In a message dated 6/7/2002 10:58:07 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
jsmessier@mail.earthlink.net writes:
> BODY PARTS
> In a process that extended well into the 1960's, British sheet metal was
> virtually hand-formed by panel beaters using a shaping tool called the
> English wheel. While the finished products are works of art and the
> white-haired craftsmen look great in Rolls-Royce ads invoking ancient
> traditions, no two body parts are alike. The restorer is reduced to
> pounding the replacement bits into place with a sledgehammer.
With all due respect to a fine newspaper whose new slogan apparently is "If
all this news fits, we'll print it," where DO they get this stuff? Certainly
it might have been true of some of the very low-volume manufacturers such as
Morgan, but at least from the early 1950s on it was NOT true of most
series-produced British cars. I suspect that pretty much all of the "new"
products of Standard-Triumph after 1945 (with the possible exception of the
1800/2000 roadsters and saloons) had body parts that were stamped. I suspect
that was also true of BMC, Vauxhall, Ford, Rootes Group, etc.
Oh wait...there was the Triumph Italia 2000, for which prospective owners had
to sign a pre-purchase statement acknowledging that no replacement body
panels would be available. But then, that was the work of an Italian
coachbuilding firm, wasn't it?
On the other hand, I seem to recall (correct me if I'm mistaken) that at one
time one could return his/her Morgan to the factory to be rebuilt and
refurbished. Bet you couldn't send your Fairlane 500 back to Dearborn for the
same treatment. ;-)
Oh, and Morgans now sport hydroformed (sp?) alloy front "wings," do they not?
--Andy Mace
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