Restoring a 1927 Radiator

[Andrew Henshall]

I want to restore a 1927 Jowett "gill on tube" radiator I have purchased that is in poor condition; rusted gills, broken tubes, dents in the nickel silver top & bottom tanks, missing nickel silver side panels, missing nickel silver beading, etc, etc. The radiator originally had 4,928 gills on 36 1/4" copper tubes!

DSC02852_s2.jpg

I have been searching the world for a suitable company to do the work, and everyone has referred me to "Vintage Wings & Radiators" in Manchester as the only possibility. They stock the round gills for the back row of tubes, but don't stock the square "snowflake" shaped gills for the front row of tubes, and so these have to be tooled up at my cost. Their quote for all the work required is prohibitively expensive, so I am considering the somewhat cheaper option of them supplying only the 36 gill/tube assemblies I need, and then I will try to rebuild the radiator myself. Any comments?

Has anyone dealt with David Jackson at Vintage Wings & Radiators? Their website has disappeared in the last couple of months. Have they been taken over by someone else?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Andrew

[Tony Fearn]

Hello Andrew,

John Wilson from Cessnock NSW restored a vintage as a sports tourer, and the radiator looked good from the photos I've seen.

It's now gone to another NSW member, but a line to John might be worthwhile. I think he's on email now. Nezley can confirm.

John Wilson's vintage sports repro..jpg

Alternatively, fax Jowett Car Spares in the UK. I think IP has connections to radiator restorationists.

Tony.

[Keith Clements]

I contacted JCS about this a response suggested they can do a good job at reasonable price.

[Andrew Henshall]

Hello Andrew,

John Wilson from Cessnock NSW restored a vintage as a sports tourer, and the radiator looked good from the photos I've seen.

It's now gone to another NSW member, but a line to John might be worthwhile. I think he's on email now. Nezley can confirm..

Thanks Tony, I have spoken to John Wilson about my project, and actually visited him last year just to view his 1927 Jowett sports (Victoria Worsley replica); he lives about a full day's drive from my home! John was able to locate sufficient second-hand gills/tubes (off a vintage truck radiator) that were not exactly the right snowflake shape for the front row of tubes in a Jowett but were close enough to be able to be used when he rebuilt his radiator given that nothing else is available. John has been very helpful, but unfortunately does not know of anywhere I can find the correct gills.

I'm resigned to having to tool up the snowflake gills for the front row of tubes & to purchasing them and the round gills (for the back row of tubes) from Vintage Wings & Radiators.

The suggestion to contact JCS is an interesting thought; thanks to Keith for actioning this on my behalf.

Cheers,

Andrew

[DavidMetcalfe]

the radiator man you need to use is the man that restores them for jowett spares, he's very good and knows what he's doing

[Andrew Henshall]

I joined the JCC and followed the advice received from members of the JCC and shipped my radiator to Michael at JCS for a complete restoration by his radiator guy. It arrived last week and so the long process has commenced.

Andrew

[DavidMetcalfe]

i had a radiator done by the man who is doing it for you and it comes back like new! let us know have you go on?