Attaching running board rubbers 42-47 Hints & tips?

m_mman

I am about to install the running board rubbers I bought from Wildrick in my 42 sedan.
They look real nice and correct. 

In looking at them I expected to find moldings or retainers to hold them in place however it seems like they have no mechanical retainer but are just glued in(?) 
Does anybody have any hints or tips for installing them? 

54coupe

Yes, just glued on. First, trim the mat as needed, to fit the running board perfectly. Figure out how you are going to clamp it down, and have everything at hand to do so. do a dry clamping run, to be sure it will work. If the mat doesn't wrap around any corners, just putting weight on it may suffice, (books are heavy). ANY holes in the metal should be welded up, and the surface should be smooth and flat. Prime any bare metal. I use a solvent based contact cement. I don't like the water based stuff. Rough up both surfaces with 80 grit sandpaper to promote adhesion. apply contact cement to both surfaces and wait for it to tack up, as described on the can. Then I gently lay short pieces of wax paper over the running board, overlapping them 1 to 1-1/2 inches until the entire board is covered. Then put the mat carefully in place and position it exactly where I want it. Then, start at one end and pull out the pieces of wax paper one at a time, and press down firmly on each section after you pull a piece of wax paper. Clamp down overnight. This is how I do it. Your results may vary.

m_mman

Yes, that’s what I needed to know.  Thanks. 

Old Fogey UK

That Press Kale wax paper method didn't work for me - I just ended up with ripped sticky paper all over the place.
Instead I glued the front area of the mat down first, propping up the unglued area until it dried.
Then I did the middle section the same way and finally the rear section.
I still have to periodically re-glue some sections on the edge and use waterproof superglue for that.

54coupe

I see, your profile pic is a 42, so I looked at your profile, and see you are from So. Cal. I would like to invite you to our chapter board meeting next Thursday, the 16th of March. People usually start to arrive about 5:00PM. Dinner is served somewhere between 6 an7, then we have our meeting. We are typically done between 8 and 8:30. You can come or go at whatever time works for you. We would enjoy meeting you and hearing about your car. I hope you can make it some time. The address is 1623 S. Magnolia Ave. Ontario, Ca.

KEL 39

The best Contact Cement you can use is :- 
3M Neoprene High Performance Contact Cement  #1357 

Ivan L.

m_mman

For future information. It seems that original running board rubber was attached (glued? bonded?) to a metal strip that was then glued to the body. 
A chisel/scraper under the metal, and it pulled away from the body. 

The attachment metal was rusted on this particular piece, but my body was completely rust free. 

Toddh

I don’t think it was glued originally.  On my cars, the bonded metal/rubber running board has small square ‘teeth’ that fit into corresponding diamond shaped holes in the body.  The teeth are twisted to lock the running board to the body. 

m_mman

Interesting. What year is your car(s)?

On my 42, there were mounting holes as you describe in the body on the passenger side only. The driver's side was unpunched.  
The bonded metal on the drivers side looks like it might have had the sheet metal twist locks broken off. 


But it was all held in place with sticky adhesive. 

Old Fogey UK

My original '34 mats had the metal retaining strips underneath.
They were a rust trap - my running boards were like a string undershirt when I got the rubber off.

54coupe

The side without the holes looks like it has been cut out and replaced.

Toddh

Two of my cars are 1946

engr1962

My 46 had some metal bonded to the rubber mat and there were some tabs you bend to hold it in place.  That metal was pretty rusty, and the new mats did not have any, so I just glued it down with contact cement similar to the 3M that is listed a few posts up.