replacement rear parcel shelf

[Graham.Fountain]

Has anyone got one of the Rimmer Bros two segment rear parcel shelfs recently? If so, what are they like?

Graham

[Tamas Petrunin]

No but the shelf in mine is tatty and I've managed to get hold of another original 3-er in good condition that I intend to fit.

I could make a mold from my shelf and casting some new ones in fibreglass with a black gelcoat finish which should be a long lasting solution but it'd depend on the level of interest as to wether it would be worth the time/money to do.

[Graham.Fountain]

I suppose the problem with doing that for the 2 section ones is getting a good one.

The Rimmer's ones are £106 inc vat. But it depends on what they are like. Also Rimmers don't do a 3 section one, so I supose it's a different situation for the early cars, with the seat belts further apart.

Graham

[Beans]

I have a "2-section" GRP parcel shelf from Rimmers for my '76 FHC. And it looked awful.

The good thing was it came without the slits for the seat belts.
So these could be put in the same position as the original "3 section" parcel shelf.
But it took some time to get it covered decently ...

[Graham.Fountain]

Was that cover very expensive?

Graham

[Beans]

I t took a local car upholsterer 5 hours labour plus 1 m² of Mercedes trim vinyl to hide the GRP mess.
So that should be added to the price of the Rimmer's shelf.

[John_C]

I had been thinking along the lines of that same solution Beans and you've made a fabulous job of it.

Another possible solution is to remove the blown vinyl from the pockets of the existing parcel shelf and spray vinyl coat or something similar in those sections leaving the rest of the unaffected original vinyl in place. But I think Beans's solution is preferable, if no doubt, a little bit more expensive.

[Tamas Petrunin]

Wow beans, that shelf looks fantastic.

[Beans]

... Another possible solution is to remove the blown vinyl from the pockets of the existing parcel shelf ...

I did try that, but a few scraps of vinyl hung onto the hardboard cover for dear life. And they were impossible to remove without severely damaging the hardboard.
So I opted for the more expensive but (hopefully) more durable solution

[John_C]

I have actually already removed the blown sections from mine Beans. They were completely unstuck so I didn't have a problem. One day I'll give the vinyl paint solution a go but it's getting the motivation to get the darned thing out that's lacking in my case.

[Graham.Fountain]

I saw one, through the back window, at the do a Gaydon I thought looked like a fibre-glass one, but was told by another aficionado it was a stripped one that had been painted. It didn't look awful, so possibly the latter. I wish I'd grabbed a photo now.

Graham

[MikeRotherham]

Apart from the fact that the fibreglass reproductions look terrible.

In the event of a traffic accident, God forbid it should ever happen, would you want your head coming into contact with it?

Sorry to be so negative.

[Beans]

... In the event of a traffic accident ... would you want your head coming into contact with it? ...

In case of an accident and the seat frame collapsing backwards there is still a head rest between your head and the shelf

[Hasbeen]

I have a vague recollection of a post where someone used a fiberglass shelf, but they sprayed some type of glue on it, followed by flock. This gave a similar appearance to the original shelf.

Hasbeen

[supercass]

Would stretch vinyl and high temperature adhesive work?
supercass