Rust repair panels

[FB1960]

Looking at using repair sections from Rare Spares, specifically the headlight brow pieces and the rear top of guard sections
any advice on them

[Blacky]

The headlight brows are crap apparently , if you get hold of Streetneat on the FE/FC forum he had some genuine ones for sale a while ago

[oldnek]

Hey Guys.

All the rust repair sections are crap, crappy light gauge steel that will rust before you very eyes, they don't fit right, profiles are all wrong and there making mega bucks on overseas tooling and labour and have the hide to make a mockery from the guys who have to actually use there products.
thats my opinion. Sorry to offend the traditionalist.

Regards John

[classic_62]

cheers for the adive that will come in handy when im cleaning up my metal monster spots

[FB MAD]

John, I have never had to use an aftermarket rust replacement section yet so can't comment on my experience however like you, I have never yet heard anyone praise the quality and fitment of the rust replacement sections.I know that some of the people in the company that makes the sections do frequent these forums at times so they must be aware of the complaints but whether they do anything to correct the problem is another thing.

Another way of looking at it is a new replacement section, ill fitting or not is perhaps better than a rusted section.

Just my thoughts,

Terry.

[Trev]

FB 1960, I have just completed a front guard with 3 patch panels, headlight, rear top and rear bottom, as far as I'm concerned if your expecting to buy these and fit them without any modification your kidding yourself. However if you have any basic skills in metalwork you should have no trouble making the required alterations. IMHO I don't think the rare's patch panels are bad at all.
Trev

[FB1960]

Thanks for the tips and advice guys
I think I might try the guy on FC forum first
Marty

[SRVLIVES]

All the rust repair sections are crap, crappy light gauge steel that will rust before you very eyes, they don't fit right, profiles are all wrong

And what's the alternative?

Pay through the nose for NOS?.... no thanks.

Any competent panel man can make these fit, all par for the course when doing up these old girls.

[FATBOY]

Ive used the rares floor pans not perfect but with a bit of work came up factory looking on my fc ute .As for nos panels would use them in preference to rares .i just put a nos a pillar on the drivers side of my ute fitted up excellent only took 4hours that was with taking the old a pillar off as well Sills a re a piece of piss to put on .There is still alot of nos repair sections out there just need to talk to the right guys for what your looking for .Ive got plenty of different sections of nos panels in storage for another project or in case one of my cars get damaged

cheers fatboy

0414712441

[FB1960]

Managed to get some guard sections from Andrew at street neat
hes running out of them so if you want these bits get them soon
Thanks for all the help
Marty

[streetneat]

The 2010 update on the FB/EK rust repair patches;
The headlight repair sections I had were genuine items made years before the existence of Rares. Val Neil was with me when I bought the whole stock of them from a collector at Nambour swap years ago. Val verified these were the genuine item he used to fit in the late 60's and early 70's as a panel beater. The good news is they seem to be a pretty good fit as it was our understanding they were made from original Holden tooling.

In late 2008 Bruce from early Holden spares and repairs in Capalaba bought the last of my stock of these prior to my move to NZ and I understand they are still available in limited numbers ( 2010) at a reasonable price. ( $65? IIRC) Bruce sells these via the ebay username 179 holden.

Hope this helps. Cheers streetneat-Andrew.

[Trev]

Great info thanks Andrew.

[fb cruisin]

Trev, these guys claimed that their rust repair sections fitted, but I haven't tried them personally yet.

http://www.fbekholden.com/forum/viewtop ... =23&t=9960

[reidy]

Tried to get headlight peaks from Rares and they have deleted these from their range, I also tried a few other places and had no luck. I managed to pick one up at Ballarat and another off ebay. The other guard sections I've used from Rares need a bit of a tap up to fit properly but as Trev said, if you have some basic metalwork skills, shouldn't be a problem. I might just have make my own sections next time if they get too scarce.

[streetneat]

Andrew
If they are the red oxide ones that Bruce has been selling for the last number of years then they aren't genuine Holden, they are made by the old panel beating shop at Ipswich (Taylors) but the shop burnt to the ground 5 years or so back). They were always an excellent fit and they have been making them since dot.
A lot of the dealers in SE Qld would use Taylor's stuff as they were cheaper than genuine but the same quality so they come up quite often in old dealerships
I'm sure you would have come across him in your travels
Tim

Gday Tim
No - I sold Bruce different ones. I do know the ones you mean as I also used Taylor's guard bits in the past ( with quite a bit of industrial strength swearing!)
I went to his shop in Ipswich before it burnt down - A real nice guy and although his bits were not always perfect fit ( some stuff was) it was good to have something to work with and his prices were quite cheap.

However the units I sold to Bruce were the acid etch green/yellow colour and were certainly Genuine GMH. I think Blacky bought some of these from me some years ago as mentioned elsewhere in this thread.
My suggestion would be to check first with Bruce as to which ones he would be selling you - the Oxide red ones or the yellow/green etch units. The ones I saw him advertising were my old ones... not the Taylor variety
Cheers streetneat-Andrew.