AC Owners Club Forum
AC Owners Club Forum => Ace, Aceca & Greyhound Forum => Topic started by: pjbowman on February 20, 2018, 19:55:02
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All - were the original carpets supplied in Aces made of wool? I know they were edge-bound in leather, and am assuming they were wool, but can find no authoritative reference confirming this. Are pattern carpets available, or do they need to be custom made? My Ace is getting it's paint now after my little mishap last year, and it's looking so good other areas are looking shabby...
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I know the original 2 litre were wool, I guess the early aces were too. I got my carpeting from Coverdale who do 3 types a synthetic, a wool mix and an all wool one. The pile is a little deeper than the originals at 7mm I think the 2 litres were 4-5mm thick. Coverdale also do all the fixings, under felt in various grades and a choice of edgings. Very reasonable, if you send them your sets they will copy them, or your can do it yourself as I am doing.
G
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I know the original 2 litre were wool, I guess the early aces were too. I got my carpeting from Coverdale who do 3 types a synthetic, a wool mix and an all wool one. The pile is a little deeper than the originals at 7mm I think the 2 litres were 4-5mm thick. Coverdale also do all the fixings, under felt in various grades and a choice of edgings. Very reasonable, if you send them your sets they will copy them, or your can do it yourself as I am doing.
G
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.Peter
The Carpets were Wool edged in Leather,
As each Ace is hand built, no two are 100% identcal regards measurements.
you will need 8 metres of Rubber backed Wool Carpet to trim a Ace including covering the boot shelf and the rear bulkhead behind the seats which is part carpeted and part leather.
I can confirm price and supplier in UK but exporting to USA make sit very expensive, suggest you find a local supplier.
Can post you a sample of what many of us in UK have used in our Ace / Aceca restoration /retrims.
Good Luck
Keith
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Thanks gents! The local shop that is 'refreshing' my Ace can make the carpets to fit - as mentioned, with the repair work to the door and the repaint, I'm getting the rest of the car to match - rechroming the overriders, and even the grill, which won't be cheap! The way the grill is made is 'unusual' and will require a lot of manual labor to disassemble, rechrome, then reassemble properly. If anyone has had the grill on an early Ace taken apart and rechromed in the US, would love to hear your experience.
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Peter.
Tim Isles has had a couple of Brass Grills dismantled, repaired as required , re chromed and re assembled, by Chris at BrassCraft.
I believe the Bill was in excess of £1000.00. per (brass) grill. Sounds a lot, But when you consider the hours of labour involved and tooling / Jigs , it
puts things in perspective.
Then consider the value of your Ace.
Did Ron Leonard in Durago ever have Brass Chromed Grills made ? or were they the later Aluminium version.?
Ron Sold all his AC stock to Jim Feldman last year or year previous, Could be worth giving Jim a bell.
Keith
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Thanks Keith, and you are right, a lot of labor involved in this. I’ve been told it could run up to $5000USD, but with the repaint done, the grill would let the car down, so off it goes. Will let the group know how it turns out and the final cost, and will post a few pics of AEX127 as it progresses. The shop also has a few other Aces in progress, including the LeMans Ace, which I think is BEX205 if I remember correctly. Took a few snaps of it also to follow the progress.
Cheers!
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Peter
Before restoring your old grill, How much is it for a new Chromed Brass grill from Brasscraft or local supplier ? Then sell your old grill on . ;)
Just a idea, could workout cheaper ??
Keith
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Yes, could be cheaper, but I’d be worried about fitment- Like with the carpets, with each car being unique, any new grill may not fit properly. But something to consider, I’ll hve to check pricing.
Thanks Keith!
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Grilles are tricky, once its apart and you have the old chrome stripped off its a process reassembling it back into the jig etc.
(http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/u565/marknugent/P1070147_zps5f8nulfb.jpg) (http://s1322.photobucket.com/user/marknugent/media/P1070147_zps5f8nulfb.jpg.html)
(http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/u565/marknugent/P1070113_zpswvplcqhr.jpg) (http://s1322.photobucket.com/user/marknugent/media/P1070113_zpswvplcqhr.jpg.html)
(http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/u565/marknugent/P1070202_zpsprmehn0b.jpg) (http://s1322.photobucket.com/user/marknugent/media/P1070202_zpsprmehn0b.jpg.html)
(http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/u565/marknugent/P1070212_zpscg81dfwc.jpg) (http://s1322.photobucket.com/user/marknugent/media/P1070212_zpscg81dfwc.jpg.html)
(http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/u565/marknugent/P1070411_zpshqgpyr2v.jpeg) (http://s1322.photobucket.com/user/marknugent/media/P1070411_zpshqgpyr2v.jpeg.html)
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.Markn & Peter
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Every Picture is worth a thousand words.
