19 replies to this topic

[AndyR]

Hi all

 

I am after a bit of advice on here before i go speaking to Minispares tomorrow.  I ordered a rear panel lower repair (HMP441009) panel 10 days ago, it arrived today.  I have basically ordered every heritage panel from the pillars down from Minispares, most have been fine with the odd spider crack of rust here and there, and the odd wave or dent.  The biggest problem i had was with the full floor which had very wavy inner sills.  I complained to Minispares but was basically told to live with it. The typical customer service from them.

 

The aforementioned panel is not cheap at 213 pounds, considering the full panel is 232 pounds.  I didn't fancy changing the full panel as it was in good condition bar the bottom lip so bit the bullet and went for the repair section.  The issue is now that the panel is full of rust and bubbles in the E coat.  I know that this is nothing new, but the extent to this panel is really terrible; inside and out and where the seal would locate.  Because of the shape this is going to be a big job to clean and fix. I really don't expect this from the likes of heritage and at this price tag.  I digress...

 

Where do my options lie?  I don't really have the time to send it back and request a new one as i plan on using it over the weekend.  Can i request a part refund or compensation for the now increased labour needed to correct the panel? Or any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Andy

[Daz1968]

I would send pictures and get it changed, luckily I live near mini spares in oldbury so can always inspect when buying, but I think you would have been better with the half panel hmp441019 as I fitted that one and it was easy to fit, and the joints hidden on the rear pillars, also the boot fit was excellent, I thought it was well worth the small amount extra.
A full panel is a bit harder to fit as the gutter needs splitting and welding to the roof panel, so the half panel was a very good compromise for me,

[Homersimpson]

I seem to remember being told that the reason the full panel isn't much more is that they press a full panel and cut it up to make the half panel.

 

Sounds odd but they won't have a press tool for a half panel.

[AndyR]

I did consider the reason why the repair panel is almost the same price, and came to that same conclusion.  I did consider the whole panel, but i have replaced both rear quarters, blocked off the filler hole and put in mk1 light conversions.  I really just don't feel like redoing work that is done and in good order, and expected the quality to be just as good considering the above.  It is my fault not doing a thorough inspection of the lower lip but it did seem ok.

 

Either way, i would prefer to clean the panel than send it back as i have had terrible experience with MS returning things from Norway, as they have to arrange DHL from their side.  I would be looking at at least 3 weeks before getting the new panel back which would put my progress at a stop

Edited by AndyR, 20 February 2019 - 06:38 PM.

[smudger068]

See if you can find the thread on slow postage from minispares it is a recent one.

Find and you could then speak to the chap on the forum who works/who is on the forum with regards to minispares.

Edited by smudger068, 20 February 2019 - 06:43 PM.

[sonikk4]

Talk to Simon on here. He helped deal with my extremely poor Heritage Clubman bonnet which was to be honest not fit for purpose. 

 

Very poorly built and damaged to boot. Now this is not Minispares fault per se but as the supplier of the panel then they have a duty to replace if the panel falls below expected quality.

 

Now i took the decision to drive to Potters Bar to return the bonnet and check the new one before i took it home. The best part of 200 mile round trip. My choice and i was a lot happier with the replacement. The original box the bonnet came in was huge, far bigger than the boot of my CC. And it was far easier for me to point out all of the defects directly to the lads there. No big drama apart from a long drive. (i did pick some other things up as well though)

 

To be honest i feel a lot of the Heritage panels are over rated and over priced. I have spent a huge sum of money on their panels and although the majority are ok the spider tracks of rust really grab my goat. Not what i expect of so called high end panels.

 

So as i said pm [email protected] and see what he can do for you.

[MacGyver]

You need to speak to Simon:
http://www.theminifo...nminisparescom/

Beaten to it... ?

Ben

Edited by MacGyver, 20 February 2019 - 07:02 PM.

[AndyR]

Ok, thanks chaps.  Ill pop him a pm.

[mab01uk]

Mini-Machine panels are usually good, they sell both Heritage and many early Mini panels that they produce themselves :-

http://preview.m-machine.co.uk/

[Cooperman]

I often think we don't realise how lucky we are with panel availability and low (relative) prices for our old classic Minis.

My son had to buy a wing for his Mk.2 Escort RS2000 and it was a lot of money for a poor fitting panel. There were no other options.

Take a look at the cost of a front panel for a Mk.1 Cortina.

With classic car restoration there is a need to have some body repair experience and although sometimes the replacement panels are not a perfect fit, at least we can buy them and get them to fit quite well with a bit of fettling.

[Spider]

No reflection on Mini Spares in this - they can only sell what they can source.

 

While I've not had the panels to check for myself, I have heard quite a few less than happy stories regarding Heritage Panels.

 

I've heard though that the Magnum rand floor pans are quite good.

[sc-em]

Do Minispares produce their own panels then? I am just about the start building up the collection of panels I will need to rebuild my Mini. Hopefully mostly the usual sills etc , but have yet to investigate much beyond...oh apart from the floor, hinge panels, rear boot etc etc Lol

[AndyR]

I sympathise with the above completely, however my issue lies with Minispares and their lack of quality control. Like I mentioned that I have had lots of heritage panel and had no problems with bubbling and rust under the e coat.

I expect that before the panel is put in the box to be sent, somebody takes a look at it and assess if it’s quality represents the price and advertisement at point of sale. If it doesn’t, I would expect it to be sent back to its manufacturer for correction, or if this is not possible, an email or call explaining the situation so I can evaluate my options. My conclusion is that this panel has been sat in a damp storage facility before or after e coating for quite some time. If this is how the panels come from Heritage, then I would expect the website to reflect this in the description, but I somewhat doubt this based on other panels I have received.

Edited by AndyR, 21 February 2019 - 10:52 AM.

[sc-em]

I agree, Andy. There should be a quality control aspect to any 3rd party panel that sent out as it does, as evident from your post title, reflect on the company who sells them, and by association their reputation. There are more providers of mini spares then I had realised and as such the customer should always be a priority for customer services. Unfortunately, this is often not the case.

Still, in the interests of fairness, Minispares have a right to reply, but should make a deliberate effort to make amends.

[[email protected]]

I have replied to the OP, apologies I got a message yesterday about it, but I am not getting notifications from the forum for some strange reason.