Sebring grille surround versus original Healey

Has anyone compared the Sebring grille surround to an original Healey? I'm guessing the Sebring grille opening is larger, but I'm curious.

Mike

I purchased a chrome metal two piece surround from a member last year, probably from a Healey. While not perfect (looks a little undersized), it looks close enough that with a little fiberglass work it fit and no more plastic.

Thanks DrJ. I've been seeing original Healey pieces on EBAY and wondered if they would fit.

i found a eggcrate grill for a volvo p1800 that looks real promising.

DrJ. Would you mind elaborating on installing the OE Healey grill surround into the Sebring? I assembled the plastic grill surround that comes with the MX and fit it into the grill opening today. Ok, fits fine, but wow, is that grill surround thin! I have serious doubts the chrome is going to last long or the stress on the plastic grill surround mounts breaks it. I'd like to know what you think of the replacement you installed and the modifications made to install it. If you have pictures to supplement your installation that would be great too. Oh, at this point, I’m not planning on installing the vertical slats that came with the kit if that makes a difference. I may use a black or chrome honeycomb pattern grill instead.
Thank you.

I agree with you the grill needs help , it will be a long time before I am happy with this new grill I am going to start on it’s using a Volvo p1800 egg crate grill . I am looking for a Ferrari look with sprite tail lights

Ok. Good luck with your modifications. For some reason I thought you had installed an OE Healey 3000 grill surround in your car?? I hate to buy the OE replacement surround only to find out it is not at all compatible with our replicas.
Thank you for your reply.

Whoa! I just saw the price of an OE replacement grill surround!! I think the plastic grill will have to do for as long as it lasts.

The surrounds pop up on EBAY from time to time with price usually based on condition.  If you have  a rechroming shop near you, you can get one that needs refinishing and MAYBE save some money.

But, be aware, that the original Healey 3000 surround will not fit the Sebring without a major redo of the Sebring opening.  While they look more or less the same, they are not.  The contour of the area around the Sebring opening is not the same as a original Healey and there are gaps everywhere.  It would require some major slicing and dicing on the Sebring opening to make the Healey surround fit.

The easiest way to do it, IMO, would be to find an original Healey that you could take a splash mold off of the area around the opening.  Use this to create a new panel and then 'glass this into the Sebring front.  Otherwise, you will have to cut the Sebring frontend in several places and pull the 'glass in or out to match the Healey grill and then reglass all the mods.

I bought a decent Heaely grill on EBAY just to try what you propose.  I decided that it wasn's worth the amount of work it would take and I wasn's sure what the finished installation would look like.  Since the contours of the two cars are so different, would the Sebring look "off" if the front was made to fit the Healey part?  In the end, I wound up creating a 100-6 grille for my Sebring using original Healey parts.  This took two poor condition 100-6 grilles and the upper eyebrow from the 3000 grille.  I reshaped the eyebrow and had it rechromed.  What I had in the end was a reasonable copy of the 100-6.

This is an original 100-6:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

And this is what I came up with:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Hey Stevez,
You said " that grill surround thin! I have serious doubts the chrome is going to last long or the stress on the plastic grill surround mounts breaks it."

Mine was made in 1990. I've had it on the road for 20 years and 26k miles. Still looks almost perfect with no cracks at all.

Thank you Hotrod for the explanation on a potential modification and words of encouragement from Jerry and Lisa that their CR has held up. May mine withstand the test of time as well. If not, then I have a better idea of how to go about modifying.
Hotrod, as always, great job. The grill looks great!
Thanks for the responses and help!