New Bulkheads - Time To Step Up To The Plate

[Jim-ME]

Dear Forum Readers and Host,
It's time to step up to the plate. I fully believe we have a participant on this forum that has the skill and technical ability to produce new Series bulkheads of a quality that will blow your socks off. What they don't have is the capitol to do it. How many of us are willing to put up a down payment, an amount yet to be determined, to assist this person to purchase the necessary equipment to do it sooner than later. I will personally state that I personally stand nothing to gain from this other than getting a new bulkhead which will be built in the USA. I for one want to keep my $ here and not send well over $2000 to England or better yet Thailand.
Please give this some real thought before you respond.
Jim

[Eric W S]

I'd be willing to purchase one under the following terms:

1. It must be an accurate reproduction similar in qulaity to the gentlemen producing the bulkheads in the UK. Mr. Morris? I am not price sensitive. Accuracy and quality I will pay for.

2. Must be galvanized.

Show some pics of the member's skill. Doesn't have to be a bulkhead. Something with spot welds and bends should suffice.

EwS

[Bostonian1976]

well - I need 2 (okay maybe just one but a lot of work on the other), so I would be interested in seeing how this progresses as well/contributing to the cause.

[Jim-ME]

My gut tells me that this individual can produce the same if not better than Morris. From what I have gathered talking to him he will not make aything that doesn't meet his own standards which are in my opinion are probably higher than mine for sure. This may be a year or two off before it happens. I want you both to realise that.

Good to see the replies. My thanks to both of you.

Jim

[Eric W S]

Sounds good.

Love to learn how to bang tin myself. Be kinda cool to have someone guide you thru a well done repair or even help you make a bulkhead over a long weekend. . .

EwS

[jp-]

If you guys want to start paying me $2000, I might be interested in making a few. I just got a small press brake a week ago. Not sure about the galvanizing. I just happen to have a pristine SIIA bulkhead laying around for a model.

Shop has to get finished first, so maybe in the next 6 months.

[Eric W S]

Do it up! Worst case scenario is you have a spare bulkhead

[Bertha]

If it was a financially viable thing to do , RN or one of the other suppliers would have invested in it already. Not enough demand and high investment cost will never see that get off the ground here in the USA.

[Jim-ME]

Bertha that is pure nonsense. Series Rovers can and will be here for many years to come with the help of people like the gentleman I am corresponding with, someone like jp or even someone we haven't heard from. The truth is, most people that deal in Rover parts want to buy and sell what is readily available. I don't blame them. They are larger companies with employees and obligations. They need to move product which you can't do unless you have it on the shelf. You simply would not believe what is available in England compared to here. Why is Morris in England currently backed up more than 18 months for one at a time custom buikheads if there is no demand? Will anyone who is willing to make Series parts like a bulkhead going to get rich? No. Believe it or not there are people that will do things because they believe it is the right thing to do to keep Rovers alive here as long as they can make some money. I am simply trying very hard to keep Series Rovers alive in this country but if I have to rely on the larger parts people (no offense to our hosts or anybody else that sells parts) my Rover will end up rotting, parted out, or worse yet crushed. That is more than I am willing to accept without a fight even if I ultimately have to send my $ elsewhere.
Jim

[Daurie]

I agree wholeheartedly that it would be a worthy cause. I for one have passed up buying more than a few series trucks because of questionable bulkheads. Even the ones that could have been repaired I passed up. However had I had the option of simply replacing the bulkhead I would have looked at them with more interest. It may sound crazy but I'd rather replace it then patch it given the option. I'm sure I'm not the only one though. I'm on board for one when the time comes. Maybe 2!

Daurie

[yorker]

I think you'll have to count me as one of the skeptics- I'd rather put the time and $ into restoring an original than dump $2000+ on a new one. Maybe if they were in the $1000 range I'd think about it. I've never passed on a LR because of the bulkhead alone- they aren't that difficult to rebuild. Building them from scratch on the other hand?

[edit][ I don't really mean to $hit on your idea- it is a noble one, I just think for a lot of people it will be a hard sale. If there was enough market someone like Ike Goss would probably be making them. Maybe you should ask him why he doesn't?

