David,
I never throw anything out.
As before, my June 1966 OTS was obtained in 1975 with 18000 miles from new, from original owner in Wales who only registered car for the four-summer-months each year, stored in a heated garage the other eight-months.
Whist in England I went over car in minute detail re anything not 100% original, or needing replacing, so bought everything needed from a Jaguar Spare Parts outlet in London - factory parts and second-hand parts only, pre the days of aftermarket reproductions.
One of my two hood straps was broken, with the broken off end still attached to its bulkhead stud, so I sought to buy a new one, and clearly wanted it to be identical to the other unbroken strap. Attached picture is of my original 1966 broken strap-end:-
Now memories can be funny - I recalled this as being a pale-mid-green, but re-seeing actual strap would say more just a mid-green, but to try and show colour better in photo are accurate samples of three XK greens, pastel-green, sueded green and BRG, none really close, but some indicator of shade.
But no way would I call this DARK GREEN as you advise.
Indeed in 1975 when I ended up purchasing TWO new straps, all that was available in factory packaging - albeit a replacement part made 9 years after my car was built, only BLACK was available, so that’s what I purchased and they are still fitted to my car. If there had have been GREEN ones available, even DARK-GREEN, I would have preferred them.
So if the collective Suffolk, Turley and Swan worked their from 1964 and they are adamant DARK GREEN, there must have been a second supplier/source or whatever also supplying the mid-green as was fitted in June 1966, or maybe there memories have ‘faded’ (to use a pun).
Per chance - do you have any (hard) evidence of DARK GREEN straps?
But I do accept that my BLACK ones dating 1975, although genuine factory spare parts, may well not have been authentic/original during E-type production - haven’t really looked into this issue of colour since 1975.
Roger
