FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

I'm looking for a ute tailgate with at least a relatively straight inner panel.

Small dents and minor rust are acceptable, however I don't want a basket case.

I'm in Sydney, and my number is 0408 200 299

Thanks

Edward

Still after a reasonable tailgate

hey eddie,
               do you have a half decent shell? rares are making a really good repro skin for around the $130 mark, i have seen one and quality is awesome!!!

Darcy,

No, I do not have a good shell. That is why I'm looking for a tailgate with a straight frame.

I'm not sure of your basis for the assessment of the reproduction panels. They are adequate at best. If you have every actually compared them to the original pressing I doubt you would be calling them "awesome".

Edward

eddie,
        when i was at rares last with my old man, Heidi gave us a tour of around the back. they had a skin there and one of the blokes sat the shell into the shell, and it was a bloody good fit!

anyway, good luck with the hunt!

Eddie, thought I saw one on ebay.

here -
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/fc-ute-tail-gate_W0QQitemZ4605520748QQcategoryZ32058QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Although I'm not overly encouraged by the fact that its sitting on an FB (or are they the same) Hope this helps.

Regards
Tim

Shell looks very good but skin is not right - it is missing the raised portion where the badge is attached.  I think maybe it is an FB / EK skin because they didn't have the raised bit.
Not sure about the FB EK bit though.
Would be OK for a modified car where the badge was not going to be used

Ken

sorry Edward, don't mean to hijack this thread but did all ute tailgates have the raised portion and the badge (mine certainly doesn't but could be re-skinned of course)?  Also I assume the ute skin is different from wagon as the badge seems to sit higher up on the few utes I have seen, rather than in the middle as on wagon.

Jonno

Hi guys.
Jonno,
The wagon tailgates are a totally different set up than the utes. The FE FC utes, Vans & Wagons ALL had the FE FC Badge on the rear.

The FB EK Utes had a "Holden" script badge. No raised section.

The rare spares skins are not very good. Flat & straight. No holes drilled, no raised sections & a bugger to fit, as it doesn't have the slight curve the original has along the top edge, so it will never sit right. Lots of work involved.
Been there, done that.

Eddie.
I have a NOS Wagon skin here, that if all other options fail, you may want to use to graft the raised badge section into an FB EK ute tailgate if that is possible. These seem to be more common.
p.s. I haven't fogotten those little clips. Just a slack prick, that is all. :-/

Rob J

thanks Rob...all is now clear!

Jonno :)

The FC Utes I have come across never had a raised section for the badge. I removed my old skin and put a new skin on myself. I agree with the comments on the poor fit - but they can be worked with. I run my skins ( tailgate skins ! ...lol) through an english wheel before fitting - this puts the bit of curve in them and I  them put the  folded top part  between tow bits of wood and lightly press  on this until the right curve is  achieved.

The wagon skins had a raised bit  because they used the flat  backed badge from the Ute and to compensate for the extra curve  of the wagon skin, the wagon skins had a  raised section. Thus  allowing the badge  to sit flat.

Now it is possible the FE/ FC utes had a SLIGHT raised section - But in twenty plus years I have yet to see one -  most of the tailgates I am re skinning have had a lot of previous repairs ,so its  hard to tell- or they may all have been EK tailgates without the badge holes.  Some NOS tailgates I have come across have no badge holes - or  extra pressings for badges- seems the factory   by passed this to allow the gates to fit  more models. Im only guessing here.

The sugestion of  cutting out a raised section and adding it to another tailgate is a ludicrous  idea-  A lot of unecessary work and a lot of  warpage involved. Its not needed - my FC ute has the correct badge and  it sits fine on the tailgate  without the raised section.

Hope this helps -
cheers streetneat -Andrew.

Hi Andrew.
I am sure that the utes had the raised section as well. I would not want to disagree with your experience, but I will email a mate who bought my low milage FC ute & see if he can confirm my theory. Maybe it was only the FE FC Wagons & Panelvans that had that. I don't think so, though.
As for the later ones being made plain by GMH, that is entirely possible, as the HK ute tailgate skins that were maade to re-cover damaged gates, also apparently were produce without the "Holden" pressing.

