Restoration of a 1908 Napier Town Cabriolet Radiator

This car is a film star as it appeared regularly in the TV series Downton Abby. On completion the radiator was shipped back to the owner in England who reports that the radiator cools exceptionally well, especially when on the set and it is required to be idling for some time.

This radiator was sent to us for a full but sympathetic restoration as the car that it comes from in England is in original condition but with a lovely aged patina.

The owner was looking for a result that was in keeping with the cars 100+ age.  Of particular importance was that the radiator core should be as close as practical to the original tube size, design and pattern and retain the original engraved script on the top tank.

We did the basic exploration work on both the shell and the core, made the tooling to reproduce the very different hexagonal flared tubes (9mm af), Auto Restorations in Christchurch undertook the rebuilding of the shell, and Custom Chrome in Gisborne re-plated the restored radiator.




Click the images to enlarge

Here is the radiator as it came to us, viewed from the back.
Here is the radiator as it came to us, viewed from the front.
Once the core had been stripped out
Here are the tubes as taken from the original core.
The new copper tubes as we made them.
Here are the tubes stacked into their jig and before being solder face dipped.
The unusual design of the tube
The unusual nature of the tube
Auto Restorations worked to rebuild the shell.
The bottom corners are mitred.
They also undertook the installation of the core into the shell, and to test the assembled radiator.
The radiator was then delivered to Custom Chrome in Gisborne.
This nickel plating goes on with a dull finish.
Many hours of hand work were needed to produce the final polished finish.
The back of the radiator is not polished.
Now back where it belongs.
 

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