Wednesday 4 January 2017

Le Mans filler cap: what is it?

Of the many reactions I received after having secured the Le Mans Mini Marcos, Tom Wiggers was the only who said he could help me with the car's huge fuel filler cap. Tom told me it was sourced from a Ferrari 250 SWB and that he had an original one himself plus had some copies made. However, I had a close look to compare the two and am convinced it's not that.

The original thing has to be approximately 150 millimeters in diameter, making it anything but your average filler cap size wise. It also looks as if there is a brass or bronze lock on it. I have attached all the reasonably good detail shots that I have from it, and also attach the photos of Tom's repro-Ferrari-cap to show it's not that.

Question now is: what is it?

UPDATE 28 September 2017: Found it! Painstaking research has revealed it is a Ferrari cap after all. And I have one now, too! thanks for the many, MANY, tip-offs!

Picture Guy Le Page / Jeroen Booij archive

Picture Guy Le Page / Jeroen Booij archive

Picture Michel Tasset / Jeroen Booij archive

Picture Michel Tasset / Jeroen Booij archive

Picture Michel Tasset / Jeroen Booij archive

Picture Michel Tasset / Jeroen Booij archive

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Ferrari 250 SWB filler cap - definitely not the one used on the Le Mans Mini Marcos
Picture courtesy Tom Wiggers / Saxonparts

The size must be about the same though, but the detailing is different
Picture courtesy Tom Wiggers / Saxonparts

10 comments:

  1. It's of an Saviem JL truck fueltank

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  2. I was advised it was off a French Berliet Truck - pursuing this at the minute.
    There' a bit more info here.
    http://www.marcos-oc.com/project50/index.html

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    Replies
    1. It seems to become clearer now that it was sourced from a petrol tanker, or 'camion citerne' as the French call it. That would make sense, too, as these will need big filler openings. The tractor could have been just about anything, Saviem or Berliet or others. But as the cap must have come from the trailer, the source must have been a (French) caochbuilder.

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  3. Hi Jeroen,

    Funny to see those locally sourced french details. The rear lights seem similar to the ones on a first series simca 1300/1500 or matra djet (i seem to have one or two in stock). And the cap from a berliet/saviem. The early groupe 4 version of the alpine 110 used a similar kind of fuel filler cap. The later version stepped up a bit and the filler cap of a Fouga CM-170 Magister was used. The a110 specialist racing car diffusion have an Berliet style cap for sale.
    http://www.ebay.fr/itm/BOUCHON-DE-RESERVOIR-ESSENCE-TYPE-BERLIET-POUR-ALPINE-A110-/370642574270

    Berliet seems to have used this filler cap quite long although it has their logo cast in to it. See: http://berlietpassion.over-blog.com/article-berliet-er-100-trolleybus-suite-39790106.html

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  4. Correction on the rear lights : in the blue livery its seems simca 1000 first generation with the chrome base.

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  5. Thank you Marnix. The filler caps you point out both are significantly smaller than the one I need. You are right on the rear lights though; they are indeed from an early Simca 1000, and I have just traced a new old stock set of them.

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  6. I do not know dimensions of the berliet cap but it will not exceed the 100 mm i guess. The largest quick fill caps from the sixties are the ones on the GT40 (flat cap and almost 5") Also the AC Cobra and E type low drag used very large filler caps. These caps were made by the Enots company and are still replicated. Does the body of the marcos give some clues about the attachment with some kind of a flange and/or mounting holes? In the pictures it seems that the base is black which makes it difficult to see that kind of details.

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  7. All About Filler Necks and Caps. Companies make metal or rubber Fuel filler necks that hold relevant importance for vehicles. Fuel Filler Neck


















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