Helps justify the skill and labour involved in the process of restoring a Chrome on brass AC Ace GRILL. ;)
Keith
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Mark, thanks for the note and pictures! Sure shows the work involved - surprised AC didn't/couldn't find a less labor-intesnsive way to make the grill. Are grills from other period cars (Ferrari, Aston Martin, Maserati, etc,) made the same way?
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Thanks Keith. Yes I agree PJ these early grills are damn labour intensive. Some of the other car makes are just as intensive but these early ace brass grills have an added degree of difficulty because of the vertical leaf-bars, they are difficult to fabricate/duplicate.
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Thanks Keith, and you are right, a lot of labor involved in this. I’ve been told it could run up to $5000USD, but with the repaint done, the grill would let the car down, so off it goes. Will let the group know how it turns out and the final cost, and will post a few pics of AEX127 as it progresses. The shop also has a few other Aces in progress, including the LeMans Ace, which I think is BEX205 if I remember correctly. Took a few snaps of it also to follow the progress.
Cheers!
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Peter
$5000.00 US to rebuild and rechrome your old brass Ace grill is blooming expensive, Could be cheaper to Fedex or USP ( Track) your old grill to Brasscraft i UK and they will strip, repair re-chrome and re assemble your origonal grill and airmail it back far cheaper.
Worth having a few words or exchange of emails.
Fire a email to Tim Isle,s who has employed Chris at Brasscraft a few times, He has a very high standard of workmanship and is reliable.
He manufactures dozens of grills for the Cobra and Cbra replica market, the main supplier/manufacturer in UK possibly Europe.
Good Luck
Keith
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Good on you Peter for wanting perfection. I've been lucky with the ones I've done as it was a simple process of disassembly, de-chrome, re-chrome and reassembly, some always need a repair here or there. Once your tooled and jigged up its all good. I'd happily make the aluminium ones all day long though!
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When Jon Sichel had my grill rechromed he used a radiator rebuilder (I don't have the name) as they are used to taking these sort of things apart and rebuilding.
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$5000.00 US to rebuild and rechrome your old brass Ace grill is blooming expensive, Could be cheaper to Fedex or USP ( Track) your old grill to Brasscraft i UK and they will strip, repair re-chrome and re assemble your origonal grill and airmail it back far cheaper.
Worth having a few words or exchange of emails.
Fire a email to Tim Isle,s who has employed Chris at Brasscraft a few times, He has a very high standard of workmanship and is reliable.
He manufactures dozens of grills for the Cobra and Cbra replica market, the main supplier/manufacturer in UK possibly Europe.
Good Luck
Keith
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Makes sense Keith. The $5K estimate was simply my shop saying they really didn' know what it would cost until they sent it out to the specialist, so that may be way high. I will be following up to see what the rechromer thinks one he has actually received the grill. I know he has done other period grills such as Ferrari, so should have a decent idea of what it will take. Will let the group know what I hear.
Thanks everyone!
Peter
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Alan Isselhard
The vertical brass slats in the Ace grill are a drawn section of 20/22 gauge flat brass strip, formed from one piece of flat brass drawn through rollers, each end is threaded, so when built into the grill frame the vertical piping profile are secured by screws which in turn are soldered,
This profile has not been commercially available for many years.
Cris at Brasscraft has been making AC Brass grills and Windscreenframes ( Flat & Curved) for 35 years, supplying AC Cars direct and the majority of Cobra kit car manufacturers in the UK.
The building of New and / or refurbishment of Ace grills is a laborious and skilled job, using special jigs and tools to ensure accuracy, another skill required
In assembly is to solder direct to chrome.
Cris has a lead time of about three months, a template is made of each grill prior to dismantling , price is obviously
subject condition of grill upon receipt at Brasscraft Ltd.. .. budget £1,000.00 / £1,200.00 and allow minimum of 3 months ( 12 / 14 working weeks)
Alan , please note I do not have a vested interest in Brasscraft Ltd, But like Tim Isles and many ACOC Members have used the skill and service of Cris
over the past 18/20 years, rest assured his workmanship and reliability is 100%.
Tel no : 0044 (0) 1252 782 702
Hopefully this answers questions in your last email, Have copied to Forum as it could be of interest to others following this thread.... ;)
Keith
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I'd happily make the aluminium ones all day long, the only tricky part with the brass ones is the soldering after chroming though its not to difficult. I would love to know exactly when AC changed from brass to aluminium? Anyone know? I'm pretty sure I know why they did though. ;)
(http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/u565/marknugent/27657122_144669783009540_2664529348464638227_n_zpsj04cdfec.jpg) (http://s1322.photobucket.com/user/marknugent/media/27657122_144669783009540_2664529348464638227_n_zpsj04cdfec.jpg.html)