225mm Magnesium Small Fan Housing...

[Darren65]

The casting number on top has been modified so as not to confuse with an original

They do look good Gled……I guess you could always try sanding back the part/casting number if someone wanted a more factory original type look.

Cheers,

[Darren65]

I have it on good authority that these should actually be called a '226mm fan housing' …..

[Darren65]

Slightly OT however someone asked the question…..

All the photos I highlighted in my initial post are my own items that I've purchased directly from Ben Coles…..no affiliation other than being a very satisfied customer….

….Ben can be a little difficult to pin down at times, worth remembering that he produces these parts in his spare time, certainly worth the effort though as his parts are amongst the very best

Cheers,

[Olivier]

Very interesting topic (at least for me).

You can find some on ebay. they cost about 1000€ each. Pretty expensive for a 300$ casting!

I have been wondering for a while now if there are really different sources for these parts. Like the marelli twin dizzy, high butterflies, and fan housing. Given the (assumed) small market it represents, it would'nt make sense to tool up from different peoples.

If you happen to make some progress on this topic, please, update this thread!

Regards

Olivier.

[Darren65]

Call Crawford composites in Denver North Carolina. Max Crawford will sell you all the small fan housings you will ever need. He also makes the Glasfiber sheetmertal for all the 6 cylinder engines. Max also makes the 914-6 GT "Special" sheetmetal.

Feast yourself!

KJ

Hi Olivier,

Kevin wasn't referring to the shroud…...I've just purchased a fan housing from Crawford Composites, winging it's way to me now……it's cast in aluminium and will require finishing although very sensibly priced; CC are also a great efficient company to deal with.

I'll post photos when the fan housing arrives.

Cheers,

[Darren65]

I have been wondering for a while now if there are really different sources for these parts. Like the marelli twin dizzy, high butterflies

I suspect you're right for a lot of products Olivier……I wouldn't be surprised if the housing I've just purchased is the same product being offered elsewhere for 2/3/4 times the price.


As far as Ben's stuff is concerned, that's all his own…..I've personally seen where he works, his moulds, jigs, prototypes, lathes etc……I've seen other reproduction high butterflies on the market however these really don't compare with the item that Ben produces….not even close.

We spoke yesterday and he will consider producing reproduction fan housings although he would need the loan of a really good original for a couple of months to produce moulds.

Cheers,

[Darren65]

Package arrived from Crawford Composites today .....









...an excellent reproduction 226mm small fan housing at a fraction of prices being charged elsewhere. Quick and super efficient, Shane at Crawford Composites was really helpful and a refreshing change from others I've dealt with lately.

It would have been nice to have found an original or one cast in magnesium although cannot fault the quality of this item or the high level of service from Crawford Composites, superb

Plan is to clear anodise the fan and maybe take the edges off the part number for a more worn look.

Big thanks to Kevin for pointing me in the right direction.

Now I just have to part with a kidney to secure a racing oil filter housing! .....

Cheers,

[Olivier]

Nice part Darren!

If I were you, I'd investigate if there is any anodising close to the gold used on Mag, just for the look...

Regards

Olivier.

[Darren65]

A quick update…..

Although I'm very pleased with the aluminium housing I've purchased I was a little concerned how it will look finished, especially when compared against the originals Armando has had re-chromated …..

http://www.pbase.com/9146gt/my9146gt...after_chromate

I'd talked to Ben Coles about him reproducing these in magnesium although initially it looked unviable due to cost; the investment required for moulds/casting etc is many thousands which is hard to recoup with such a limited production run. It takes numbers to reduce the cost per unit and there just isn't a big market for these.

Fortunately Ben had a change of heart and a friend with a pretty rare stock of parts has lent him this….







…this original, complex (and quite rough) casting has been thoroughly analysed and Ben is now in the process of reproducing a limited batch of small fan housings which will be produced by the exact same process and identical to the original with correct casting seems, part number etc, cast in magnesium and finished in the correct dark chromate finish…..and all done in Birmingham, one of the engineering capitals of the UK, rather than China or other parts of the Far East!

I'll post photos as soon as they're complete.

Guess I now have an aluminium housing for sale!

Cheers,

[Yellow491]

That looks like a nice fan housing