VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Running Board Mat

Just received the running board mats for the 29 Coach. Great quality and fit. My question is the instruction sheet for the adhesive states that the mating surface needs to be bare metal. I understand that would be the preferred option but mine are a rough primer. Has anyone ever used this adhesive on roughed up paint. Thanks in advance

No, but that adhesive may react to the Primer and if it does you will not have a good adhesion to the Mat. I would take most or all the primer off before applying the adhesive.

The adhesive should be applied to clean bare metal.

Does the 29 running board have a separate METAL BACKING PLATE that the rubber is glued too , like the 1933--1936 cars ???

Or is it glued directly too the running board surface.

mike

The mat was originally molded to the metal board. The small holes in the board are for the rubber to penetrate and hold tight. Replacements are separate mats that need to be glued to the metal board. There was not intermediate metal like some of the later models.

Does that also apply to 1930--31--32 years. ??

Just for interest sake , so we can all be a bit smarter on vintage Chevrolets.

Thanks
mike.............

Yes.

Shoot! my boards were painted when the rest of the black parts were done. Guess I'll need to strip the portion that the rubber mates to.

On my 31 I did not take chances and removed the previously applied primer. So far (after a year and a half or so) they are holding tight. I made sure all of the holes were open so the adhesive does some run under to increase the strength of the attachment. Considering the expense involved, a little extra effort seems wise.

I glued my running board mats to media blasted bare metal back around 1984 and to this day they are still in place perfectly.

Bummer, I just had my running boards primed with epoxy primer.

Yep, that's a bummer. Remember....adhesive always works better on clean, bare metal.

Adhesives work best on a rough surface with lots of nooks and crannies just like paint. The larger the surface area the better. Paint fills in nooks and crannies.

I think I knew the answer before my post but I was hoping. Any ideas on stripping or sanding. The boards are installed and are finished paint everywhere else.

The only real guidance I can offer is "carefully and patiently".

I suggest that mechanical removal is probably going to be better in this case. Mask and cover the entire side of the car to minimize the chance of damage from flying particles and dust.

You will probably be okay if you clear an area slightly smaller than the mat. I would try to leave about 1/4" of paint around the perimeter. Make sure the adhesive covers to that border. That will reduce the chance of the paint lifting or metal rusting.

You mentioned in your first post that the running boards were in primer. The best solution is to remove the running boards, have the running boards media blasted and then install the mats on the bare metal.

When installing the mats, it is best to have the running boards off of the car anyway since you will need wood boards and clamps to hold the mats in place until the adhesive dries completely. It is too difficult to do so when the running boards are on the car.

LISTEN TO THE DOG, boards off the car.

if your using a CONTACT CEMENT to attach the mats to the boards, be very careful and know what your doing.

Contact cement , depends on brand , can set up immediately.., you have to get them positioned correctly first time, there is no second chance.

mike lynch

Another thing to consider is to get the rubber mats warm out in the sun before applying them to the bare metal running boards. When the mats are warm you can actually stretch them a little if needed when positioning them on the running boards.

By the same token, you must be careful not to over stretch the Mats as they will be too long if you do. Best way is to lay them on the board with two people, one on each end or lay some small pieces of wood and then pull them out once the mat is layed down. The Mats I got for my 35's did not need to be stretched.

i noticed one thing that was not mention you have to scrub the rubber i used lacquer thinner and then alcohol with a scotch brite pad to remove the release agent tried some samples on primer surface the rubber pulled off lifting the primer hope this helps

Great suggestion. Scrubbing the back of the rubber mats is very important for additional adhesion as well.

This is a great thread. Do you recommend the mats and adhesive from TFS?

The original reproducer of the running board mats was Jim McConville of calif.

In a conversation with Jim back in early 70's I remember Jim saying he spent 3 days at 3M facility testing adhesive that would work with his rubber compound. That turned out to be 3M 10 bond.

I think they discontinued that.

Too the best of my knowledge, I and I reproductions in calif is the actual owner of the tooling to make the rubber mats and supplies the mats too the filling station.

They supply a special rubber adhesive in an unmarked can. This adhesive is time sensitive and has an expiry date,, so if your going to purchase mats and adhesive, be prepared to mount them fairly soon.

mike lynch

I found that the adhesive supplied with the mats does not adhere as well as a commercial grade adhesive that is used in the upholstery industry. I went to an upholstery shop that also installs vinyl tops on vehicles and they gave me a jar of their vinyl top adhesive and that stuff is fantastic. My running board mats have been in place since the mid-1980's and they still show no signs of lifting anywhere on the running boards. Even the rolled edge of the mat is still tightly glued to the running boards after three decades.

That is your best bet with the higher grade plus you can buy 3M spray adhesive that the upholstery shops use. How it works you coat each surface, let it dry so it becomes dry and tacky to the touch and sometimes you need to do this process twice because it needs to bond into the rubber. Just a few tips tape off areas you do not want to get spray glue on and also wear a face mask. Just make sure when you bond the 2 together it is where you want it because it very difficult to take it apart!
This 3M spray adhesive also bonds foam, vinyl, cloth ect. If you are not sure if it will work always try a test piece!
Rory