I made a start on the rear panel yesterday, I'm not sure whether the panel or my body got more of a beating! A metal brake would have taken a few seconds and got it spot on, but for the length of the panel the cost would have been silly. So out came the blocks of wood, numerous clamps and the mallet!
I've done one fold, the most visible one, and it looks pretty decent. Time will tell whether it looks ok when I remove the protective film (plenty of scope for creases and dents), but one thing I did realise was how much stronger folded aluminium is. Even with one crease it's gone from being so flexible that it's unmanageable, all the way to a remarkably sturdy object. Once the second fold is in I can see it being very effective as the top edge, it should make the back part of the body super strong.
I may have also tracked down the headlamp fixing kits, although there are still some outstanding questions. I've got two options. The first is a fixing kit from uklandroverspares. This is a metal bowl and a 'normal' screw based fixing kit for the headlamp itself. £38 but it doesn't include the chrome ring trims.
Alternatively there is a kit from Tudor for £60, that includes the chrome ring trims but is a plastic bowl and a 'clip-in' approach for the headlamp itself. Given that the chrome ring trims are £30 on their own, it means either £60 for plastic clips or £68 for metal screws. For the sake of £8 am I going to leave myself with an inferior fit?
All of that was going to be completely redundant because I was waiting for the kit car show to see them in person, but I'm now not as convinced. Given that Europa was one of the main sellers at the last show, their prices are slightly higher. I guess I'd be paying for the privilege of seeing the item before I buy it, but given the amount of research I've put into it I'm fairly happy with buying them online.
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