412 Spares sources

[JLucy]

I'm trying to get my Beaufighter back on the road, after a four-year hiatus, and need various new parts - mainly the common service items and, unfortunately, all the brake calipers. Based in the UK.

I have been told that the front brake calipers are the same as a contemporaneous Jag XJ6 but I wondered if anyone has a list of the components the 412 / Beaufighter has in common with other cars? I seem to remember the Beaufighter's small rectangular twin headlights are from a Lancia? I will try to forget that the interior door handles are from a Morris Marina, possibly the worst car that ever existed.

American car specialists seem a likely source for engine/gearbox requirements, and I have been in touch with American Car Care Services (ACCS) in London, who have worked on the car before.

Any suggestions or information will be much appreciated. I am of course aware of the good work BCL and Brian May do with regard to spares.

James

[Kevin H]

James,

Assuming the brake calipers are the same as the 411 (I pretty sure they are), then they are Girling. Very similar if not the same as those used on the Aston Martin DB6 and Jensen Interceptor(? maybe not FF). There were other British cars that used them but they don't come to mind right now. I thought the XJ6 used Dunlop caliper? (the E-Types definitely did).

Don't replace them though, just get them rebuilt. When I got mine done I bought stainless steel replacement pistons (3 in each caliper) and seal kits from the a guy in the Aston Martin Owners Club in the UK, or at least he used to advertise in the AMOC Newsletter. It was 8-9 years ago but I will see if I can dig up the information. Whatever you do don't split the caliper in half unless you have the replacement seal that goes between the two halves of the caliper body. They used to be very difficult to source!

As for the door handles, I think they're also used in some MGs and I believe you used to be able to buy chromed ones like this from the MGOC, again in the UK.

What other things need attention?

Kevin

[Nick Challacombe]

Hi James,

Past Parts Ltd
Unit 4 Chase Road
Northern Way Industrial Estate
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP32 6NT

www.pastparts.com

They will have everything in stock for the brakes

Martin Barns at ACCS as you know has all engine parts both new and second
hand

Brian May is also a good supplier of used parts, he always suprises me on V8
stuff
as he is mostly 2 litre.
He is 0121 430 3767
497 Peterbrook Road
Shirley
West Midlands
B90 1HZ

Nick

[Peter.Kent]

The snag with the existing calipers is that the pistons are chromed steel. The slightest little bubble of rust and you've got leaking seals. ACCS do stainless steel replacements together with the seals (and pads). BCL, I believe, offer four pot upgraded calipers. I have never encountered brake fade with the three pot calipers. You will find much more to enjoy at the back end. The calipers suffer from the same problems and if memory serves, there are replacements/spares from Rolls-Royce sources. But, ACCS supplied me with nice shiny new pistons etc. The real joy is the dangly bit which purports to be the hand brake caliper. They give no end of problems and the fiddly little pads wear very quickly if they rub. They are expensive to replace and not always available. You are quite right that engine and gearbox bits are stock Chrysler items: either BCL or ACCS supply.
Best to describe the interior handles as Unipart! As Kevin says, widely fitted (including to the old Leyland Sherpa van). Not sure about your twin headlamp replacement. The big rectangular ones on earlier cars are from an Opel. But there are Lancia parts: the exterior handles and boot lock (may come from the Gamma) and the rear light clusters which are from the Beta coupe. Peter

[Kevin H]

Originally Posted by Peter.Kent

You are quite right that engine and gearbox bits are stock Chrysler items: either BCL or ACCS supply.

Or just buy them direct from the US on the internet. That's probably the cheapest option.

[Hugh]

Has anyone information on which make of vehicle supplied the front brake
disks for V8 cars.
I can purchase a set from Bristol but the freight cost to Oz is staggering.
I had no problem replacing the pads from local brake shop in Sydney I
believe they are early Jaguar.
Hugh (Bristol Britannia)

[Kevin H]

Hugh, the brake discs are Girling items, you will find the part numbers in parts list in the Resources section on this site here .

This parts list is for 409/410 but when I bought front discs for my 411 they had the same part number. I can't guarantee that they are the same as the Britannia but it's very likely they are.

We know Jag wheels (XJS) fit a 411 and a 603, so the stud pattern is the same. That's a start.

I have a set of new front discs in my garage and I can easily measure the disc diameter, thickness etc if you need it.

Kevin

[Nick Challacombe]

The 407/9 had Dunlop as fitted to Jaguar E Type,XK150.
The Master cylinder is Lockheed.
I do not know when they dropped Dunlop.

Nick

[Kevin H]

Originally Posted by Nick Challacombe

The 407/9 had Dunlop as fitted to Jaguar E Type,XK150.
The Master cylinder is Lockheed.
I do not know when they dropped Dunlop.

Nick

Nick,
They dropped Dunlop after the 408 MkII. The 409 has Girling brakes, as shown in the parts list in the resources section on this site.

Kevin

[Nick Challacombe]

Woop's you are right!, I got confused as I have a 409 steering box
as a factory after thought fitment and made the wrong
assumption.
The 408mk 2 is a very confusing car as it mechanicals etc are
almost 409.

Nick

[peterg]

For my 403 which were described as 406/407 upgrade. The piston cylinder
was described as 2 1/8" by Power Track Ltd.
I got the pads from SNG Barratt which were part no. 10821 - E S1/MK2 which I
guess means series 1 of the MK2 Jaguar.
My understanding is that there were only two types of Dunlop brake and both
were serviced in the same way, so you can probably rely on the advice of a
vintage Jaguar engineer.
Peter

[geo]

Originally Posted by peterg

For my 403 which were described as 406/407 upgrade. The piston cylinder
was described as 2 1/8" by Power Track Ltd.
. . .
My understanding is that there were only two types of Dunlop brake and both
were serviced in the same way, so you can probably rely on the advice of a
vintage Jaguar engineer.

Sorry, I have not got my old Bristol info up here on the island, but I do remember from 30 years ago when I redid the cylinders and plumbing of my 408 (Mk. I) that the Jaguar and Aston Martin/Lagonda Dunlop bolt-on cylinders all fitted in terms of the bolt holes, but the diameter of the cylinders themselves did vary by between 1/8" and 1/16".

Sorry, I cannot remember which ones were identical with the ones used by Bristol, but I do recall a well-known Jaguar restorer claiming that as long as the cylinders were matched on the same axle, he did not fuss too much if he could not get exactly the same size. He also claimed that Dunlop played round with different sizes for the same models during the middle 1960s as it was still a developing technology.

The least said about the handbrake the better, but I was surprised just how good the Dunlop hydraulic system was when completely overhauled (I only renewed the seals in the master cylinder).

George

[Nick Challacombe]

Past Parts of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk are the stockists and refurbishers
of all things dunlop.