Hi, before I go and buy an aray of rust repair panels for the SL/R does anyone know if all the available panels fit perfectly, or are they rough and need alterations before being fitted.
I need lower rear screen section, left and right lower rear quarter sections, and maybe left and right lower front guards although I might look for good guards, but original panels are original even if 10% was replaced.
Rare Spares rust replacment panels
Started by
_AquaSLR5000_
, Aug 28 2007 10:29 PM
14 replies to this topic
#2
rodomo
-
- Members
-
- 18,042 posts
To advertise here, call 13TORANA
- Name:R - O - B Dammit!
- Location:Way out west of Melbourne Awstraylya
- Joined: 10-December 05
Posted 29 August 2007 - 01:15 AM
My opinion?
By the time a panel beater made these pieces and tapped them into place it would cost more in labour than to buy the rares parts and have him tap them into place.
By the time a panel beater made these pieces and tapped them into place it would cost more in labour than to buy the rares parts and have him tap them into place.
#3
_finer70_
_finer70_
-
- Guests
Posted 29 August 2007 - 07:35 PM
I really get riled up when people EXPECT that an after market Repair Section should be a PERFECT Fit.
Point made above, if you had to start from scratch, many many hours would be spent and p[robably just as many wasted having to start again.
The idea of a repair section is that it gives you a piece of steel that is as close as is possible given it would be made with basic metal forming equipment. Not million dollar stamping dies used in the original production.
Be grateful for small mercies having the opportunity to start your repair with something that is 90% or better.
As for an item being stil original if 10% repaired I offer;
Mick asked if the axe Pat was using was his original. Yes he replied it has only had three new handles and one new head in ten years.
Point made above, if you had to start from scratch, many many hours would be spent and p[robably just as many wasted having to start again.
The idea of a repair section is that it gives you a piece of steel that is as close as is possible given it would be made with basic metal forming equipment. Not million dollar stamping dies used in the original production.
Be grateful for small mercies having the opportunity to start your repair with something that is 90% or better.
As for an item being stil original if 10% repaired I offer;
Mick asked if the axe Pat was using was his original. Yes he replied it has only had three new handles and one new head in ten years.
#4
_redhotmike_
_redhotmike_
-
- Guests
Posted 29 August 2007 - 07:46 PM
I really get riled up when people EXPECT that an after market Repair Section should be a PERFECT Fit.
Sorry - gotta disagree with that one. PERFECT fit - probably not realistic when making new stuff to fit things that are 30 years old. that said, I'm from the school of "If your going to do something - do it right the first time" and that extends to my business dealings and expectations of products I buy.
These sections are not cheap to buy and I would expect them to fit with minimal adjustment due to variations between cars. It should be made very clear to the purchaser ahead of time if they are expected to make major alterations to get them to fit.
Cheers,
Red Hot Mike
#5
_finer70_
_finer70_
-
- Guests
Posted 29 August 2007 - 08:28 PM
Hmm I think you just agreed.
It needs to be understand that unless a manufacturer of these type of products spends the same millions the manufacture did they will never be"QUOTE PERFECT" . Especially when only a few hundred will ever be sold compared to may be thousands. I think expectations HAVE to be tempered with reality.
Do it right the first time is easy with unlimited resources and the product or service being the main income generator. But that is not the point. It is a matter of what can be done for a price. And what you get is a lot less costly than having a pannel beater start from scratch. If you can find some one who can and or will.
Lets face it, the retailers of these parts do it more as a service inconjunction with the sale other fast moving parts that subsidise the slower ones anyway. If it were only for profit on repair panels you would never see them.
So I say again, what you are buying are repair sections NOT Replacement Panels.
It needs to be understand that unless a manufacturer of these type of products spends the same millions the manufacture did they will never be"QUOTE PERFECT" . Especially when only a few hundred will ever be sold compared to may be thousands. I think expectations HAVE to be tempered with reality.
Do it right the first time is easy with unlimited resources and the product or service being the main income generator. But that is not the point. It is a matter of what can be done for a price. And what you get is a lot less costly than having a pannel beater start from scratch. If you can find some one who can and or will.
Lets face it, the retailers of these parts do it more as a service inconjunction with the sale other fast moving parts that subsidise the slower ones anyway. If it were only for profit on repair panels you would never see them.
