Patch/Repair Panels

[DCTiger]

I have looked back thru threads trying to find up to date info on repair/patch panels. PO put mags on early in life and cut the wheel lip arches out of rear qtrs. Tried to get the patch panels from TigerGuy (from West Midlands) but just missed out to someone who bought the whole lot. They then went on Ebay just recently and sold for 3X the price.

Anyways, I know a lot of folks out there have restored cars so I pose the question again. Do you make your own (Looks like Oneoffive does) or what is your source (Rob Martel or whoever supplied him is out of business I believe)? West Midlands in UK is still around, and I have tried emailing Radford Panel, UK. What about quality of VB?

Thxs,
Robert

 

[michael-king]

Robert,

Mike Schroder in florida had some a little while back IIRC.. the Uk suppliers you have tried.. there is a plce down here (australia) with the patterns i htink who makes them.. the other option is an alpine parts car and cut the section out of the rear guards.

 

[0neoffive]

It's Getting Tough

I have looked back thru threads trying to find up to date info on repair/patch panels. PO put mags on early in life and cut the wheel lip arches out of rear qtrs. Tried to get the patch panels from TigerGuy (from West Midlands) but just missed out to someone who bought the whole lot. They then went on Ebay just recently and sold for 3X the price.

Anyways, I know a lot of folks out there have restored cars so I pose the question again. Do you make your own (Looks like Oneoffive does) or what is your source (Rob Martel or whoever supplied him is out of business I believe)? West Midlands in UK is still around, and I have tried emailing Radford Panel, UK. What about quality of VB?

Thxs,
Robert

Before our tin Guru grudgingly started making our own, we shopped around and found the quality was hit or miss with suppliers. Sometimes panels would come in great and other times we ended up re-shaping them. The man-hours required for individual forming make the pricing scary. I still shop from sources to save on time but there is a skill level involved in fitting what we end up with. VB occasionally had quality pieces as did Radford. Martel was always a notch above the rest, but I understand he found a real career to make the ends meet. Glad to help if I can . . . . .rw

 

[DCTiger]

Thanks Michael and Randy. I will check with Warren again to see if he still has the donor car and next time I go to CA I will see if I can cut them out. This forum definately has some great folks with great ideas and sources. Too bad I have to keep going across the country to get rust free stuff. Need some local east coast sources.

 

[65beam]

panels

you may have figured out that due to the weather and stuff called salt, there are very few rust free cars on the east coast. that's the reason we go west to buy the rust free stuff. we have three that came from california. the fourth rust free sunbeam we have spent 32 years in a garage in the D.C. area .

 

[0neoffive]

So Cal or Bust

Thanks Michael and Randy. I will check with Warren again to see if he still has the donor car and next time I go to CA I will see if I can cut them out. This forum definately has some great folks with great ideas and sources. Too bad I have to keep going across the country to get rust free stuff. Need some local east coast sources.

An unscheduled family need will have me baby sitting the G-kids in Sandy Eggo at the end of this month. Of course, I'll be hitting the usual parts haunts for booty . UPS just luvs our left coast trips . . . . . .

 

[michael-king]

An unscheduled family need will have me baby sitting the G-kids in Sandy Eggo at the end of this month. Of course, I'll be hitting the usual parts haunts for booty . UPS just luvs our left coast trips . . . . . .

At least for you guys it's just a trip across country.. down here there are no real "parts cars".. we had so few of them come here (not just sunbeams.. import cars in general) and the cost of cars here that they mostly get restored.. which means either make the parts here or bring them over from the states in general.

That said it also leads to a very good survival rate for old cars in the antidopes.

Robert.. if you needed any remanufactured panels the guy here is good.. but you are probably better of gettign them stateside if possible.. and our AU$ value makes pickings on this side of the world rather more pricey even before postage.