961 Mk II Plastic Tail Piece

1133Katana · May 28, 2022

Afternoon all.

Having just returned from getting my 961 MOT'd and needing to replace the standard spec 'sail' number plate which I had to purchase due to ever restricting Government guidelines (ironically it passed on that number plate last year). I noticed that the plastic moulding which works alongside the metal bracket to secure the number plate, indicators and number plate light was showing signs of cracking.

Therefore, I stripped it all down to have a look and was completely dismayed to discover that the entire piece was just short of falling to bits, with numerous large longitudinal cracks within it.

It is clearly sub optimal plastic which has been used in the moulding as it either has turned very brittle with age (2017) or it was simply rubbish in the first place.

I have started to fix it and will repair the cracks and then fibre glass it to make sure that it doesn't simply self district and end up down the road and lost forever.

I am just interested if anyone else has had this issue and whether a replacement unit is available and if it is produced with a better quality plastic.

I can post pictures if anyone is interested.

Cheers all
Andy

cliffa · May 28, 2022

1133Katana said:
Afternoon all.

Having just returned from getting my 961 MOT'd and needing to replace the standard spec 'sail' number plate which I had to purchase due to ever restricting Government guidelines (ironically it passed on that number plate last year). I noticed that the plastic moulding which works alongside the metal bracket to secure the number plate, indicators and number plate light was showing signs of cracking.

Therefore, I stripped it all down to have a look and was completely dismayed to discover that the entire piece was just short of falling to bits, with numerous large longitudinal cracks within it.

It is clearly sub optimal plastic which has been used in the moulding as it either has turned very brittle with age (2017) or it was simply rubbish in the first place.

I have started to fix it and will repair the cracks and then fibre glass it to make sure that it doesn't simply self district and end up down the road and lost forever.

I am just interested if anyone else has had this issue and whether a replacement unit is available and if it is produced with a better quality plastic.

I can post pictures if anyone is interested.

Cheers all
Andy

Hi Andy, pictures are always good as it will help other to check for similar issues or offer advice.

Cheers,

cliffa.

TonyA · May 29, 2022

Maybe you can find one in Carbon Fiber , PM Stu Bodycote .

1133Katana · May 29, 2022

cliffa said:
Hi Andy, pictures are always good as it will help other to check for similar issues or offer advice.

Cheers,

cliffa.

1133Katana · May 29, 2022

Totally agree cliffa, but I cannot update any photos as a non VIP. Once I have completed the job I will join up and upload my pics.

Cheers
Andy

1133Katana · May 29, 2022

TonyA said:
Maybe you can find one in Carbon Fiber , PM Stu Bodycote .

Thanks TonyA, I might look into that if I cannot resolve down the fibre glass route.

Cheers
Andy

cliffa · May 29, 2022

Hi

1133Katana said:
Totally agree cliffa, but I cannot update any photos as a non VIP. Once I have completed the job I will join up and upload my pics.

Cheers
Andy

Hi Andy, as a non VIP member you can host pictures on something like Google drive ( my preference) and then post the sharing links in the thread. As TonyA mentioned a carbon one would be a good alternative, so as well as Stu, try Ollie Thiel ( info@thiel-motorsport.de ) if your repair doesnt work out.

1133Katana · May 30, 2022

cliffa said:
Hi

Hi Andy, as a non VIP member you can host pictures on something like Google drive ( my preference) and then post the sharing links in the thread. As TonyA mentioned a carbon one would be a good alternative, so as well as Stu, try Ollie Thiel ( info@thiel-motorsport.de ) if your repair doesnt work out.

Hello cliffa, your solution to uploading the pics sounds like a good alternative option and I might well do this once I have a full set of pics showing what I have done.
Thanks also for the link to Ollie Thiel, but at the moment the fibre glassing is looking promising.

1133Katana · Jun 3, 2022

1133Katana said:
Hello cliffa, your solution to uploading the pics sounds like a good alternative option and I might well do this once I have a full set of pics showing what I have done.
Thanks also for the link to Ollie Thiel, but at the moment the fibre glassing is looking promising.

Morning all,
Apologies for taking a bit of time over getting the pictures uploaded but it is taking more time than I anticipated getting this fibre glassing completed. Lots of little bits to repair then sand down and then repeat.
Anyway here are the pictures of the original tail piece in its dishevelled state after I initially glued the cracks up, you will notice also that the lug areas where the indicators connect to were completely missing, broken off. Not sure what has happened here as I am only the second owner, this damage was possibly done on the production line, who knows.

Will attach more pictures once I have completed the fibre glassing prior to painting.

