radiator muff

[cadetchris]

how do these fit to the grille?

i have found one, but i thought they came with some sort of fixings that clipped onto the grille and then the muff onto them.

i could be over complicating it and it could be simply tied on.

[chrisryder]

if you post a pic, someone might have a similar item and know how to fit it!

[cadetchris]

here is a link to it, ebay find i am afraid http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0906845732

[C6Dave]

In the era the Moggy is from a 'radiator muff' would have been a piece of cardboard or later, tin foil, none of this fancy stuff

[ASL642]

No in fact they did radiator muffs especially designed for the Minor. An aftermarket purchase from a dealer.

These are now available again reproduced by The Birmingham Minor Centre £77ish (advert back page of Minor Matters)

[cadetchris]

and thats the reason i want an older one. cannot really justify £70 on one item.

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

Your link wouldnt work for me but the one I have fits on with a small threaded screw into a flat bar like the ones you fit an AA badge to the grill with.

[kennatt]

do you really need one why not remove the fan blades would that not do the trick

[docgibbons]

i've got one with the threaded screw fittings, but never have found a way to fit them on.

[mowogg]

I have achieved the effect by inserting a piece of plywood over half of the radiator. This slots in place between the car and front panel. Used to leave it in all winter

[palacebear]

Back when the Austin FX4 was virtually the only black cab in London, they could be seen in winter with pieces of white plastic covering half the rad grille. Was rumoured they were made from tea-trays pinched by cabbies from the old green wooden taxi-drivers snack-bars ('cab-mens shelters') that were once familiar sights around central London

[Monty-4]

I face the same dilemma. I think grille badge fixings and some penny washers will work but I'm yet to try it.

[docgibbons]

i've now fitted the "proper" radiator muff, but with string, as cannot fathom the washer/screw fittings at all. it works ok, and the temperature gauge gets up to around 80-85. however, the cardboard method seems to be even more efficient, if less pretty. if i blank off around two thirds of the grille, i get a temperature of 90-95, and the air really does blow hot. i might try a combination of the muff/cardboard when the weather really gets cold, and generally experiment to get the optimum heat without hitting boiling point. the advantage of the muff, of course, is that you can just unclip one of the two square pads, or both, to allow more air in.
i'm not sure whether an 88 degree thermostat is necessary with the cardboard fitted. would it then be just too hot?

[firedrake1942]

Although not a Minor Muff (Shades of Ginger Bush here !) This article from an MGA site may be of use as it shows the fittings, which as , I think Palacebear said are very like those use to hold AA, RAC and car club badges

http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/accessories/at124.htm

[palacebear]

I can't accept credit for someone else's words. The post about badge-fittings was contributed by Monty-4, not yours truly

[amgrave]

There is nothing like a muff for keeping you warm and toasty in the winter, watch you don't overheat though

[RobThomas]

I've got an original BMC rad roller blind on our 1949 and my 1964 uses a Cornflake box cut open. Both seem to work really well on a cold day.

[MikeNash]

Regarding stuffing bits down into the slot in front of the radiator, please below a couple of hardboard blanks I've used for some years that use holes cut in them that line up more or less with the fan. The one on the right has a hole of 12 inches, the diameter of the fan and that on the left is 10 inches i.e. of 30% less area. (That's 30mm and 25mm respectively; inch by inch I'm going metric!)
I've found that from about the end of November till Easter when the temperature is below 12-15C I should use the 12 inch hole blank, and if the temp often goes below 5-7C (I live in a notorious frost pocket) then the 10 inch hole is better. But a coolant temperature gauge is advisable with the smaller hole. I've found no speed restriction necessary for these blanks or, of course, any overheating in traffic or when idling.
But please note that these blanks are covering the starting handle hole!
Regards, MikeN.

[RobThomas]

DSC01012.jpg (265.75 KiB) Viewed 3473 times

Ignore the numberplate in the way...there is the rad roller bling that is operated from the cabin. There is a slotted thngy under the dash and a chain comes through the hole and slots into a groove so you can hold the blind at any selected level.

low1a.jpg (200.59 KiB) Viewed 3473 times

[firedrake1942]

Rob, that is really beautiful. I particularly like the matching instrument under-dash mirroring the shape of the original. What is the colour ?