So I say again, what you are buying are repair sections NOT Replacement Panels.
#6
_Yella SLuR_
_Yella SLuR_
-
- Guests
Posted 29 August 2007 - 08:56 PM
Agree. Also has to do with the process you follow to build up whole sections, and how you control the heat as you weld them in. Slowly slowly catches the monkey. I'll learn that one day.I really get riled up when people EXPECT that an after market Repair Section should be a PERFECT Fit.
#7
_AquaSLR5000_
_AquaSLR5000_
-
- Guests
Posted 29 August 2007 - 11:38 PM
Don't mean to upset anyone, but can someone simply answer the question I asked. I just want to know what I am in for when I start cutting into my car to replace rusted sections with rare spares type repair panels.
Going by Finer70's remarks, they don't fit that well? I certainly aren't upset with rare spares as I haven't bought anything yet.
Going by Finer70's remarks, they don't fit that well? I certainly aren't upset with rare spares as I haven't bought anything yet.
Edited by aquaSLRandSS5000s, 29 August 2007 - 11:39 PM.
#8
rodomo
-
- Members
-
- 18,042 posts
To advertise here, call 13TORANA
- Name:R - O - B Dammit!
- Location:Way out west of Melbourne Awstraylya
- Joined: 10-December 05
Posted 30 August 2007 - 01:52 AM
Short answer?
Buy the Rares parts but don't expect miracles.
Buy the Rares parts but don't expect miracles.
#9
_Yella SLuR_
_Yella SLuR_
-
- Guests
Posted 30 August 2007 - 07:38 AM
And if you haven't done this sort of thing before, don't attempt your first go on your pride and joy. Practice makes perfect.
My advice, before you outlay any serious bucks is grab a guard or door of a car (any car, preferably not Torana), make a rust repair panel from sheet metal, scribe it onto the practice bit, cut out, spot it in, then weld it. See how that goes. It will give a good indication on where your skills are at.
My advice, before you outlay any serious bucks is grab a guard or door of a car (any car, preferably not Torana), make a rust repair panel from sheet metal, scribe it onto the practice bit, cut out, spot it in, then weld it. See how that goes. It will give a good indication on where your skills are at.
Edited by Yella SLuR, 30 August 2007 - 07:41 AM.
#10
Dangerous
-
- Members
-
- 948 posts
Forum Fixture
- Location:Adelaide, SA
- Joined: 14-November 05
Posted 30 August 2007 - 11:14 AM
Aqua, they don't fit perfectly - then again, some of the NOS bits don't fit perfectly either.
I've used HG, LC and LX rear lower 1/4, LC rear windscreen, sill and front guard lower rust replacement sections.
The LC rear windscreen section is not too bad, but it does need a bit of tweaking as you weld it in. Nothing major, but it doesn't just fall into place.
All of the lower rear 1/4 panel sections that I've used seem OK. Good starting points, not perfectly fitted panels. Sill panels were generally OK, except the LC one I used wasn't quite the same curvature as the original panel, so it makes it hard to blend in if you're only replacing part of the sill.
Front lower guards - I've only used LC ones, and they are OK, but really could be closer, even if they had to cost a little more. It's a complex shaped panel though.
In general with Rarespares rust replacement panels, they are worth the money, although sometimes you catch yourself thinking - 'geez, with a little more attention to detail, it would fit so much better".
Over all, all of the rarespares rust replacement panels I've used - I'd use again, rather than try to make from scratch. I'd actually like them to be making more types, but am glad that at least some are available.
By the way, I'm no great metal worker, so I only do the simple stuff, and act as an 'apprentice' when things get a bit tricky or the result needs to be perfect.
Hope that answers your question.
I've used HG, LC and LX rear lower 1/4, LC rear windscreen, sill and front guard lower rust replacement sections.
The LC rear windscreen section is not too bad, but it does need a bit of tweaking as you weld it in. Nothing major, but it doesn't just fall into place.
All of the lower rear 1/4 panel sections that I've used seem OK. Good starting points, not perfectly fitted panels. Sill panels were generally OK, except the LC one I used wasn't quite the same curvature as the original panel, so it makes it hard to blend in if you're only replacing part of the sill.