Cheers
Andy

Stephen_Spencer · Jun 3, 2022

Hey Andy, for some reason I thought you were talking about the tail unit!. I swapped my number plate hanger/tail piece out for a carbon one years ago. The original plastic unit is sat in a box doing nothing. Pay postage and I’ll send it over to Blighty for you. Yours looks cactus mate! Steve

PM me your address if you want me to flick it over.

TonyA · Jun 3, 2022

Good Man Stephen ! Hello Andy , Are you running the metal frame support underneath ? You must have been because your turnsignals would have been dangling from the wires .

1133Katana · Jun 3, 2022

Stephen_Spencer said:
Hey Andy, for some reason I thought you were talking about the tail unit!. I swapped my number plate hanger/tail piece out for a carbon one years ago. The original plastic unit is sat in a box doing nothing. Pay postage and I’ll send it over to Blighty for you. Yours looks cactus mate! Steve

PM me your address if you want me to flick it over.

Hello Stephen,
Many thanks for the offer, that's very kind of you, but I am now too far into my restoration project to walk away from it without completing it.
Have to admit that I am pleased with the results so far and it also improves my fibre glassing skills into the bargain.
Out of interest is your number plate tail piece damaged anywhere like mine as it strikes me as being very odd how it has got this way.

1133Katana · Jun 3, 2022

TonyA said:
Good Man Stephen ! Hello Andy , Are you running the metal frame support underneath ? You must have been because your turnsignals would have been dangling from the wires .

Hello Tonya
Yes I am also using the metal frame beneath the plastic unit. To be honest that's the only thing that stopped the thing snapping in two and bouncing down the road.
Whoever fitted the indicators made a right hash of it putting oversized holes into the metal indicator lugs leaving very little metal remain on the lugs. They also destroyed the section of the plastic unit which sits adjacent to the metal frame.
Will have more pics in a couple of days showing my progress.

Cheers
Andy

Stephen_Spencer · Jun 4, 2022

1133Katana said:
Hello Stephen,
Many thanks for the offer, that's very kind of you, but I am now too far into my restoration project to walk away from it without completing it.
Have to admit that I am pleased with the results so far and it also improves my fibre glassing skills into the bargain.
Out of interest is your number plate tail piece damaged anywhere like mine as it strikes me as being very odd how it has got this way.

No problem mate.

My original tail piece is undamaged.

Stu Bodycote · Jun 4, 2022

Ive never had an awful lot of success trying to fibreglass repair plastic...always failed on me. Hot staple guns are what most bodyshops use nowadays, for bumper repairs etc.....worth looking into for plastic repairs as they're quite a cheap tool to buy.

1133Katana · Jun 4, 2022

Stu Bodycote said:
Ive never had an awful lot of success trying to fibreglass repair plastic...always failed on me. Hot staple guns are what most bodyshops use nowadays, for bumper repairs etc.....worth looking into for plastic repairs as they're quite a cheap tool to buy.

Hello Stu.
Ironically, I only recently came across hot stable guns the other day. Some guy on Youtube made one out of a microwave transformer. Quite impressive.
Hoping my repair will be good as it's also supported at several locations with the metal support bracket for the indicators and number plate.
Will see.

1133Katana · Jun 5, 2022

Okay,

So I have now completed my fibre glassing and I am happy with my work. I could have spent more time smoothing and filling the resin, but I didn't see the point bearing in mind where it sits mostly out of site.

The unit is much stronger now especially having repaired the sections where the indicators attach to the support frame. I also filled the extra holes which were drilled for other number plates as they looked a mess.

First coat of paint has now gone on but not sure about the satin finish so might change to gloss. Will see, but photos attached of the tail piece prior to painting

TonyA · Jun 6, 2022

1133Katana said:
Okay,

So I have now completed my fibre glassing and I am happy with my work. I could have spent more time smoothing and filling the resin, but I didn't see the point bearing in mind where it sits mostly out of site.

The unit is much stronger now especially having repaired the sections where the indicators attach to the support frame. I also filled the extra holes which were drilled for other number plates as they looked a mess.

First coat of paint has now gone on but not sure about the satin finish so might change to gloss. Will see, but photos attached of the tail piece prior to painting

Looks sturdy.

1133Katana · Jun 6, 2022

Finally finished the tail piece. I admit that it could be better in terms of finishing, but it's significantly stronger now and much less likely to end up down the road. I descided on gloss black as the satin didn't look that good.

If my repairs turn out to be not quite as good as I envisioned then I can always go for carbon fibre.

Anyway photos are below.

Cheers all
Andy

TonyA · Jun 7, 2022

Looks just fine , nobody will notice it.

961 Mk II Plastic Tail Piece

1133Katana

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1133Katana

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cliffa

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Stephen_Spencer

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Stu Bodycote

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