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I've got a Grill Keith, any good ?

 

Mick Richards

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Sorry Mick, it appears Im looking for the unobtainable. (As in the Holy Grail ) Im after steel wings and a front panel from any side screen car Regards Keith

Hi Keith, I think you are up against it

Each wing in reasonable condition will cost you a grand each corner if you can find someone who will part with them

 

Can't you get the old ones repaired

 

Pink

Edited by pinky
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Keith, I'm 4 years into my TR3a rebuild and here is what I have learned:

 

1. The people that first owned these cars could apparently not drive. Every one of them has been run into something solid and bent the front apron along with the front of the front wings.

 

2. Lots of people have spare panels stored somewhere, they have all been bashed or rotted pretty much the same way as your originals if not worse

 

3. You can buy new handmade panels I think, made in the UK. TRF sells them over here, dont know where they get them from but Stuart will know. See Pinky's comment about a grand plus per corner and they still wont fit without some fettling which is ok.

 

 

If you still have the original panels lets have a look at them, you might be surprised at what can be achieved with hammer/dolly, lead, bondo, spit, polish and repair sections. If you dont have anything, that could be a problem and perhaps buying a parts car or an abandoned project would be another way to source restorable panels.

 

Stan

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Thanks the rear wings and the o/s front are fibreglass as is the front panel. So I need some thing to at least work with. Im retired so its Time rich cash Poor to use a well worn expression. Work repairing not a real problem its down to value for money. However Im still looking. Ive had a few interesting offers that Im considering but at present STILL LOOKING Thanks again for all the responses Regards Keith

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  • 2 weeks later...

Some success Ive obtained repairable rear wings and a front apron.Still require some sills floor panels,passenger side door (all steel frame)and a drivers side front wing Thanks for all contributions to date Regards Keith

 

You are making good progress Keith. I see that Moss Europe has floor panels for under $100 a side, that is not a bad price especially if they have all the cage nuts already installed. I paid around $70 a side a couple of years ago, repro panels but no cage nuts but the floors were a better fit than I expected.

 

My experience with outer sills, and I bought several sets hoping the next would be better than the previous, but in each case the supplied sills were more of a starting point and needed significant cutting, welding, lead etc to get them to fit and look half decent. Sills also are pretty cheap even at retail prices.

 

Panels over here in the US are probably more available but uneconomical to ship. Perhaps a door may be possible since it is smaller and not that heavy. There are usually half a dozen doors on eBay at any given time.

 

Stan

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These panels look as if they would be fairly easy to make on an English wheel.

At least you could make repair sections this way.

 

If I had this problem I'd go one of the courses run by:

http://www.mphmotorpanels.com/

 

You should also check Youtube for "Lazze metal shaping".

 

You'd struggle to do a 4 or 6 wing but a sidescreen looks do-able.

Edited by AlanT
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Alan

 

I dont know if you have made any panels on an English wheel it is hard work !

 

A decent second hand wheel will set you back the best part of £3000 the modern diy ones are too flexable to use correctley.

 

To make a door skin panel which is one of the easiest on a sidescreen TR takes a good 4 or 5 hours if you know what you are doing, one wrong move and you go from a nice piece of work to scrap metal in a few strokes. The panels available from people like radford http://radfordpanel.co.uk/ are very good value considering the work involved.

 

I have already spent close to 30 hours on an aliminium wing for a 1930's Bently under the tutalage of a coachbuilder with 54 years experience and it is nowhere near finished, I am just glad it is not me that will be welding the bloody thing up when all the parts are finished.

 

Wheeling is a passion not something you can pick up in a few days

 

Cheers

 

Alan

Edited by Kiwifrog
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