Bulkhead question.

[jcasteel]

I posted this on two other boards (one was the series II club board) but didn't get a definitive answer.

I have the "original" bulkhead from my very early Series IIa which I was going to restore. But one night as I was thinking through the repair I noticed a bulge (stamping?) that convinced me that the "original" bulkhead was not from a '61 model but instead was from a later IIa with a single wiper motor. I'm curious if there is a consensus here as to what this bulkhead is.

In the picture (I couldn't use the image button) linked below you will see a stamping circled in yellow. I figured that this is where the single wiper motor went in later bulkheads but I could never prove what this stamping is for. Can anyone tell me if this is definitely an early or late bulkhead?

http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x272/seriesiia20/?action=view&current=smIMG_5741.jpg

John

[Leslie]

I meant to reply to this on the other board, forgot to (sorry, but, won't be much help, methinks....)

I checked the bulkhead of the '60 RHD, it doesn't have that bulge. (Nor does the '72 SIII, but that was a given, eh?)

With that said: I think I've seen that bulge before on a Series, but I can't remember which it was (I've been through more than a few). I wish I could remember, if it was early or late, if it was a 4cyl or a 6cyl, LHD or RHD, 88 or 109, etc.

FWIW, the single-wiper motor, stands off of the bulkhead, and has a half-cylinder bracket that is screwed above and below to hold the motor to the dash. On my SIII, it's tucked away inside the corner of the dash, there isn't a bulge like that to account for it. On the later SIIa's, as far as I remember, it's inside the tray area, w/ a cover over it, but isn't recessed as such.

Of course, there's some reason why it was made like that, but I don't think it's the wipers, or at least not like a late IIa's....

[rovertek]

it is a late 2a RHD (export) and is where the wiper motor sets.....

[Les Parker]

I believe it is the mounting area for the control and junction box mounting plate, unique to the Series II.

[daveb]

quickest way to tell II from IIa is to look and see if the door check tubes are welded on or bolted on underneath the parcel shelf. bolted = SII.

it is a late 2a RHD (export) and is where the wiper motor sets.....

[jcasteel]

The idea of a Series II bulkhead makes the most sense.

The serial number on this Rover is #20 of the IIa variant. I know that it is easy to fake a S/N but I have reason to believe that this S/N plate wasn't faked. At any rate the rover isn't so special as it is far from original.

If I can reasonably assume that the bulkhead is original I'll take the time to restore it. Otherwise I'll continue to use the bulkhead I have.

Tonight I'll check if the tubes are bolted or welded on but I think that they are welded on. I suppose it could be one of the first bulkheads with welded tubes and a carry over mounting area as Les pointed out. Another odd thing about this bulkhead is that the upper plate on the toebox (where the brake and clutch towers mount) is bolted in and not welded. I think that I'm right about that. I'll check that too.

As I mentioned, I thought that the stamped area was for the single wiper motor but I've had a number of people tell me that their late IIa with single wiper does not have that stamping.

So, the Series II bulkhead on an early IIa might make a lot of sense.

Thanks for the information. -John

[Leslie]

John, let me point out.....

that '60 RHD down in my garage that I checked, *is* a SII, and doesn't have that hump.....

[jcasteel]

I don't see the hump on the 59 Rover on the cover of the current Newsletter either.

Hmmm. The door check tubes on this bulkhead are bolted on.

Ahh, well. I may never know. -John

[pisten-bully]

Possibly a millitary spec with few examples? Difficult to tell from the photo, but it appears in the photo that the "bulge" is an additional layer of sheet metal added (tack welded) to the standard bulkhead... maybe to accomodate some special military (or otherwise) radio gear, snorkel, air cleaner, or who knows what!

[jcasteel]

No, it is stamped. The hump is on both sides. Well really an indent on the cockpit side and a hump on the engine side.

Rovertek, I don't mean to disregard your input. I too thought that it is late IIa and a spot for the wiper motor but I've had many tell me that their late IIas don't have the same bulkhead.

At this point it doesn't really matter other than it is bugging me.

[rovertek]

my 1969 original RHD export model has it and i have many other different years all of which dont have the buldge?