Austin Healey Frogeye grille : The Sprite Forum : The Austin-Healey Experience

Austin Healey Frogeye grille #1
126245 Steve Garrick Worthing, west sussex, UK Sign in to contact 1957 MG Magnette ZB "Dimitri"	Topic Creator (OP) Jun 14, 2025 01:29 PM Joined 4 years ago 36 Posts

I have purchased a “Californian” front end(bonnet etc) for my Frogeye
I cannot get the grill to fit, this bonnet has an elongated hole logically for the grille top guide pin, but it also has two holes either side of the guide hole? does an export frogeye have a different grille,( note when I measured the guide hole on my old bonnet it is positioned half an inch closer to the front of the bonnet.
Any help out there?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-06-14 01:30 PM by 126245.

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Re: Austin Healey Frogeye grille #2
froghealey Peter Dulieu Hornchurch, Essex, UK Sign in to contact 1956 Austin-Healey 100 1959 Austin-Healey 100-Six 1959 Austin-Healey Sprite	Jun 14, 2025 02:25 PM Top Contributor Joined 5 years ago 1,476 Posts

Hi Steve, all Sprites with the Frogeye grille had the same grille when sold either over seas or at home here in the UK. Could be someone modified the holding holes for a different type of grille.
When you say your grille won’t fit, where exactly is the problem? Is your grille original or an aftermarket supplied item?
Can you post some pics of the bonnet and holes and grille?
Peter

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Re: Austin Healey Frogeye grille #3
126245 Steve Garrick Worthing, west sussex, UK Sign in to contact 1957 MG Magnette ZB "Dimitri"	Topic Creator (OP) Jun 14, 2025 06:16 PM Joined 4 years ago 36 Posts

Thanks for your info,it’s funny but the guide hole and the other holes looked factory to me with no sign of it being modified however I have drilled another guide hole as per my old bonnet, and now the grille fits reasonably well not perfect but close,it is an aftermarket grille so I expect I will have to fettle it to fit.
Steve �

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Re: Austin Healey Frogeye grille #4
126245 Steve Garrick Worthing, west sussex, UK Sign in to contact 1957 MG Magnette ZB "Dimitri"	Topic Creator (OP) Jul 9, 2025 04:46 PM Joined 4 years ago 36 Posts

Hi,still having problems with my grille,Is there any kind person out there who can measure the distance from the grill top/centre guide pin hole to the front of the bonnet shroud, Or if not the distance from the Healey badge to the top pin hole I have two bonnets and the guide holes are different from each other.
Regards

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Re: Austin Healey Frogeye grille #5
flashg Gordon Van Den Noort Elmore, VT, USA Sign in to contact 1959 Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite "Holly"	Jul 9, 2025 08:33 PM Top Contributor Joined 2 years ago 1,376 Posts

Whats a Californian front end?

Perfection is the point where anything you do makes it worse

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Re: Austin Healey Frogeye grille #6
froghealey Peter Dulieu Hornchurch, Essex, UK Sign in to contact 1956 Austin-Healey 100 1959 Austin-Healey 100-Six 1959 Austin-Healey Sprite	Jul 10, 2025 01:55 AM Top Contributor Joined 5 years ago 1,476 Posts

Steve photo of my bonnet.
Centre of badge to top of slot is 77mm.
Pear shaped slot is 13mm long.
Bottom of slot to edge of grille opening is 50mm.
Peter

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Re: Austin Healey Frogeye grille #7
126245 Steve Garrick Worthing, west sussex, UK Sign in to contact 1957 MG Magnette ZB "Dimitri"	Topic Creator (OP) Jul 10, 2025 02:42 AM Joined 4 years ago 36 Posts

A Californian front end is just where is was imported from.
Regards

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Re: Austin Healey Frogeye grille #8
126245 Steve Garrick Worthing, west sussex, UK Sign in to contact 1957 MG Magnette ZB "Dimitri"	Topic Creator (OP) Jul 10, 2025 02:44 AM Joined 4 years ago 36 Posts

Thanks for the measurements,it is exactly what I wanted�
I have measured from the hole from the front edge,mine is 58mm yours is 50 MM,I have the hole drilled at 50mm now and the grille is almost perfect.( I was beginning to think my bonnet was distorted even though it shows no sign of being so.
Thanks again
Steve

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-07-10 02:57 AM by 126245.

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Re: Austin Healey Frogeye grille #9
ChilternGuy Guy H Henley on Thames, Berkshire, UK Sign in to contact 1959 Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite 1968 MG MGC	Jul 10, 2025 08:21 AM Top Contributor Joined 6 years ago 295 Posts

On mine, front edge of badge to top of hole is 2 inches (shade over 50mm).

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-07-10 08:22 AM by ChilternGuy.

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Re: Austin Healey Frogeye grille #10
froghealey Peter Dulieu Hornchurch, Essex, UK Sign in to contact 1956 Austin-Healey 100 1959 Austin-Healey 100-Six 1959 Austin-Healey Sprite	Jul 11, 2025 08:16 AM Top Contributor Joined 5 years ago 1,476 Posts

Steve/Guy, I have shown you mine let’s see yours!
If you can post pictures of your front ends it might clarify.
Peter

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Re: Austin Healey Frogeye grille #11
ChilternGuy Guy H Henley on Thames, Berkshire, UK Sign in to contact 1959 Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite 1968 MG MGC	Jul 12, 2025 03:48 AM Top Contributor Joined 6 years ago 295 Posts

Here you go Peter. Metal fatigue got the top pin some 40+ years ago, but leaves it ideal for this measurement. Top of the location hole is directly underneath.

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Re: Austin Healey Frogeye grille #12
froghealey Peter Dulieu Hornchurch, Essex, UK Sign in to contact 1956 Austin-Healey 100 1959 Austin-Healey 100-Six 1959 Austin-Healey Sprite	Jul 12, 2025 08:48 AM Top Contributor Joined 5 years ago 1,476 Posts

Looking at your grille peak Guy, it is a different shape than mine. My grille is not a factory original but a 1984 replacement from AHSpares. Is your grille a 1 piece pressing? Mine is a 2 piece I.e. the main grille is brazed to the perimeter section.
I have attached a couple of pics showing the dimension of 40mm/1.5” from bottom of badge to peak of grille. The other pic shows reverse of the grille and where the top pin is located in relation to the grille peak.
Peterk

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Re: Austin Healey Frogeye grille #13
ChilternGuy Guy H Henley on Thames, Berkshire, UK Sign in to contact 1959 Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite 1968 MG MGC	Jul 12, 2025 11:03 AM Top Contributor Joined 6 years ago 295 Posts

I’d noticed that some cars have grills with a slightly wider flange at the top but was unsure if that’s aftermarket or perhaps just a production variation? Mine was pitted and dented so it has been fettled and rechromed. There wasn’t much difference in cost between the new ones from AH spares and the re chrome. Though no doubt the new ones would be free of blemishes still evident on mine. It looks single piece, but difficult to be sure in-situ.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-07-12 11:16 AM by ChilternGuy.

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