made.

In Australia, these Brylaws mascots are predominant one you see on Mark
V and pick up around the usual traps, and its actually the Jaguar
supplied/sourced UK one that is harder to find for Australian mascot
collectors, although worldwide they are far more common, with the only
Brylaw made ones outside Australia are collectors who have sourced from
Australian contacts. I have sent about 4 of them to overseas
collectors, and they WERE SUPPOSED to appear in Ian Coolings/Tony
Baileys series of mascot articles in Jaguar World magazine, with Tony
having three of my mascots for photographic purposes for about two
years. Article never appeared.

Roger Payne - XK140MC OTS; E-Type 4.2 S.1 OTS; DSV8
Canberra.-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pre-xk@jag-lovers.org [mailto:owner-pre-xk@jag-lovers.org]
On Behalf Of Roger McWilliams
Sent: Friday, 12 October 2007 10:14 AM
To: pre-xk@jag-lovers.org
Subject: [pre-xk] Early Leaper Question

Recently for fun, a crouching radiator leaper was purchased from
Motorden on ebay, from Brisbane, Australia. This cat has arrived
and compares in interesting similarities and differences with the
original cat that came with my 1950 Mark V from California (and
still resident there).

The cat from Brisbane has the same overall dimensions as the cat
which came with my car. However, there are differences which
require a different casting mold or substantially different
finishing methods.

One difference is the size of the mouth opening as viewed from the
side. The mouth gap is about 7 mm in height and depth from the side
on my original cat. It also has about a 2 mm gap between upper and
lower teeth. On the Brisbane cat, the mouth opening is about 4 mm
height and depth, the teeth nearly clench.

At the base of the original cat has an indent under the rear legs,
i.e. inside the thighs, with the pedestal metal extending only 5 mm
in front of the feet for strength. The Brisbane cat has no
indentation in the inner thigh area and the pedestal metal extends
solidly down to the front of the base from in front of the cat’s
rear knees.

The Brisbane cat has small bubbling in the metal work consistent
with pot metal, similar to the original. The Brisbane cat has a
little more detail in the lines, sharper definition (such as a
slight backbone ridge) not present in my original. However, my
original was rechromed and may have seen major buffing at that
time. My original is very similar to the typical reproduction model
presently available from places like Cordell Newby.

The triangular base of the Brisbane and original cats have similar
concavity on the underside. But, at the start from the edge of the
original cat triangle there is about 5 mm vertical rise before
sculpting moves inward. On the Brisbane cat, this initial shelf is
2-3 mm.

I’ve attempted to load a photo of the two side-by-side into the pre-
xk photo section http://www.jag-
lovers.org/snaps/snap_photo_section_index2.php3?s=pre-xk&pics=1 but
am not sure if posting is accepted yet.

Is the Brisbane cat an original, implying there were variations
among the early cat casting molds, or does it have characteristics
which identify it as a reproduction?

Roger McWilliams
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–

In reply to a message from Roger McWilliams sent Fri 12 Oct 2007:

So you’ve got one and you bought another one just for fun!

I was trying to buy it, as mine came with a MK2 leaper
attached to the rad. cap with two bolts and some plastic
padding. And this MK2 cat is also made of something much
lighter than the one I bought from Stoneleigh last year
(just for fun, sorry MK 2 owners! :wink: Probably why it also
had broken off from the base…

Cheers,
Pekka T.
‘‘In search of an old leaper’’–
The original message included these comments:

Recently for fun, a crouching radiator leaper was purchased from
Motorden on ebay, from Brisbane, Australia. This cat has arrived
and compares in interesting similarities and differences with the
original cat that came with my 1950 Mark V from California (and
still resident there).
The cat from Brisbane has the same overall dimensions as the cat
which came with my car. However, there are differences which
require a different casting mold or substantially different
finishing methods.


MK 5 3.5L DHC, E-type 2+2 Ser.1, XJ6C Manual, XJ8 Executive
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
–Support Jag-lovers - Donate at http://www.jag-lovers.org/donate04.php

In reply to a message from ptelivuo sent Fri 12 Oct 2007:

The comparison photo was accepted for posting and now is at
http://www.jag-lovers.org/snaps/ and in the pre-xk album section.
Please take a look to see if further comments or clarifications are
interesting when seeing my ‘‘tail-broken-off’’ original California
kitty versus the Brisbane kitty. Cheers.–
Roger McWilliams
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
–Support Jag-lovers - Donate at http://www.jag-lovers.org/donate04.php