Still no insight or clever guesses as to what this bit that emerged some point from beneath the steering column base might be?

 

what year was the car built? the label on the door jamb tells you the month and year it was assembled.

 

It looks vaguely like a bracket to hold a relay. But having a curved end is weird.

I dunno

Cheers
DD

 

does the rounded area fit the diameter of the steering column? or is it too narrow?

if too narrow, that bracket might fit at the center of the front of the driver's seat, the rounded area sitting over the seat frame tubing to prevent the seat from moving forward.

if not for the seat, then the rounded area is the key to find out where it goes. It is a CLAMP. The two legs on the opposite side must engage somewhere.

 

Its not really a rounded area, is it, there are three faces and angles to each other. Find the profile of something that fits near where the part was found.

 

to me it looks like a residential electrical conduit clamp

 

Bottle opener??? 🥂😊

 

Some other perspectives on the mystery clampie retrainer thingier. Length is about 11cm. 2.5cm wide as narrowest point and 3cm to 4cm at the wider points. Metal is 0.3cm thick 3mm. Highest point at the curve is 2.2cm up. 4cm from the curve to the tip. Much smaller than steering column, which is closer to 5.5cm width. the bolt hole in this thing is for a maybe 8mm bolt to go on at a slight angle.

 

tried that, no joy

 

Yikes!! and what is that...

 

1973/4 .. door jam marking long gone as far as I can see.

 

I have had my whole entire Series 2 steering column out and in a couple times, been elbow deep in all the Instrument area and components nearby, and I have Never seen anything like that in there.

It looks home modified to me as Fraser says and not a factory made clamp/holder for anything Jaguaresque.

So, I'm going out on a limb and say some Previous Owner modified your area for some custom component that's now gone. I Do have quite a lot of that sort of thing in my car but nothing that remotely resembles this.
(';')

 

Here, in olden days. Church key. Open old type beer cans!!! Was a good tool. Lost mine a year or so ago???

I think it and a mate are the means to support the steering column.

As seen on this forum in the past

 

My guess is that it is the Series II equivalent to a bracket PN BD44953 on a Series III used on the Facia Crash Roll. I only have a Series III Parts Manual. But it looks like it serves a function to hook the and pull tight something. Look for a damaged slot in the facia crash roll.

 

I shall have it mounted in a small glass case with IN CASE OF STEERING EMERGENCY BREAK GLASS AND FIGURE OUT written on it

 

Hello Aden,
I have attached a scan of the Jaguar Series 2 parts manual dated May, 1974 (Australian market, so should be equivalent to NZ cars too). It seems to coincide with my memory (having removed and refitted many, many XJ Series 2 steering columns over 30+ years) and confirm that item is not a genuine part. Of course, it was my memory that I doubted! What I Believe I see in your pictures is that the radius of the curve on the "mystery metal" is not a constant arc. It looks to me like it started off flat and was bent in a vice in two stps; my belief that this was the case comes also from what look like stress marks on the fold lines which would not be present on a piece that was originally stamped-out in that shape. Looks like, at some time, the "Dodgy Brothers" might have done some work under your dash. At least now you can see from the exploded view in the diagram what should be there and where it all fits. Hope it helps!

May 1974 Parts Manual RTC9097A

 

The curve doesn't seem natural does it, would seem to imply a bolt going in at a very odd angle toward the beam or column it was supporting. I was looking at it yesterday while writing these posts and thinking exactly that, it looks bent to a shape not forged that way. Thanks for the diagram. I do wonder what the Dodgy Brothers used said piece for as it was clamped some place when I started and now i cannot see any place where it would conceivably fit. The little kids next door where watching me over the fence as I attempt to fit it in every possible position the other week and one observed to the other; 'he doesn't know where its goes does he?' and they weren't wrong.

 

^^^
LOL!
Out of the mouths of babes....
(';')

 

Like when I first had the Jag and youngest son aged 9 jumped into the boot and exclaimed 'this is perfect. it needs to be comfortable for transporting the bodies'
I've had school watch his development carefully ever since .... not wrong, boot great size...