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The one thing on my TIGER that continually gives me trouble is the windscreen wipers. I have rebuilt them at least eight times and I am still only marginally satisfied with their performance. If your TIGER wipers work to your satisfaction and driving conditions leave them alone but if not perhaps you can benefit from what I have tried with the following swaps. The Saab solution seems to work the best of all but I am still working on the - on/slow - on/fast - park/off, electrical switch. I presently have it wired for only/on fast and off/park. Since the solution to the correct switch has yet to be developed I have not included a proper wiring diagram but will update it when it is perfected.

Editor's Note: After nearly 50 years of experience with Britixh cars, I have concluded that the reason the wipers and top sealing performance of British cars remains so consistently poor to this very day is that the British never drive their cars in the rain or cold weather, or hot weather for that matter. Must be an awfully large number of low mileage classics in England. My Jag would direct the mearest puddle of wet on the road to the exact center of the unprotected distrubutor, thereby enforcing this behaviour even on recalcitrant drivers. {9->

The wiper motor from a TR7 will adapt to fit the TIGER. The original Lucas design of the wiper system did not change very much between the two cars. The weak part of the TIGER wiper motor seems to be the electrical contacts that start, stop and park the wipers. These contacts are internal to the wiper transmission and subject to fouling with grease. If you retain the original motor do not over grease the gearbox, as it will cause problems with the electrical contacts.

Lucas overcame this problem with the later TR7 design by having the electrical contact outside the wiper transmission in the form of a micro switch. The later wiper motor is designed to drive a much larger wiper and will keep your windscreen clear in the worst of rainfalls.

The wiper arms that come stock on the TIGER are a joke. They should be relegated to the same duties as the stock TIGER Jack — used for show only. They use a spring that is stretched (under tension) to provide the pressure to keep the wipers against the windshield. The problem with this arrangement is that the spring is under almost no tension when the wiper is in contact with the glass. A much more modern design is to have the spring under compression (and thus at it's strongest) when wiper is against the windshield. Keeping one's upper lip stiff may be good advice in times of adversity, but being ready to pounce is probably better protection from early demise.

I found a wiper arm of this type that will fit the TIGER. They use a modern 13-inch wiper blade but unfortunately are finished in matte black rather than chrome as the originals are. The arms come from a Fiat 124 and must be cut down and bent to match the shape of the Tiger's arms. They do, however, clip right on to the TIGER splined wiper drive. I used a spot punch to dimple the new end to hold the wiper blades on.

Wiper Motor Swap Two

I installed Fiat wiper arms on my TIGER and was most pleased with the results. Pleased, that is, until they had to work for a full hour in heavy rain. The old wiper motor packed it in. I waited out the rain and then streaked for home before the next shower could hit.

In mulling over the problem I decided that I needed a better wiper motor to power the system. I first tried the TR6 solution but it too gave out after a while. Perhaps it was just a week motor. When I went to Pick-a-Part I could not find a TR6 but found a Saab wiper system that was made by Luca and almost identical to the Tiger's. The Saab system is designed to travel over a longer sweep though and must be modified to accommodate the smaller TIGER’s windscreen.

Removing the Wiper System

Back at the shop I removed my Tigers wiper system. This is easy to say and difficult to do. To get it out without pulling the entire dash apart takes some stand-on-your-head mechanics but it can be done. First remove the wiper arms. There is a small release catch that holds the arms to the splined wiper shaft. This is released by lifting up on the catch with a screwdriver and at the same time pulling upward on the wiper arm.

Next remove the large chrome nuts and angled bezels that hold the splined shafts in place on the car. From under the dash remove the two nuts that hold the locating plate on the back of the left side wheel box. You can then pull the extension tube out of the wheel box. Next the wheel box it self may be removed by pulling it along the inner cable.

Remove the backing plate from the right side wheel box. The wheel box to wheel box tube may now be removed by pulling it out from under the dash on the divers side. Next disconnect the wiper motor from its mounting and remove it complete with the cable and the passenger side wheel box.

