From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Letter to S. Harris Esq. discussing instrument dial manufacturing, pricing, and explaining the causes of slack in the controls.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 165\3\ img161 | |
| Date | 1st February 1937 | |
| -2- S. Harris Esq. 1st February 1937. its price is higher than that of the ammeter we were fitting on the later Phantom II chassis. On early Phantom IIs, however, we fitted an instrument which was priced somewhat higher, the reason being that whilst the mechanism was made by one firm, the dial was made by another and hand-finished by them. In those days, we found it utterly impossible to obtain from the various manufacturers, who were making up our different instruments, dials of a uniform finish and as we consider it important that all the dials should harmonise, we went to the trouble and not inconsiderable expense of having all the dials made by a small firm who specialise in such work. Since then, the facilities for manufacturing dials have been improved and we no longer have any difficulty in obtaining dials which match. Moreover, our requirements today are such that they could not be made in the old way. Incidentally, whilst on this subject of prices, I might mention that the figures given by you as the prices of the various ammeters are quite inaccurate and I am afraid you must have been misinformed. They bear no resemblance to the prices of the instruments we have from time to time fitted. I also understand that you have expressed surprise that you are able to notice what appears to be a certain amount of slack in the controls under the bonnet, and that you consider this is not in accordance with the reference in the catalogue specification to the lack of play in our controls. The slack to which you refer is due to two things :- (1) The fact that the starter carburettor cannot be finally connected up until the coach-builder's instrument board is mounted, and (2) the flexible mounting of the engine in the chassis frame; obviously, with this provision must be made for relative movement between the engine and the chassis or, in other words, between the engine and the controls on the top of | ||