I’ve acquired 2 gorgeous sets of Lucas FT8’s with the correct Series 1 XJ6 mounting style, but I can’t find anyone to sell me those danged u-shaped mounts that fit in the area vacated by the horn grills when you have fog lamps. I recall that several years ago there was a post or possibly a website with pics of someone making their own but I can’t seem to find it.
They’re simple enough and I have some good pics of them but I figured if that post is still out there it might give me some insight as far as measurements and angles are concerned.
If someone remembers what I’m talking about can you please point me to it? … better yet, if you got a set of those mounts you’d like to part with lemme know that as well
hey I can take a look at mine there in a box, I can help out with measurements let me dig them out tomorrow and ill bring them home and take measurements. how much did you pay for your FT8’s I paid 250 us dollars but came with brackets. let me know what measurements you need.
Hi Rustfree! I have a set (FG8s only, with correct threaded mounting holes) but haven’t gotten around to fitting them and making the brackets. Unfortunately, on my 73 I must first retrofit the earlier bumper, as the overriders foul the horn grilles, this year only. I’d love to get the dimensions too. Here are a couple of photos showing the parts. As I understand it, there is no vertical adjustment besides bending the mounting bar.
Mike–you probably know this already. There’s a provision for a factory fog light switch on the fascia, located at the upper right of the driver’s panel on LHD, probably the upper left on RHD. From the back, the plywood is milled away to allow fitment of the switch. The switch itself is often available on eBay UK.
Also, as a matter of trivia, the factory setup was one FG8 fog and one LR8 (long range driving light) and not two fogs. I prefer the fogs only, as I’ve fit driving lights in place of the inner headlights. The LR8 was placed closer to the centre of the road, the FG8 kerb side. Strangely, they were switched on simultaneously.
Gee, our '72 has H4s and the original clear lens driving lights and I find this a great setup. The H4 high beams and driving lights run in parallel. With a fog and long range one must be able to see clear to Glasgow from Coventry. Not six lamps at once - I expect? Paul
Hi Sawyer - that would be amazing if you could measure the real-live part! I guess all the important measurements would be good if you feel like doing that. Would really be helpful.
I paid about $250 for the 2 sets but they came from different people in the UK so I paid shipping twice. Like I said though, no joy with those stupid mounts. About 6 years ago or so I almost won a whole set with the mounts and all on ebay but lost at the last minute.
Hi Bob! These are for one of my 72’s so I’m cool bumper-wise and my 73 has a 72 bumper so I don’t gotta worry about those big fat overriders.
I did know about the switch - I bought one like 8 years ago and it’s been sitting around waiting all this time. Weird how it’s either feast or famine with these parts. I’ve been looking on and off for a good pair of lights with the correct Jag screw mount instead of the gimble with no luck. In the past few weeks I saw those 2 sets on ebay UK that I bought and there is yet another set on there now.
Yup I knew about the fog on one side and the long-range on the other. Both of my sets are all fog but where I live it’s ridiculously foggy sometimes it’s actually better. I am on the lookout for a good LR8 lens though.
Here is Bob’s pic with the 4 important measurement we’d probably need to make these marked as A.B.C and D
Also - I know that the tongue that sticks out is kind of at a funny angle. Can you take a pic of it directly from the side so we can guesstimate the angle of the bend?
The dimensions of the aluminum sheet metal piece would be nice to have, too. I didn’t realize that A and B are different–don’t know why. Also, the hole at D is actually a slot I think–would be nice if we could have D separately for both ends of the slot.
Paul–yes, six lights at the same time. The fog switch, like the others, operate without relays in the factory configuration. I never knew that the inboard lights were driving lights from the factory. They switch on along with the outboard high beams as you say, and I thought they were just an extra pair of high beams. They definitely were for US imports. In the US, we were forced to use smaller lights outboard as well, as there was a law stating that if two lights on one side, they both had to be the smaller 5 3/4 inch size. Also, when I replaced my inboards with driving lights, I could find only 5 1/2 inch size…not 5 3/4 to match the opening. BTW I have a switch on the console that selects either driving or fog lights…but not both.
