Wanted: nearside rear door, 2001 406 saloon

[Menophanes]

[attachment=1]Some time ago a person whom I cannot characterise in civilised language, charging round a blind corner, forced me to impale my left-hand rear door on the bumper of a Land-Rover, with the mournful result shown in the attached images. The door is actually perfectly serviceable - it still opens, shuts and locks, the windows and trim are unharmed and the window-motor still works. However, I am concerned that the damage may get me into trouble at the next MoT, due on 26th April; there are no actual torn or ragged edges, but I fear some testers may be disposed to make a fuss about the distortion. Consequently, I am looking for a usable door-shell. The car is a 2001 (March) 90HDi saloon and I believe the paint colour is classified as EFE China Blue, but I shall not be fussy about matching the colour if I can only keep the car on the road. Unfortunately I live in western Cornwall - that is to say a long way from absolutely everywhere - and cannot get away easily, so that I would need to ask the vendor (if any) to wrap the item somehow so that I could arrange for a courier to collect. Is there any hope of this?

Oliver Mundy.

[GingerMagic]

Hi, there are a couple of China blue saloons being broken up on Facebook - not sure if you use it or not.
Both have good nsr doors.

[Welly]

Hi Oliver, what a shame for that to happen to you. I've got a comprehensive library of colourfull words I know of if you'd like to borrow some?

I have missed your writing style on here and I hope you are keeping well

I'm sorry I can't help with your request directly but hope you find something shortly. To be fair (and it's a shame) but 406's are starting to find their way into scrap yards now so I'm hoping you'll be able to almost 'mail order' a couple of doors directly to your address.

In my view the worst case option would be a morning's amateur panel beating to straighten the damage to some acceptable form? how easy would it be to pop down to the MOT man for a brief review and advice beforehand?

[Menophanes]

The MoT came and went last Thursday, with not a word said about the bodywork. Consequently, a very disreputable-looking but actually quite well maintained 406 will continue to potter around the Cornish lanes for at least another year (barring accidents) and probably as long as we are still allowed to drive diesel cars at all. I did buy a slightly battered door-skin as a contingency measure, but I suspect this will merely sit in my derelict cowshed until what remains of the roof falls in on it.

Thank you both for your replies, and please forgive this long-delayed acknowledgement. Welly, I am touched that you should have remembered me after three years' silence!

Oliver Mundy.