Attention estate owners

[CAR]

Having seen behind the rear valence of my friend John's mk1 2000 estate (the mk1 from a barn in Devon), I would lke to bring to everyone with an estate's attention, how the rear end was modded at Carbodies.
I looked back on Mike Weaver's blog and his looked similar around the rear bumper mounts on his photos too. The 'torch' used to make the lower load sill or to create the room seems to have removed a lot of the strength from the inner valence and bumper mounts. John's is held in place in the middle at the top with two pop rivets where once it was all welded together. The photos attached will explain what I mean.
My concern (as an estate owner) for me and others using their estate cars to tow, is that the bumper mounts are important attachment points for the towbar and the way carbodies modded the inner rear valence is seriously weakening the these points. A quarter of the bumper mounts is cut away and the top of the inner valence is no longer welded along it's entirety, it has just two rivets.
John is going to mod and strengthen this area before mounting the new outer valence back on. When our rear valence is changed I will get our inner structure welded and strengthened up too.

Colin

[Alan Chatterton]

thats scary, especially based on the size and weight I plan to tow with mine.............

[CAR]

As you know Alan I have towed a fair weight with HOE (NEC last year, double decker trailers) and it does concern me, hence the post. The pics aren't quite as clear as they could be, but if you click on them they do enlarge. John has done nothing to that inner valence, no bending or anything, it isn't pretty and the bumpr mounts area looked similar on Mike's but I couldn't see the upper edge of the inner panel.
Mike maybe able to shed more light.
Basically though it would appear that the modifications were carried out free hand, so I guess as long as the 'craftsman' didnt remove the captive nut on the bumper mount it would all be hidden by the outer panel and lead

Colin

[Alan Chatterton]

Wonder what MikeW makes of this........ be interesting to hear what he found? Hoping MKII's better built than MKI's!!!!

[mikew]

I had quite forgottem that.

I thought it was another po bodge, hidden by underseal and rust, but you are quite right the top was pop riveted. I imagine it was a standard Carbodies modification !

However I did weld mine up

Hadn't really considered the towing issue, as I don't believe in being a snail and taking your home with you

[Alan Chatterton]

Hmmmmmmmm.

Okay, so bearing in mind mine is a finished and painted body......... is there anything I can do to bring some strength back to this area for towing? I was thinking some braces between bumper mount bolts on the rear to the side bumper mounts?

What do you think Mike?

I'll be towing 1500kg's with it.......... occasionally!

[englishbull]

I can see the cause for concern and thank Colin for raising this.
However, how many of our estates have towed, are still about and towing and how many bad reports have ever been recorded?

[Alan Chatterton]

Most estates I know tow or have towed. I remember Bob Jones towing a huge twin axle job with his PI/S/2000TC what-ever Ringer thing ( ) and it never fell off!

I have towed some hefty things with the yellow estate for years, never had an issue.

I know my car used to tow a car trailer with a stag powered MKI on it....... never fell off either.

We put some severe load on HOE on the RBRR trying to tow the stuck Hurricane out and it didn't fall off either.

Perhaps we are worrying about nothing?

[CAR]

[quote="Alan Chatterton"]Hmmmmmmmm.

Okay, so bearing in mind mine is a finished and painted body......... is there anything I can do to bring some strength back to this area for towing? I was thinking some braces between bumper mount bolts on the rear to the side bumper mounts?
[quote]

That's what the bumper does already.

One way might be some bars from the rear of the bumper mounts to the panel behind the diff, almost like two strut braces lengthways across the spare wheel well, with a spreader plate on the diff side. Tricky with the tank in the way on the offside though.
Perhaps a spreader plate to strengthen the inner valance a bit.
Or as Mike says, don't be a snail.
I really don't know Alan as the inner valance is what needs the welding/strengthening.

Colin

[CAR]

Yep you are all correct about the weights on our cars, I had forgotten the 'recovery' attempt on the RBRR, perhaps thats why the tailgate pops open sometimes again
The main problem to consider might be nose weight, the bars under the floor will be what takes the pull when towing, the bumper mounts will take the sheer forces downwards.
I just didn't like the way it had been modded by Carbodies and John (and I when we get it done) will do as Mike has and substitute pop rivets with weld.

Colin