Repairs

Well, the insurers have been very reasonable, allowing me to choose where it was repaired and not messing me about over costs, values and so on – it pays to have an agreed value policy on older vehicles. I’m glad about the no-claims bonus protection, too.

My friend Alun at Rogers of Bedford repaired the chassis’ cross-member by cutting the damaged part off, straightening it all out carefully and welding it back on with internal reinforcing plates. The weld and repair are invisible, and the whole cross member is as straight as an arrow. Plenty of Galvafroid paint was applied to the areas where the galvanising was removed, and zinc rich primer added atop that.

A body repair shop in Bedford called “Avenia’s” (01234 350280) are sorting out the panel work and paint. The tub panels were to badly stretched and distorted to be straightened, so the damaged areas were cut away and new sections of aluminium made up and welded in place. There is a thin skim of filler to make sure the surfaces are absolutely straight, and the work is really being done to an amazing standard. They already replaced the tub’s cross member (the black beam in the photo), and spent a couple of hours reshaping the second new Gen Parts body corner capping that had been poorly stamped and galvanised, the fist having been sent back. They have been really good about letting me see what’s going on every few days, and didn’t object to me spending a couple of hours with them to make false spot weld marks in the surface today before the paint get applied, trying to get the details just right. A helpful factor in getting the spot welds right was the fact that there were three Defenders in for repair, as well as a Freelander and a Discovery. Martin (the shop owner) actually likes working on Land Rovers, especially Defenders and Series, which is very unusual for body shops (who usually hate them, or just botch the job because “it’s only a Land Rover”). So, one good thing has come of this accident – I have found the body shop which I will trust my Range Rover to for a body restoration in a couple of years’ time!

The mist coat to find any panel high or low spots, and any final sanding, will be done by mid Monday, and all the painting should be finished by mid week. They already have all the replacement lights and parts, except for the chequer plate panel, but they’ll be getting a new pair made up by using the undamaged left plate as a template. Hopefully, I’ll have it back by next weekend.