Pat Cargan's 1949 Jowett Javelin with Chrysler 318 V8
as published in BritishV8 Magazine, Volume XIX Issue I, December 2011Owner: Pat Cargan
BritishV8 UserID: gt40mk1
City: Biggin Hill, Kent, England
Model: 1949 Jowett Javelin
Engine: Chrysler 318cid V8
Built by: owner.
Features and Specifications
| Engine: | Chrysler 318cid V8.
Stock camshaft.
Stock cylinder heads.
Chrysler 340 inlet manifold.
Holley 600cfm carburetor.
Stock Chrysler distributor with breaker points.
Lucas Sport ignition coil.
Remote oil filter. |
| Cooling: | Range Rover radiator. |
| Exhaust: | stock exhaust manifolds.
Twin 2.5" pipes.
Twin turbo mufflers. |
| Transmission: | Chrysler Torqueflite 727 automatic. Stock torque converter. |
| Chassis: | original Jupiter chassis featured two 4" square tubes from front to back with a thin wooden floor.
The car now has an 18-gauge steel floor and transmission tunnel with numerous square and round
tubular additions for strength and engine/gearbox/suspension mounting. |
| Rear End: | narrowed Volvo rear axle.
3.7:1 final drive ratio.
Locking differential. |
| Front Susp.: | Ford Capri (2.8) modified with adjustable coil-over dampers.
Ford Escort (MkII) rack and pinion. |
| Rear Susp.: | fully adjustable rose-jointed 4-link rear suspension, plus Panhard rod. |
| Brakes: | (master) single circuit, servo assisted, (front) vented rotors and Ford calipers, (rear) solid rotors and Volvo calipers. |
| Wheels/Tires: | Raceline 15x7 front and 15x10 rear wheels.
Firestone 185/60 front and Cooper Cobra 295/50 rear tires. |
| Electrical: | 50 a/h alternator.
65 a/h battery located in the trunk. |
| Interior: | Triumph speedometer and tachometer.
Ford oil, water temperature, ammeter and fuel gauges.
Motolita steering wheel.
No audio system.
New door cards were made from 5mm plywood covered in foam and vinyl.
New black headliner was handmade and fitted. |
| Exterior: | wings (front fenders) were welded to the bonnet (hood) and made into a flip front.
Chrome trim was removed.
Rear lights were frenched. |
| Completed: | on the road in summer 2006. Driven about 300 miles as of January 2011. |
| Comments: | the Javelin originally had a pushrod operated overhead valve flat 4-cylinder engine of 1500cc
(just over 90 cu.in.), similar to a VW Beetle engine but water cooled.
It also had torsion bar suspension front and rear.
Hydraulic front drum brakes worked with mechanical rear drum brakes.
I have done all the work myself in the open as my garage is full, including repairing and painting the body, fabricating and welding the chassis and exhaust system, narrowing the rear axle, modifying the suspension, and making the door cards and headlining. |
Engine Installation
The mighty Chrysler 318 V8.
Chrysler 340 inlet manifold. Holley 600cfm carburetor.
|
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Rear Suspension
Fully adjustable rose-jointed 4-link rear suspension, plus Panhard rod.
Parking brake cable installation.
Adjustable coil-over dampers.
Carter fuel pump.
Narrowed Volvo rear axle. 3.7:1 final drive ratio. Locking differential.
Parking brake cable splitter/equalizer.
A Panhard rod keeps the rear suspension centered under the car.
Interior
Custom dashboard with Triumph speedometer and tachometer, plus Ford oil, water temperature,
ammeter and fuel level gauges.
Motolita steering wheel mounted on a custom fabricated steering column.
Test fitting the Jowett Javelin steel dashboard.
Shifter for the Chrysler Torqueflite 727 automatic transmission.
Custom fabricated firewall and transmission tunnel.
Exterior
Suicide doors.
Custom fabricated flip front clip.
Frenched rear lights.
Most of the original chrome trim has been shaved.
