Bulkhead options?

[diffwhine]

My pfennig's worth...

Every bulkhead I've seen from Pegasus (not a Shielder galvanised jobbie) has been exemplary to the point of being nigh on perfect. That said, I think we need to bottom out the rumour mill and as they advertise in B2L, try to establish what is really going on and what the relationship now is with Shielder and what that means for us as buyers. That's going to have to be one of us picking up the phone or emailing Debbie to get the detail and then independently verify what we are told. That probably means one of the Board doing this, so either I will do it or Andy as our Advertising Manager.


It seems as though the actual product is spot on, but the process and delivery is still a big issue. I agree - nobody should be having to pay full whack at point of order. A deposit on a credit card fine, but as Alan Driver suggests, we should not be financing each build.

Rob Owen is good. The quality looks great, but he is not perfect. I ordered a 1969 spec bulkhead off him for a rebuild during lockdown and it had some glaring errors. Had it been a proper restoration as opposed to a weekend toy plaything I would have sent it back. I also know of one other S2C member locally who has had significant issues with a Rob Owen bulkhead.

[Mycroft]

Tony Coyle (son of Paula and Paul Coyle, who own Shielder, who is both owner and sole Director of the newly formed Pegasus UK Bulkheads Ltd) told me that Debbie has another job and is only in the Pegasus office one day a week to catch up on emails.

Debbie is neither a Director nor shareholder of the new company, so may not have an ongoing role.

It was Debbie who insisted I pay in full upfront for my bulkhead. She told me that the Club discount did not apply and stopped answering phone calls after payment was made and the promised 2 weeks turned into months.

[diffwhine]

So why did you buy a Shielder bulkhead through Pegasus?

[Kevlar]

If you don't fancy the risk and expense of buying a replacement, Rob Owen will supply excellent quality individual panels for you to make your own repairs, including the inner/outer vent surround, internal strengthening pieces and dashboard. I've gone down this route with very satisfactory results. From memory, the lead time was about 8 weeks.

I used to get parts from Tony Wood at The Welding Wood but, the last time I checked, he was no longer trading.

[Mycroft]

So why did you buy a Shielder bulkhead through Pegasus?

Partly because you'd vouched for them and partly because I spoke to Debbie who explained the different options and was in sales mode I suppose. I only belatedly learned that the galvanised chassis they were supplying was made by Shielder - it wasn't advertised as such on the Pegasus website.

I also thought dealing with a mainland company would be easier in these post-Brexit times, where there have been issues with the NI border. The 2 week waiting list also appealed as having waited for months for a slot in the workshop, the people helping me with the rebuild only belatedly advised that a new bulkhead was needed.

[Alan Drover]

Pegasus have an ad on page 20 of the current edition of CLR. The phone number is still the Redhill one.

[diffwhine]

So why did you buy a Shielder bulkhead through Pegasus?

Partly because you'd vouched for them and partly because I spoke to Debbie who explained the different options and was in sales mode I suppose. I only belatedly learned that the galvanised chassis they were supplying was made by Shielder - it wasn't advertised as such on the Pegasus website.

I also thought dealing with a mainland company would be easier in these post-Brexit times, where there have been issues with the NI border. The 2 week waiting list also appealed as having waited for months for a slot in the workshop, the people helping me with the rebuild only belatedly advised that a new bulkhead was needed.

That makes sense. The bit that confused me was that I've never seen any galvanised chassis or bulkheads on the Pegasus site, so was wondering how or why you got steered down that route.

What I do know is that the bulkheads that I have seen coming out of Pegasus as opposed to Shielder have been really good. The question therefore, is whether or not the pain is worth the gain. I'd say yes provided the relevant buyer protections are in place and full payment is not made up front. If enough people refuse to buy in that basis, they will have to revise the policy to deposit only. Anybody in manufacturing knows that if it's all paid up front, there is no incentive to meet a deadline. If just a deposit is paid, the quicker you work, the quicker you get the payment in.

Dealing with a few of my own crisis at the moment, but if I get a minute, I'll call Pegasus and try to make sense of this. If they can't or won't live up to their promises, then they should be held to account and not revert to the bad old days.

There clearly isn't that much money in making bulkheads given how many companies have gone to the wall.

