Early MK1 tailgate

[Terdu]

Not mine, but a rare item to locate i'm sure. If I was in the UK, i'd pick it up just to keep safe.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/304044454500 ... SwqSBg1Ncd

[Grant]

If you look at the demister wires on that tailgate Jasper, are they same as yours on your Vignale?
I have a very early Mk2 in my workshop that I used to use, now building it into a JIA replica car, but that pattern of demist on the hatch is brilliant, when it demists the screen, it only clears that section and it is exactly the size of that rear view mirror that you have just restored, so when you look in that lovely mirror for the rear view you can clearly see out of that section and that section only...It's always amazed me that design..I realise and have always thought what an odd-ball I am!

[johnw]

Most of the Vignale cars had two fans with curved cowls built into the rear parcel shelf that blew air onto the rear screen, so the really early Mk1s had no demister wires. Also Grant you could get a front heated screen done. I use Rainex and anti mist on windows.

[Terdu]

Funny you mention that Grant and John. The Sincar Vignales (LHD) were produced after the RHD Vignale built MK1s. As such, the tailgate window on the sincars have the 'early MK1' pattern as on this ebay listing and not the vents.
I also confirmed this by looking at the metal work on the 'shelf' behind the rear bench seat, there are no cut-outs in there that would have indicated it ever had fans to begin with.

So: a vignale built, but not with the vignale fans or curved cowls.

[johnw]

My early Vignale FF had the fans, and the later Vignale FF had a heated screen.

[Terdu]

OK so the 'normal' glass was used even on the tail end of the vignale production, even before they got to the sincars. Great info, didn't know that. I did find cut outs for speakers on the rear shelf, but covered over. I always thought the early mk1's only had speakers in the front originally.