Is there such a thing as a wing repair panel ?

Post by **iandromiskin** » Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:08 pm

I was just wondering if there was such a thing a a wing repair panel as the lower wing on KAS needs work as its rusted in the usual place. But can you buy a bit to weld in or do you have to make your own ??? (I know you can get a boot repair and bottom door panel)

Post by **LouiseM** » Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:18 pm

You can't get a repair panel for this so it's either a replacement wing or try to fabricate something yourself. Not sure how feasible this would be but no doubt someone on here may have tried something similar.

Post by **jimbo1** » Sat Oct 03, 2009 2:42 pm

Never seen any for a minor but lower wing repair panels for MGBs are a standard part and allow you to chop in and make good the wing after doing sill replacements.
The lower part of a minor wing is a much more simple shape to fabricate and assuming you can weld the thin stuff it shouldn't be a problem. I lap welded them on the B holding the repair panel in place initially with skin pins which allowed adjustment to positioning until there were enough tacks.

Sat Oct 03, 2009 4:40 pm

my dad had the entire trailing edge of the wing on his MO replaced but wings are impossible to get for the MO.. i would have thought the time it would take to do the job correctly would far out way the time and cost of getting a new wing

Post by **jonathon** » Sat Oct 03, 2009 4:57 pm

^^^ agreed

Post by **IaininTenbury** » Sat Oct 03, 2009 9:22 pm

If you've got more time available than money to spend it may be worthwhile repairing an old wing. I've done several, albeit original early wings (Series 2 and MM etc) so difficult to replace. It can add to the satisfaction of restoring and preserving an original car, rather than just throw bits away and buy new, especially when some of the new wings can be difficult to make fit.

Post by **jonathon** » Sat Oct 03, 2009 9:45 pm

Doubt its an original wing Iain, but I know what you are saying

Post by **PSL184** » Sat Oct 03, 2009 9:55 pm

It will be easy to tell if its an original wing cause the headlamps will fit correctly and also the lower profile around the corner of the bumper ;-) If it is original and that is the only rust then I would repair it....

Post by **jonathon** » Sat Oct 03, 2009 11:06 pm

I thought that it was just the Heritage n/s/f which had bad headlight alignment. We no longer fit Hadrian, for the very reason that they do not fit. This issue I am about to discuss with Hadrian to see if they are able to improve the fit ,back to what it was a few years ago.

Post by **PSL184** » Sat Oct 03, 2009 11:49 pm

You've no doubt seen more than me mate but its the offside ones I've had most trouble with in the past.... Be nice to get some that fit as well as the rears though, thats for sure....

Post by **tortron** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 5:18 am

i have just repaired my wings in this very spot.
i got away with using a strip of steel bent roughly to shape. tacked in place, then tapped into the ideal shape.

Post by **LouiseM** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 9:05 am

Can you post a photo up? I'd be interested to see how the repair looks.

Post by **tortron** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 9:24 am

The damage.
Was pretty much the same on the other side

i cant seem to find any good photos of the patch. If you want i can possibly take a photo of the back side of the repair (just finished primering and sanding the car)

heres a shot before the welds were ground down (primered so i could take her to the beach hop)

tack welds are your friend as this part of the wing (the bottom) tended to warp. Keep it cool and you should be fine. I kept the original folded edge as the rust hadn't attacked that part - makes alignment and panel gap alot easier

As the bottom part of the wing is flat i started here. Tack welding the strip of steel into place working up the wing, then bending the upper part bit by bit as i got to it.
Really it was quite an easy repair.

also made a repair behind the wing

Post by **tortron** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 9:25 am

also - chances are that the second skin behind there has rusted through. Of course you wont see that bit when its back on the car.

Post by **IaininTenbury** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 9:26 pm

jonathon wrote:Doubt its an original wing Iain, but I know what you are saying

Well, it was a Series 2 van, imported from New Zealand that I was thinking of, and quite obviously still on its origianal wings, as was the last lowlight I did. Anyway, as an experiment I timed myself doing a typical wing repair on a 1000 (actually this one was a pattern wing - shows how well they last when they don't get painted or looked after properly). Including making the panel, repairing the inner section and welding the new bit in, it took under an hour, inc phone call and a cup of tea!
Of course there's still a load of prep and painting to do but then there is with a new wing too.