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Trunk panels

sunbeam74

Silver Level Sponsor
Granted the reproduction plastic trunk panels look good and won't rot but the old pressboard trunk panels have a certain look to them.

Does anyone know where you can get the original press board material trunk panels?

Steve
 

tony perrett

Gold Level Sponsor
I made up a set from hardboard (pressboard?) using the originals as templates and covering them with grained vinyl - they look very authentic. I varnished the backs to help them from being affected by damp. (We have a lot of that in UK!).
 

SIVAllan

Gold Level Sponsor
Were the trunk panels covered? None of mine have been covered.

Cheers,

SFAIK the factory did not cover them but as an alternative a fabric cover over a DIY panel could look great.

I suspect the original panels are becoming uncommon nowadays due to deterioration of the pressboard.

Another thread discussed use of lightweight wood to make the panels. That does well too.
 

jumpinjan

Bronze Level Sponsor
You don't need to cover the panels. They come colored and textured, or they come plain too. Take your pick.
Jan
 

sunbeam74

Silver Level Sponsor
I hadn't seen the plain panels but most of the Sunbeams I have owned were the pressboard with a slight grain texture with a black paint.

It would be nice to recapture that original feel if you had a really nicely restored Tiger or Alpine.



Steve
 

jumpinjan

Bronze Level Sponsor
They will go bad again in about 3-4 years. The plastic panels are the best for the money I think.
 

puff4

Platinum Level Sponsor
I assume by 'go bad' you mean the characteristic 'sag' they get? Or do you mean from abrasion?

If the former, I wonder if bonding on a stiff piece of 1/8" plastic on the back (about 1/2" smaller in size than the panel all the way around so that ithe reinforcement is not visible) would prevent the sag?
 

65beam

Donation Time
i agree with jan. why spend a lot of money on a restoration and slack off on the trunk area? we have used the plastic panels since the late 70's.they don't get damaged by luggage,lawn chairs.or coolers. go over them with armor all and they look like new. the secret to a nice restoration is the detail work and the trunk and engine compartment are part of that. our series 5 has had two complete restorations and three partial restorations since 1995. we are still using the same plastic trunk panels that we bought from SS in 1995. they don't go bad like the fiber board.
 

sunbeam74

Silver Level Sponsor
Why use the press board? Because the plastic isn't original.
If you are trying to capture "factory original" then the press board would be the correct way to go.

(I don't think they would deteriorate nearly as bad if the car was garaged and taken care of)

It has always bothered me to see the textured ABS plastic. If I were judging a 60's Alfa and saw ABS plastic when I know it was press board originally... I'd deduct.

Steve
 

steven

Donation Time
My V has the plastic side boards with the origional floor mat that came with GT's. Everone comments how nice (also has origional jack and spring clips on back lower cross member) Now I wish I could find the unit that turned on the thread that holds the wired spare, bugger where it went.
Cheers
 

sunbeam74

Silver Level Sponsor
Keep in mind... I am not saying the plastic panels aren't nice.... I am saying they aren't original.

In the overall appearance the plastic panels strike me as out of place. Maybe it is the sheen or the texture but to me they are clearly not original.

Steve
 

mikephillips

Donation Time
To make them look a bit more like the pressed originals you can spray then with a clear flat and runa bit of light brown paint around the edge of the hand hole to simulate the brown board material.
 

ALC 68A

Donation Time
Amazing that the sticker from J Burns & Co, Chadwell Heath, Essex (a place near where I used to live) has survived all these years. While there a number of companies with Burns in their name on the Companies House website, it doesn't seem as if this business still exists, so it's a nice little memorial to another long-gone part of the UK's fast-disappearing manufacturing base.

Steve
 

howard

Donation Time
I made up a set from hardboard (pressboard?) using the originals as templates and covering them with grained vinyl - they look very authentic. I varnished the backs to help them from being affected by damp. (We have a lot of that in UK!).

I did the exact same thing, same way. One reason I did it that way was to keep the same look as the door panels and back seat panels. The main difference from the door panels: Did not use foam padding on the trunk panels. (As an added precaution, I attached plastic sheeting behind the panels to form a moisture barrier on the doors. Didn't seem as vital on the trunk panels, as they're open for ventilation at the hand-access areas.)

I also take my panels to the upholstery shop to shoot staples through the stretched vinyl into the hardboard (masonite) on the back, as I can't get a glue strong enough to hold for long.
 

skywords

Donation Time
If one can seal the panels both sides they will resist warping. So if you paint do both sides equally.
 

howard

Donation Time
Very true! You probably won't even get the panels completely dry before you notice the warpage. This holds true with just about any sign painting, wall hangings, furniture building, etc. Paint both sides and edges! (Preferably several coats.)
 

agmason

Donation Time
You should look into getting those manufacturer stickers reproduced. If they ever do a proper concours, you know with points for correct stickers and such, you could win points with the repro stickers.
 
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