An SS II at a recent event. (For illustration purposes - not the subject of this article)
The SS II
The SSI and SSII models were the first SS’s designed and built by William Lyons.
SS at the time were a coachbuilder with no capability of building complete cars.
This is before the company was renamed as the Jaguar we all know today.
This feature will discuss the SSII
For the SSII, The Standard Motor Company supplied complete “Little Nine” Rolling Chassis, unmodified, off the factory line to Lyons, whose workforce then mounted their own diminutive Fixed Head Coupé bodies.
These subsequently became known as the SSII Mark 1.
For the SSII Mark 11, Lyons chose to upsize the car. Standard launched a range of 10 Hp and 12 Hp cars in late 1933, and Standard supplied 10Hp chassis fitted with 12Hp engines to SS. (This car was also sold by Standard with Standard’s own bodywork as the 10/12) To these chassis SS fitted their own, both Tourer and Coupé bodies. These models closely aped their larger SS1 16Hp six-cylinder models which also relied on Standard mechanicals.
It is one of the SSII Fixed Head Coupés that I feature here:
Alistair Stevenson has sent information about his 1934 Car which he is restoring in New Zealand. The first illustrations are of the car as purchased, showing it in a very run-down condition.
– the car was never intended to be rear-engined!
The first 2 photos Alistair suspects are of the car as purchased by the previous owner.
Since this owner has passed away, he cannot be certain about the dates for this.
The next 2 photos show the current engine in the chassis, and body wooden framing before cladding.
As you see from these two pictures, everything looks very presentable, but in fact, nothing could be further from the truth!!
The diff-CWP would never have operated effectively, plus new rear hub bearings, the front wheel bearings plus kingpin bushes were all no good, and the engine has required a complete rebuild.
New pistons, liners, rings, main and big end bearings, plus a line bore for the crankshaft. So altogether, this was not a happy machine!!
Alastair has so far dealt with all the chassis problems, and shortly he will pick up the motor from the machine shop, which he will then have to assemble and re-install in the chassis.
The body, currently separated from the chassis appears to be OK, although there will be a great deal of work to do to it as regards internal and external finishing. Alastair thinks that old cars were invented to keep us poor and I think he could be right! These final 2 photos show the car in its new metal clothes.
Alastair thanks the Club for the help it has been providing in supplying mechanical parts for the rebuild of his car.
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