Replacement Panels

[cobbadog]

Let's open a can of worms !

After i have done the painting of our Cropmaster it will then be time to attack Dees' HRH Sarah Ferguson for the same treatment. Fortunately the guards are in fantastic condition as is the bonnet. The panel that will be replaced are the "T" section and grille panels.
Now for years I have listened to other restorers who have bought replacement panels and had nothing but issues with the lack of fitment, quality and how much lighter the gauge of metal is now.

From what I know both Sparex and Bareco can supply these panels but what experiences have other restorers had with the panels they have purchased and who has the best product and what was the fitment like?

Hopefully we can establish a good aftermarket supplier of tin ware for our tractors and support them. I look forward to any and all comments.

[ulgydog56]

some pics would be nice mate...

[cobbadog]

I have no pics of any after market panels. I wanted to know the views of members that have already done this and is why I have started the thread. We only want to buy them once and not have to repair them before fitting. Everything I have heard about the panels has not always been good. Even read an article in an O/S mag and he touched on the subject of poor fitting new panels and how he found a supplier in Ireland that has good fitting panels but I don't want to buy in from over seas if possible.

[Scotty 2]

Hello Cobba
I wonder sometimes if it's the ill fitting panels or the ill fitting of panels that causes the problems.

Cheers Scott

[rodneyt]

one possible way to test new panels would be to attempt to replace all tin with new panels,
all panels from same supplier.
if they all fit together well, at least they work as a set.
if they cant be made to match up as a set, that would prove at least one of them is not made right.

no personal experience with Fergy, apart from listening to local who needed to spend a lot of time carefully modifying the new bonnet for his Grey Fergy, now looks A1 from a distance, but he can show where its still not the perfect fit in couple of places. be thankful your bonnet is good. sorry dont remember what make his bonnet is.

did have similar experience with RareSpares replacement panels for Holden HR wagon tailgate inner panel. original is one piece pressing, replacement was 3 pieces, left centre right sections. it was impossible to even lay them out so they lined up together, so i never even attempted to replace them, they were sold with the car as parts for future restoration project. when i complained to shop, i was told that they never are perfect, there is always panel-beating required to properly restore tinwork, the replacements save only the effort of building from nothing, they do give the most important 3D curve shapes.
i still dont understand what was so hard about making them right,
those sections were not complicated, should have been easy to remake.

i hope you get lots of details, there is certainly much room for improvement,
i say that if a company goes to all the effort to make replacement panels,
they do need to get it right, or leave it to someone who can.

cheers Rod.

[ulgydog56]

sorry meant pics of the cropmaster it self.....

[cobbadog]

Thank you for the replies so far, it helps. That is right Scotty your new parts maybe correct and the rest you are fitting them to maybe wrong and that is always in the back of your mind. In this case the bonnet is as straight s a die so any new parts should fit right in place with no issues.
Rod, I'm with you on that point, that all new parts that should be attached together should fit perfectly then if any issues turn up when putting them to your old panels then that is where you may need to look.
As for the Cropmaster I will start a new thread for that and go back a few years to when I did the engine and clutch up. We then ran the tractor on treks for a while and now it is time to finish off the minor mechanical repairs and paint him up. Wont get that started until tomorrow now.

[Scotty 2]

Originally Posted by cobbadog

That is right Scotty your new parts maybe correct and the rest you are fitting them to maybe wrong and that is always in the back of your mind.

Sorry Cobba. I was lazy. I meant that sometimes it's not the panels that are the problem. The problem of the panels not fitting right is the person fitting the panels.
How's that sound?

Cheers Scott

[cobbadog]

Better

Had a previous life in panel beating but left before completing the trade. Wanted to learn to be a panel beater not a plastic surgeon so I sold my soul for money and went into earth moving.