[Paul Burridge]

I think at that point i’ll declare it a ‘cold case’ and leave it be!

[Paul Burridge]

Apologies for dragging us into the weeds:

In your RHD photo, you can see the bracket mounting plate inside the panel but also a ring of spotwelds outside its perimeter – spots for the ‘reinforcing plate’ that can be seen on the outside of the car. So the two seem not related? It also means there are potentially three layers of metal at that point for some reason.

My LHD car (a Pallas with a foot operated parking brake under the dash shelf) has an unused handbrake brake mounted above the dash. But it’s welded directly to the panel discussed at length in this thread. And doesn’t have that outer piece over the curve on the scuttle. So one layer of metal if you’re counting.

And I’ve just checked my NOS panel – the bracket is welded on the inside already. You can see it in the photo of the Citrorevanche NOS panel earlier in this thread. Citroen only list one part number, so if a replacement panel is used on an ID – the bracket is there ready. if it’s used on a DS/ pallas – the bracket sits redundant behind the dash.

So – as LHD cars have a handbrake mount, but no extra plate over the corner – maybe that plates purpose isn’t to reinforce the area around the handbrake? Or maybe – to accommodate a RHD handbrake mount, the corner ends to be cut out and changed in some way?

[Paul Burridge]

They seem to have gone from big folded tab (my 1968 car) to small folded tabs (Johns car) but the repro part supplied has weird brackets spot welded to it?

[Paul Burridge]

On my car, the folded piece and notch are quite deep – to fit around a hole in the scuttle.

One of the difficulties with the epaulette and slipper is that they are tucked in behind the A post. the A post channel sits over the slipper so that – i assume – any water getting under the screen seal edge goes down onto the slipper – rather than behind it.

[Paul Burridge]

I bought a mini, 2 cylinder rig for brazing. I’ve used it a little, but since i changed my plan and bought repro doors, I’ve not made as much use yet as i expected.

https://weldingsuperstore.co.uk/oxyturbo-turbo-set-200-portable-gas-welding-kit.html?srsltid=AfmBOopqkNhEvabkNsKYyTMr_wp62emX1OIdluFgDQHhyrZGTGLJw2-9DC0

The cylinders are oxygen and MAP gas and it’s definitely hotter and more precise than MAPP/ MAP gas alone and a blow lamp. Heats things up very quickly. The canisters don’t last too long but I only anticipate using it for short spells.

[Paul Burridge]

based on where it is, I suspect (okay – guess) that extra bit might have gubbins inside for a handbrake mechanism.

I also realise that on the photo i just posted, the owner had also cut out half the vertical ‘A’ panel we have been discussing. Of course on that side it’s just flat, so an easy replacement.

Thinking of this threads subject title, dd you also find ‘gold’ on the font tip of the slipper John? No idea why, but there also seems to be a braze there.

[Paul Burridge]

I notice from your photo of the RH side that your car has an extra (reinforcing?) piece – over the piece (and ‘complex corner’) we are talking about – by the front end of the slipper. My car doesn’t have that. Are those both sides? Is your car perhaps RHD? I can’t remember. Here is that piece on another car.

And speaking of visible, those ‘epaulettes’ took a bit of re-work to get them to look like the original Citroen ones. Maybe i was fussing too much (quite possible!) but I re-emphasised the crease where it sits over the slipper, the fold in the ,middle and the curve at the top. Your old ones are good guide as to what they should ideally look like.

Odd that you don’t have those tabs? Or even the fold whey fit? Presumably they have some purpose. Do they hold the dashboard top in place by the ‘A’ posts? I’ve lust looked and i still have the tabs i removed in a box of scraps. They are a bit damaged but you’re welcome to them. I guess if you need them, you can use the old ones you have as templates.

And you have probably found that the slippers don’t curve enough to follow the seams where they need to be welded on. Again, they took some persuading to find the right shape.

[Paul Burridge]

John
I contacted Alberto at Citrorevanche again with that photo and he said YES – he DOES sell those panels!

You can’t quite see the top. Can’t be sure it’s there. Perhaps that is what he meant earlier about selling the bottom part?

If you wanted one, I would suggest you contact the company directly, include a copy of that photo with your enquiry and ask about the top.

[Paul Burridge]

It was driving me nuts….. I knew I’d seen new parts made by Citrorevanche.

A NOS panel – just like mine.

