Re: Heater bezel lettering

James Downing (downing(at)mlml.calstate.edu)
Sat, 18 Jul 1998 08:12:08 -0700

>>Well it's a puzzlement, but I checked a S I owner's manual and found that
>>their control reads:
>> OFF SCREEN CAR
>>Now the S I had a molded dash, and the lettering was incorporated into the
>>dash. It seems that I remember (vaguely) that later S I cars dropped the
>>all-molded dash, and used bezels like the S II and S III. If that's true,
>>it might explain the discrepency. Rootes was known to upgrade parts
>>individual items on the cars before model changes because of parts
>>availability.
>>
>>----------
>>> From: Fred Levit <fle426(at)lulu.acns.nwu.edu>
>>> To: alpines(at)autox.team.net
>>> Subject: Heater bezel lettering
>>> Date: Friday, July 17, 1998 6:07 PM
>>>
>>> As everyone probably knows I made a number of heater control bezels. Jim
>>> Downing informed me that the order of the words on the right half of the
>>> bezel was different from that on his original.
>>>
>>> He says that his original is lettered (from left to right)
>>> OFF SCREEN CAR
>>>
>>> My reproduction is lettered
>>> OFF CAR SCREEN
>>>
>>> Now my repro was copied from an original and my original Series 3 owner's
>>> handbook has an illustration showing the lettering the same as my repro.
>>>
>>> My car, judging by the serial number, was made in June or July of 1963. I
>>> haven't asked about Jim's car.
>>>
>>> Can anyone explain the discrepancy?
>>>
>>> "Curioser and curioser."

My car is a late series II, B9119860 ODLRX, one of the last 100 SII according to McGoverns book. Except for the lettering order, the replacement bezel is nearly identical to my original in every way (if you need one of these, I highly recommend Fred's replacements). I'll check the operation of the control itself to figure out if mine is right, but the old bezel's intact on the lower right side. James Downing (not that the heater works anyway)