Lower grille chrome

[Andrew G]

Hi - is it possible to get hold of a reproduction lower front grille chrome trim for a Plus 2? I assume originals are not easily available!

Thanks
Andrew

[Gordon Sauer]

Pretty sure I saw through Kelvedon and I suspect SJ sports cars also has it and maybe even the US folks RDenterprises, Dave Bean; sports car world may have some used, i’ve got some in a box, but I keep seeing it appearing so I figured it’s not worth it to knock a few of the dents out and put it on the market! Gordon

[Andrew G]

Thanks Gordon - I'll look again at SJ sports. Is the trim definitely chrome and not silver plastic..??

[SimonH]

CTL sell the trim with the grille, the old Matty part I guess. Not cheap though, it’s chrome plated brass.
https://www.parts.classicteamlotus.co.uk/grille-front-with-chrome-trim-elan--2-tc--247-2510-p.asp

[Andrew G]

Thanks Simon - maybe I can haggle..!?!

[Andrew G]

The CTL trim looks not to have any fixing holes, though there are holes in the bodyshell on my car...does anyone have experience of fitting one?

....Just realised it's a bolt at the back

Thanks
Andrew

[SimonH]

Although they don’t show the back I guess it’s fixed the same as the original stainless ex-Ford Anglia ones. A plastic fir tree insert that’s slid up the slot in the back and pushed into the holes in the body.

[jono]

Andrew,

I obtained a repro trim from Vince Haydon - expensive but I found it to be very good.

They are chrome plated brass - you will need to make up some small retaining plates using suitable brass or stainless sheet cut into small squares - these slot through the back of the trim and are retained using suitable threaded studding/set screw nut and washer on the inside of the nose aperture.

Jon

[Andrew G]

Thanks all! That gives me a good few leads to pursue!

[512BB]

I have a new old stock one Andrew. Original ones were stainless steel. Send me a message if interested.

Leslie

[draenog]

SJ Sportscars sell a set of retaining clips and a key that joins the two pieces together. Bit fiddly to fit, but more secure than the original arrangement.

https://www.sjsportscars.com/parts-and-accessories/SJ050B0018.htm

[Andrew G]

[stugilmour]

Andrew, these two threads are hopefully right on topic for you. Includes pictures and some fastener suggestions. I had forgotten that the stock fastener length is so long at 1”. IIRC there is a fairly deep fibreglass valley that the fasteners have to reach through.

viewtopic.php?f=36&t=48584&start=15

viewtopic.php?f=36&t=50714

I had totally forgotten that I got mine from Paul Matty; my request sat on back order for a while, so when availability improved I immediately pulled the rip cord. I enquired about a fastener kit but never heard back.

Spendy but very nice. Really finishes the car off. Perhaps not completely stock but a good solution. Note when looking at my car the front bumper is non-stock, being the Vietnamese stainless bumpers that were available a few years ago. I believe the stock bumper leaves less of a gap. Take a quick peek at Woodie’s really nice JPS (with apparently stock pieces) that is in one of the links. I actually still have the stock bumper, but have not compared the two in years.

Let us know how you make out, perhaps by drawing one of the old install threads forward with a new post when you get there. A search on “Plus 2 Moustache” might bring up some better information on the SJ Sportscars fastener set which looks like a good option, particularly for you are based in the UK. In previous threads I don’t think we ever fully resolved whether the SJ fasteners fit the available part, the stock trims, or both.

HTH

[Andrew G]

Thanks for those links Stu - yes, will update with the result!

[jono]

On the SJS trim fixings, I now recall that I used these and they fit fine with the repro nose trim.

On a related issue - I made some 'hinge' clips for the grille itself out of thin brass sheet so that it hinges upwards from the top and is secured only by the two screws and fasteners at the bottom - so much easier to simply undo the bottom 2 screws and tilt the grille up when you need access to the air filter and such like.