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Bitumen Boy
Joined: 26 Jan 2012 Posts: 1735 Location: Above the snow line in old Monmouthshire
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Ray White
Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6320 Location: Derby
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Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2022 3:47 pm Post subject: |
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In my opinion the Dart, with it's glass fibre body, spoilt a lovely engine. The V8 was a beautifully smooth and quiet unit that found a much better home in the Daimler saloon. I love those cars.
Incidentally, when Norman Dewis tested a Dart the chassis flexed so much that at 90 mph the doors came open! |
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ukdave2002
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4105 Location: South Cheshire
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Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2022 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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Is that a Splitter on the rear? ...attached to the number plate |
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Ray White
Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6320 Location: Derby
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Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2022 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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ukdave2002 wrote: | Is that a Splitter on the rear? ...attached to the number plate |
Very high tech, I sure.
What's that sticker on the dash?? |
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Rick Site Admin
Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22451 Location: UK
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Miken
Joined: 24 Dec 2012 Posts: 544
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Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2022 11:38 pm Post subject: |
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I'm surprised that the chromium plating on the overriders appears to have been applied to a different quality or specification to the bumper.
Ie. It's lasted while the other hasnt. |
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Ray White
Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6320 Location: Derby
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Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2022 11:42 pm Post subject: |
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This is an early one! Anyone looking underneath would be forgiven for thinking they were dealing with a Triumph TR3 chassis.!
Does anyone know if there were any SP250s actually badged as "Dart" ?
I know the "Dart" name was dropped when Chrysler threatened legal action because their Dodge division owned the rights to it. |
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Ray White
Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6320 Location: Derby
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Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2022 11:44 pm Post subject: |
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Miken wrote: | I'm surprised that the chromium plating on the overriders appears to have been applied to a different quality or specification to the bumper.
Ie. It's lasted while the other hasnt. |
Perhaps they are brass? Chrome should last better than on steel. |
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lowdrag
Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 1585 Location: Le Mans
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Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2022 10:53 am Post subject: |
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Ray White wrote: | In my opinion the Dart, with it's glass fibre body, spoilt a lovely engine. The V8 was a beautifully smooth and quiet unit that found a much better home in the Daimler saloon. I love those cars.
Incidentally, when Norman Dewis tested a Dart the chassis flexed so much that at 90 mph the doors came open! |
I wonder if you know why the Daimler V8 was dropped by Jaguar? It is an interesting tale. In 2017 I was staying with the Heynes family (he who invented the XK engine) and over dinner one night Jonathan recounted the tale.
Jonathan received a call from his father to go to his office, and on arriving was told to take a Daimler MK2 manual out and drive it from Coventry to their farm near Stratford. In second gear. The engine survived and he was then instructed to repeat the exercise. In first gear. The engine finally waved the white flag and expired, which gave Bill Heynes the ammunition to declare the engine unreliable and to drop it entirely. Hence the demise of the Daimler MK2 and "proof" that the XK was far better. |
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Ray White
Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6320 Location: Derby
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Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2022 11:50 am Post subject: |
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No I have not come across that story. It doesn't surprise me. If I were to criticise the Daimler V8 for anything it is the use of aluminium for the cylinder heads. I don't know if people simply neglected to use anti freeze but the one I worked on was in a terrible mess with corroded water passage ways. Perhaps the aluminium heads gave that engine the edge?
Apart from the 2.5 litre, sour grapes in Jaguar also extended to the 4.5 litre (Majestic Major) version which when tested in a MKX proved more powerful than the bigger Jag engine.
(Incidentally, talking about the MK10 I read where someone had fitted a V12 to good effect.) |
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lowdrag
Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 1585 Location: Le Mans
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Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2022 12:02 pm Post subject: |
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All XK engines had alloy heads. the story of the MK X is true, but possibly not as you may have thought. When Jaguar were building the XJ13 they were using a new 5.0 litre V12 quad cam for the power plant. To test the engine, they put one in a MK X, and when Dennis Jenkinson was at the factory they asked him to try the car out - but on the condition he did not open the bonnet. He got one hell of a surprise! |
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Ray White
Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6320 Location: Derby
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Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2022 1:16 pm Post subject: |
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How did I forget XK engine's had alloy heads?
Must be going senile. |
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