[Mycroft]

Here's one link, although they have a dozen galvanised, presumably Shielder products, in total. No mention of Shielder, per se:

https://www.pegasusbulkheads.com/products/series-3-88-inch-galvanised-chassis?_pos=1&_sid=12c404168&_ss=r

I personally wouldn't send a penny to a company that may be about to be struck off. If a new company with a near identical name has been set up with the express purpose of buying up the assets from a planned liquidation, some creditors are about to get shafted. Which may - and frequently does - include recent customers.

[Mycroft]

Attached is yesterday's Notice to have the company struck off.

[Uffddd]

I used to get parts from Tony Wood at The Welding Wood but, the last time I checked, he was no longer trading.

I believe I saw something in the last few months saying Tony Wood had retired.

[Alan Drover]

I've had a look at their website which is still up and running. The telephone number is at Redhill where they used to be based but the business address is Unit 5F, Toledo Road, Triumph Business Park, Liverpool L24 9AE (Triumph Toledo anyone)?
Shielder bulkheads website shows Pegasus bulkheads with a Liverpool phone number but a Armagh contact address.
The website goes on to state that after the death of Paul at Pegasus Shielder now use Pegasus drawings and provide the manufacturing infrastructure and materials to make Pegasus bulkheads as they were made originally by Pegasus. From that I take it that Shielder are now the manufacturer of Pegasus bulkheads at Liverpool.
Ashtree bulkheads were local to me initially and they used to buy old bulkheads from my late mate who broke Land Rovers when it was fashionable to do and refurbish them. Ashtree moved twice and ended up in Southampton where they went to the wall. Obviously the supply of old bulkheads dried up as breaking Land Rovers became unfashionable. Ashtree never made new bulkheads. They were an initial success but the workmanship became sloppy and the customer service non existent.

[diffwhine]

I agree. Its probably a transition period. Definitely a time to buy with care.
Others I know may have differing opinions, but I bought a chassis direct off Shielder in Armagh during lockdown. It was a generic Series 2A late 88" frame. I have to say that I had less problems with that chassis than the Rob Owen bulkhead I also bought. Maybe I was lucky, but it all went together fine. There was no fettling and everything lined up.

[s2c-08589]

An interesting conversation for me because unfortunately I'm up for a new bulkhead within the next year or so.


Ken, I hope you manage to get the problems with Shielder concluded. Keep us updated please.

If you look back a couple of weeks on the forum you'll see the issues I have with a shielder bulkhead.
I have been promised a payment as compensation and replacement for the one pictured.
So far the payment has not been made and the subject is now being avoided by them.
The replacement was initially one they had ready and to be sent out the next day. That didn't arrive.
It was then being built for me. Then at the galvaniser to be shipped the next day arriving yesterday.
So far no promise has been kept and we are now very close to the decision to act against them.

[Ken]

No progress so far, every promise broken. You'll see on their web site the 100 day money back assurance. Mine was within this period. I have sent them a 7 day limit before commencing action against them.
As I have mentioned before, anyone can have a problem, it's how it's dealt with that really matters.
All manufacturing processes throw up errors, in any one of them utilising repetitious processes it's more  likely. Inspection is there to pick up the wobblies but doesn't necessarily always do so unless you're in aircraft where A.I.D standards of inspection are meticulous.
Any of us, wherever we buy from might have a problem. You'll get good ones from Shielder and sometimes issues with an Owen bulkhead BUT, when Owen let a problem go out how do they deal with it, that's the sign of a good outfit.
I know now how Shielder deal with it and I'd strongly recommend avoiding them on the basis of what I have found.
I will be ordering from Owen as I feel it's more likely that an issue, if it arises might be dealt with properly....unless anyone know otherwise. In which case I'll still order from them but travel to them to check the unit before I accept it and pay.

[Exile]

The only "issue" I've had with my Owen bulkhead so far (pending fitting) is that one of the special adjustable bolts for the bulkhead feet was missing when I eventually inspected the little package of extras - which I had opened a few weeks previously.

Now I may have mislaid it, or my friend who collected the bulkhead from Owen could have done so.


Rob Owen put a replacement in the post, without the slightest quibble.


I think actions like this speak louder than words (or adverts).