Those clips above come direct from James Taylor's latest book including the 3.8 litre special cars. quote "(The special-order 3.8-litre cars appear to have had engines drawn from the 3.8-litre S-type sequences.)" unquote.

 

On the S Type some of the slam panel numbers were stamped in and others were etched in using a Dremel type tool but these again are the chassis number not the engine number. The stamp on the engine above the oil filter is clearly a 7.
My chassis number on the slam panel is stamped but is difficult to read as it has been painted over as it should. I have seen some cars where they have deliberately scrapped the paint away from the number on the slam panel and then clear coated it so it is easier to read.
You can discern the difference between the 1 here between the P and B and the 7 in the number sequence.

 

I'm not arguing. My slam panel looks like a 7 ~ different to yours. I'll take a pic next time the cover is off ~ difficult with dark green. Your point is clearly taken regarding Chassis vs Engine number. Mine is clearly stamped creating a depression. While still green we rubbed that area thin & increased clearcoat to improve ease of reading.

I'm concentrating on renovating at present. Next issue with the car is suspected failed engine mounting. Things held in place by 3 stabalisers. Same issue you suffered but I have the 2 front stabalisers.

 

Finally got seller to verify the engine block is a 3.8. Still waiting on the serial number to see where it came from.

There is no info as to when the engine was fitted. Also some documentation revealed that the car sat indoors for many many years after the engine was fitted and just recently was brought back to like.

But not before the engine had to be freed. It was frozen and was freed by using automatic transmission fluid. And the rest of the car was gone thru, rebuilding brakes, fixing lights, new brake servo, water pump, clean carbs, tune up, new brake and clutch mc's, etc. etc.

Car supposedly drive well and OD works.

My concern is the possibility of corrosion in the head since it sat for so long not knowing if the anti-freeze had been drained. We have a BMW 2800CS which sat for a while and had to replace the head as it was corroded.


Decisions, decisions...........

Thanks to all.

jjsandsms

 

Taylor, Skilleter and other Jaguar historians do their honest best and are very good. It's difficult to check every detail and they have to rely on sources recalling events that are often somewhat confused. The evolution of the 340 is a case where there's a lot of confusion and contradiction mainly generated by the factory though compounded by owners modifying cars.

 

The late Harry Teather probably knew more about Jaguar than any man that has walked this planet until he passed away in February 1984. Especially of our era of cars.

 

https://www.jaguarheritage.com/jagua...jaguar-people/

contains some history of Harry Teather and other Jaguar characters.

 

Yes ~ I'm Repeating the comments of an old fellow that worked at Browns Lane for his entire career and now lives over the hill in Hout Bay who is a friend of Mike Rassloff who is an excellent Jag Restorer amongst other things & friend of mine who got him to take a look at my car when this brought the whole fuel system down who commented that Harry Teather knew more about cars of our era than anybody else at Browns Lane by some margin. Others tended to be specialists in their area only. Harry involved himself in every single part of the finished car.



Rear left tank. The car would idle but produce no power on the right tank. Merely backfire through the carbs when you switched in the right tank & loaded the engine. Fuel bowl full etc but so much for having a dual system with twin tanks. An air leak this big on alcohol laced fuel effectively brought the whole system down to undriveable. The car still had both tanks full of Sasol Alcohol laced fuel at 10% for the trip on the back of a carrier to Cape Town. Replaced all that "right stuff" from XKS Unlimited (now Moss US) with good old black fuel hosing. I note the product has now been dropped from inventory by them & Barratts.

Pleased to live out of the alcohol supply area.

 

Correct ~ my bad ~ example. Excuse repeat but just to show I'm correcting myself & in agreement with you Rob. All SA Chassis numbers start with A1B if built at CDA or B1B if built at Blackheath. All with PAS. All 3.8 litre engines. We only tooled up to build 3.8 & 4.2 engines. Blank Blocks & Heads sent over for machining here to meet 53% by weight phase 2 local content program in arrangement between Lyons & Government.

Not my engine number ~ just an e.g.~ Repeated on flange above the oil filter housing on the block.