Body Builders

[ian Howell]

Some time ago Tony Fearn passed on the very interesting information that the Jowett engine builders in vintage (and pre-war?) days stamped their initials on each engine that they prepared.

Recently I had to replace all the woodwork in the panel of the back of the rear seat of my long four - it was RIDDLED with woodworm - and in doing so I found the following chalked on the plywood centre panel: -

627 MB in a very 'flowery' script.

(See 'attachment' below).

Previously I had discovered the last three numbers of my chassis stamped into the lower edges of the bonnet side panels.

The last three digits of my chassis number are not 627 but I suppose that the chassis and body numbers do not necessarily 'tie up'.

I also found on a door liner, the words 'Rexine blue'. The car is finished in blue rexine and it was generally agreed by those at Wakefield last year that know about these things, that the car appeared original (if very dilapidated!) and also that blue was not a recognised 'standard' colour.

It's things like this that make Jowetteering so interesting!

What I would like to know is - who was 'MB'?

I wonder if any ex Jowett Employee might be able to shed some light?

Has anyone else spotted this type of marking on their cars?[attachment=0]Back of back seat 2.JPG[/attachment]

[Chris Spencer]

Ian - This practice at the factory continued long after your car was built - when preparing and painting the panels on Amy's Jupiter SC last year the number 71 was clearly stamped on to all body panels and the sub assemblies - I believe this corresponds with the chassis / build number for the car.

Further to this on our latest project which is a Javelin - all manner of scribblings are to be found in pencil on the rear of the trim backings and stiffeners - numbers are also turning up stamped into the body panels too but at this stage we are unsure if they are just part numbers.

[Forumadmin]

It was the practice of some employess to initial their work and I think the practice continued in Jowett Engineering on rebuilt components such as engines and gearboxes. But the initials might also mean something else, such as sets of trim. We may be able to compile the initials of those working in the factory; although I believe the trim was done by Briggs for the Javelin.

[Alf Heseltine]

Hi Keith, yes the Javelin was trimmed at Briggs Bodies , they left the factory on 'skids', no axle or wheels fitted, the journey to the Jowett
factory was completed on lorries called 'Queen Mary's'.
We found numbers on the back of some trim panels on my Javelin, some had initials followed by rows of 3digit numbers.

Regards
Alf.