FE - EK SILL PANELS

[les]

We approved the samples of the FE - EK sill panels today they are as per original price will be around $195.00 each expected delivery mid November

[Trevor_B]

Hi Les,
Do you have any pictures of the test install on Mike Fiddes car?

Trevor_B

[les]

Hi Les,
Do you have any pictures of the test install on Mike Fiddes car?

Trevor_B

This is a later test

[fink]

Whats wrong with the repo's from CraigVayne,they fit ok?

[Trevor_B]

The Rares ones I saw are very much like the original factory ones with correct ends and the raised section for the B pillar.

Defiantly would be the ones I would use considering the amount of effort required to install.

Trevor_B

[JB]

Craig Vanes, are dead straight with no ends, need to form a bend to follow the curve in the car.

Sounds like the ones Les is talking about are a new Rares model.

Is this correct Les?

[les]

Craig Vanes, are dead straight with no ends, need to form a bend to follow the curve in the car.

Sounds like the ones Les is talking about are a new Rares model.

Is this correct Les?

Yes they are new with the ends and curve

[fink]

Ahah !You get what you pay for !

[les]

Here is a picture.

Les

[customFC]

Looks good.
Regards
Alex

[Ole]

They look very good, so much better than the current Rare Spares effort. I hope they are made from a thicker gauge metal than the current panels as well.

[les]

They look very good, so much better than the current Rare Spares effort. I hope they are made from a thicker gauge metal than the current panels as well.

We do not make any at the moment and have not for 3 years so I am at a lose to know what you mean by our current sill panel .

[Stewy]

I think what Ole means Les is that there is still some old stock of the sills that you used to produce around and are still labelled as rare spare sills and sold through rares agents.
These new ones look the part so I think that they will be good sellers 

Cheers Stewy   

[ACE]

G'day Les,
Are the new sills the same gauge as the original sills?
ACE 

[Ole]

Perhaps I re-phrase that to your previous panels. I had a pair of Rare Spares sill panels that I couldn't use because the pressing was very distorted and the profile was poor. I don't mean to cause offence, this was just my experience.
Regards Ole.

[mcl1959]

Um, am i missing something?
The old sill pressings were poor - we all know that.
These are the new pressings which are a huge improvement.
Rare Spares approached the Vic club for a volunteer to provide a car for a pair of the new sills to be professionally fitted - no charge.
I have seen the photos of the finished job and they look very impressive and our club member is very pleased with the job.
I don't know whether the material is the same thickness as the originals, I don't even know whether the supplier has the same size press as Holden used originally. The Holden press was huge with a massive capacity. Later model Holdens used thinner material, yes to save money, but also because die tooling was very expensive to replace because of the high wear rate on thicker material.

Dragging up old issues is irellevant, move on.

Ken

[Stewy]

Well said Ken, and well done (Les) Rare Spares for continuing to aid us in the restoration of our great Holden heritage.

Cheers Stewy   

[Ole]

This is the problem with forums. Some people take offence or read more into a post than was intended. As I said, I like the new sills and I also appreciate the effort of Les and Rare Spares for continuing to provide quality products for restorers and modifiers alike. I am not privy to Rare Spares stock list or manufacturing schedule and I did not realise that it was such a sensitive matter. I apologise if I upset anyone as it was not my intention. I will think twice next time before I pass comment or offer my opinion in future.
Ole

[fink]

Ole, as you previously posted,the sills were poor quality and would not fit.Why were they sold in the first place then? I know Ken try's he's hardest to get things ''rite'' with Rares but I think sometimes the main man has to be held accountable for situations like this .
I think your the one who deserves the apology!

[les]

When we first made these sill panels they were a fairly good fit maybe not quite as good as genuine but then again we did not have the luxury of being able to amortise the cost over 4 (FE – EK) model runs but they did fit and were the only ones on the market with pressed ends. When the tooling showed signs of wear and we tried to repair it. That is when they became a lot lesser quality and we removed them from the market some three years ago. So from our point of view they are in the past and let’s move on with these new ones. The main concern appears to be are they the same thickness as the original well no they are not, the originals were in imperial and the new ones are in metric gauge material and are marginally thicker although you would not notice.
Les