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ashley
United Kingdom
261 Posts |
 Posted - 13/05/2015 : 13:49:31
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Supplied new to J.B.Roberts Jnr, 30 Aigburth Drive, Liverpool. March 17th 1933,
Colour "two greens".
I am missing the history from the above date till I think late 30s when G McKenzie bought the car, he was a spitfire/ Hurricane pilot killed in the war and then the car went to his Brother R McKenzie who was a Halifax Bomber test pilot based at Speak Airport. I purchased the car last year from the Son of R McKenzie. In the attached photograph taken in the War years the car appears to have had quiet a hard life , I will try an attach another photograph of the dash board which shows extra over instruments and lots of switches. I can only assume tant maybe the car was trialed between 1933 and the late 30s.
If anybody can shed any light on this it would be much appreciated.
Thanks Ashley
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ashley
United Kingdom
261 Posts |
Posted - 15/05/2015 : 14:48:05
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Another photo, this one is Gordon McKenzie prior to 1941, there seems to be a number of early photos of J's with cross bracing , any ideas why? Interesting the light difuser is on the driver side in this photo and on the passenger side in the previous photo?
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boltonmg
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2015 : 16:11:15
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Ashley,
I have also been pondering the use of bracing on the front end of J2s as seen on JES Jones's car on page 77 of "75 years".
When restoring the front end of our ex-Bastock J2 (J2594) I had just the wing stays attached and, when leaned upon, I was amazed at how much the chassis twisted between the front spring mountings. The triangulated cross bracing would stiffen it up because the wing stays are very robust. I found our badge bar was a 5/8" solid bar whereas my good friend Chris Nowlan thinks it was originally a tube. If a tube was being stressed at its junction with the wing stay I imagine it would soon break. Our solid bar does have indents to locate it properly with the wing stay clamp bolts to stop it sliding out. When leaning on a wing stay with the badge bar installed I could not deflect the chassis.
Particularly in trials usage this would be a stressed area and could use the extra help. So I learned that the square represented by the wing stays and badge bar do more than hold the wings and badges.
Peter Ross
PA0251, PA0255, J2594 |
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MG Maverick
United Kingdom
1045 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2015 : 18:57:43
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Hello Ashley,
This may help. From the second J2 of Michael Bird with the competition history ( D.H.Cottingham J4129 )the attached photograph is from the parts I have retrieved from Michael Birds lock up in Cyprus which contained most of the second cars parts. It shows that the front lamp bar had a central bracket which could have been for supports in the photos you have described. The bar is solid, albeit rusted solid.
Chris ( J2353 ) & ( J4129 )
Brighton, East Sussex & Paphos, Cyprus. |
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ashley
United Kingdom
261 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2015 : 19:50:22
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Chris,
That's really interesting, I am missing the cross tube on the car but I have the cross braces but not the clamp as per your photo. If your clamp was rotated by 90 degrees it would fit perfectly with my cross braces. These fit perfectly on the front most bolt on the wing stay where it bolts to the chassis. The cross braces are a bit "Heath Robinson" in there manufacture but must have added rigidity.
Ashley
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ashley
United Kingdom
261 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2015 : 19:54:56
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Another car with some supports
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ashley
United Kingdom
261 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2015 : 19:59:56
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Not sure what is happening here, posted one photo, then the next photo cancels that one out so please excuse if there is multiple photos that are the same
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Simon Johnston
United Kingdom
6023 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2015 : 20:18:38
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Ashley,
Are you using an iPad to upload the photos? I have the same problem when trying to upload more than one photo at a time with my iPad and have to revert to a regular laptop to overcome it.
Simon J
J3437 |
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ashley
United Kingdom
261 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2015 : 20:26:25
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Simon,
Yes iPad it is!!
Ashley |
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JMH
United Kingdom
911 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2015 : 21:57:34
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The original was indeed a cross-tube, clamped in the wing-stays. This pulls out or breaks fairly easily with enthusiastic use. Cross-bracing is one solution, another is to fit a 1/4" bar with tab ends behind it, secured directly to the clamp bolts. These will eventually break as well. The solution MBH eventually used was to simply a 3/4" tube with the ends flattened & secured using the normal clamping bolts. 30 years plus now, with no breakages....
JH |
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MG Maverick
United Kingdom
1045 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2015 : 22:41:17
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Hi Ashley,
I may also have the stays, I recognise the end brackets, I know I have those, thanks that has identified these for me also.
Chris ( J2353 ) & ( J4129 )
Brighton, East Sussex & Paphos, Cyprus. |
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Keith Wallace
United Kingdom
367 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2015 : 06:14:26
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I notice most cars appear to have fitted the headlight diffuser to the near side, I thought this would help pedestrians judge where the car was in relation to the pavement in the black out?
Can anyone give details of the war time black out regulations requirement for cars?
I have purchased one to fit when attending war time events and would like to get it correct.
Keith |
Edited by - Keith Wallace on 02/07/2015 06:15:32 |
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MG Maverick
United Kingdom
1045 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2015 : 08:01:36
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Keith, With my Rover hat on, we had a discussion on this some years ago. Some pre-war Rover saloons were converted for use as ARP ambulances and the regulation was nearside blackout cowl was to be fitted if the vehicle had the solenoid tipping reflector dip and switch. When dipped, the offside ( drivers side ) lamp extinguished and the nearside tipped down, the regulation was at night, only dipped light was to be used.
Chris ( J2353 ) & ( J4129 )
Brighton, East Sussex & Paphos, Cyprus. |
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Matthew Magilton
Australia
179 Posts |
Posted - 20/07/2015 : 08:26:55
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Maybe the extra switches and instruments are the result of an RAF pilot employing his spare time with access to RAF stores or wrecked aircraft? Note also the paint colour change and possibly a front number plate change?
Matthew.
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ashley
United Kingdom
261 Posts |
Posted - 20/07/2015 : 09:29:26
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Matthew,
I think you could be correct, the toggle switches do look very Military like and removing layers of paint it shows the car was painted in a duck egg blue/ grey which I am sure would match the colour on the underside of a Hirticane
Ashley |
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Oz34
United Kingdom
2501 Posts |
Posted - 20/07/2015 : 12:15:10
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Perhaps some restorers of Spitfires/Hurricanes might be interested to hear from you!
Dave |
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Topic |
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J2. Chassis 2382. Reg LV 2885
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