Front arch/step replacement

[angus]

Having cut away various rusty parts around the step and arch I am now perilously close to be better off replacing the whole area rather than trying to patch various repair panels in..

...so, from whom should I buy the whole arch/step repair panel. 1968 Bay.
I know the best option is possibly an original, cut-out section from someone like FBI, but if I did get a 'new' section, who should I buy from, or do all the dodgy pressings actually come from the same place. Options include Cool Air, Heritage, Schofield, JK etc ......

 

[Hilly_70]

.. the next time i do this job its deffo cuts i'll be using ..

I tried arches from JK, Heritage and Schofields and they were all pants..

To be honest the JK one fitted the best and the Schofields the poorest, although they are ALL 10mm too small for the gap they need to fit into .. I think there is an element of luck in the individual arch you get
:innocent0001:
... some are better, some are worse .. even from the same place ..

but thats just my opinion!

Hilly

 

[angus]

Sadly, that is what I thought!
cheers

 

[therotbox]

I agree with Hilly it's a bit of a lottery to the quality of panel you get from anyone these days.

 

[mattschnerka]

I've just replaced both of mine with repro ones from heritage. As said above they didn't fit perfectly but managed to get them pretty good in the end. Obviously the metal is thinner than an original cut too. I guess it might not be the arch that is a bad fit but the rest of the bus from years of repairs!! :shock:

Cheers
Matt

 

[sparkywig]

I've always used repro arches on my previous vans, but this time I went for cuts on my '69.
In my opinion that's the only way to get a decent fit.

 

[richbaker78]

arches i used were JK and GSF - both shite.
Not only were they too short the radius on the corners were all wrong and they were too tall so no matter what the gap at the top of the cab step to door was about 10mm. In the end I cut my new arches into four pieces and welded then together again with the correct radiai and the correct door gap. Pretty annoying really as its not a cheap panel either.

Go for cuts.