Anyone have an idea where I can get the separator for the Grille vanes on a 1948 3.5. Either my restorer or chrome shop has lost it. Maybe someone could provide dims and pics and I could have made. Any other ideas from all you mk iv and V gurus
Thanks,
Gust Nelson
Do you mean the metal bars at the back of the radiator chrome work that sit half way up the grille and keep each vane in position? If so, these pictures are what is on the back of my 1948 MK IV grille (plus a photo of when if just came back from the chrome shop and I assembled it together again).
The separator bars (2 of them) allow the rear tags on the vanes to push through holes before the tags are bend over, and then the end of the separator bars wired down to the sides of the radiator shell. Either new bars could be made (first assemble the shell and vanes back up and measure the dimensions needed), or you could try using a wire between the tags of each vane as I think the bars are only there to stop the vanes flexing (and they aren’t very visible from the front when the radiator shell is on the car).
Hope that helps.
David
Unfortunately Gust needs the one at the top on the vane I thought I could get one but it turned out only the centre bracee
The 2 1/2 litre id different t the 3 1/2 litre [ wider grille].
Gust wondered if a Mk V grille brace would be the same… I don’t know, one would need to have both side by side. The MK V vanes are a different profile but whether that makes a difference ???
Presume then that is the “boomerang” shaped fixing bracket that bolts to the main shell:
If the 3 1/2 litre is a wider grille, then measuring my bracket sizes is probably not going to help.
Thanks to all. Dennis Trull in Calif has sent me a drawing of the upper bracket. May have to borrow his for a few days to have one made.
Regards
Gust Nelson
Thanks for looking. Someone offered up pics and drew a diagram of a MK IV upper bracket 3.5. Thanks for your help.
Gust
Are there any Mk IV 3.5 L grilles out there in pieces that might have a few vanes in good enough shape left to scavenge? My grille is intact and looks fairly good so I hesitate to have it re-chromed, but I do have about 3 vanes with some moderate damage and small areas of complete chrome loss. Any sources to explore? Thank you.
James
Up to about four years ago, I monitored eBay for Mark V parts. Until I quit doing that the grills which came up were about equal in Mark V and Mark IV, often with incorrect identification for model. eBay may be a source worth watching.
You might try the SS Register of the Jaguar Drivers Club. Alan Gibbons has been very helpful on engine parts for me over many years.
https://www.jaguardriver.co.uk/registers/ss
Davenport Cars may be a source. I’ve not done business with them.
I also have wondered if Rolls/Bentley used the same source for radiator grill vanes, so maybe there is some crossover that would work.
James,
I have a few slats which may need new tabs soldered on the ends. I’ll have to check. Do you need lefts or rights? They are different.
George
Thanks George. I have one slat which would be on the right side facing front which has the chrome worn off. And the slats on either side of the center have minor damage around the entry point for the starting crank - so one Left and one Right. By replacing some individual vanes, I’m hoping to avoid a total rechrome of the grille - as most of it is quite serviceable. thank you
I have had a look occasionally on Ebay, and will continue to check. And I will write to Alan Gibbons as well - great thought. And you are correct about Davenport, and I will email them again to check. Thank you for your thoughts -
James,
A couple of years ago I stumbled across 2 bundles of them on ebay…not complete sets. Not cheap, but cheaper than a rechrome, which I didn’t want to do as my car’s unrestored and I want to keep it that way. I replaced about half of mine with the best of the lot. Here’s the ‘good’ ones that I’ve got left. You are looking at them as you would view them on the car. Chrome slats don’t photograph very well with a blue background and blue sky. Some are missing tabs. That’s the way I bought them. I’ve been told you can solder them on, but I’ve never tried. I have soldered the attachments to the center slat without burning the chrome. I have donors (my old ones) which you can take good tabs from. Some are about 1/4-inch longer than others. I think the short ones are for Mark V, but not sure. Can anyone clarify? James, email me directly at: gtcole@peoplepc.com.
George
My grille for the '38 SS is away being chromed now. He required that I take it all apart so he can do each vane/slat/bar separately. He is fixing some small distortions, and his price is $65 each.
When I had him do my Mark V grille a few years ago there were a couple of broken tabs, and I was able to make new tabs and solder them on after the chroming.
With the Mark V, the vane separators are bent wire, which is soldered on each vane last.
The trick with soldering chrome is to get the spots super clean, then tin each piece separately in the contact area with flux core solder. It should not need much heat with the propane torch. Each one should be quick. Too much and you discolor the chrome.
Then hold them together and apply the torch and solder, again not too much heat, a little bit should do it.
