THE INTERNATIONAL JAGUAR 'S'-TYPE REGISTER FORUM

Not necessarily. I read somewhere that Jaguar did not paint all their heads but it would be unusual for an S type not to be painted. The paint might have been flaking off and a previous owner might have removed it rather than repaint it.
The Engine number on the VIN plate should match up with the number on the head. On most heads it can be found at the front of the head between the last plug hole and the valley between the two chain covers I think.

The head on my car (1965) is unpainted. Could this indicate yet another part that is not original?

Thanks David. So some later cars also had Opalescent Green. I consider this to be Hammertone. A matter of terminology.

P1B79909DN, built June 21. 1966, has the hammertone green shown in Glynn's last/bottom photo.
Cheers
David

The only 2 original colours I've ever seen the oil canister on a 3.8 S Type painted are Opalescent Silver (Mine is an example of many which I matched) and Opalescent Pale Green. Some of the older XK's were Opalescent Brown. These are not heavy metal flake like some modern paints. They have never been heavy Hammertone. Green seems to have been on earlier cars. Never seen black & never seen non Opalescent finish.The NOS canister is not as well painted as original Tecalemits.

And speaking of colours, when my shop overhauled my 3.8 engine last year they did paint the head the proper metallic blue but for some reason they painted the oil filter canister turquoise! I am virtually sure that it was black from new in 1965. Obviously not a critical issue but strange.

To the very best of our local knowledge. South African built 3.8 litre engines retained the Metallic Blue on the head to the last car sold in 1968. Engine likely built late '67. All SA CKD cars were 3.8's with PAS.

'S'-type hear colours have been extensively researched and documented including sources for 'correct' head paint (See Newsletter Vol. 7, No. 3).
The ‘S’-type was produced with two different cylinder head colours (See attached photo : a ‘Light Green’ on the 3.4 litre engines; and ‘Dark Blue’ on the 3.8 litre. The 3.4 colour was also used on the Mk 2 2.4- and 3.4-litre. It is also described as ‘‘Duck Egg Green’ and the ‘Dark Blue’ is sometimes described as ‘Metallic Blue’ and was also used on the XK150 (not 150S), Mk9 and Mk 2 3.8-litre.
After the article was published, Jim Patten, friend of the Register and author of the book Jaguar 6 Cylinder Engine Overhaul (1948-1986) (Including I.R.S. and S.U. Carburettors), Kelsey Publishing, 1995, wrote to tell us that the head of his 1968 3.4-litre ‘S’-type was unpainted aluminium but had a dab of duck-egg green at the back of the head "… for identification.)
Now, in re-reading Jaguar the engineering story, Jeff Daniels, Haynes, First Edition August 2004, 224 pages with many photographs, Hardcover w DJ, we learn that "). In 1967 however…a stem little note appears in the minutes of one Model Progress Meeting (MPM) that 'Cylinder heads are no longer to be coloured.' There is no elaboration to indicate why not, but could there possibly have been fears about unscrupulous renovators painting heads different colours? The notion may appeal to the conspiracy theorists, but more likely it was done to expedite production."
So in addition to the many cost cutting changes, in late 1966 - early 1967, implemented by British Leyland affecting our beloved ‘S’-type, unpainted cylinder heads can be added to the list.
Cheers
David

Not yet , but later !!!

Thanks John

1B1257BW

Fancy posting a pic, John?