P6 Base Unit Repair Panels.

I thought it might be of some interest to members to actually see a comparison between Genuine Rover base unit repair panels and those reproduced today by the specialists. This is not a complete list of available panels, only those I am able to show a comparison of, and it is in no way aimed to criticize Rover or the specialists, its just a simple visual comparison, that is all.
I would have personally found this useful over the years, so I thought others might too!.

I know these have been mentioned on here before, but we will start with front sill closing (splash) panels.
The centre one is original Rover.


Here we have a sill step panel. The black one is genuine.


Here we have a complete D' post. The grey one is genuine.



This is a genuine RH boot side, and the available repair plate.
 

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This is interesting and useful - thanks. A thread with pic's of various repair panels would be a very good reference.

I recently repaired my front splash panels and I don't think either driver or passenger side had the "dimples" all your repair sections in the first pic have. I wonder if there were variations in design or have mine been completed replaced with sheet metal at some stage.

The "ultimate" repair panel is good :) .
 
Here are some more.....

This the lower B/C post repair kit.


The only repair panel currently available for the lower A Post, sold as part of the jacking point kit.


The jacking tube (Not supplied as a seperate replacement part by Rover as I understand).
 

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And a few more....

This is the Inner Sill repair panel....


And this is the Base Unit lower inner side repair panel.
This was never available from Rover as a repair part. It was pressed as part of the floor pan and damage in this area always meant a new Base Unit.
 

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Mmmm interesting, there's quite a difference in the remanufactured panels, lots of missing detail probably to keep the costs down and profits up :roll:
 
What is the smallish disc shaped metal on the top/side of the original Rover jacking tube for anyone? I noticed that mine had these when I was repairing them recently and couldn't work out what they were for. I wondered if they were for jacking or supporting the car somehow (maybe during production??) but to use them you would have to remove the sill covers.

Hope you don't mind that I doctored your picture below ERF to show what bit I am on about.
 

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JVY said:
What is the smallish disc shaped metal on the top/side of the original Rover jacking tube for anyone? I noticed that mine had these when I was repairing them recently and couldn't work out what they were for. I wondered if they were for jacking or supporting the car somehow (maybe during production??) but to use them you would have to remove the sill covers.

I think they were the bottom datum location points for the drilling jig at Pressed Steel when the Base Units were being finished.
 
Why can't the specialists reproduce a panel as it was originally ?. Surely a specialist who reproduces the best panel will get more business and so more profit. I would pay a bit extra for a near perfect panel to cut out all the messing about.
 
happy days said:
Why can't the specialists reproduce a panel as it was originally ?. Surely a specialist who reproduces the best panel will get more business and so more profit. I would pay a bit extra for a near perfect panel to cut out all the messing about.

The problem is one of profit, as you say.
You are in the minority as according to some specialists, P6 owners in general want the cheapest possible parts, not the most accurate reproductions. I remember having this very conversation with Steven Walker 20 years ago.

The thing is that accurate reproductions cost dear in terms of tooling and time. Look at the front / rear wings that S&G Walker manufactured as a case in point.This makes the parts themselves quite expensive with very lean profit for the vendor. Many of the repair sections that Ray Weekley sold were labour intensive hand finished panels some of which were rather good in my experience.

JR Wadhams have invested a lot of time into making press tools to produce accurate D' Posts, and the result as seen here is excellent for such a large and complex panel. Their inner sill section is also very accurate when compared to genuine panel, just a thicker gauge steel.

I'm sure if demand increases, the suppliers will improve the quality of those panels where it is needed.
 
Geordie Jim said:
Does anyone do inner D posts now?
Wadhams don't have any.

To my knowledge, replacement inner D' posts were only ever made by Ray Weekley (Rover Classics) whilst he was based in Coventry. I think they went out of stock just after they moved to Lincolnshire, and before Ian took the business over from Jeff Weekley.

In Coventry I remember Jeff telling me that their panels were made by local specialists in low volume panel manufacture, of which there were plenty in the West Midlands at that time, and the quality and fit of the panels I had from them (including inner D' post) certainly bore this out.

I am told that JR Wadhams have a press tool under development for the inner D' post, but I understand it is still some time away from production.

The original Rover replacement D' post had the inner panel spot welded to it, ready to fit.
 
Apologies on resurrecting a zombie thread, but can someone tell me where I can get reproduction panels, preferably in Aus or NZ? Specifically looking for a rear valance.
 
I can't think I have ever seen a new rear valance as I don't ever remember seeing anyone who produces one. I would think best bet is to keep looking on ebay for a good s/h one. may be worth looking for someone who is listing parts from one they are breaking and asking if they have one for sale.
 
Sorry to hijack the thread. Smith & Deakin – I hadn't heard of them before. Are their fibreglass wings for the P6 any good? Anybody got any experience of them?
 
I haven't used Smith & Deakin so can't comment on the quality, but they have been around for a long time.

I have however used Honeybourne Mouldings for P5B front wings, which were pretty difficult to fit, but TBH P5B front wings are always difficult to fit, and a P5B rear wing which was really easy. They all looked pretty good on the cars, and Honeybourne do a P6 rear valence for £52.

Fibreglass Ford rear valances. Front Wings, valances, arches.
 
Thread hijack again. Sorry.
Harvey, have you ever fitted Honeybourne Mouldings P6 wings?
Would you happen to know if fibreglass wings are lighter than sheetmetal?
My front wings are bubbling through at the arch by the stiffening brackets, and around the side lamps, six years after sandblasting and rectifying for paint.
Fibreglass ought not to do that, I'm thinking?
 
I've not fitted Honeybourne fibreglass wings to a P6, but I would imagine they are lighter than steel, and that they won't rust. :p
I would also think that front ones would be more difficult to get looking "original" than rears.
I used to underseal the ones I fitted as that seemd to make them feel a bit more like steel because of the extra weight, and it also seemed to make it easier to get a good paint match.
 
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