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MG Maverick
United Kingdom
1045 Posts |
 Posted - 23/02/2015 : 17:51:00
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Hope I have the right forum. In the unpacking of the Cyprus J2 items I have two dashboards, one is the standard aluminium deluxe version with the extra two gauges. The second I am not aware of, it would seem that one of Michael Birds cars was not a standard issue going by one of the very early gauge clusters.
Any ideas please, photo attached. Also, they were both painted matt black, with no engine turnings, if that helps....or makes it worse !
Also now makes sense why I had a 3" clock in with the items from Michael Bird, size of the smaller hole left of the speedometer..
Thanks
Chris ( J2353 )
Brighton, East Sussex & Paphos, Cyprus. |
Edited by - MG Maverick on 23/02/2015 18:02:07 |
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George Eagle
United Kingdom
3240 Posts |
Posted - 23/02/2015 : 20:15:15
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Hi Chris
If the dash is metal it is not P/N.
If the overall dimension is the same as your J one then it might have come from an L. But that small hole on the right might have been for a petrol tap I.e. the same position as for P/ Ns !
George
L2023 |
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MG Maverick
United Kingdom
1045 Posts |
Posted - 23/02/2015 : 21:06:51
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The dashboard is identical in size to the J one and is steel, its black painted with a plain surface, not engine turned. maybe Michael Birds second car was an L ? The clock looks as though it had been restored, its in very fine condition, so he probably was going to fit to the car using this dashboard. His widow does not know, Michael bought the two Js ( or J & L ) before they met and he had dismantled it by then anyway.
Chris ( J2353 )
Brighton, East Sussex & Paphos, Cyprus. |
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MG Maverick
United Kingdom
1045 Posts |
Posted - 09/03/2015 : 14:47:37
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I would imagine that the unconventional gauge cluster ( cream coloured ) would have been part of this non-standard dashboards equipment as the standard cluster would have been part of the other dashboard which was a standard deluxe type.
Chris ( J2353 )
Brighton, East Sussex & Paphos, Cyprus. |
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sven
Sweden
431 Posts |
Posted - 09/03/2015 : 15:34:02
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Chris
The engine turning fades away with time. L types had an engine turned board.
Sven
L types |
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sam christie
United Kingdom
3101 Posts |
Posted - 09/03/2015 : 16:27:41
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Is it possible the dash was made by an enthusiast? Steel seems like an odd choice of material.
Sam |
Edited by - sam christie on 09/03/2015 16:42:56 |
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MG Maverick
United Kingdom
1045 Posts |
Posted - 09/03/2015 : 17:08:20
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Thanks Chaps, There are lots of questions I could have asked Michael had he survived, then I probably wouldn't have got the chance to own the car(s)! I am off to Cyprus on Wednesday , meeting up with his widow to see what else she has discovered, hopefully the other chassis !
BTW, The unusual dashboard does appear ' ancient ', but no idea as to its prominence, I will ask Angela if she knows, but I doubt it.
Chris ( J2353 )
Brighton, East Sussex & Paphos, Cyprus. |
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MG Maverick
United Kingdom
1045 Posts |
Posted - 25/06/2015 : 09:06:35
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From further discussions with Angela Bird whilst at dinner yesturday at a taverna here in Cyprus. She has recalled that Michael had told her that one of the J2s was a runner and the second was not. She does not know which was the runner, but evidence from the items we have recovered from Michaels lock up would suggest that it was the ex competition J2 of Cottingham that was the non-runner. Also this would go some way to explain why so many of the items recovered were non standard, the second dashboard for instance that is definately non standard and specially made.Photo attached of Angela and myself going to dinner with an ' artifact ' from Michaels lockup.
Chris ( J2353 ) & ( J4129 )
Brighton, East Sussex & Paphos, Cyprus. |
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robin
United Kingdom
177 Posts |
Posted - 25/06/2015 : 09:49:46
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Matt black was very fashionable in the sixties when you could buy a running J2 for thirty pounds and dash material was whatever you could lay your hands on.
robin |
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Richard Verrill
United Kingdom
346 Posts |
Posted - 25/06/2015 : 12:40:12
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Well yes, anything to keep the car on the road. I have just this morning unearthed images of P1821 as I was stripping her for a total chassis up rebuild in 1973, the dashboard was Formica with Morris 1000 speedometer, Morris engine/gearbox which can be seen below with brown octagonal gear-knob.
Insert Image: 
And here just before she left me in 1974 fully rebuilt and trimmed by myself, unfortunately still with the engine/gearbox but rebuilt and with the adjuster knobs in place.
Richard
PA1733 YA5206 |
Edited by - Richard Verrill on 25/06/2015 12:44:58 |
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MG Maverick
United Kingdom
1045 Posts |
Posted - 25/06/2015 : 15:47:25
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Thanks Richard, Slowly I am piecing together the early history of the two J2s, I will be contacting the Kithead Trust for any records of J4129 ALX 124 and will start looking for any photographs / information of its competition history in the hands of D. H. Cottingham. Speaking with Angela yesturday, she said that Michael probably was not aware of its history and provenance, he bought the two J2s off a US pilot who was attempting to export them to the USA, but due to his allocation on the transport being full, he had to leave them behind, he knew Michael Bird who bought them, Michael was 21 years old ( he bought them around 1963 .
Chris ( J2353 ) & ( J4129 )
Brighton, East Sussex & Paphos, Cyprus. |
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Bob Grunau
Canada
290 Posts |
Posted - 25/06/2015 : 20:24:43
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If only dashboards, and cars, could talk, what an interesting life story they could tell. Attached the 1/8" thick plain aluminum dash from my 1933 J3017 as it was in Ontario Canada, about 1967. Wow, lots of holes, some covered in a later application of 1/8" plywood veneer.
Bob, Canada
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lordrob
Belgium
226 Posts |
Posted - 25/06/2015 : 20:38:37
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Hi Richard V.,
Have send you a mail via the forum about PA1821.
Roby
lordrob |
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MG Maverick
United Kingdom
1045 Posts |
Posted - 26/06/2015 : 08:39:01
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Thanks Bob, Your dashboard would appear to have a 3" clock hole next to the gauge cluster hole, which is a similar arrangement to the second J2 J4129. With the items there was a 3" clock ( wind up ) that is in perfect condition, probably Michael Bird had this restored at some stage.
Chris ( J2353 ) & ( J4129 )
Brighton, East Sussex & Paphos, Cyprus. |
Edited by - MG Maverick on 26/06/2015 08:42:31 |
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Simon
United Kingdom
450 Posts |
Posted - 26/06/2015 : 17:48:19
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Interesting numbers there,J4120 lives a mile from me, J4129 is ALX 124,ALX 934 is J4199 (mine)and ALX 603 is J3658.I met a Peter Snowden about 3 years back who told me his brother from Haselbury Bryan (Dorset)had ALX 603 at that time.
Simon C. |
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MG Maverick
United Kingdom
1045 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2015 : 11:59:25
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Further to the previous information on the two J2s that Michael Bird dismantled and took to Cyprus. Sorting through some of the crates looking for parts, I decided to unpack what trim I had ( it was still wrapped in Michaels wrappings )albeit very fragile I was able to separate the red interior trim of J2353 and the green trim of J4129, there is more in the lock up but its in very poor condition. On the reverse of one of J4129 there was a label with J4129 just visible, probably from when the trim was supplied or manufactured. Just a little information for posterity.
Chris ( J2353 ) & ( J4129 )
Brighton, East Sussex & Paphos, Cyprus.
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Edited by - MG Maverick on 09/07/2015 12:01:48 |
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