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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Which front guard repair panels are best?

Hi guys, I got the bodywork done on my car which included repair panels at the bottom of the front guards behind the wheels but the guy doing it stuffed it up so I have to get them both redone. Not a happy camper! So I need two new repair panels. 1969 parts MS15L and R.

I was wondering which make should I be buying? The first one I bought was very good quality and glossy black but can't recall the make. This one is now on the car and painted but poorly fitted. I bought two more which ended up being a differnt mnake and poor quality. Where they are bent over at 90 degrees on the bottom the panel that should be flat rises up before the bend i.e. not flat on the vertical surface. Both L and R the same so just poorly made. A little annoying as the postage to Aus for them is considerably more than the cost of the panels.

So I need to but two more. Is there a preferable brand? The first one I bought was a nice glossy black where as the second lot with problems were a mat chalky black. I won't mention the brand of the bad ones but know who made them.

I'd like to get the car on the road for summer so thought I'd better make a start.
Greg H

I thought all panels came from BMH? But I too have noticed some come glossy others Matt finish.

Interested in this one
Malcolm
Malcolm Le Chevalier

you could try Ashley Hinton - http://www.mgcars.org.uk/ah/index.htm
Nigel Atkins

MS15L and R show as front wing repair sections. Are those the bits you mean? If so, they'll be hard to make from sheet, but doable. Is it possible to re-shape the ones you have already on the car? It's amazing what a skilled hand and a light hammer can do.
S Overy

The finish is of no account, since it is normally removed in fitting. The stuff is mostly to prevent rust on the shelf, and commonly causes all sorts of trouble after paint, as it is often piss-poor primer. It is only saved on low grade repairs where you pop rivet the panel on and gob it up with filler.

Anybody welding such a panel in should be fully capable of making one from scratch, out of pie plates or old Buick roof panels or scrap refrigerator panels, whatever. (Consumer products which are formed and painted are often sources of very top grade metal, because metal flaws from forming show up through paint - washing machine makers cannot afford to fill and block sand all those flat panels!)One of the easiest panels ever.

This is a case where the purpose made repair sections are simply a convenient way to get a correct sized piece of the right metal, rough shaped and trimmed to "about right". But, it ain't convenient to order and pay for such to be sent half around the planet!

I've seen pics of panel men in Oz creating and fitting whole door skins in an hour, so look around - the skills are there, and need to be supported.

FRM
FR Millmore

Yes the front wing repair panel. A good panel beater can fix a lot of things but not this one. The original guard or 'wing' was cut too high which means the gap is too big between the bottom of the guard and the top of the sill and the gaps not even even. The lazy guy just measured it and didn't test fit at all. Only after painting and assembly was it realised.

FRM yes realise the paint is just to protect it while it's sitting on the shelf.The difference in finish was my way of explaining the difference in appearance between the two.

I did get a guy to make one before for me for teh car about 20 years ago but is was a bit of work and the fitment wasn't as good as it could have been. The first new panel I got (now on car) I was very impressed with. Only about 25GBP which is only 30min labour and it'd take quite a lot longer than that to get someone to make one. The second lot I bought, yes a panel beater could get there with a hammer and spend a bit of time flattening all he edges off and with a bit of filler they'd look just as good but I'm sure with the extra effort and labour cost it'd be a far better solution to just find another pair of the good quality ones and I wouldn't be entrusting the panel beater to be fussy enough to sort it out.

So if BMH and AH are the only two suppliers then I know who made each of the types I have and I'll buy two from BMH which I believe is who made the first one I bought.
Greg H

Greg,
I wasn't saying that Ashley Hinton is definitely a maker/supplier of that part just that you could ask if he does
Nigel Atkins

Hi Nigel, AH defintely do make them because I've got a pair of them. Well, the cat's out of the bag now. :)
Greg H

a risk I took - and interesting to know
Nigel Atkins

This thread was discussed between 27/06/2012 and 30/06/2012

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