Louvres

We frequently apply louvres to rally and race cars to achieve better cooling. Louvres are narrow, elongated openings in the bodywork of certain automobiles. These narrow air vents usually serve to dissipate excess hot air from the engine compartment or to direct cool airflow toward the carburettors and brakes. Regardless of the reason, beyond a beautiful appearance, louvres serve a critical technical function. 

Traditional expertise in metal and aluminium

While louvres can be made in many materials, we primarily focus on applications in steel and aluminium. Not only can your ‘old’ hoods be fitted with louvres, but we also apply this technique to new panels used for restorations. 'Setting' louvres is a remarkably precise and specialised task. Not only must we measure with extreme accuracy before making the first cut, but the subsequent bending of the louvres is also a craft in itself. With flat sheet metal, this is manageable as a duo, but a curved hood is an entirely different story. The contours of the bodywork add an extra layer of difficulty, but thanks to our extensive experience in specialised metalworking, this is a task we perform with great dedication and passion.

The process: Precision with no way back

Once we have marked the lines on the sheet metal, the first cuts are made—neatly aligned at equal intervals. Then, using a punch machine, the metal is pushed upwards on one side in a single fluid motion. We stop exactly at the end of the cut. This process knows no turning back—once stamped, it's stamped, and once bent, it's bent. It must be perfect on the first attempt, which is only possible through the experience we have built up over the years.

The advantage of our expertise

The major benefit for you is that Radboud Restoration has this specialised knowledge, skill, and equipment in-house.This means neither you nor we has to rely on third parties, which guarantees the quality of the repair or restoration process. This saves us time and you money, while ensuring a transparent workflow for the project. We make sure you can get back to enjoying your classic car as quickly and efficiently as possible.