WillVery sorry to read of your 'coming together' and the fact that your TR6 now
looks
somewhat different to the concept as envisaged by Karmann. The most important
thing is
that both of your survived the incident.
On the issue of Heritage bodyshell quality, I expect there are some listers who
could
argue I have a tenuous financial interest in suggesting you consider buying one
- but
let's put that to one side for the purpose of this reply.
Dave Massey (I think) suggested you made a trip to Gaydon to see what the
French Blue
bodyshell looks like on SBU 523 M in the Museum. By all means make the trip but
go with
the knowledge that this is the first TR6 shell out of Witney and the panel fit
is
appalling. The learning curve at that point was probably almost vertical and
subsequent
shells I have seen are a quantum improvement. It might even be said they cannot
be genuine
TR shells because the panel fit is so good! Way better than any that ever left
the factory
as new cars.
I meet regularly with Phil Payne who is MD of the Witney plant and Phil himself
is a very
experienced production engineer. Broadly, I would summarise the Witney shells
as follows
1. They are made on the original tooling - so this is your assurance of their
*genuineness.*
2. They make full use of modern raw material technology in terms of the sheet
steel used
in their manufacture.
3. Mayflower Painting Systems also use state-of-the-art technology in their
painting
systems against corrosion
If you take the plunge and buy a replacement shell, it will be as genuine
original as it
can be in terms of its construction but it will be like no other 'original'
shell. It's
way better than that because Witney have modified designs in certain places to
improve the
overall integrity of the finished article.. Essentially this is through
evaluation of
original shells and being able to pick out areas of known or potential
weakness. This is
particularly important for the MGB replacement bodies and in locations where
there are
known vulnerabilities, the material is either a thicker guage and/or additinal
stiffeners
are welded in during manufacture - but hidden. I suppose this could mean to a
purist that
the shell isn't truly original but frankly, I couldn't give a damn about that.
For me, the
bottom line is that its a better shell than its forebear, likely to last far
longer and
better made. What's more, its affordable. Only you can decide on the route to
take but I'd
go for the Heritage shell every time.
Jonmac
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