Keeping it looking good

[TedAllen]

One of the things I promised myself when I re-restored my 52 Javelin was that I would try and keep it looking in period. Although I don't mind 'hidden mods'...my car has a Lucas 17acr alternator, stainless exhaust, etc I managed to source some interesting bits for the outside. and a couple for the cabin On the inside, the tax disc holder is an original one from Alf Thomas of Kempston, Bedford, well known in Jowett lore. This is an aluminium ring stuck to the glass. Clipped into this is a bakelite disc with the Javelin motif in the centre and the name and address of Thomas's garage across the middle. This holds the tax disc to the screen but wait! between the tax disc and the bakelite are sandwiched service discs detailing the service carried out. slots in the bakelite show the date of the next service......fountain pen, of course.
Two exterior items are the original Dixon Bate towing bracket with a rather nice plate with 'Jowett Javelin' stamped upon it. This enables me to take the caravan to local shows with a couple of old mopeds inside it...a nice self-contained display. The other item, which I have never seen on another car is a drivers window air deflector, Made of plate glass with swivel brackets top and bottom, it is the same shape as the front of the window and is obviously made for the Javelin.
The semaphores work but I have fitted headlights with pilot bulbs and made the sidelights into indicators. A special small capped 21 watt bulb is available from specialist auto electrical outlets. Rear ones, I'm afraid, are flat square motor bike ones, but I masked out an arrow on the lens and then sprayed the whole thing black. They are mounted under the bumper and are quite discreet, but the arrows are very bright. It would, perhaps be interesting to hear of other owners bits and pieces and mods.
Ted

[David Morris]

Hi Ted,

Like you, I have tried to keep any mods sympathetic to the Javelin. The semaphores work, but I have fitted small oblong motorcycle flashing indicator lamps on brackets front and back. The brackets have slotted holes and fit to the bumper iron bolts, so could easily be removed. The brackets and rears of the lamps are sprayed black and I think are quite unintrusive. The wiring for the flasher lights is arranged on plugs, engaging in sockets in small front and rear distribution boxes fitted behind the bumpers, for easy removal of the lights if necessary.

The headlamps have halogen bulbs and I have fitted electronic ignition. I have retained the dynamo, as this seems to cope well with the load. Otherwise, there are additional small rectangular mirrors fitted to the leading edges of the front doors, on each side. I find these are invaluable to give practical vision down the sides of the car and are a real safety aid, as the rear vision on the Javelin is relatively poor, especially when overtaking or merging with traffic on the nearside, without passengers to help you!

The other big safety mod has been the fitting of front seat belts. I found it very difficult to ask other members of my family to travel with me in the front seat of the Javelin if these were not fitted! I also felt pretty exposed myself! I have installed a substantial square-section tube across the width of the car, in line with where the front seat rear mounts go (de luxe type) and almost up to the bases of the 'B' posts on each side. Indeed, the rear seat mounts are now fitted to the top of this tube, having ben shortened to match the height of the tube.

The central seat belt mountings also fit to the center of this tube, and then go through small cut-outs in the bottom edge of the front seat. The seat belt sockets come up through the central arm rest hole. At the ends of the tube, I have welded 'Tee' plates projecting forward by about 9", which sit just below the side edges of the seat, level with the carpet on each side. These carry the retractor reels and front mounts for the ends of the belts on each side.

The whole cross tube is bolted down to the two chassis members on each side by two long sections of studding which go right through the chassis, with spreader plates on the bottom of the chassis members. The cross tube acts as a spreader plate on the top.

Finally, I sprayed the cross tube to match the carpet and seats and it really does not look out of place, as the cross tube sits ahead of the depression in the floor and provides somewhere for the rear passengers to put their feet! At the shoulder mounting positions, I have drilled the top of the 'B' posts and put substantial studs through the posts to anchor the top seat belt mounts, each welded to spreader plates on the outside and bolted to another spreader plate on the inside at the top of the 'B' posts. By keeping the welds as small domes, there is still enough clearance for the doors to close over the spreader plates, which tuck up just under the gutters at the top of the 'B' posts.

I used Nyloc nuts throughout the seat belt mod, with trim caps at the shoulder points, to avoid hands being scratched by the stud threads.

I sourced the belts from a company called Securon and these were available in a matching colour to the seats, and to the colour I chose for spraying the cross tube.

Like you, I would be keen to hear from others about their mods etc.

All the best,

David

[David Morris]

Hi Pat,

Thanks for your comments on the 'B' Pillars. I should have mentioned that a previous owner had fortunately already strengthened, by plenty of good welds, both the top and bottoms of both 'B' pillars! So I reckoned, when installing the belts, that they should be equal in strength to most other saloons of the 60's and 70's that have top seat belt mounts in this position.

All the best,

David

[TedAllen]

Another nice bit of the Jowett, although not fitted to the car, is the blanking plate for the radio slot.
This is also in brown bakelite with the Javelin motif in the middle of the words Jowett Javelin which are in the same style and colour as the bonnet badge.
A copy of the Daily Express from 1952 sits on the rear parcel shelf
Ted