Bump Stop Domed repair panel

[CHRISPOPE]

Does anyone know if the repair panel is available for the area of the front domed inner wing where the bump stop bolts
on to? ESM seem to list it but it is out of stock and do not know when it will be available again.

Other wise I may have to make something?

(The car is a 1961 traveller)

Many thanks Chris

[rayofleamington]

making a decent repair section for that area needs quite a bit of skill. The one's I've made have really looked home made, but then my panel beating skills are close to none existant. Flat steel really won't do the job as it won't sit correctly and this leaves the bump stop sitting cock a doodle diddley eyed.

[chickenjohn]

I've made up a few of these sections and would not buy one now as even the commercially made sections are clearly hand beaten!

The way to do it is make a template of the rusted area usind cardboard, then cut out the 1mm steel, form the lip first while the steel is flat and then form the shape by beating, either with a round head hammer or mallet and a sand bag, or beat the patch over a suitably shaped dolly held in a vice. Once the patch is shaped the flange/lip will need some work in a shrinking machine to restore the required shape. Once welded in, ground down and painted, looks pretty good!

My advice to the OP and Ray, is go on a vehicle body restoration course and learn these skills! Then you will be able to make your own sections.

EDIT! Just remembered that only the edges of the patch need to be turned over to match the inner wing bowl flange, the centre part is flat where the bump stop bolts on. Makes the repair section a bit easier to make.

[IaininTenbury]

Thats good advice. Its a nice satisfying panel to make, and not the end of the world if its not perfect as it gets a limited public!
When I do them I normally beat a little shape into them with a mallet, smooth it out on the wheeling machine, try it on a spare inner wing to check the shape, the shrink the inner edges a bit to pull it down into the curve a bit more. The turned over flanges are then done on a swaging machine.and then shrunk a little to give it the overall curve.

However if doing them with less equipment, a couple of layers of carpet makes a good substitute sandbag for a small panel like this, the dents can be planished out with a hammer and dolly, the flanges turned up by beating it over a crisp metal edge. the flanges can be shrunk by crimping it with a pair of mole grips, and then pulled flat when its being welded in place.

[les]

My recollection of this job does not require a upturned flange, I'm sure it is just a domed plate that extends out to where the inner wing flange ends, in this flange one of the bump stop bolts fix. Agree about the awkwardness involved in getting the perimeter of the 'patch' to touch the surrounding metal, but the purpose made patch that you can buy is a laughable fit, I laughed all the way to the dustbin with it!

[IaininTenbury]

Each side of the flat area where the bump stop mounts has a down turned flange where the inner wing is spot welded to the flitch panel. If the rot/damage isn't too extensive you maybe able to get away without making that bit. I generally make them to suit whichever job I'm working on, the last two ended up being the full domed inner wing which was rather more involved.
Never seen any of the commercially available ones, they've been listed as out of stock as long as I can remember and its quicker to knock up a section myself, than to fire up the computer and order one...

[chickenjohn]

I would do the same as you Iain, if I was making the section at college, I'd smooth out the hammer stretching bumps in the English wheel to get the final double curvature of the panel, but at home, once the new panel has been stretched to get the shape with hammer/sandbag/carpet blows one can get away with dressing out the dents with hammer and a dolly with the right shaped crown to match, probably a comma shape dolly.

Interesting tip about the mole grip shrinking! Never tried that, I'm going out to the garage and have a go! I sometimes cross pein stretch a flange, but have only shrunk with the machine.

[CHRISPOPE]

thanks for all the helpful comments. I will try and fabricate a repair panel.

I do not have an English wheel, but do have panel beating hammers and dollies, and may try the sandbag
mage from layers of carpet.

I will template with cardboard first.

I was thinking that maybe I could try and use part of a scrap front wing as a panel if I can find a similar curve?

Kind Regards Chris

[chickenjohn]

Scrap front wing may be to thin a gauge- especially if it is a repro part.