Morris Minor Owners Club

I am in the process of replacing the right side wooden wheel arch, fitting an arch repair flange and new aluminium panels on a 1960 Traveller.
When I dismantled the original items, the aluminium panels were sandwiched between the flange and the wood and secured with screws from the flange, through the panels and into the wood.
I assumed that the new aluminium panel screw holes would therefore align with the holes in the new repair flange however this is not the case.
On contacting the supplier they tell me that the flange secures the wooden arch only and that the aluminium panels should screw directly onto the wooden arch.
Having a dry run through yesterday this doesn't seem to be achievable.
Any advice would be appreciated, many thanks in anticipation.

The supplier is correct, the panels were originally fitted to the wooden frames before the frames were fixed to the flanges. They were actually made in a different factory than the steel body and were complete with doors and panels before meeting the rest of the car on the assembly line! The flange screws are drilled from inside the car through the aluminium panels in addition to the panel fixing screws.

I have replaced a section of arch with the panels in place, but with the side off the car - it was a new side, but I managed to damage it fitting the steel wing. Doh! I have to tell you that even off the car I found it extremely difficult. Most of the trouble was in marking and cutting the lap joint between the front and centre arch sections, which are not supplied precut as the sections can vary in size. If you are replacing the complete arch this should be a bit easier. I think you'll have to remove the flange screws and carefully cut away the existing arch to release the panel screws. You can then drill through the flange screw holes and rely on these screws, and mastic, to hold the panel against the wood.

Good luck!

Thanks for your response. Sounds like it'll be easier just to drill my own holes through the flange to align with the panel. The torment is nearly over...never again!

Perhaps I can't quite visualise what you are doing, but I would have thought it would be easier the other way round - use the predrilled flange holes as a guide and drill new holes through the aluminium panels. The previous holes in the panels shouldn't be a problem if covered by mastic. Just be sure that you are hitting the wood well away from the edges - it's not a good feeling when you see a screw protruding from your beautiful new wood...