Front Subframe Brackets

[cass3958]

A friend of mine who is rebuilding a 1964 3.8s P1B 51396BW has just sent me these photos and asked what the brackets are for?

They are positioned on the front subframe facing the front and each bracket is immediately behind the brackets that hold the number plate to the bonnet. My car is a 1967/8 and does not have these brackets. I was wondering if they were for fixing the valance that was fitted to early cars to cover the front cross member that rotted out. I think it was deleted for the later models which is why I do not have the brackets.

Any clues? If so and you have photos of the valance fitted to a car as well I would be interested.

[John Quilter]

Not on my November 1964 build car either.

[Treetrimmer]

I don't have them on my 1965 car, but could they be horn mounting brackets? Please do post the definitive answer .

Regards, Richard

[JCS]

They look like horn brackets to me.

[cass3958]

I don't have them on my 1965 car, but could they be horn mounting brackets? Please do post the definitive answer .

No the horns are mounted slightly further back against the forward arms of the suspension subframe as you can see in this photo. Unless the horn mounting position changed from early to late cars. On the original photos there are no horns visible so I will have to go back to Terry and ask him to check for me. These anomalous brackets are on the chassis cross member forward of the radiator. Does anyone else have them?

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[Glyn Ruck]

They look like some home-made bodge. Likely to mount under bumper spotlamps on etc. I have about 50 under-body pics of S Types both Manual & Auto, old & newer. None of them have them.

My late 65/Jan 66 car. MOD under rebuild/restoration. Cass has a newer auto car 67/68 with coolers.

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This is the correct cover. Attached with copper washers & self tapping screws.

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[cass3958]

I was really relying on you Glyn to post the correct answer.
Just spoken to Terry and his horns are where mine are so not horn brackets.
Could be an extra add on after bracket for lamps but a bit low down on the front and lamps would be forever getting broken.
The hunt for an answer goes on and I might have to spread this to the Mk2 Jaguar forum.

[Glyn Ruck]

You can try that Rob. '64 cars were Heinz 57 Varieties. My horns are correctly mounted. Cars with Aircon had them staggered.

They are not S Type parts. They are not in the Parts Manual (1972 Revision)

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These foglamps were fitted for Swiss market only.

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[John Quilter]

cass3958, curious, what is the finned cooler for?

[cass3958]

John,
The finned cooler was fitted to later cars with the Adwest Marles Variomatic power assisted steering. Pretty rudimentary but it is supposed to cool the power steering fluid. My car is also fitted with an oil cooler in the bottom of the radiator for cooling the gear box fluid on the BW35 which is what the other two stainless steel braided hoses are for.

Thanks Glyn those brackets might be for the fog lamps although from what Terry has said the brackets are almost directly behind the fixings for the number plate. That said it is the closest suggestion yet.

Question. I have just bought the front subframe valance from Martin Robey which I am going to fit to my car to tidy up the underside but how is yours attached to the subframe?
Are there corresponding holes in the subframe?
Did you just use Tex screws / self tappers?
Is yours Black or colour coordinated?