Trial fitting the Rear Bumpers

The final task before the colour is put on the outside of shell was the trial fitting of the rear bumpers at Hutsons. Unfortunately all three sections of the original bumper were beyond repair due to a minor rear-end shunt, which had left a neat crease down the middle of the centre section and both out sections being bent out of shape.

Time pressures resulted in new bumpers having to be used, which wasn’t ideal. I’d heard these can be thinner than the originals and the chrome less durable. Only time will tell. Anyway, at least the trials and tribulations of trying to get a complete set of original bumpers was over!

I had planned to refit the LHS section which I thought didn’t look to bad. Therefore I set about obtaining the other two sections as bumpers regularly come up on eBay but it has ended up being an expensive series of disasters! First up was a centre section that the seller insists was posted but it never arrived. The blame placed on the Christmas post. Next, and by far the worse, was purchasing of a ‘complete’ Series 2 rear bumpers from a guy who I believe is a regular on the Jaguar spare parts circuit. The bumpers looked undamaged and all the brackets were correct for the Series 2 …. I was pleased with my purchase.

Only when Hutsons came to trail fit these did it transpire that they were in fact butchered Series 1 bumpers. On the Series 1, the rear lights sit just above the bumpers, which have indentations for the lights. However, with the Series 2, the rear lights moved below the bumper so there were no indentations. For some reason, only known to themselves, someone had cut off the original brackets from a set of S1 bumpers and welded in their place (admittedly very neatly) Series 2 brackets.

The galling thing is that I suspect the seller knew this all along, since he was the owner of half a dozen Jaguars and used to be a main dealer. I will be having words when/if our paths cross!