Hi All,

I attended a concours show last weekend and I got a point deduction for two painted bolts. I have doubts about that decision, as I wonder how the original factory frame paint job was done without these bolts in position.

The location:

The bonnet support frame (C 20352) and the L/H subframe (C15030) are bolted together with the "Picture frame" (C 25368)using long UNF bolts and self-locking nuts. On my car, the two upper bolts and nuts were painted, the other were plain. The same is true for the R/H side. My understanding of the factory paint process is, that the entire frame incl. the bonnet support frame were painted as one assembled piece. In this case (and if this is true), the two upper bolts held the pieces together, and alas, were painted.
Another clue is, that one of the bolts (toward the wheel) can not be removed with the bonnet support frame in place. The frame has to get removed from the picture frame in order to remove the bolt.

The assumption is that the nuts of these bolts are on the "engine side".

Any information and clarification is highly appreciated.

Thanks

Stephan

63 E
84 XJ 12

Submitted by douplayalong@y… on Tue, 07/20/2004 - 07:52

Stephan,

This is another gray area in the world of XKE's, what I mean is I have painted subframe bolts also and last year I was being deducted until I showed the judge the E-Type Originality Guide which stats in Foonote A (pg19) "Although the orginal Jaguar production line photos such as Porter pages 163,167,249,379 all show unpainted subframe bolts, from surving original cars we know that some were painted." This should be something you should print off and take with too all Jaguar shows. Good luck!

-Scott Fitzgerald-
-67 XKE OTS Series I
-88 XJS Coupe

Submitted by mcload@ev1.net on Mon, 07/19/2004 - 23:26

Stephan:

If you have the Phillip Porter book "Jag E-Type Definitive History", look on page 378. There is a factory photo of a Series 1 E-Type (4.2 Liter) on the assembly line. I believe the bolt you're questioning is clearly not painted. However, for the earlier 3.8 liters, I don't know.
It is my understanding that manufacturing techniques changed around the Series 2 models, where front frame components (picture frame and bonnet support) were assembled and painted as one unit. But for eariler cars, they were painted individually. Hope this helps.

Patrick McLoad
1966 E-Type, Right-hand Drive Roadster
#1E1445

PS: If you would like me to send you a jpg of this photo, contact me off forum.