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The ‘inners’ are not ‘driving lights’ in the ‘modern’ respect that they come on when the vehicle is on the move, Bob…
They were factory installed as long range pencil beams for high speed driving - not ‘extra high beams’, but integral to the set-up. The fog lamps were usually not fitted from the factory unless requested - but the wiring was indeed in place for retrofitting. On later European versions the light switch had a ‘fog’ position, lighting the standard fitted rear fog guards, and the extra foglamps if fitted - at the same time disabling high beams…
Logic being that high beams in fog would be self defeating due to back glare. So to me, fitting extra for high beam vision would be unnecessary - except depressed to avoid blinding oncoming traffic; the transition from the high to low beam at speed is sometimes startling with the standard set-up…
In Europe, the use of fog lamps except during fog is generally prohibited - hence the enforced switching to low beams with fogs active - and all fitted ‘high beam’ extra lamps must be ‘off’. Adding extra lights to a car is heavily regulated - and ‘fogs only’ generally prohibited, though may vary from country to country…
I think the “modern” lights you refer to are called running lights, Frank. I hate them. But regarding driving lights, I assume you are referring to something like the ubiquitous Lucas 576 series. These are indeed clear lens, fitted with tungsten bulbs.
But my parts manual shows only fluted -lens sealed beams for the inners (and for the outers). There is only one sealed beam specified for the entire world, excepting France and its colonies. France got a fluted lens non-sealed beam, with a yellow tungsten bulb.
So I conclude that the US inner light is the same as ROW, although the outer is of course reduced from 7 inch to 5 3/4 inch. I suppose many fitted driving lights in lieu of the inner sealed beams, but I’ve seen none except my own so far here in the US.
mike how about I send you the brackets you make yourself a set and send them back?? would that be easier? I’m in northern ca 70 miles north SF. how far you? let me know
Hi Sawyer - sorry for the delay in getting back - I been under one of my 72’s all day.
That is a really kind offer but I’d hate for you to have to go to the trouble or for anything to happen to them in the mail/ups… Those few measurements would be amazingly helpful and I have pretty good pics. I think we could figure them out pretty well with those… Unless you really wanna send em
I’m kinda new to Chattanooga area - it’s only been like 5 years. I moved here because years ago I was driving a 78 Olds Toronado XS (google it - rare) I bought on ebay from Nashville to S. FL. Car lost it’s radiator in Chatt and everyone was so nice I always said I wanted to move here. So now here I am. Not sure where Millington is.
Anyway - I would guard them with my life if you wanna send them but I think measurements would be good too
That’s the bracket for which we would greatly appreciate dimensions suitable for reproducing it. That would include centre-to-centre distance between the four mounting nuts, dimensions of the bracket itself as previously posted, and thickness of the steel.
Your light is correct but it has the more common ball joint mounting stud. The ones for Series 1 XJs has a similar mounting plate attached with four rivets, but the plate has a tapped hole in its centre that gets bolted to the bracket using the oval hole in the latter (photo earlier in this thread).
Hi Sawyer - that’s definitely the mount alright but as Bob says, that light isn’t the Jag specific version that you’d need to make it work. When you install the light you’re gonna probably find that it sticks up too high to fit into the horn-grill area.
Not to worry though, the lights are the easy part (relatively) I think there’s a set on ebay UK right now in fact or you can modify the bottom of yours. They were used on Series 1 and Series 2 XJ’s (mounting under the non-US version of the Series 2 bumper) If I recall correctly, your lights are actually the Square 8 Plus. I don’t know why they are Plus other than the fact that they have square lenses with metal on the sides (as opposed to lenses that cover the whole front of the light and the backs are a little different than Square 8.
This is a regular Square 8 (or FT/LR8 - this pic is an FT) as mounted to the Series 1 XJ:
