3 replies to this topic

[Blue mpi]

Has anybody purchased and fitted replacement aftermarket panels from Lacey Classics or Magnum panels?

 

What is the quality and  fit like or can you recommend an alternative supplier?

 

 

[sonikk4]

At the moment there are only three companies that make panels.

Heritage (BMH)
Magnum
M Machine.

Now companies like M Machine also supply Magnum and Heritage panels as well. Plus they do not make every mini panel.

Floating out there in mini land you will still find the odd OE panel, Hadrian and maybe some very random ones.

All other Mini parts suppliers will be selling Heritage Magnum or M Machine panels.

Right quality wise, Heritage are the best and most expensive. However that does not mean all of their panels will fit straight out of the box. They still need some tweaking here and there. And DO NOT rely on their Ecoat being the best either. Each panel panel needs to be checked for spider tracks of rust.

Magnum, well you take a chance with any of their panels, do not buy a full scuttle, they are shocking plus their door steps are just plain wrong. YOU MUST remove the coating they apply to all of their panels and I mean all of it. I have not had a single Magnum panel that went straight on.

M Machine, they press a lot of things like inner sills, outer sills, floors, companion bins, waist rails, arch close outs and they are good. Far better than Magnum. The companion bin will take some work as it’s the wrong shape up the B pillar but can be made to fit nicely. I love their inner and outer sills, would recommend them all day long.

Prices, Heritage by far the most expensive, M Machine I would place second but as they supply three different makes you need to look into what is what when you order on the day.

Magnum, cheapest by far. But you pay a literal fitting price when it comes to using them on your car.

[Cooperman]

That is an excellent description of the situation and quality.

We are fortunate that we are able to not only buy new panels for virtually the entire car, but that we do have some choice. A level of sheet-metal working is expected with all vehicle body restoration. If you go on-line and check out the price of body panels for similar age cars from other manufacturers you will see how lucky we really are. Look at the price for a Mk.1 Cortina front panel and compare it with a Mini front panel.

If you are doing body-work restoration just expect to have to do a bit of 'fettling' to get a good fit. I've literally just had a delivery of a pattern front wing, so it will be interesting to see how it fits this afternoon.

 

Edited to add:

 

The new panel, a pattern one from Mini Spares, arrived just before lunch and I fitted it this afternoon. I started at about 2-30 pm and finished 1/2 an hour ago. It all lined up very well except for a slight mis-match where the wheel arch lip meets the corresponding lip on the front panel. It's only about 7 mm and as we are going to be fitting Group 2 narrow arch extensions it won't show. It would be very easy to re-shape the lip to line up and I may do this anyway. I have also seam-sealed it and put a bit of primer on to protect the bare metel areas before I finally profile it and take off all the electro-coat before starting to paint it.

This panel is excellent and as easy to fit as a Heritage one. 

 

I'll be finding out how the pattern door step repair section fits later this week.

Edited by Cooperman, 14 April 2020 - 04:31 PM.

[elliot341]

At the moment there are only three companies that make panels.

Heritage (BMH)
Magnum
M Machine.

Now companies like M Machine also supply Magnum and Heritage panels as well. Plus they do not make every mini panel.

Floating out there in mini land you will still find the odd OE panel, Hadrian and maybe some very random ones.

All other Mini parts suppliers will be selling Heritage Magnum or M Machine panels.

Right quality wise, Heritage are the best and most expensive. However that does not mean all of their panels will fit straight out of the box. They still need some tweaking here and there. And DO NOT rely on their Ecoat being the best either. Each panel panel needs to be checked for spider tracks of rust.

Magnum, well you take a chance with any of their panels, do not buy a full scuttle, they are shocking plus their door steps are just plain wrong. YOU MUST remove the coating they apply to all of their panels and I mean all of it. I have not had a single Magnum panel that went straight on.

M Machine, they press a lot of things like inner sills, outer sills, floors, companion bins, waist rails, arch close outs and they are good. Far better than Magnum. The companion bin will take some work as it’s the wrong shape up the B pillar but can be made to fit nicely. I love their inner and outer sills, would recommend them all day long.

Prices, Heritage by far the most expensive, M Machine I would place second but as they supply three different makes you need to look into what is what when you order on the day.

Magnum, cheapest by far. But you pay a literal fitting price when it comes to using them on your car.

 

I think this needs to be a sticky! What a great summary of all suppliers/manufacturers :)