Can anyone say what colour the front shocks were, and the wheel wells and splash plates. Thank You.

Submitted by rscibelli@gmail.com on Thu, 08/29/2013 - 18:35

Bob . . your coments re the dealer upgrade of your car to SE specs renewed a question that I have about my car that I never got answered. My XK120 was manufactured in July 1952, VIN 672629. It has all the SE visible bits and the engine has the requisite "S" stamp. The JH cert. shows it to be a standard model. I love owning and driving the car so it doesn't matter except to satisfy my curiosity. Could early cars be ordered with modified engines? Did dealers modify cars for customers? Hoping the forum regulars might have an answer.
Bob

Submitted by bob5837@roadru… on Thu, 08/29/2013 - 16:04

Thanks Dick,

I am glad to know about the proper way to paint my 1952 XK120 still under restoration (doing most of it myself). VIN 672233 built in May 1952 - lots of changes just before and just after May.

My car was produced just before the change over to the SE model, however it was upgraded to an SE per Bulletin 95 - presumably by the dealer.

Submitted by bonnettoboot@e… on Thu, 08/29/2013 - 00:40

Well I did the fenders etc in a nice gloss black but, when I checked the shocks they were good and so in prep for painting i cleaned them , under th erough black they were grey so I painted them grey. I think the suspension was original.

Submitted by SW03-09811 on Wed, 08/28/2013 - 20:39

Bob,
For the "pre-enamel" cars, it is believed that, following the application of the body color and BEFORE any of the accessories or bolt-on panels were installed, the engine compartment and the boot BODY structure and the underside of the bonnet, and its hinges, were hand-painted with a low quality flat black paint.

The engine compartment side/splash panels were painted gloss black and bolted-on later.

Regards,
Dick

Submitted by bob5837@roadru… on Wed, 08/28/2013 - 20:07

Hi Dick,

Aren't the early XK120 (pre-December 1952) engine compartments, Bonnet and boot areas supposed to be a sort of flat Black?

Bob

Submitted by SW03-09811 on Wed, 08/28/2013 - 19:51

William,
SHOCKS-
Because there are few if any color pictures of "as delivered" XK 120 suspensions, I'm doubtful that the color of the front shocks can ever be positively documented. When I bought my '52 120 in 1956, its front shocks were light gray, just slightly darker than the seat frames and hood sticks. (JCNA does not judge shock absorbers.)

WHEEL WELLS-
Major portions of the body received red oxide primer before being finally assembled... the fenders were probably included. Because the bodies were inverted during part of the painting process, the wheel wells probably received some additional amount of both primer and body color/overspray? What the factory did to the wheel wells thereafter is unknown. There are indications that, at some point, (factory or dealer?) a light layer of black undercoating may have been applied. (JCNA does not judge wheel wells.)

SPLASH PANELS-
The removable engine compartment side panels/plates should be gloss black.

Documented differences welcomed.

Good luck,
Dick