As for the "Ludicrous" suggestion that the section be welded in, I have to say, I haven't been called that before! A new one to add to my list! ;)
It was an offer, based on being helpful. Someone with your skills could accomplish it, I assumed, but then again, I am only a Baker, so really don't know.

Regards,
Rob J

 Well as a panel beater- you would make an excellent baker with attempting to add sections into tailgates. :P Im not having a go at you  so dont read it as that.
I fully appreciate you are trying to be helpful - I just would hate to see someone take that peice of advise - attempt it,  and  destroy a good tailgate skin.
At $135 or what ever the price  was it would be a waste of money.  I have only ever paid $50 for skins from quite a few different sources - so it pays to shop around!
Even with my metal working  capabilities I could not attempt  such a delicate task with out spending  a ludicrous  (word of the week) amount of time on it- something no one would pay me for.... and not something thats really required any how. I would most likely panel beat the pressing in myself if I was to atempt it.
I would be interested to  see a picture of such a pressing in a Ute skin - I have yet to see one. It must be pretty minor if there was one. My old skin had no signs of such a pressing  but it was pretty damaged. ... as were the dozens of customers ones I have done.
Cheers -Streetneat -Andrew.

Andrew,
           i know what your saying, but when i stripped back the original gate off our ute (although it had 2" of bog) there was still raised sections in there (they were just in pretty far because of all the dents) . i still have the skin here (its pretty rooted)  but you can see the raised sections. i can take a pic? (BTW, im not having a go :-[ )

;) ;)

 ;)I will post a pic of my mates very original fe ute(50,000 miles) that seems everything is ridgey didge the tailgate is flat!!i also have a fe ute a parts car and the tailgate on that is also flat and it has had the same badge on it as the pic of the yellow ute as well!!!the tailgate i have got has had no signs of being repainted and it has no bog,so i would say that fe ute tailgates are meant to be flat!!cheers jamie ;)

(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y177/fe_hotrod/DSC00068.jpg)

sorry for causing so much drama folks.....as always the devil is in the detail.  I think I will just stick a badge on my flat tailgate confident in the knowledge that no-one will ever realise there is (or isn't) a problem.

Jonno ;D

Can you use a Wagon tailgate if so pm me as I have a couple down the shed that may be ok.

Cheers
Sarge

ive just had a look at my original skin that im replacing as its got a few old dents and and bog in middle and badge sits flat on a flat panel and there is no bog in this section either,
by the way this new panel came from one of  small manufacturing sheds that supply the shops around Australia for $56 plus freight.

OK after more examination and looking at a few utes, there is no raised portion under the badge on a ute - it's only there on the vans and wagons.   Since I started this whole to and fro discussion, seems only right I should end it as well ;D

Ken

;)

Thank you for confirming I wasnt going mad.... (Not over that one anyhow!....)
Cheers streetneat-Andrew...

Hmm.
Fair call, Andrew. I must be the one going mad. I contacted Kev, the guy who now has my ute that had the raised section, but bugger me, if the raised section is no longer there :o The bloody transport company must have changed it on the way from here to NSW.

I have to admit, it looks as if I was w-w-w-w-wr....... I can't say it! OK, how about this. I was mistaken! ;D ;)

Sorry for the major thread hi-jack Edward. I am keeping an eye out for you.

Rob J

That 'll be it- transport companies are renowned for doing this. Like a customers  FC wagon that turned up sans  sunvisor. Bloody transport company decided  if there had been one then  it must have blown off and it wasn't their fault. The wind was so powerful it even  unscrewed all the fittings. Amazingly  there was no other damage.
Photos of the wagon with a sunvisor  proved nothing.
I get phone calls  all the time asking  that I repair cars that the transport companies have damaged... I cant say  that I'm responsible for hammering tailgate bumps flat... Ive been sworn to secrecy on that one 8)
Cheers streetneat-Andrew

Here ya go!!  a pic from ebay.

(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/redmr2red/da_1_b.jpg)

quite funny tho.........

had an fc ute tailgate here that most definately had the raised bits, i believe 2 of em, one on each end for the badge.

went to scrap this morning tho, i did get a pic (although, thats if i can find it)

That primer pick shown above is a van - which essentially is the same vehicle  as a wagon!- so of course the tailgates are more curved- different  tailgate altogether for the Ute... Nice try  heheheh...
Cheers streetneat-Andrew...