Mk1 vs Mk2 front shroud difference

[57_BN4]

Hi Guys,

Is there any difference between the wavy-grille and the Mk2 vertical bars grille with respect to shape and size of the opening in the shroud?

Today I set about fitting a Mk2 grille into a Longbridge shroud which has been fairly bumped around with the ugly stick over the years and the opening is too narrow vertically by about an inch. I can't tell whether the grille isn't meant to fit in there or whether the shroud is just so beat up that the opening is deformed



On a similar note- has anyone here fitted a reproduction lower front section? It may be quicker to replace rather than trying to fix it but that depends on how well the repro ones are made.

Andy.

 

[Randy Forbes]

Andy, my car had the wrong "eyebrow" for most of the time I had it (the chrome one for vertical bars) and while it looked right from a distance, the tips of it always stood proud of the shroud.

I finally sourced a decent stainless steel one for the early horizontal grille and it fit correct with the ends of it flat to the shroud.

So as close as they may be, I'd have to conclude that there are indeed differences in the shroud for the grille opening (seems as though the later one has a more jutting "chin" too, but that could just be the difference in how various cars have been beaten out over the years...).

 

[drambuie]

After owning a 59 BN4 and currently a 67 BJ8, I like Randy am convinced that the front grill openings and overall shape and contours are different. The 67 BJ8 front shroud is obviously more refined looking and has equal stamped dimensions and shape characteristics especially from the headlights down to the lower pan, as well as the shape around the grill opening. On the other hand, my 59 BN4 front shroud grill opening, headlight to lower pan area where very crude in shape. The left front shape characteristics did not match the right! There where large gaps between the eyebrow and grill corners.

It is apparent to me that the factory retooled there stamp dies for later production cars to achieve a more refined and consistent contour for the front shrouds, and the rear shrouds as well. I also agree that through the years, most front aluminum shrouds have been victim of the panel beaters ugly stick!

 

[British_Recovery]

Without actually going out in the snow to test fit some parts, I think about how the car evolved and how conservative the company was with new tooling. The grill, and its parts and opening were the same on the six cylinder cars up through until the Mk ll. There were no apparent changes made to the front shroud when the vertical grill with a complete surround was introduced. The splash pan behind the bumper was the same and helped define the contour of the shroud below the grill. An early car with front end damage could be repaired, and the early grill and parts were forgiving as far as fit. The Mk ll grill shape remained the same for the Mk lll. The splash pan remained the same throughout. Therefore, I would use a Mk ll or Mk lll grill surround, as well as a splash pan, as a guide for the correct shape of the earlier shrouds. The top section of the Mk ll - lll grill will stand out from the shroud by itself, and therefore should be used with the rest of the oval surround.
There's a difference in the air deflectors in front of the radiators between the horizontal and vertical grills.
Just my opinion, Bob

 

[57_BN4]

Thank you for your replies. Logically they should all be the same and certainly the repro parts don't list any difference in the lower section other than the later BJ8 cars with the extra lights.

Part of the problem with this particular shroud is that the corners of the 'mouth' are about half an inch different in height which is ok with the earlier brow but the later solid grille surround really disapproves of this feature. Maybe they just shored up the manufacturing tolerances when the later grille was adopted since it relies on an accurately shaped opening to fit properly whereas the earlier ones can have the lower lip finisher trimmed to suit almost any shape.

Andy.

 

[drambuie]

Hi Andy, If you think you have front shroud problems, Take a look at this ugly face on my 59 BN4 when i first bought it. Only a face a Donald could love! ZOOM IN to get a better look! We need to start a ugly stick contest! :congratulatory:

 

[57_BN4]

Thanks for the pics, that made my day! Started me thinking and a quick Goggle later I now know why the later grille doesn't fit. The lower lip is higher on some earlier cars and now that I look at it closely explains why the trim finisher is such a bear to fit on 40559.



These pics are:
40559 as it has been for most/all of it's life: 9 teeth showing
40559 now- temporarily painted and going to get pulled down very soon to fix exactly this sort of problem: 9 teeth showing
Drambuie's special child: 8 teeth showing
1957 pic of cars on the production line : 10 teeth showing
Unrestored LHD Longbridge: 10 teeth showing
Unrestored RHD Longbridge: 10 teeth showing
The last three pics are of bus accidents

The bigger opening shape works so much better when compared side by side so looks like I'm up for some reshaping on 40559 shortly to expose the 10th tooth.

Andy.