compartment and side panels

[Sue and Bob Rockett]

I had the right front tire wall blow about 3 weeks ago. The panels around the tire and between the tire area and the mid door were significantly damaged. The compartment door behind the mid door was deeply scarred.
Amtech Corporation made the original panels for WRV. I contacted them and have been informed the the molds were the property of WRV. The Amtech representative believes the molds were purchased at the WRV property auction by an individual, or company, that was rumored to be acquiring the molds to establish a business which sells Alpine components.
I would prefer to have the panels manufactured from the original mold rather than made at a body shop specializing in fiberglass repair.
Does any one have a lead on who, or which company acquired the molds?
Thank you for your help!

[Sue and Bob Rockett]

I had the right front tire wall blow about 3 weeks ago. The panels around the tire and between the tire area and the mid door were significantly damaged. The compartment door behind the mid door was deeply scarred.
Amtech Corporation made the original panels for WRV. I contacted them and have been informed the the molds were the property of WRV. The Amtech representative believes the molds were purchased at the WRV property auction by an individual, or company, that was rumored to be acquiring the molds to establish a business which sells Alpine components.
I would prefer to have the panels manufactured from the original mold rather than made at a body shop specializing in fiberglass repair.
Does any one have a lead on who, or which company acquired the molds?
Thank you for your help!

[Lindsay Hargett]

Sue & Bob, I'm sorry for your misfortune. We have some here locally that can build your replacement parts. Call Teresa in the bodyshop.
We always enjoy having you guys here. Lindsay

[Sue and Bob Rockett]

Thank you Lindsay. We started with Teresa and feel very confident she would do a fine job .... but for the next week or so we are enjoying the challenge of finding the location of the molds. It would not only help us but probably others and yourselves as well. All the info we can get about WRV components is of value.
The rig is still usable.... we drove it home from South Dakota after the side wall blow out... even if a little unsightly on the passenger side. Besides, not having all that fiberglass on Sue's side let me install replacement shocks that much easier.
See you soon..... SueBob

[EngineerMike]

Regarding basement doors, Frank Halasz, president of Alpine Coach Association just received the following:

"Dear Frank - I work for Magic Metals in Union Gap, Washington - I was recently contact by someone that got some
information off of your readers forum.

I just wanted to let you know that we have been fabricating the baggage compartment doors for WRV since around 2000.
Magic Metals would like you all to know that we own the design for the doors and will continue to fabricate them for
anyone in need of new doors.

Respectfully,

Rick Onustock
Account Manager
Magic Metals, Inc.
Ph: 509 453-1690 "

[Sue and Bob Rockett]

I found a large number of fiberglass panels and most molds with:
Jeff Weijohn
2951 Evans Road
Wapato, WA.
Cell number 509/952-2112.
Web address - www.weijohnj@embarq.com

Jeff believes he has all but 5 of the molds and that he knows where the remaining 5 are. I purchased a fiberglass panel which assisted in my repair. Jeff's price was in the same ball park as the cost of a WRV panel two years ago. I saw front and rear end caps, several front slide panels, several rear engine access panels and 6 or so side panels when I visited in August.
suebob

[EngineerMike]

I talked to Jeff, who is in the middle of harvest for the next 3 weeks. He has front & rear lower end cap molds, and several end caps already cast (he bought the racks and had to haul the caps & molds away). He also has 6 fender skirt molds in hand and a couple more in a friend's custody, but doesn't know which molds go to which model year coaches.

I will call him again in a few weeks to discuss how to catalog the molds on his end. I suggest the following excercise for the Desert Rat Rally:
1) take Jeff's mold dimensions,
2) line up a walking tour of all model years and lengths present at DRR,
3) visit each sample coach & compare mold dimensions to actual skirts,
4) and make a table of mold type vs. coach models that use it.

This will simplify ordering of fiberglass parts for future tire and other body part episodes.

[OldForester]

Mike,

What a great idea! DRR is a good place to put this exercise together and get a catalog of the molds. I'm not sure we will be at DRR because of a new home we're building, but if we get it finished in time and make it to DRR, I will be glad to help you with this task.