Compatible body parts for '63 superminx

[rhythmrider]

Good morning.
First time poster.

I am looking to replace the front fenders on a 1963 Superminx 4 door sedan (hard top)

Does anyone know what other years and models are compatible?

Thanks,
Dana

[mickyboy]

Good morning.
First time poster.

I am looking to replace the front fenders on a 1963 Superminx 4 door sedan (hard top)

Does anyone know what other years and models are compatible?

Thanks,
Dana

[mickyboy]

Hi,
All Supeminx models have the same wings 1961 to '67 and are rare and expensive to say the least . They are an absolute pain to remove and refit, their being welded just about everywhere. If yours are just rusty around the arches and the bottoms (near the sills) repair sections are readily available, cheaper and easier and quicker to fit.
If by fenders you mean what are termed bumpers in the UK ie the front and rear chrome bits only the overiders changed over the run and ones from a Singer Vogue or Humber Sceptre from the same years will also do the job
mickyboy

[rhythmrider]

Thanks for the reply.
Yes, I mean the front QTR panels. The metal is wrinkled to the point of needing to be heated to red hot to relax.
(As only the old bodymen know how to do now-a-days.)

Thanks for the tip on the bumpers, I need a set of those as well.

I did hear of a guy in West Midlands that has a whole barn of spares, fenders, bumpers, boots, bonnets, glass, doors, stashed away for 30 years.
But I don't know how to reach him if he still has any of it.

Here is a picture of the crumpled metal. (bad on both sides)

[thowman]

There is one on ebay at the moment.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HILLMAN-SUPER ... 4d12720c7f

Is this the car that was for sale in California recently?

[rhythmrider]

Yes, this is the same car that was for sale in California.
Looks like it may not be a 1963 though. It has drum brakes in front and from what I read, in '63 they went to disc drakes.

Does anyone know if there were '63 year models made that still had drum brakes?

[thowman]

Hi

I did consider buying it, I have a friend in SoCal that would have looked at it for me, but I was put off by the seller not really wanting to send me more pictures, and the damage to the front. I am sure others will come. How solid is the bodywork? Is I need a lhd car, I decided its better to import from the US.

Any luck with the fender?

[rhythmrider]

The body has very little rust at all.
I did find a seller with a NOS new left side wing panel, but they wanted the equivilent of $800 USD + shipping. (and then I would have to have it put on too.)

From close inspection, I think I am better to have an "old school" body man put a torch to it and relax the crumple and avoid streaching the metal.
Unfortunately the seller tried to do some of his own bodywork on the boot and bonnet before listing for sale and I would have preferred that he had left it alone.
(if you know what I mean)

Besides that, it's not bad.
It was stored for 20 years in nice dry storage and then the seller bought it and left it outside in the rain for a year and so all of the carpet was molded and trashed before he put up for sale.
The side runningboards received some damage from the guy that towed it from from Gerber, CA to San Jose, CA (previous owner)
The parcel tray is not repairable. May have to try and make one from scratch.

I believe the biggest challenge is going to be to get the DMV paperwork straightened out to make the car road legal.
(too many changes of owner without proper paper filing.

[thowman]

In that case, considering the title issues, I am very glad that I didn't buy it as importing it to the UK, and then to Europe would probably have proved impossible. The temptation to buy a SoCal car with little bodywork requirements is very high. Ideally I want another sceptre, or a superminx estate, or even better a super snipe.

Good luck with getting it on the road. Might be better to find a couple of eyebrows off a scrapper that someone on here has, no doubt.

Andy