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MG TD TF 1500 - Another factory part change?

I am fastening the running board strips onto my TD. I have seen 5 "original" early TD's that have the strips riveted on. Chris Cooper has pictures on his original TD page that shows rivets. That is what I am going to do on mine.

But others on another forum say that the strips were put on with nuts and oval head machine screws. One person says his car is an original 52 and it has nuts and screws.

So I would say that as with other items we have documented, it could be that MG changed their production to use screws and nuts somewhere along the production period.

Thoughts?
Bruce Cunha

My early 52’, January 7th, had rivets.
JA Benjamin

I have original TDs ranging from TD-4834, TD/c-8151, TD/c-16920, TD-19408 and TD-24060. All have riveted running board strips. I have never seen an original car that came with threaded hardware. I can’t imagine the assembly line taking additional time and effort to use mount the strips with with threaded hardware unless they had a rivet shortage during production. I can’t say for certainty that scenario couldn’t happen but I doubt it was any kind of ongoing production change.

My opinion, and it is only my opinion, that such threaded hardware on TDs was used for ease of replacing the running board strips after original manufacture based on my broad range of original running boards.

W A Chasser

Neither my TD or TF have rivest to hold the chrome strips onm the running board. The TF has had only 3 owners including me and I've had since 1962. It had not been crashed before I bought it so it was original. Simil;arly for the TD.
It needs a special bolt to retain the strips. This is illustrated on pages 47 (TD - drawing 29) and 49(TF - drawing 31) of Brown & Gammons catalogue. I have an original factory parts book but like many other itmes these nuts & bolts are not illustrated.
The square head of the bolts slide in the strips.
R J Marshall

RJ what is the chassis # of your TD? Is it later than 24060? Just curious

It could have been a supply issue during production or a late TD change.
W A Chasser

Rivets on all of the TD and TC strips I have handled. I'll confess to not using solid rivets when replacing the strips. I use pop rivets. Yes TFs are a different deal and do not use rivets.
L E D LaVerne

I have used regular studded pop rivets in the past but the head stick up above the strip and I’ve had problems keeping the runners in place. The rivets I now use are the correct counter sunk solid rivets.
W A Chasser

I suspect if the car got new paint at a reputable paint shop the running board strips were going to get removed. You just cannot tape them off and not have issues.

Bill C does bring an interesting question about very late TD's maybe using a different mechanism, but I have never seen anything other than the solid rivets.
Christopher Couper

I appreciate the input. I wonder why the parts companies have screw kits? Possibly because it is harder to get the rivets in without a good system like they most likely had at the factory.

I note that Moss, B&G, and NTG have bolt kits. Of note, the one from Moss, B&G, NTG and even FTFU list a carriage type bolt. I don't have original running strips, so do any of the original strips have square holes that would fit a carriage bolt?

https://www.mgbits.com/contents/en-uk/p5558_Fixing-Screw-_-Washer-_-Nut-Tread-Strips-(pack-20).html

I am going with rivets, but again another of those points on what is original and are we just at the mercy of the parts shops on determining originality.

This forum is a great counter to that.

Chris, we should consider doing our own book.
Bruce Cunha

I have seen several original TD running boards and all had the aluminum rivets. I tried riveting my strips on but ended up bending the strip. As we know, MG at times used whatever they had available, so anything is possible. George
George Butz III

Most DIYers probably don’t have the tools or skills needed for rivets Screw hardware is just easier to deal with using basic hand tools. The replacement strips I’ve seen and used in the past still have countersunk holes
W A Chasser

TD 7191 had rivets
R W Hinton

Jim Silva posted a how to do the rivets comment on one of the MGTD facebook pages. He said to use a block of metal that will fit into the slot of the strip and tap the rivet from the bottom. He says for freshly painted pieces, two people make it a bit easier.

I am going to work on this, this weekend. I will report on how my efforts go.
Bruce Cunha

These rivets (soft AL ones) are really easy to put in.

First make sure there is a correct arc in the strip. You want it to be more than the running board as it will be pulled down when you rivet. But try to keep it close to the same.

Second do one strip at a time. Start with a longer one. It's actually easier with this technique:

Get a few flat headed machine screws and nuts that will hold the strip in place. Fill all but one end hole, finger tight.

Now get a flat ended square or round rod and place it in a vice so it bottoms out. It must just be wide enough to drop into the place the rubber goes on the strip. You are going to support the rivet with this as you pound from the other side.

Then take a rivet, drop it in the empty hole. Put a piece of painters tape on it to keep it from falling out on the next step. Later when you get real good at this you can probably skip this step.

Have your hammer handy and then flip the running board over and place it squarely over the shaft where the rivet is.

Now take your hammer and strike the rivet smartly. It does not have to be super hard as the soft rivets will expand easily.

Examine the running board strip to ensure it seated good. You can place it back over the rod and strike again if necessary. If you really screwed up just drill it out from the top and try again.

Now remove the next machine screw and nut and repeat until you have all the holes rivets.

Do the shorter ones last. You can also use tape to hold the loose end of the shorter ones in place.
Christopher Couper

Sorry for the blurry picture but you get the idea. And yes, you may flake a bit of paint off. You can lessen that by making sure the rivet goes into the hole easily.



Christopher Couper

I decided to make a page on this:

https://www.mg-cars.org.uk/mgtd/mgtd_running_boards.htm
Christopher Couper

Great idea, and thanks Chris, Bill and all. I will post pictures of it as I get the strips on.
Bruce Cunha

Super. then I can steal the pics and post them inline with the instructions. :-)
Christopher Couper

This thread was discussed between 26/05/2021 and 28/05/2021

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