Putting the body back on the subframes…?

General Chat with an emphasis on BMC Minis & Other iconic cars of the 1960's.
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Peter Laidler
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Re: Putting the body back on the subframes…?

Post by Peter Laidler »

I'll say it again after saying it a zillion times before. The best thing I ever did on my car was to remove the inner wing radiator shroud off the car. JUST as Rover decided to do later, presumably after a zillion complaints. END of rad and most engine removal/replacement problems
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mab01uk
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Re: Putting the body back on the subframes…?

Post by mab01uk »

Peter Laidler wrote: Mon Feb 20, 2023 5:59 pm I'll say it again after saying it a zillion times before. The best thing I ever did on my car was to remove the inner wing radiator shroud off the car. JUST as Rover decided to do later, presumably after a zillion complaints. END of rad and most engine removal/replacement problems
Same here Peter, I wonder why it took BMC/BL so many years to do it?...a cost reduction and it must have made things easier on the production line. Such things are often from a suggestion put forward by someone on the production line but in this case I suppose it also had to be confirmed that removal of the shroud made little or no difference to engine temperatures.
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Peter Laidler
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Re: Putting the body back on the subframes…?

Post by Peter Laidler »

You are dead right Martin. The rad shroud was proven to serve absolutely no thermal or mechanical improvement whatsoever.The shroud was/is has no effect on the air ducting or drauughting.

However the presence of the shroud does play an important part in the minds of the concourse police and the knuckles of the unfortunates trying to replace their engines
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mab01uk
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Re: Putting the body back on the subframes…?

Post by mab01uk »

I had forgotten that later ADO16's also had their much larger radiator shroud deleted from the inner wing (see below)....anyone know the changeover year/dates...and was it the same for Minis and the BL 1100/1300 range?

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