Club 80-90 Forums

Hello there,
We've got a 1985 LHD Joker, 1.6td and I've noticed that there's some silvery white sack like material behind the front upper grill. Does anyone know what this is for, is it a seasonal thing? During the summer when it's hot the drivers right foot could be cut up and put on a sandwich it gets so hot down there......just wondered if the sacking had anything to with it.
Thanks,
Jools

Huh?

No "sack" material here:


There are bits of black cardboard type stuff on either side of the rad and on the back of the grille to direct air through the rad ...but that's it.

The TD does have some silvery insulation type stuff underneath the tunnel where the gearstick sits, you can see that when you take the spare out.

But even with that, the area around the tunnel and the footwell does get a bit warm as the coolant pipes run there.

It is a silvery colour and does look like insulation stuff but it's definitely right behind the grille. I haven't taken the grille off and I can see it. Just dropped her off at the garage to sort out an oil leak but I'll take the grille off when I pick her up and have a closer look. Thanks for your help and the picture.
Jools

Not genuine fitment. Could have been put in there to make up for a thermostat problem. Mine had a big chunk of cardboard behind the grill when I got mine. Maybe you've inadvertently sucked a postman into the rad

He appears to be in SW Derbyshire, dont think they have postmen there, its rural int it
mike

If they do, they're one short. Bet its a 'get me through the winter' idea. As I said, mine had cardboard in there and I soon discovered rad thermostat was totally stuffed.

RuggerDubber wrote:It is a silvery colour and does look like insulation stuff but it's definitely right behind the grille. I haven't taken the grille off and I can see it. Just dropped her off at the garage to sort out an oil leak but I'll take the grille off when I pick her up and have a closer look. Thanks for your help and the picture.
Jools

There is carboard stuff behind the grille ...on either side of the rad, but not in front of it.
This is sort of "riveted" to the grill with plastic ...which breaks and the cardboard falls off. Plus the material itself develops the odd structural weakness after 20 years of wind and rain and just rots off. It is possible that someone just stuck something else there and that's what you're seeing.
It shouldn't be in front of the rad however.

I'm thinking it's got to come out. And yes, we're rural but the postman only lost his arm and he's got 4 others to carry on with