Land Rover Series 1 body panel repairs

By Craig Ranson
By Craig Ranson

Managing Director – Bridge Classic Cars

A very challenging task and one that we can’t just jump in head first. One of the toughest materials to work with, we have taken on the task of repairing the Birmabright body panels from a Land Rover Series 1.

We have removed the dents from the panels.

Source: Wikipedia

Birmabright is best known as the material used in the body of the Land Rover from its launch in April 1948, and in a few other classic British vehicles.

The doors, boot lid and bonnet of most Rover P4 models were also Birmabright, however towards the end of production this was changed to steel to reduce costs.

An early use in the 1930s was for the bodywork of the land speed record car, Thunderbolt. Also used for the bodywork of Bluebird K7 used for the Coniston speed record attempt by the late Donald Campbell. The well known Laurent Giles designed 46ft sailboat Beyond was built of riveted sheets of Birmabright and circumnavigated in the early 1950s by Tom and Ann Worth. The hull proved corrosion resistant but required re-riveting later due to crystallisation of the rivet heads, and lasted well until being sunk in the Caribbean as an artificial diving reef in the 1980s.

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