Front - Rear wings/fenders Aluminium or Steel

[adamb]

Just an enquiry what do peoples thoughts on wings / fenders made in steel or aluminium .Are the aluminium ones better .

 

[BlueRidge1]

I haven't any personal experience with the aluminum fenders but I would think they woud ding up quite easily,probably they are used to reduce weight for road racing.. Bob

 

[DerekJ]

The first 200 or so of the real production BN1s had all aluminium bodies and they were found to suffer damage easily during shipment.

Racing guys obviously fit them for weight saving. And of course the 100S is all aluminium. Unless you're racing I'd stick to the originals. Much cheaper!

 

[SHG]

I don't know if this will help you, Adam, but a vendor to whom I just returned a horn because it was not what was ordered, informed me that it was BETTER than a Lucas horn because "plastic doesn't rust." True, perhaps, but you don't restore a car with plastic. I vote steel, because that's what the car was meant to be. You should ask yourself if you would rather sell plastic because it doesn't rust.

 

[adamb]

Thanks to every one one there comments the reason i ask is im in the process of having some aluminium wings manufactured for some restorers in the UK they seem to prefer the aluminium ones as they are easier to fit and work if you have to make any adustments

 

[JamesWilson]

I have an aluminium boot lid and have found it to be more susceptible to "dings" than a steel one would be. I think that wings would be more exposed and likely to suffer such damage.

I've also been lead to believe that the rear wings provide some additional strengthening to the rear bodywork and that replacing the steel with aluminium may weaken that area, but I'm unsure how reliable that view may be. Maybe someone who's actually fitted some, or fiberglass ones, would have some experience to share?

On the plus side, the aluminium ones save weight and eliminate electrolytic corrosion of the shroud flanges where they attach. The biggest advantage of course is that they won't rust as the older steel ones did. But I doubt if you're going to expose the car to the same rust promoting conditions as it was by the past owners when it was just another car.

Based on my experience with the boot lid when it came to replacing my rotten wings I opted for steel ones after having intially been inclined towards the alloy ones. The weight savings isn't that great and the liability to rust is much reduced making the higher risk of damage unacceptable. One time when the cheaper option with a Healey actually seems the better one.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[adamb]

Thanks for that i think i will see about getting some made in steel to