Genuine Rootes accesory bars

[SIVAllan]

'Here's a picture of "genuine Rootes accessory bars." They are used for mounting fog and spot lights, and badges.

I've not seen them before and thought to repost the picture for general comment. I spotted the picture on a Facebook group.

Perhaps someone knows more about factory accessory bars.

 

[65beam]

Allan,
I have one of the bars with the badge bar installed on the green car. This bar bolts to the frame rails using the bolts for the bumper brackets. There was a chrome bar that bolted to this piece that allowed the mounting of badges and lights. I mounted the lamps on the badge bar so I could move them to the center of the car. Doug Jennings had a run of these bars made and he used the bar on every car he restored. His reason was to connect the frame rails together for extra strength.

 

[SIVAllan]

Thanks!

It makes sense with the chrome bar added

 

[George Coleman]

The bar also is a good stiffener for the front of the car between the frame horns. Doug Jennings used it on his auto cross car!

 

[65beam]

The bar also is a good stiffener for the front of the car between the frame horns. Doug Jennings used it on his auto cross car!

George,
Bob T's Alpine is a testament to how it works as a stiffener. Doug restored it a number of years ago and when he was hit the bar did it's job. Both of my cars that came out of Tiger Auto have the bars. Doug is close to being able to drive his black Tiger. The body is done and the drive train is in and it needs the interior.

 

[v13311]

Another look at an accessory bar with the fog lights connected to the bar behind the bumper. Only badges were meant to be on the badge bar which is also connected to the accessory bar. Purchased from Ian Spencer when he was unloading his parts. This was one of many that he had specially made in England.

 

[65beam]

Another look at an accessory bar with the fog lights connected to the bar behind the bumper. Only badges were meant to be on the badge bar which is also connected to the accessory bar. Purchased from Ian Spencer when he was unloading his parts. This was one of many that he had specially made in England.

This photo shows one of the badge bars connected to the accessory bar. I had the correct driving light brackets but I had a set of light mounts that allowed me to place the lights on the badge bar instead of using the mounts for the accessory bar and since I wanted something different I mounted the lights on the badge bar. The only badge on this car is my very old SCCA badge that has been mounted on the right grill bar since I first joined SCCA. I sold the light brackets to a U.K. owner yesterday so they're headed back to their point of origin. I do have several sets of Lucas light brackets and several styles in Rootes boxes that are held on by the bolt that holds the bumper to the frame rail. I used a set of these brackets to mount one set of my Rootes lights on the current Harrington project. The Harrington setup still needs a little tweaking of the bumper, etc. but you'll get the idea.

 

[greenbeam]

Given the accessory bar is simply flat steel with four bends, could I suggest making a dimensioned drawing of it. That way they can be reproduced locally by individuals. The chrome badge bar and light brackets are probably worth having a batch made as they are a little more fiddly.

 

[Paul A]

Given the accessory bar is simply flat steel with four bends, could I suggest making a dimensioned drawing of it. That way they can be reproduced locally by individuals. The chrome badge bar and light brackets are probably worth having a batch made as they are a little more fiddly.

A few years back I had a half dozen accessory bars made up, also the light mounting brackets. Eventually I sold them all. At that time there was not a lot of interest in them.

 

[greenbeam]

Hi Paul A,
were dimensioned drawings made for the batch you had made, or were they made to match a sample item? If the former, would you share the drawings? I'd be happy to turn them into a tech article and post them in the tech section of SAOCA website.
Regards,
Other Paul ;-)

 

[alpine_64]

There were a couple of version on the spot lamp brackets and badge bar and accessory bar. ... They have different heights, offsets and profiles... Some are much easier than others to repro

 

[65beam]

This version of the badge bar is different than the version Ian made which were made like the version on my series 4. This series 2 is still owned by the original buyer that bought the car new while stationed in the U.K. The optional items were installed when he picked the car up at the dealer. Not sure about the lights.

 

[Paul A]

Hi Paul A,
were dimensioned drawings made for the batch you had made, or were they made to match a sample item? If the former, would you share the drawings? I'd be happy to turn them into a tech article and post them in the tech section of SAOCA website.
Regards,
Other Paul ;-)

I used one of the bars from Ian as the pattern. I took Ian's bar to a local shop and had them make mine based on that.