replacement panel quality

[JohnR2]

Does panel quality vary from different suppliers? I've just bought a lower repair section for my radiator grille panel which, although it seems to be made of good thickness metal, doesn't have the rolled returns around the edges of the apertures. This was from Craddocks. I think we will just be able to use the original returns but it will be a fiddle. Also it's missing the spot welded strip of angle which stiffens the bottom edge of my original panel - is this a separate item?

[AlexB]

they certainly do

Tony Wood used to make perfect lower rad panel repair pieces

Try Catmint - Gordon is a club member and a perfectionist He might be tempted to make one

[Ken]

I was able to cut a repair section allowing me to retain the rolled edges of the original. In my view the repair section sold without the rolled edges is unfit for purpose. Nothing new though, it's happening all the time. Metric instead of imperial fittings, door seal landings made for push on seals and so on.
It wouldn't be so bad if suppliers were up front and listed the deviations from original we could at least then make an informed choice of cheaper but incorrect or search around for something accurate.
I've found in the last 2 years of working on mine that there are very few suppliers I can trust that will supply something that fully fits the bill.

[Kevlar]

I had a similar experience to Ken after purchasing a panel from Paddocks. The basic shape was okay but it didn't have the rolled edges and it was slightly too wide. Therefore I had to cut it in two, re-weld it to the correct width, and faff about recreating the edges.

Personally I'd much prefer to pay significantly more for a correct item.

[Gordon Lowe]

Try Gordon Furness as Alex says. Here is a link to his website.
https://shop.catmint.biz/product-category/land-rover/