Modifying the Saab Wiper Transmission

On the bench strip the Saab and the Tiger assemblies including removal of the side of the motor/transmissions. Remove the cables. Remove the 'C' clips from the back of the transmission cases in order to release the shafts that carry the large plastic drive gears. Drill out the rivets that hold the metal eccentric plate to the plastic gear.

The parts that you will require are: From the Saab — The Motor and transmission, the Plastic gear, the eccentric drive arm, the inner cable the plastic electric plug-in from the Saab wiring harness.

From the Tiger — the connecting and extension tubes, the wheel boxes and the metal eccentric plate.

Assemble the metal eccentric plate on to the large plastic drive gear. Drill holes in the plastic gear using the existing holes in the metal eccentric plate as a guide. Pops rivet the two together and install in the transmission body.

The eccentric pin that drives the eccentric arm is too small so a tiny brass bush must be made to fit over the pin. I did this by finding a brass tube of the correct outside diameter to fit inside the plastic bush on the eccentric arm and then drilling the inside to match the pin diameter. The tube was then cut down to the same height as the pin. No real machining equipment is required to do this just a hand drill and a fine hacksaw. The eccentric arm can now be installed.

Assemble the motor, the right side motor to wheel box tube, the right side wheel box the wheel box to wheel box tube, the left side wheel box and the extension tube.

Power up the motor and stop it when the inner cable is extending out of the extension tube the furthest. Cut the inner cable flush with the end of the extension tube (use a grinder to cut the cable). Now take apart the assembly leaving the passenger side wheel box in place. The assembly may now be reinstalled in the car using the reverse procedure to its removal.

Cut a small metal plate to fit over the three rubber mount points for the motor and bolt this to the bracket that held the old motor. You can now hold the new motor to the bracket with a large hose clamp that goes under the plate and around the motor.

To wire in the electrical connections you will require a head lamp switch from an alpine as the Saab motor uses a different circuit to power and to park the wipers.

Note: The wiring is still in development. This diagram will be updated when I finish the project but in the meanwhile I am using this set-up with only the high-speed circuit. So far the results are encouraging with strong powerful wipers that work. You'll know when it's complete when "Existing" is spelled correctly.

Keep all original parts in a labeled container for the next owner who will want to return your TIGER to its exact original state of being unable to see in pouring rain.

Editor's Commentary: While John has done a remarkable job of scouring Europe for "bits and pieces" to assemble Dr. Frankenstien's poor doomed monster. This is in direct contradiction to the Word of the Most High, Lucas, Prince of Darkness and Annointed Leader of the Order of the Wet Knee. It will be to no avail, as it is doomed to fail. The Italians know less about electrical systems than the English, and the Swede's are so hardy they don't care if it's raining or snowing. In fact, they are just as happy to stay home and make more Swedes! There is but one solution to the English Curse of the Wet Knee. Live where it never rains. Seattle, if you take back your rain, we'll stop sending earthquakes! {9->

"Rain Away"

I was out on our annual Club run down the Rocky Mountain Parkway between Jasper and Banff when the wipers quit the first time. Rain and sleet were pouring down as they only can in the mountains. Before we had left home my wife had bought a product called Rain Away and had started to put it on the windscreen of the TIGER. My wife is always being suckered into buying strange products, for too much money, which will do wonderful things, but usually do not work. So I yelled at her to get that off, as I did not want any of that junk on my TIGER. Much to my surprise, when the wipers quite, the windscreen cleared off well enough to see out of quite well. I could hardly believe it. Dee smugly announced that she had done the whole windscreen when I wasn’t looking. I had to apologize as Rain Away saved the day. Despite the broken wipers and the pouring rain we were able to continue on the rest of the day. I have since then used the product on all my machines and even on my motorcycle helmet’s plastic visor. The application is simple, just follow the directions on the bottle, and it lasts for a whole season of driving.