MTFCA Forum

looking through a auction paper the other day [old had been done] there was a set of shutters fitted over a 26 or7 radiator, it looked factory, has any one seen those, were they factory made for the t ?, as my grandmother would say---in all my born days i never see one.--- why? , no heater--to use that hot water, if you want the up the engine temp, just retard a little or climb a hill, to me that's a strange gadget -

Yes there were several company that made the shutter or radiator covers. Cars run best at around 180, so on a cold day they kept the temp up without resorting to finding a hill or retarding the spark. Of course after you clime the hill it get cooled off going down the others side!

Likely an aftermarket accessory for cold climates, was common on more expensive cars, like Rolls-Royce.

This thread shows some shutters and other methods to heat-it-up in cold weather
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/11 ... 1290697172

Even in Oregon on some cooler days I could use one. When it really cold, out comes the card board.

WOW, IVE SEEN THE SOFT WINTER COVER, BUT THE ONE ADVERTISED IN THAT PAPER HAD 15 STEEL LOUVERS OPERATED WITH A VACCUM CYLINDER, AND IT WAS FORM FITTED TO A TALL- T --RADIATOR, IT LOOKED TOO GOOD TO HAVE BEEN HOME MADE, JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOUVE SEEN EVERY THING, I REMEMBER MY FATHER STICKING CARD BOARD IN FRONT OF THE RADIATOR ON THE 29 FORD WE HAD AT THE TIME, THAT HAD A MANIFOLD HEATER THAT WOULD KEEP ONE FOOT AT A TIME FROM FREEZING, I ALSO REMEMBER BACK THEN THE ANTIFREEZE WAS BLUE AND WAS ALCOHOL AND WOULD BOIL AT THE SLIGHTEST DEGREE OVER WARM, I THINK IT WAS CALLED ZEREX ,CAME IN A BLUE AND YELLOW STEEL CAN ,YOU NEEDED THE CAN OPENER THAT PUNCHED THE V SHAPE IN THE CAN, THANK YOU ALL FOR SHOWING THE MANY KINDS OF THERMOSTATS FROM DAYS GONE BY, ITS FUN TO SEE.

“Winter fronts” of various types were common accessories for all cars in cold climates, from sheets of cardboard to “bonnets” of leatherette with snaps to adjust the amount of coverage to metal shutters. Semi tractors still use the fabric type.

Packard, Rolls and others had thermostatically controlled shutters. Accessories for Fords usually had some method for manual control from the driver’s seat.

FWIW, when Packards appeared with them in ‘31 part of the rationale was that controlling air flow through the radiator was an improvement over controlling water flow through the block with an outlet thermostat. It certainly cost more to build.

My shutters are open because I've been driving. As the car sits and cools a diaphragm in the radiator will move the linkage to close them.