18 May 2018
Have been slowly working on getting a Morris grill for my Austin van just to show the difference and to be able to confuse those at any shows attended when I swap the grill at mid day!
Progress to date
Grill ...bought an old grill from MTR , repaired and primed ready for final paint job.
Going to be same colour crimson as van and gloss black inside chrome strip?
Front badge...got battered Morris badge from Harvey.. carefully reshaped letters as brass was easy to work, sent away to be chrome plated and then hand painted infill.
After reshape
plated and painted.
Centre chrome strip...got old one from Roland..cleaned, repaired, primed, sanded to fine finish and then covered in stretchable vinyl chrome sheet, as repair was not metal but reinforced filler and therefore unsuitable for plating.
Did try various cans of 'chrome' spray paints but none were even close to the finish on the spray can caps!
Finish is pretty good, looks like chrome from a couple of feet away, but not quite as good as chrome plate. Cost less than £5 to cover in vinyl but make sure you get the stretchable version.
Chrome strip surrounds...bought new from Harvey...made 16 own fastenings from brass sheet, 1.2mm thick, and soldered in 4mm countersunk brass screws. Note:- due to the corners of the strip being closed in needed to force 4 fastenings, each half, round corners. Made the plates 0.650 inches wide and chamfered both front edges. Used small screwdriver with blade placed at base of screw and light hammer to tap past corners. Other fastenings I did not chamfer, made same 0.65 width. Most screws were more central in plate than pictures below!
Fit in strip
1.2mm brass plate, countersunk and soldered brass screw
chamfered leading edges for forcing round corner sections.
and finally Rear Badge...managed to get a rare rear MORRIS badge from Oliver...cleaned painted and fitted a false back plate so it will attach to the existing narrower hole pitch that the AUSTIN badge fits. Not sure about colour...but matches front badge!
