pattern or genuine?

Post by **PAULJ** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 8:49 pm

Hi all, It must have been asked before , Pattern or genuine? is the diforence rearly worth twice the cost?
Cheers

Post by **aupickup** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 8:50 pm

apparently both as bad

need new old stock stuff from ebay when it comes ujp

Post by **jonathon** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:08 pm

They are all pattern really even the Heritage ones as they have all been reworked or are well past their reasonable lifespan.
I'd have said a few months ago that the LMC wings were as good as the Heritage but at a reasonable price. However the latest Hadrian ones are dreadful so might need to change my mind/advice.

Post by **PAULJ** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:46 pm

Well I need four wings and Im not getting a warm fuzzy feeling

I did read on the forum fiberglass are better fit but they are fiberglass!!!
WHATS THE BEST THING TO DO??

Post by **jonathon** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:01 pm

Trouble is you will not know how good either of them are until you try and fit them. Heritage do use thicker steel but really its up to you as they will both need work.
Some fiberglass wings are very good quality, others not so good, do some research on here for suggestions or contact some bodyshops who actually fit these parts.

Post by **youngun** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:15 pm

If your looking for wings i would recommend trying to find a good pair of second hand ones. It worked for me with my rear wings! Some kind soul even delivered them for me. Ask around on here, you never know.

Post by **chickenjohn** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:02 am

Most Minor wings are repairable as they rot in the same localised areas leaving the rest of the wing as sound metal. The rear of the front wing can be repaired as can the rear wings. I bought one front wing and was so dissapointed with the (lack of) thickness of the metal and poor fit, that I now repair wings rather than buy new.

-it saves money! and you know the wing did fit the car.

Use a low setting on your mig welder (or better, gas welding for panel work) and short bursts to avoid distortion. Make a card template of the rot area to be replaced before cutting the rust out and take your time fileing the repair section to fit, then butt weld in.

Post by **dunketh** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:57 am

I repaired two of mine using fibreglass.
Rub them back and cut out rot, fit matting behind hole, skim top with filler.

They're not structural and you can't tell its been done so theres no problem in my eyes, despite it technically being a 'bodge'.

Post by **chickenjohn** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 12:39 pm

Fibreglass repairs wont last. If you can weld and fabricate then a metal repair is allways best.

Post by **jonathon** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 2:22 pm

Had a shock today. were fitting a new cross member and floor edge panels. we noticed the low weight of the new panels so checked the thickness of the steel. It would seem that Hadrian are now making changes to the original spec of chassis related parts, ie too thin a guage of steel. this worries me now as the chassis must be the most critical aspect to a repair or rebuild. So check when you buy. Its up to you the individual purchasers to change this downward slide, as traders (bodyshops) we have limited clout, but if you complain or refuse to buy then maybe something can be done.
Might be worth a (poll) on here to see who is happy with which parts and who isn't giving a specific reason. The results can be presented to the manufacturer's then (rather than the retailers) I'm be more than happy to present this to them as evidence of their falling (maybe even dangerous) new standards.

Post by **alex_holden** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 2:25 pm

What thickness are they supposed to be and what are they now? Have you asked them whether the change is deliberate and not just someone feeding the wrong sheet into the press by mistake?

Post by **chickenjohn** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 3:25 pm

Floor edge and sill panels used to be 1.2 or 1.3mm thick.

I'm happy with the gauge of panels so far, but I havent bought any for over six months. (I have enough for all three cars ATM).

Post by **jonathon** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 4:22 pm

Yep, floor edge 1.3mm cross member old 1.6-7mm new 1.3-4mm.
Could be human error Alex and no I have not asked them the reason for the change.

Post by **dunketh** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 4:38 pm

Fibreglass repairs wont last. If you can weld and fabricate then a metal repair is allways best.

That is 100% true but a lot also depends on the quality of the repair.
My wing has been OK for 18 months now with no signs of deterioration.

Welding is a no-no for me, even if I could do it (I do actually own a welder) I live in a flat with no way of getting power out to the car.

As for panels - all the pattern stuff I bought for my old XR2 was total rubbish. The creases were no-where near as well pressed, the front wings (being weld-on) hardly matched the front valance at all... I accepted this happily as I was on a budget and the car was a heap anyway.

Post by **PAULJ** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:35 pm

looks like repair is the way ahead, unless someone has a couple tucked away, are rear ones as bad as the front?

Post by **FrankM83** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:07 pm

So what about that poll?? can someone set it up and maybe we'll have a change in the quality in the future?

Post by **IaininTenbury** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:49 am

Yes, a concerning trend, that I hadnt spotted if true. (Not had to buy new panels for a few months having a good stcok, but will need some soon). some repro panels, particularly LCV stuff, I've given up buying and just make when needed. I cant compete on prices, but if its one I'm rebuilding I'll put the time in.

I too prefer to repair old wings when possible - at least they do fit, though I've got the hang of altering pattern ones get an acceptable fit these days. Only used Heritage ones a couple of times mainly due to the customer not wanting to pay the extra. £50 or £90 Difficult choice!
They are thicker though, and the ones I had just dropped straight on. Maybe I was just lucky with that one!