Radiator shroud

[TNTriumph]

I was just wanting to know if any of you guys know where i might be able to get a metal radiatior shroud. I saw one company Goodparts but they just make them for the tr6 and I have a tr3. If no one know I will just get one from moss motors they have them on sale for liek 16 bucks. Thanks for any help

 

[Harry_Ward]

Not aware if the (shroud) radiator duct is even available in metal for a TR3. Mine is a type of fiberboard (cardboard?) which came prefolded but unpainted. I painted it gloss black but I think these were painted original body color and were installed as an after thought after the cars shipped to the US started to overheat. Anyway my cardboard fiber duct has been in for about nine years now with no problems.

Harry
CT

 

[Alan_Myers]

Hi,

Most folks just make their own aluminum rad shrouds. Or perhaps you could find a local shop to do the fabrication for you, if you don't have the tools to do the job yourself.

The original-style, $17 fiberboard one from Moss (#855-125, TR3A/3B) might be used as a guide and a metal one could even be powdercoated or painted low gloss black to give a reasonably original appearance, if that's your goal.

Overall, that particular design just involves a few cuts, some straight 90 degree bends, a few holes and some pop rivets. It's much simpler than the shrouds used on later cars, some with radiused bends and others with compound angles.

There is also black plastic that's pretty close in appearance to the original fiberboard. I've not found a good source of larger sheets of this stuff, though.

The biggest problem with aluminum is that it doesn't flex as well, can be a bit challenging to fit into place. Also, some plastic or rubber edging anywhere it rubs against the radiator might be a good idea.

I've got a black plastic rad shroud in my TR4 (it's actually more a TR6-style shroud, bought from Vicky Brit, and required a bit of work to fit). Biggest concern with black plastic sheeting like this is that it will droop, sag or warp with underhood heat, or even just under its own weight over time. But, unlike TR4 & later, the TR3A/3B shroud doesn't have a large flat area to sag and block the top 2-3" of the radiator (just what you don't want!). I've riveted in some aluminum struts, to brace the one in my car and give it more rigidity, to help hold its shape. All this shouldn't be any problem on TR3A/3B, though.

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[rporter]

I have one of the Goodparts shrouds and I think it is great. Not really that hard to install and fits well. You can tell the difference in cooling the engine.

 

[TNTriumph]

do they make them for the tr3s

 

[Alan_Myers]

Goodparts is a TR6 specialist, with few parts for other TRs. Unfortunately, no one I'm aware of makes metal versions of shrouds (or air ducts) for TR2, 3 or 4/4A, probably because they are really fairly simple and easily fabricated, especially for TR2/3. TR4/4A is just a bit more complicated due to some radiused bends (although it doesn't really need to be radiused.... see https://www.tonydrews.com/Jack_Parts.htm, except that this TR4 installation is set up with an oil cooler, too).

If in doubt or lacking metal cutting and riveting tools, a local body shop could probably fab one up for you. As an alternative, a student taking an auto body repair class at some local school might tackle it as a small project.

Best way to fabricate either design in metal might be to get hold of an original fiberboard shroud - or one of the reproductions - and use that as a guide to size, cut and bend sheet aluminum. (Note: I've seen stainless steel, too, but wouldn't use it myself, due to weight and cost).

The weight or gauge of aluminum is up to you. Thicker and more rigid alu might not need any bracing. The stuff I used years ago was pretty light gauge, maybe 20-22 ga, and required some strips of thicker alu riveted in for bracing here and there.

 

[Guest]

Bending sheet metal and having it look good is an art. The idea of taking it to a sheet metal shop is a good one. If you can make a template and know what you will end up with, then have the metal professionally bent. Another option is to use some aluminum with patterns in the surface. Not pretty to some but better to hide the bad bends. I have seen one done in a pattened aluminum that was quite handsome. Nicely polished, good gauged aluminum ain't cheap. Stainless is worse. Take your time and plan the project, have it bent for you and you will like the result. An amateur job really makes an engine compartment look, well, tacky. The shroud is the first thing that catches their eye. I have Richard Good's aluminum shroud in my TR6 (wish I had gone with the stainless, aluminum takes a lot more upkeep).


Bill

 

[PeterK]

Have to disagree with Alan on this one; it's not hard but a bit harder to fab a 3A shield than on my 4A. The 3A shroud is a bit more complicated to fab than the 4. I used a fiberboard one as a template to make my own out of aluminum. But I found there were several reversed curves around the inner fenders and these were hard to get right because of having to work inside the front cowl through the grille (which I removed first.)
Best approach I find is to make a cardboard template first. Also use a split vacuum hose to protect the edges of the finished aluminum version from scraping your paint.

Another thing missing from the 3A shroud is the bottom of the radiator. If you look below the front lower cowl(valance), notice that much of the air is not even deflected through the lower radiator with shroud in place. Instead, it just passes underneath the car!. I saw how someone made a small chin spoiler (out of plywood) to catch the wind and push it up through the radiator. On mine, I am making such a chin spoiler from PVC sheet.