Bonett & Radiator Mesh

[Razorman]

M@H if you are out there, as you can see I have done the bonnet mesh and I am pleased with it.

However, I am b*@@ered if I can work out how you did the top section of your split radiator???

[stegefal]

That looks really good, was it easy?

[Big Al.]

Forget the grill..

That paintwork deserves a round of applause. Top Man!

[steve1c]

You could shave in that shine!

[chim-Ian]

steve1c said:

You could shave in that shine!

What polish do you use?, impressive!!

[nasz]

would like to do mine! What mesh did you use? Where from? Etc etc etc

[Chimart4L]

This looks good, where did you get the mesh and I assume you used fibre glass to hold it in place??

2 things:-

First the mesh idea was not mine, I saw it in a post by M@H a few weeks ago and he told me how to do it. Mine is all a bit "Heath Robinson" under the bonnet, M@H did a much better job and posted photographs, I will try and find the link and re-post it. It is actually held in place with a bit of shaping and a lot of silicone mastic. Again M@H's idea as it will be easy to remove if you need to. The mesh is just Ripspeed from Halfrauds. It was the radiator that I realy wanted to do as there is no protection for it in my 97 split front Chim and I recently had a stone through the headlamp, a lot more expensive if it had gone through the radiator.

Second the shine is just a trick of the light combined with a little Autoglym polish (I'm open to free samples if anyone from the company looks in) Actually the bodywork needs some attention as it has quite a few stone chips and small scratches as anyone who read my recent posts will know.

This is the link to the M@H information. www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?f=8&h=&t=134670

>> Edited by razorman on Tuesday 29th March 00:13

[razorman]

That last post was me but for some reason it did not pick up my name.
Something for PetrolTed?

[tvron]

How do you fix mesh in grill to protect rad.Have you any pics of this. I do not want to remove rad if poss

[M@H]

Hi Chaps..

sorry for the delay in posting... I've been off having a baby (well not me but Mrs H of course )

Razorman looking good

Anyway.... the front mesh is fairly straightforward and I did it from the front of the car in about 30 minutes. I cut the mesh to a bit bigger than the hole (noting the hole is on quite a slope on the back face of the aperture) and slid this in sideways through the aperture, helped by removing the horn. The next bit was the tricky one.. I managed to put a good bead of Silicone on the INSIDE edge of the aperture (ie the unpainted edge bit at the back), then I hooked some wire through some of the mesh holes and "pulled" the mesh up against the aperture and onto the silicone just applied. By fastening the wire against a couple of bits of wood (pencils would probably do mind you) across the front of the aperture I was able to tension the wire enough to hold the mesh in place until the silicone went "off".. then hey presto.. remove wire and the mesh is in place.



Hope that makes sense

Matt.


>> Edited by M@H on Tuesday 29th March 08:39

[M@H]

Deja Vu Razorman..?

www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?f=8&h=&t=161692
Whick bit can't you acheive.. I now realise I've merely re-explained the same method again
Cheers,
Matt.

>> Edited by M@H on Tuesday 29th March 09:43

[razorman]

M@H said:

Whick bit can't you acheive.. ]

The problem I had was just physically getting the mesh in, whilst trying not to scratch the bodywork to pieces. You will quickly realise that I am not very technical, but in the way was the horn, the air filter and also somthing else which I haven't a clue what it is, but it looks like another horn? Part of the problem is if I disconnect the horn etc, to get in how do I reconnect it all once the mesh is in place??

TVR seemed to try and find ways to make access difficult......or is it just me that loses chunks off their fingers and hands when attempting something like this?

[M@H]

razorman said:

M@H said: Which bit can't you acheive.. ] The problem I had was just physically getting the mesh in, whilst trying not to scratch the bodywork to pieces. You will quickly realise that I am not very technical, but in the way was the horn, the air filter and also somthing else which I haven't a clue what it is, but it looks like another horn? Part of the problem is if I disconnect the horn etc, to get in how do I reconnect it all once the mesh is in place??

Aaah.. right..! You will have realised that there is actually a lot of space inside the front nosecone... By removing the horn (bolt inside the bonnet) and putting it in the bottom of the nosecone breifly I was able to put the mesh in from the left hand side pushing it over and below the air filter, then easing in the end I was left with, into the space where the horn was. Without removing the horn it all looked totally impossible.

The trick is then to re-attach the horn BEFORE fixing the mesh in place as once the mesh is through the aperture it will just sit at the bottom of the nosecone too as suddenly you've got loads of room again.

Does that help

Matt.

>> Edited by M@H on Tuesday 29th March 12:23

[razorman]

OK I will give it a go.
Any idea what the other bit is that I said looked like a second horn? I would describe it better, but I am not at home at the moment and so I can't get to look at it again.

[Big Brin]

Fantastic stuff!

I have had a stone through my radiator and now the further I drive the more it is disintergrating. I need to take it out and get it re-cored. I reckon 10% has disappeared already. When it's out, the grill's going in.

Rgds, Brin

[M@H]

razorman said:

OK I will give it a go. Any idea what the other bit is that I said looked like a second horn? I would describe it better, but I am not at home at the moment and so I can't get to look at it again.

Not sure.. but if its on a bolt and in the way, just do the same as for the horn at the front left

[S5TVR]

A good job done on the vents I'd say Razorman. I did mine yesterday without too many problems. Rather than put one long section of mesh on each side across all 3 vents, I actually cut individual mesh sections, which I think makes it easier to bond the sections in place without taking the bonnet off as they are lighter than a single long section. Next up is the front grille sections and the two scoops that Ned created. I'll post some pics once I've finished it.

[M@H]

I thought about cutting individual parts per vent but found that the single long sections could be supported absolutely fine with some masking tape, and I didn't run the risk of mis-aligning the weave of the mesh from one hole to the next.. no need to remove the bonnet or anything.

Of course the other option would have been to rest the bonnet closed onto someting sitting on the inner wings that would press the mesh into the silicone

Matt.

[razorman]

I didn't take the bonett off either. I held the mesh in place with some pencils on the top side of the bonnet at right angles to the holes. I held the mesh in place through the holes with "of all things" some pipe cleaners. I found that by twisting the wire pipecleaners you could adjust the tension to make sure it stayed tight.