TVR S Custom Grills

[greyhulk]

Next job on the list is to upgrade the old tatty grills on the 'S', this time spray paint just wont cut it..
Im thinking about knocking up some templates & maybe getting some made up properly (hopefully someone on here who works with metal would be willing to help )

Now my choice would be stainless steel (polished finish) but there's quite a few different styles & its hard to decide on correct aperture to stop stones flying through & damaging radiator possibly? The original lower grills aperture look a tad large to me.. Now the sheets of stainless steel mesh are reasonably priced but i feel just the mesh placed behind like the originals is not what & upgrade is about.. so i propose mesh grill with the edging bar around (example below) & maybe an easier way of fixing it instead of bonded to the fibreglass





Any ideas folks?

Edited by greyhulk on Wednesday 24th February 17:58

[Oldred_V8S]

Hmm looks nice, been thinking of doing this to my car too.

[greyhulk]

Thanks, they would make more of a visual impact in a shiny polished finish in oppose to the original dull ones..

Spoke to one company they quoted £280-£325 (non-fitted) working from templates I provide them.. Now the stainless steel sheets to do the grills are only £35 so will take another route, there's few handy chaps on here so hopefully we can get some knocked up for a decent price.

[greymrj]

Not entirely sure on that, mine looks right in black. Just one thing you need to note, the apertures are not all the same. Cars with spotlights appear to have a slightly different aperture and the V8 certainly does. Comparing notes at last SCH meet surprised us how different the standard V6 and the V8 grills are.

[phillpot]

I like the "Hexagon" one

When I replaced mine I decided to stick with the behind the aperture fitting, as per original. Not overly keen on the Framed look (seen a few Chimaera's done like that), would have to be a perfect fit to look "right", imho.


On the S I used an expanded stainless mesh (took a bit of finding, most is alluminium) and a woven mesh, very similar to your big picture, on the Taimar.... yes it is well over-due a wash!

[greyhulk]

@greymrj yes i almost forgot the bonnet scoop grill isnt present on the later S's & you know I have a slight chrome fetish hence my wing mirrors

Ahh very nice indeed phillpot! Nice to see you used stainless too, may I ask how you fitted them? Did you bond them in like the originals, any tips on removing the old one's too

Edited by greyhulk on Wednesday 24th February 18:50

[phillpot]

greyhulk said:

may I ask how you fitted them?

Of course you may, the expanded mesh bends very easily so that was just gobbed back in with P40, original was held in with what looked more like normal body filler most of which wasn't stuck on too well and came off quite easily with an old wood chisel

The woven mesh is a lot stiffer and "moves around" if you're not careful... the square holes become diamond shaped! I did try a bit harder with that one and knocked up some concealed brackets.Also put a 90 degree bend along one edge to stiffen it up a bit, clamped it between two lengths of angle iron and hammered the edge over Doesn't look particularly pretty from inside but nothing showing from outside

ETA..Found a slitting disc the easiest way to cut the stuff, but it does leave some very sharp points... guess how I know

Edited by phillpot on Wednesday 24th February 19:11

[greyhulk]

nice one mate, will have another measure up & think ill just take the s.steel woven mesh route aswell now
£30-50 in oppose to £280-£325 from 'zunsport'.. its a no brainer really

[magpies]

I did something similar using some mesh from a st st filter which I 'found' in the works skip

Edited by magpies on Wednesday 24th February 20:06

[greyhulk]

magpies said:

I did something similar using some mesh from a st st filter which I 'found' in the works skip

Edited by magpies on Wednesday 24th February 20:06

Salvage hunter looks a lot neater than mine.. I'll have to take a snap