Body panel evaluation
At Alfaholics we used all readily available panels on our 105 Alfa Romeo GTV project to ascertain their overall quality and fit.
Employing the same bodyshop that Richard Banks used whilst restoring countless 105 series cars for more than twenty five years, we delivered a typical Alfa Romeo 1750GTV project with major rust in all the usual places.
BEFORE
N/SIDE SILL / WING CORROSION
O/SIDE REAR WING CORROSION
The bodyshell was fitted with 4 new floor pans, inner, middle & outer sills, front panel, rear valance, door skins, wheel arch & wing repair sections and a new bootlid. We looked at all the commonly available products on the European market and found the following:-
The floor pans and wing repair sections most generally sold are in a distinctive slightly shiny olive grey primer. These are manufactured by Karl-Heinz Stoppel - a very reputable German restorer who has carried out a programme of tool manufacture in order to reproduce 105 panels as close as possible to the originals. His attention to detail is reflected in his excellent GT bootlids, available with or without the badge recess (in steel or aluminium) and roundtail spider boot lid frame repair sections with different holes underneath depending on whether the car is a 1600 Duetto or the later 1300/1750! As expected, these panels fitted beautifully, although we do have reservations (shared with Mr Stoppel!) about the door skins which, due to their large flat area, have proved difficult to stamp out without some minor rippling. An improved production has been promised for next year.
ALL 4 FLOOR PANS FITTED
REAR VALANCE
Initially, the car looked as if it might require a new right hand front wing, so we looked at both types available - the Stoppel production which is usually supplied in oiled bare metal or sometimes in the distinctive olive grey, but never anything else, or the Italian production easily recognisable by a black primer finish and lack of a hole for the indicator repeater. The German wing was a noticeably superior fit as might be expected from a more expensive panel, but it really comes down to a question of budget. The Stoppel wing is 50% more, although when viewed as part of the overall cost of a restoration, we know which we'd choose! The sill sections fitted very well and readers should note that there is only one production of inner & outer GT sills commonly sold in the UK although there are 2 different middle sill productions - one from Stoppel & one from another German firm - Frank Hanel who make the outer sill. We concluded that the Stoppel product wasas usual the more accurate reproduction, being absolutely identical to an original middle sill. The rear valance fitted perfectly as does the complete rear panel, we are told by our customers.
The front panel has been hard to source for some time now as production ceased some time ago.
FRONT PANEL FITTED
Fortunately, it's on Mr Stoppel's list for future production along with a lower front panel repair section, which has never been available in a really decent quality.
The fit of the wing bottom repair sections for both front and rear wings was excellent as was the wheel arch repair which, when produced in 2001, was the first ever to have the correct profile on the wheel arch lip.
WHEEL ARCH AND TWO WING REPAIR SECTIONS
We did not need to fit the panel available to repair the base of the rear screen but we hear good reports from our trade customers on the fit of this other Stoppel product.
Over the forthcoming months we shall feature many of the mechanical parts on the market and try to dispel some of the myths surrounding what is and isn't a good quality part for your Alfa Romeo Giulia.