Steel trim backing-plate - estate rear arch beside the seat

[MagicWandWoody]

I'm making up some missing trim parts for a Mk1 estate. One original trim I have uses a shaped steel plate to form the trim around the front of the rear wheel arch, where it fits beside the bench seat.

Out of two full(ish) sets of trim that I have, only one of these plates survives. I imagine they're NLA and are rare as hen's wisdom-teeth s/h? And by what name would you search ebay for it, anyway?

Seems a pretty OTT way to fit the trim, in the first place. So much cost and weight. Bu they do make installing the trim easy. I may try melting/moulding some 1.5mm PVC sheet, using the one trim that I still have as a former. Unless anyone knows of a source for them?

[MagicWandWoody]

The trim piece I need to make a twin of:

IMG_20241206_194335.jpg

The pressed steel part of it, on the back:

IMG_20241206_194348.jpg

A PVC replica:

IMG_20241206_202245_HDR.jpg

[Frager]

Yeah, those steel plates are definitely hard to come by now. I’d guess you’re right about them being NLA or rare secondhand, so eBay might be your best bet, but try searching something like “Mk1 estate rear arch trim plate” or just “Mk1 estate trim plate” and see what shows up. Your PVC sheet idea sounds solid, especially if you're just trying to match the shape. I’ve had luck with molding materials like that in the past for smaller parts—just make sure you get the temp right so it holds the form. Otherwise, you could always try a specialist for rare parts, they sometimes have oddball stuff hanging around.

[MagicWandWoody]

Going to make two plastic ones, and store the steel one. The simple trick with moulding PVC is to get it *really* hot right through, so none of it remembers its old flat shape, ready to sneakily spring back on a hot day.

[Peter Laidler]

Not quite my thing but to be really honest, those plate thinggies don't look particularly difficult to make out of a piece of stainless - or mild - steel offcut. And that slight kink near the top (or is it the bottom...?) wouldn't hold me up for more than an hour or so....

[MagicWandWoody]

Not quite my thing but to be really honest, those plate thinggies don't look particularly difficult to make out of a piece of stainless - or mild - steel offcut. And that slight kink near the top (or is it the bottom...?) wouldn't hold me up for more than an hour or so....

Artful metal-bashing is definitely not my skillset. For all shaping jobs, if I can draw the CAD and then just press the "Picard"* button on the CNC... that's me at my happiest

I'm still struggling to see why BMC thought these plates were a good idea. Or even necessary. They just mirror the shape of the arch that the trim goes onto. So they could just as easily have glued the trim to the arch. And saved a lb each side. Anyway, I'm fortunate to have one that I can copy in plastic which does the same job and won't be a rust-trap.

* "Make it so".

[Tim]

Nice work. All estate parts are extremely difficult to come by here in Australia, but I managed to get one of those secondhand. I did consider bashing one out of sheet, they aren't very thick, so it should be possible. The other part that I managed to find was the bit that goes across above the doors at the rear. It is also hardboard, but with a curved piece of steel let into it, to cover the top of the door latch.

I still need to sort out front door cards. Australian 850s didn't use them, they just stuck the vinyl and some padding to the inside of the door skin. Job done.

Tim

[MagicWandWoody]

The other part that I managed to find was the bit that goes across above the doors at the rear. It is also hardboard, but with a curved piece of steel let into it, to cover the top of the door latch.
Tim

Yep. that part is on my todo list also. The steel bit is a lot easier though - just a flat strip about an inch wide bent into a simple curve. The main backing board of it (on a Mk2 example I have) does seem to be hardboard rather than millboard.

[Peter Laidler]

Further to mine, earlier. Instead of mild or stainless, what about an off-cut of thin malleable aluminium. A half decent average fitter would have shaped up a former and them knocked up within an hour with a rawhide or plastic mallet

[Tim]

...The main backing board of it (on a Mk2 example I have) does seem to be hardboard rather than millboard.

Yes hardboard (Masonite as we like to call it here). It's difficult to obtain material that is thin enough. The stuff I got is about 0.5mm thicker, but I could sand the back off it easily enough to get it pretty close.

It looks like wood/card based trimboard is being largely replaced with foamed PVC here now. It's probably a lot more durable.

Tim