I’m jealous. My federal version look lame without the wings lol.
I already have committed to the two-eared version – for use om my Series III.
The eared hubs just look - - - right.
Or maybe it’s the case that the non-eared version looks wrong
In any event, I picked uo a set of four (from UKs Unlimited, I think) when they were on sale a while back
Craig
It’s nice that a set of series 1 spinners will fit on a series 2 or 3 car.
The three-eared Borranis?
Look even righter!
Lol! I didn’t want to go there. They look fantastic. I wonder if the Borrani spinners would work on my Dunlop wheels? They probably wouldn’t. That’s comforting since I can’t afford $250/spinner.
DING! DING! DING!!!
Beautiful wheels. I assume they are Records (Aluminum) although the rims are so highly polished that one can’t really tell. Must have been rebuilt/rechromed because the usual info is no longer visibly stamped into the rim? Also, the knock-offs are annotated in English, which I’ve not seen from Borrani. And they are of the old (and coveted) “convex” style, not the newer concave style which is available exclusively now. Are they pretty old?
Hi Robert. Yes the rims are aluminum and have been rebuilt and polished down in Southern California. The vendor there has a Borrani stamp he uses to reimprint the name after being polished. The rims are old, but the knockoffs are actually new, but not Borrani. 
I had a set of the older, convex, Borrani knockoffs but they were only 2 eared. So I had to decide on vintage Borrani convex 2 eared, or aftermarket convex 3 eared. I went with the 3 eared. I don’t care for the look of the concave Borrani units. Not sure why, but they just don’t seem right.
If you think the ‘Federal’ version Knock-Offs look lame, what about the German/Swiss version C.14891/C.14892 pictured below, as introduced in ‘about 1959/60’ thus as fitted to all E-types sold new to Germany and Switzerland, and from 1966 also Japan, up until being superseded/standardised with the "Federal’ version C.28684/C.28685 from their October 1967 introduction …
Note the bronze tool supplied, being the same concept as later used for the ‘Federal’ Knock-Off Tool…
One nice result of the earless version, they are usually not all banged up like the eared version often are!
Tom
I do not mind the ear-less version but do wish the brass tool had longer ears so you do not have to whack it so hard and have a bigger target to hit.
David
68 E-type FHC
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I have to agree with you. The earless version has a clean look.
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They whack on fairly easy, it’s the whacking off that’s hard.
Having the tire off the ground when loosening the spinner helps. Yesterday, when I put my replacement spinner on, I only partially raised the tire to facilitate knocking the spinner off. It was noticeably difficult to remove. Finally, I raised it off the ground and used my foot to prevent the tire from turning. The spinner came off much easier.
How can you identify original spinners? I have a coupe of sets of old spinners which I believe are originals and they have no identifying stampings or castings. I also have a new set which I acquired a number of years ago all of which have numbers stamped on the inside and one of them has the letter AB cast into it. Today I had to remove a wheel off of my restored S2 coupe and the spinner had Made In England cast into it. I had bought these spinners years ago. Very confusing.
I’m speechless…
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Original knock-offs (“spinners”) have “AB” cast inside them, standing for Albion Brockhouse, the British company that supplied them to Jaguar.
Alan
N.J.
On the repros I have the letters G & U are clearly different:
An original:
A cheesy repro:
Also, the curved outline of the letters JAGUAR is too flat on the repro.
Wouldn’t have cost any more to make it right instead of ‘good enough’.
Lots of differences:
Originals:
Height - 38mm (1.5")
Diameter - 101.6mm (4")
Outer wall thickness - 6.5mm (1/4")
Inner wall thickness - 5.4mm (7/32")
Depth from top of wall to bottom of casting - 31.6mm (1 1/4")
Weight - 885gms (31oz)
The reproduction hub caps are a different size, shape and weight:
Height - 35mm (1 3/8")
Diameter - 106.3mm (4 3/16")
Outer wall thickness - 8.6mm (11/32")
Inner wall thickness - 5.1mm (13/64")
Depth from top of wall to bottom of casting - 27.45mm (1 5/64")
Weight - 1107gms (39oz)
There are many other differences:
- The originals have 1467 RH AB or 1466 LH AB cast into the base whilst the reproductions have ‘Made in England’ and, on one set, the number ‘8059’. AB stands for Albion Brockhouse.
- Originals have grooved inner faces, the repro’s are smooth
- The channel between the inner and outer walls is U shaped on the originals, square shape on the repro’s (could be the reason the latter can be problematic to remove)
- The Jaguar logo on the repro’s is smaller, a different shape and has enlarged ‘A’ and smaller ‘G’ and ‘U’
- The shoulder between the front face and ear section is much deeper and better defined on the originals giving a more svelte and lighter look
- The length of the ‘Undo’ arrow is longer on the original
- The position of the word ‘Undo’ is different on the original
- The lettering for Left/Right side is in a different position on the original
- The ears are fatter in section on the repro
- The repro’s are half a pound heavier per wheel which does nothing to help un-sprung weight
- Repro’s have the ‘Jaguar’ logo inked in with black paint, original’s on the S1 did not
Chapter and verse along with many photos can be found here: http://forum.etypeuk.com/viewtopic.php?p=36206#p36206
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