And a few months later, a repro version made from it:

I will show Alberto this and ask if has these.

[Paul Burridge]

Yes. Going bigger is the worst case and less desirable scenario.

The panel I have is the whole panel. It goes from the jacking point up to the slipper and is behind the ‘a’ post. It still has the metal Citroen ID tag wired to it – part DX 822-2A. It’s the whole panel. It does have a curve at the top, but Citrorevanche already make shapes just as complex.

Is unseen rust behind the schutz common? I expect it is. Given that Citrorevanche already make the wide scuttle panel, the epaulettes, the slippers, ‘A’ posts and the screen frame, these panels are just about the only panels in that area that they don’t yet make.

[Paul Burridge]

No offence taken John. it’s a reasonable point.

When i removed the schutz from that panel i found it badly pitted where it had rusted. That extended over the dished part that has various bits welded to it on the other side for the height lever. Early on I decided that fitting the whole NOS panel would need a lot of disruption to other panels. Keen to avoid trying to patch that area, I stuck to the (almost) flat area above it – but was not really welding to good metal and it was tough going. If it’s going to leak, it will be there.

If i need to carry out a repair, the thinking was that i would need to cut a bigger patch (though not so big as to disturb the ‘A’ post and scuttle) – that included that dished area – to find good metal. Of course a small increase in patch size leads to a larger circumference that needs welding – and greater risk of pinholes and leaks. As that area is all painted up, I truly hope I don’t have to carry out another repair.

Alberto/ Citrorevanche says he can make the ‘under part’ ? Whether he means the lower half of that panel i do not know. Why he can’t make it all, i do not know. i suspect that, if encouraged, He would start making that part. he makes other parts that weld to it – so why not.

[Paul Burridge]

Hi
I’m glad you agree about that panel. As i think i said before, it’s horrible to replace as so much other metal needs to come out of the way and if I find i do have need of it, I’m minded to cut out the big middle, shaped part and weld that back in on my car. That would also help to retain some structural integrity.

I messaged Alberto at Citrorevanche to ask about that part and (so far, and allowing for language differences) he has replied saying he can “partly make it”. i’ve asked him to clarify.

Slippers and nuts. As mine is not only welded up but also painted, I’m keen to avoid any fix that involves cutting and welding. But as you can see, the nut wrongly welded-in gets in the way of where the nut really needs to be. I will think on. It’s not a top priority at the moment.

[Paul Burridge]

You can see how that captive nut is only *just* in the wrong position and stops a simple fix once it’s welded in position. The best solution is to remove the welded nut, weld the hole up and then shift everything across just a bit.

That replacement panel is still hanging in my garage but i’m reluctant to let it go as I don’t know how effective my repair has been. When my car is back on the road, if I find I have leaks I may need to make use of that panel. If I change my mind you can have first refusal.

I’m sure I saw a Citrorevanche photo of them? have you asked if they are available? If he isn’t remaking them yet, perhaps offering my panel to him might give him the template and prompt him to start making some up.

[Paul Burridge]

Yes. Maybe an M4 rivet fitted and tapped to M5. I think the problem there is the existing nut on the blind side of the slipper: because of it’s own body, a rivnut would have to be quite a way across to avoid the welded nut and would put the bracket at the wrong angle – but the other way! Still, i think that would be the lesser of two evils in my case. John – make sure you check the position of the nuts on yours!

And a question John: in the end, did you also buy repro repair panels for the big vertical ‘A’ panels beneath the ‘slipper’? You were considering it – but it looks quite a job to remove and fit them.

[Paul Burridge]

Haven’t solved it yet. I hacked away at the L shaped brackets – taking off the edge that was jamming against the edge of the slipper. But that still left the bracket pointing in an odd direction.

I then cut one of the holes in the basket into a slot – so that i could rotate it slightly. It already has up/ down movement so that involved adding additional sideways movement.

It’s too late to add another nut on the underside of the slipper, but i could use a new pair of properly shaped brackets, fill the nut hole with mastic and instead use a self-tapping screw in a new hole next to the wrong hole. Maybe I could fit an M4 rivet and tap it for M5?

the last option I’ve thought of is to make two new brackets with holes/ slots in places that suit my captive nuts.

What i SHOULD have done (before fitting) was grind off the nut, fill the hole and then add a new hole and captive nut about 6mm further across.

[Author]

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