S3 body repair sections--which one...?

[JIM BAUMANN]

My E-type is currently at the bodyshop having the paint removed as expected the usual suspects have been revealed lower edges of bonnet (though the arches are perfect). Rear wheel arches ( back ends only) and a bit of pitting on lower door edges. Aside from that the body is all metal and appears not have been got at before-- likewise the underside appears never to have been plated or messed with ... :D ( apart from the rear arches showing a previous poor metal and filler repair.

Question:
I have had a quick look on the net and I see that there are arch repair sections offered by Martin Robey and SNG Barret. Has anyone her have experience of either of the sections offered - I read somewhere that the Robey items may need to be fettled and stretched (?) and or any special knowledge that the body shop guys could do with being forewarned with? I need to buy o/s and n/s rear wheel arch repair section. If there is a repair section for the S3 lower bonnet edges than I would probably buy those too--have not been able to reference to that type of repair panel as yet; if no such repair section the body guys can let in some fresh metal and lead.

Thank you all in advance for nay input gratefully received.

Jim Baumann

[vee12eman]

Hi Jim,

I have carried out most of the repairs you describe, although it was a few years back and things may have changed. Also, I bought my car complete with the repair panels in question, so I am not absolutely sure of their origin, however, I am pretty certein they were Martin Robey panels, as that is what I was told at the time.

Now, to begin with, Martin Robey makes most of the panels for E-types, then sells them to dealers like SNG - take a look at the part no. on the SNG site, if it is something like MRE027LH, the no. I found when looking, then it it is probably a Martin Robey Panel (MRE = Martin Robey E-type; make sense?). I can't confirm this but really I believe it to be true.

Secondly, Martin Robey make full shells and complete wings, so at least they definitely know what shape they should be.

My own panels fitted a perfectly as any repair panel will, which is to say they needed a lot of preparation to the body and much work afterward, but that is the joy of repair panels. Even though half my rear right wing had been replaced previously after an accident, the fit was still good. They mated perfectly to the inner wing panels I bought direct from Martin Robey, but there is one point to note here - get your workshop to leave the lips as slim as possible as the tyres run very close to the joints around the lower edge of the arches.

Remember the E-type was hand built so some panels will fit some cars better than others.

I have not come across lower bonnet repair sections, I was lucky enough to find a good (well fairly good) s/h bonnet and only needed a belly pan, again getting lucky and finding a NOS pan, again I think this was a Robey panel - that required a lot of fettling! If the lower sections you are referring to are at the rear, these should be fairly simple for a body shop to fabricate, particularly if they are actually skilled enough to be working on cars of this type regularly. It is a section with a single curve and a rolled edge; I made a short section of this myself as one edge of my s/h bonnet was too short - the hardest part is the invisible butt weld required to let in the new metal.

Hope this helps and good luck - let us know how you get on and which panels you choose.

Regards,

Simon.