Front lower guards - I've only used LC ones, and they are OK, but really could be closer, even if they had to cost a little more. It's a complex shaped panel though.
In general with Rarespares rust replacement panels, they are worth the money, although sometimes you catch yourself thinking - 'geez, with a little more attention to detail, it would fit so much better".
Over all, all of the rarespares rust replacement panels I've used - I'd use again, rather than try to make from scratch. I'd actually like them to be making more types, but am glad that at least some are available.
By the way, I'm no great metal worker, so I only do the simple stuff, and act as an 'apprentice' when things get a bit tricky or the result needs to be perfect.
Hope that answers your question.
#11
lakeside
-
- Members
-
- 2,703 posts
Lotsa Posts!
- Name:Col
- Location:melb
- Car:LC SBC
- Joined: 07-November 05
Posted 30 August 2007 - 06:00 PM
i wrecked and cut up a real good LJ 2dr and lc 4dr to get a few miner sections i could have bought from rare spares. Rather do it right than buy something that don't fit.
#12
_AquaSLR5000_
_AquaSLR5000_
-
- Guests
Posted 30 August 2007 - 08:56 PM
Thanks for all the advice guy's! After a couple of years waiting for one car and shit loads for the other, I am actually going to start.
My plan since both cars are the same colour, is to do both engine bays at the same time, repair, paint and re-install the drive lines. This will give me some room.
Both engines have been reconditioned, diffs recoditioned, gear boxes are both ok. I have new trim for the SLR and need to keep saving for the SS.
Once the engine bays are all done I think I will park the SS in the corner and concentrate on the SLR.
My plan since both cars are the same colour, is to do both engine bays at the same time, repair, paint and re-install the drive lines. This will give me some room.
Both engines have been reconditioned, diffs recoditioned, gear boxes are both ok. I have new trim for the SLR and need to keep saving for the SS.
Once the engine bays are all done I think I will park the SS in the corner and concentrate on the SLR.
#13
_gtr161s_
_gtr161s_
-
- Guests
Posted 31 August 2007 - 10:52 AM
Its a 50 50 proposition with some of the replacement panels.
Ive nearly finished my lc gtr, my only panel complaint is the lower section/sill to fit on the doors. They have pressed it out of the wrong guage, by making it to thick its not possible to succesfully fold the lips around the doors edge. In this case it was easier to repair the door with sections from a donor.
Every other replacement panel fitted ok with alittle tweaking.
Ive nearly finished my lc gtr, my only panel complaint is the lower section/sill to fit on the doors. They have pressed it out of the wrong guage, by making it to thick its not possible to succesfully fold the lips around the doors edge. In this case it was easier to repair the door with sections from a donor.
Every other replacement panel fitted ok with alittle tweaking.
#14
_SLR_6_
_SLR_6_
-
- Guests
Posted 31 August 2007 - 06:09 PM
i got a pair of rear quater repair sections off eBay for 50$ ea, from a guy who runs an old holden shop in QLD. not sure if they are rare spares but they are half the price of what rare spares down here quoted me...
i when i inspected them and put them against the panel, the only thing was the shape in the panel behind where the bumper sits, it wasnt there, but the actual top corner of the repair section is about 3 or so mm longer so the shape can easily be beat into it, and will pull it inline to sit perfectly behind the back panel.
i when i inspected them and put them against the panel, the only thing was the shape in the panel behind where the bumper sits, it wasnt there, but the actual top corner of the repair section is about 3 or so mm longer so the shape can easily be beat into it, and will pull it inline to sit perfectly behind the back panel.
#15
_AquaSLR5000_
_AquaSLR5000_
-
- Guests
Posted 15 September 2007 - 11:39 PM
I put about 8 hrs in trying to get the sedan rear window rust replacement section to fit. It does not have enough overall bend in it from left to right and the profiles are not right either. I have removed the whole section again and found donor UC which I have cut the front and rear windscreen sections out of it as the front of the UC had no rust what so ever, the rear had two small rust spots ( one either side ), both smaller than my thumb nail. These bits fit perfectly.
I will try the rear quarter sections next.
I will try the rear quarter sections next.
1 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users
