Morris Minor Owners Club

Does anyone know when the sill kickplates changed from Ali to painted steel? Mine are useable but I may end up making new Ali ones and wondered if it was worth making a few extra sets. Depends on how many cars there are that have the wrong type fitted.
Thanks
Rob

I cant give you a definite answer but my May 1950 did have them, or I should say it had the corroded remains of them! Ive looked up an 4th edition parts book I have and it doesnt mention steel or ali just the part.

Thanks, David.

Seems a bad idea to make them in alloy when you think where they are. Maybe the first few cars were beginning to show rot by may 1950? Modern alloys should last longer and I'll be able to get a better shine!

Rob

I have two cars, an end 1950 with alu, and a 1951 one, but have to look for this types.
I am not at home, but almost for sure the 1951 one don't have the alu...

My may 1951 MM had alloy ones when I bought it in 1976, since been changed for steel ones.

my June 51 car has alloy ones too

My March '51 high-light has aluminium kick plates, but the bottom edges have been "eaten" away and I have bought some steel ones, already painted the correct colour (black), but not yet fitted.
Maybe stainless steel ones would be better, if they were available in a "matt" finish?

gtt1951 wrote:My March '51 high-light has aluminium kick plates, but the bottom edges have been "eaten" away and I have bought some steel ones, already painted the correct colour (black)

The correct colour is silver. Probably because is closely resembled the aluminium of the earlier cars. The kick plates remained a silver painted finish right to the end of production. They were never body colour.

Hmmm - I think my 1964 2-dr saloon was body coloured, but this car has long gone. Just checked my 1955 4-dr and the kick plates are a sort of dull silver. Does this mean I'll have to find someone to make me a pair of Aluminium kick-plates for the '51 2-dr saloon?
Don't remember what my '63 Traveller had - also long gone, but I'll look at my '56 Traveller tomorrow - will need to lift cover off. This one did undergo a respray, sometime in the past (the wrong shade of green - Almond instead of Empire), so may have had the kick-plates painted.
Thanks for the information.

They do look nice, you just have to take care as they mark very easily..[frame][/frame]

RobThomas wrote:Does anyone know when the sill kickplates changed from Ali to painted steel? Mine are useable but I may end up making new Ali ones and wondered if it was worth making a few extra sets. Depends on how many cars there are that have the wrong type fitted.
Thanks
Rob

Rob, if you are going to make some Ali ones, can you put me down for a pair for my Mar '51 high-light?
George.

I'd be interested in a pair of alli ones. I tried to interest LMC Hadrian in pressing a batch years ago, but it didn't get very far, and not an easy panel to make by hand...

IaininTenbury wrote:I'd be interested in a pair of alli ones. I tried to interest LMC Hadrian in pressing a batch years ago, but it didn't get very far, and not an easy panel to make by hand...

Iain, I wonder if ESM might be interested, as they have all the Hadrian presses and tooling now, in partnership with Charles Ware?
George.

ESM are certainly nothing to do with (the late) Charles Ware's company.

ManyMinors wrote:ESM are certainly nothing to do with (the late) Charles Ware's company.

Sorry, they bought the tooling in partnership with Nic Harding of the Morris Minor Centre (Bath) Ltd. - I remembered it incorrectly.

Good point. I'll be sending some parts to ESM in the next week or so, so will mention it when I speak to them.

I've just had a reply back from ESM, from my own enquiry, and they have talked to the company that actually does all the pressing for them.
The reply is that they would only entertain doing a run in aluminium for a minimum of 100 pairs.
Apparently the presses are fed from a roll of sheet metal and the panels are not placed singly by hand - what a shame.

George.

Well, there might be a market for them? Perhaps owners of later cars would consider them too depending on price and how the aluminium was finished? After all, it might prevent the need to rub down, prime and then spray the steel ones in silver which all takes time and money?

I imagine that, in bare aluminium, they would deteriorate quite quickly.

Yes, a shame there's a production difficulty. 100 pairs may take some selling, though I'd have two paors... Obviously a manufacturers issue rather than with ESM as they are quite proactive in supplying obscure early panels - lowlight bumper valences for eg.
As for deterioration, presumably a lavish waxoyling on the inside and well polished on the outside would keep them nice...

So when we are counting on this subject, I need also a pair, it brings the total on 3.
Still 97 to sell by ESM ;)