28-29 radiator surround questions

A

acenewman

Member
How do you tell an origional from a reproduction? Any dead give aways??

Were there originals that were not plated? Perhaps on comercial vehicles??

Found what's proported to be an origional surround over the weekend for a price that I am willing to pay. Not sure if it's origional or not? Doesn't look like it was ever plated, just painted. Fairly solid with some pitting but no holes.

Ulitimately I am looking for something I can replate and put on a 29 Tudor. Should I pass and look for an origional that was plated?

Thanks, Chris
 
acenewman ..................
If it looks like it was NEVER plated, it is, probably a pick-up radiator shell and an original one. It will fit your car perfectly. Wether or not, if it was plated before, should have no bearing on a new plating job. The condition is the key !
MIKE :)
 
Measure the headlight wiring hole. If it's 1", it is an original, possibly 29, but could also be a late 28. If the surround emboss around the crank hole is round, it's a 28. If it's bell shaped, it's a 29. The current repros are 28s, sorta kinda, with a round surround, and are chrome plated. Get a price on plating before you buy one of these; plating has gotten very expensive, at least in my neighborhood.
 
glenn in camino said:
Did any of the repos ever have the bell shaped crank hole area? I have one that looks too good to be a repo.
Click to expand...

In the early 90's someone from Iowa had a bell shaped repro as well as the round repro shells for sale. I believe he went out of business shortly after that, and I haven't seen the bell shape offered again.
 
I'll start a new thread showing the difference between an original and repro 29 shell. A new thread might make it easier to find the next time this question comes up, since it seems to come up a couple times each year.
 
The originals have a tendency to split at the bottom, possibly due to flexing when hand cranking. If you find an original with v.good metal, even needing replating, grab it.
Nearly all the '29 Canadian cars Ive seen here in NZ do not have the ''bell'' around crank hole; I believe Canada did not issue this type.
It would be interesting to know whether any late '29's were chrome plated. Ive seen chrome finish for ' 29 hubcaps & lamps in Parts Bk, but they may have been for service only?
 
Thanks for all the info, just the kind of details I was looking for. Sounds like I was looking at a 29 comercial piece over the weekend. Thanks,
 
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