Jowett badge on ebay

ian Howell · Post by **ian Howell** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 5:09 pm

Well now, the script badge that was on ebay up to today (Friday 28th) is very similar to one that I have, but on mine the 'bar' below the letters is more or less a straight taper rather than with a 'bow' in the bottom line.

So, the question is this: - What makes the one on ebay worth over Â£100?!!

My 1930 radiator has no script on it, nor any sign of having had one.

What years do the different designs belong to?

Should mine have one or the other of these two designs? Should it be a different design altogether?

What design should it be?

Answers on an email please to . .

k. rogers · Post by **k. rogers** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 5:50 pm

Hi Ian! From the size mentioned it would seem that the one on ebay is the correct sort for your car, unfortunately - the price seems very high, but I would imagine the larger variety is hard to come by! Someone may correct me, but the large badge was used up to and including the 1930 model year and the smaller one was used from 1932; in 1931 it appeared within a circle between two vertical lines, unique for that year!

ian Howell · Post by **ian Howell** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 7:08 pm

Ken: -

Thanks for the quick reply. That accounts for the difference (well in design anyway - I hadn't noticed the reference to size).

The badge I have is small - only about 90mm end to end.

So it seems I need the big one. Well I certainly wouldn't spend over Â£100 on it!!

Now it seems to me that a very good replica could be cut from brass sheet. Can anyone offer a good 'full frontal' picture - probably electronic - together with at least one dimension, so that I could produce a paper pattern and cut a fair copy?

Eric Aldcroft · Post by **Eric Aldcroft** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 10:28 pm

Alternatively Ian, you could wait until the auction is over. Then, if no one has bought it at the inflated asking price, you could try making an offer to the vendor. A Jowett engine was recently purchased on this side of the pond using that strategy.

Eric Aldcroft

Eric Aldcroft · Post by **Eric Aldcroft** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 10:34 pm

Sorry -- I should have checked first! I see it went for Â£106 -- wow!
Eric

ian Howell · Post by **ian Howell** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 5:18 pm

WOW indeed!

Now all you Jowetteers with this kind of badge on your rads - lock 'em up!

Any risk of a photo anyone?

Tony Fearn · Post by **Tony Fearn** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 7:33 pm

Hello Ian. I have both a pre-war and a vintage radiator script badge in my collection. Before these came to me I had a need for a pre-war stainless steel type to go on the 1933 Flying Fox that I am still in the process of making. This was some time ago when I was still at work. I did exactly what you suggested, borrowed a script badge, cut out a paper template and proceeded to attach it to a brass plate. I then colour-sprayed the plate using the the paper template. Over quite a number of nights, when my 'on-call' duty at my Path Lab gave me a bit of leisure time, having first drilled the main holes out, I spent around 14 hours with needle files of various profiles shaping the plate to a replica of the Jowett script. It was a success, and after polishing all the scratches out, I had it chromed. It now adorns the radiator. As you know, when you've spent so much time making something which you need, but can't obtain, an original one turns up within a fortnight. So, if you decide what size of badge is necessary for your project, let me know by private email and I will send you a rubbing which you can cut out with a fine craft knife. Just thought - if it's the smaller one, I'll have a template in the garage which I once sent to Frank Cooke, as he had the same problem some years ago. Fortunately for Frank, he obtained an original just a few days later, which saved him the trouble of fabricating a replica, and returned the template to me for future use in just such a case. Regards, Tony.

ian Howell · Post by **ian Howell** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 9:50 am

Pat: -

The one you had - was it the big one or the small one?

I have got the small one as I say, apparently of a nickel-type material, but from what Tony says it appears I need the big one.

If yours was the big one and was nickel-type material, should mine be nickel or brass? Does this depend on the year?

I suppose I could cut a brass one and then have it plated if it turns out I should have a nickel one.

Personally I like the look of the big ones more, but I would prefer it to be as 'right' as it can be.

As I said a little while ago - the devil is in the detail!

k. rogers · Post by **k. rogers** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 10:40 pm

Ian, now you must be completely confused! Pat, I think you've got your wires crossed! Please refer to my last entry on this subject - the large one was used up to and including 1930, then the smaller one from 1932. Examples are Geoff's '27 short two which has the large variety and my own '35 Weasel which has the small one. Both are nickel coloured, so if you made one out of brass you could have it nickel-plated and it would probably look the same as an original!

Tony Fearn · Post by **Tony Fearn** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 11:21 pm

Now then. I have a feeling that Ian Priestley will have the definitive answer as to which type of Jowett badge fits which radiator. Even my mate Ken has missed out 1931 when the new saloon had 2 vertical bars with a circle between them, in which was a small stainless steel steel script badge. I suggest Ian H. rings Ian P., writes it all down and then transcribes it for posterity within these pages. Regards, Tony

k. rogers · Post by **k. rogers** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 8:49 am

Hi Tony! If you read my earlier reply (the second entry) I included the 1931 type as well. I think the problem is some of these subjects get so many replies that the information gets lost unless anyone wants to wade through all the entries!
Wouldn't it be great to have Ian Priestley on board, at least his word would be the be all and end all on such matters!

ian Howell · Post by **ian Howell** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 9:38 am

Well, I certainly started something!

I think I will settle (for now) on the large script (which I prefer anyway) and on the grounds that I have already got a small script which I could fit if it subsequently turns out to be the correct one.

I am trying to do most of the repair work (see previous posts) myself, on two grounds:

1) It is much more satisfying than simply paying a 'specialist' to do it and then perhaps finding that you could have done better anyway (my son's experience with his Capri), and

2) I can't afford it - especially not at Â£106+ for just a radiator badge!! I am planning to repair the whole radiator for less than that!

Pat: I see your 28 years and raise you 12! I bought my Long Four from a garden in Cranleigh near Guildford in 1966. (Were you around then PGJD?) It's previous duty was as a chicken shed.

True, it has been in storage for most of this time, but I have collected spares and accessories as they crossed my horizons and I had the blocks off the engine and reground the valves about 18 years ago. The engine runs quite well but I cannot run it for long as the radiator is 'shot'.

Anyway, back to the script. Many thanks to all of you who have taken such an active and valuable interest in this topic. It has given me a lot of encouragement. Just what I would expect from Jowetteers.

Now, what's next?

PS I went to the last Beaulieu autojumble - about May or June?, but there were no Jowett scripts there then.

ian Howell · Post by **ian Howell** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 7:48 pm

First, a 'public' thank you to Tony for sending me (far more promptly than I expected / deserved) a rubbing of the large script badge.

I was not in a rush to get this done as the car will work perfectly well without it, but having seen the quality of Tony's pattern I am planning to put the badge nearer to the top of rhe work schedule.

BUT (there is always a BUT): -

What thickness should the material be? In an earlier post Pat mentioned that the badges were cast. If so this would make them about 1/8" (3mm ish) thick with an uneven back surface, but HEAVY! I suspect from the rubbing (and the small script that I have) that they were punched out of sheet.

Next, how were they held on to the rad? I suspect two or three long studs rivetted / brazed / soft / silver soldered on to the badge and then secured by bars or large washers on the back of the rad core. But which, and what diameter were they?

And where? I mean, where were the studs or whatever fixed to the script?

Also, were the scripts nickel plated, chrome plated (new material in 1930 - very posh, the nuts on the 'pram' irons are chromed, the wheel nuts are not) or just polished brass?

The devil is still in the detail!

JowettTalk

Jowett badge on ebay

Jowett badge on ebay

Jowett badge

Jowett badge

Jowett badge

Whatever the age, SIZE MATTERS!!