Manufacturing a new filter for a 1934 Lagonda.

The member explained:

“Like most older engines, the Meadows 4.5 litre engine fitted to my Lagonda M45 produces more heat than a modern engine and can produce silt due to silicate corrosion inhibitors which precipitate out of the liquid and form hard, white crystals. If these find their way into the cooling radiator they will restrict the flow of cooling water, leading to overheating problems and eventually a blocked radiator. To prevent this, the radiator was originally fitted with a gauze filter where the hot water from the engine enters the header tank. However, these have been unobtainable for many years and owners have had to resort to using an old sock in the top radiator hose.

My car had an original type filter which was fitted about 25 years ago, but this failed in 2024 and resulted in a partially blocked radiator which had to be removed and thoroughly cleaned to remove the silt. I was lucky that the cleaning was successful and the radiator core did not have to be replaced, but I could not find a suitable replacement filter and had to fit an old sock to prevent any further damage to the radiator.

I continued to look for a suitable filter and found several in line filters but nothing that would fit my car and so I started looking for a company that could copy my old filter.

At first, everyone I tried was either not interested or too expensive until I came across a reference to Croft Filters who specialise in the manufacture of custom filter solutions and whose address was not far from mine. I contacted the company who assured me that they could make a filter for any application, so I sent them a picture of my old filter and soon after received a quotation for an exact copy, but made from stainless steel instead of the copper and brass used on the old one. The price was acceptable and the company agreed to make a sample so I delivered my old filter to be used as a pattern.

A week later the sample was ready (see picture) and when I went to pick it up, I was shown around the factory which is very impressive, with state of the art cutting and welding equipment and laser printing machines which enable the most intricate filters to be manufactured.

The sample filter was shown to other Lagonda owners who were all impressed and so an order was placed for 50 filters, which were produced and delivered in just over two weeks.

I have now removed the old sock and fitted a new filter which is a much neater and long lasting solution.”

Mark Burns, director at Croft Filters, added:

By reverse-engineering the basket filter, we were able to manufacture a quality product utilising modern technologies and quality materials, whilst ensuring the new component had the exact dimensions and tolerances of the original. This showcases our ability to provide bespoke solutions for products that are no longer obtainable.