[Bertha]

Bertha that is pure nonsense. Series Rovers can and will be here for many years to come with the help of people like the gentleman I am corresponding with, someone like jp or even someone we haven't heard from. The truth is, most people that deal in Rover parts want to buy and sell what is readily available. I don't blame them. They are larger companies with employees and obligations. They need to move product which you can't do unless you have it on the shelf. You simply would not believe what is available in England compared to here. Why is Morris in England currently backed up more than 18 months for one at a time custom buikheads if there is no demand? Will anyone who is willing to make Series parts like a bulkhead going to get rich? No. Believe it or not there are people that will do things because they believe it is the right thing to do to keep Rovers alive here as long as they can make some money. I am simply trying very hard to keep Series Rovers alive in this country but if I have to rely on the larger parts people (no offense to our hosts or anybody else that sells parts) my Rover will end up rotting, parted out, or worse yet crushed. That is more than I am willing to accept without a fight even if I ultimately have to send my $ elsewhere.
Jim

You make reference to English demand , but I have clearly stated that the USA demand is what we are talking about here and hence what is lacking. This is what does not make it a viable thing to make a bulkhead here. Rovers are like Chevys in England-there are too many to be found. I have no problem keeping Rovers alive because I have the skill to repair what I have and do not need to unnecessarilly replace things that are repairable. Most people that I have found that are into Rovers feel the same way. They are hands on and are able to come up with creative and cost effective solutions. It sounds to me like you dont fall into this catagory, and as a result require people to make and do things for you(ie :work on your truck). Good luck in your quest, however in the US market, I think you may find it to be futile.

[Daurie]

I've never passed on a LR because of the bulkhead alone- they aren't that difficult to rebuild. Building them from scratch on the other hand?

Well I wouldn't say on the bulkhead alone.. but in some cases along with other issues, the bulkhead came to be the determining factor.

I haven't been around Series Rovers nearly as long as most of you on here so maybe I'm over speculating on the value of a well made, fresh, new bulkhead.

[Momo]

Bulkhead

Originally Posted by Bertha

...I have the skill to repair what I have and do not need to unnecessarilly replace things that are repairable. It sound to me like you dont fall into this catagory, and as a result require people to make and do things for you(ie :work on you truck).

Well I guess you will never, ever need to buy another Land Rover part because you're so talented. But I for one would rather be able to buy a new bulkhead some day than to have to invest in metal working tools and such. I would also rather pay for one than to spend the time to build it myself. There are things I fix myself and there are things that I'd rather not deal with because there are only so many hours in a day. What is wrong with you? Your attitude stinks.

Plenty of series trucks rot away for want of a bulkhead. Some bulkheads are too far gone to be more than a pattern. Lack of new bulkheads are the one thing that keeps otherwise salvageable Rovers in the parts truck category. Furthermore I can forsee them being exported to the UK since the dollar is weak against the pound, there is a good demand, and the Morris bulkheads have a waiting list.

Jim, I think it's a great idea, I'd considered looking into it too. I have been looking for a decent bulkhead to take to a metal fab shop but haven't found one yet. And although it may indeed be cost prohibitive, I say go for it. I'd buy one just to put in the garage corner for a future project.

The hardest part will be getting the first one made. I know a little about the plastic injection molding industry, and the parallel here is the cost of prototyping. Very high tooling cost. Sounds like these would be handmade, so labor costs would also be high. But if it can be streamlined into component parts and then the final assembly could be simplified, you could reduce the man-hours per piece. Once that's done you can amortize the cost over the production run.

The other thing to think about here is that the availability of new bulkheads could create a new market. One could build a series Land Rover from the ground up. Everything else is out there to build a brand new one!

[Jim-ME]

Bertha I am so happy you can do it all yourself. I guess you are a better Rover owner than I. No I can't weld but I do all my own repairs so I strongly suggest you watch your blanket statements about my abilities. I do know that parts wise alone it will cost me $727 just in repair panels my eyes tell me I need which doesn't take into consideration shipping. It also doesn't take into consideration welding, painting or galvanizing, nothing. How in heavens's name can anyone think you add a 2a dash and the area around the vents for less than $300? I have been doing my homework and know for a fact that I can get a fully repaired and primed bulkhead in England for $1700 and have been quoted $3200 for a brand new one. I also know there is a gentleman in Thailand that is talking about building Series body panels and bulkheads. So you see there is also market outside the US for NLA Series body parts. When it is all said and done it all comes down to whom do I want to give my money to and how soon I can get the old one swaped for the new one for I drive mine every day. These are the things that are driving me in this arena. Believe me if Ike Goss ever makes a bulkhead I'll be the first in line.