I am nearing what seems like a decades long excursion with my 1939 Plymouth and I would like to put rubber on the running boards without b=paying big money for original replacements. Just wondering if you guys have any ideas of something inexpensive that looks good. Thanks Joe
Curious what kind of replies you get here. I know we buy several types of rubber matting for equipment at work and I have seen some that might look good on running boards.
https://www.restorationspecialties.com/***ets/pdfs/page_82.pdf I used the Pyramid cut for my interior floor.
X2 as Joe recommends and another company I would try is Restoration Supply Co. 800-306-7008 they also have a great catalog!
I did the floors of my ‘37 Plymouth with stuff I found at Home Depot. It was ribbed (for her pleasure). The ribbing made it look like it was an automotive product. They have several options on their website - search “ribbed rubber roll”.
Back in the 70's a lot of guys were doing what Chucky did, Find rubber floor runners that had the pattern you want and most of the time it sells by the foot or yard and buy enough to do the job and I'd make patterns first and then cut to fit.
I looked everywhere for running board rubber for the '40 Plymouth I just finished. In the past I found reasonably priced repro rubber for a '36 Pontiac but struck out on the Plymouth. I made some from shapes I got from rubber suppliers and it came out pretty well. Don't remember who but check Metro Rubber and Steele Rubber. Metro is more likely, Steele's stuff is mostly dedicated to specific models. I think the extrusion came from The Rubber Company? Sandblasted boards clean then sprayed with high quality contact adhesive. Carefully applied the rubber mat pressing it from the middle outward, pulling out the sticks as I went along. I had to gently pull it to the slight curve at the back of the board. It bent just fine. Once the top was fixed, I pulled the sides down and adhered them. At the corners had to cut pleats to get around the 3D corners. Looks a lot better from 10'! This black rubber adhesive is great stuff. Sticks like crazy, Also works as filler for the pleated corners. Costs the national debt!!!!! Got it at Walmart. The above did a great job covering the top and sides of the board. To finish the bottom edge I glued this 3/4" quarter round rubber. Result is presentable and has been holding up for the better part of a year.
I have a ‘40 Plymouth that needs the same help. I was thinking of going with a spray or roll-on product. Just never trusted glueing rubber to steel I guess. It’s the hard corners that I worry about.
I know this technically is not what was asked, but I'm going to offer a possible alternative. It always gets mixed reviews, but it worked for me. I applied strips of bodyside moldings to my boards and then applied bedliner. Has been on there for 28 years.
While the original running boards are gone on our '47; I covered the top of the fabricated rocker kind a thing with rubber runner from Lowes. I've used similar runner material to cover other running boards in the past with good results.
What's not to like? It's clean, functional and affords a degree of creativity which you did display, I give it a yes vote. If a guy is to be concerned at all to the high cost of building, he has to find ways to keep it affordable. I do my own work but depending on what you start with, wish to reuse rather than spend to replace, it's an alternative. Fixing old running boards is what you might have to do and finding covers has to bite if it isn't a FORD. I'm pretty good at the fixing but you get the points for creative. Looks like you sprung for the good liner. Touché! This car of mine got Canadian Tire bed liner from a can and brushed on. The other set for the other car is getting a set of rubber covers but that's because I bought them 20 years ago and it took me this long to fix them. 10 feet or 10 mph, most will just see a running board and that's good enough for me as this slowly comes together. It has me thinking of a water jet or laser cut plate with a fancy image, panel adhesive it to the surface and voila, bed liner to finish it. I could sell those rubber covers and probably make a buck.
Ebay has some,it comes in lenths and different widths,and a couple of different profiles.just search for running board on there and it should show up.
Lowe's. In the flooring section. 36" wide ribbed floor runner. Works perfect. Get 2 quarts of weldwood contact glue and some cheap chip brushes.
I did a 40 chevy coupe with rubber i got from either home depot or Lowe's. It came in a huge roll, had to just tell 'em how much i wanted so it could be cut. Looked like the pics above but I think it had like little ridges running down the length-actually looked good afterward. The big deal was application, blasting the old boards is best but i didn't-just ground/sanded as best i could. Use top shelf adhesive (i used contact type) and the curve is the big deal. You can do it--time involved-but really cheap compared to buying the repo's from a supplier.
I considered that but the Plymouth boards have dips stamped in them and full of factory holes to anchor their rubber coating. Would take a lot of body work to get them clean enough for the coating. I bondoed a couple bigger dips but would likely need to replace all the swiss-cheesed flats to do it right.
It has been mentioned; but whether you use repop covers, rubber matting, or bed liner material; the most important part is prepping the boards. Make them so they would look good in black lacquer and they will look good when covered or coated; anything less and the defects will be amplified when covered.
Mine did too, so these were all new metal. I had a sheetmetal shop roll the general profile out of new sheetmetal, and then I trimmed to fit and welded all the lips and flanges on. Still a lot of work, but I felt it was easier than trying to clean up the originals. Also, if you look close, the molding I used on the step area is a different profile than the smaller one on the lower edge. There are so many different profiles that allow you match your personal vision. One other tip, I seam sealed the edge of all the mlds. If you don't there can be a visible undercut when you apply the bedliner. Thank goodness I made a small test panel first which showed that problem.
If your really on a budget,when your neighbor sets out there treadmill for trash day,cut the rubber off Shape as needed
Two hundred and thirty six. That number rings a bell as to how many holes were plug welded and eventually ground flush on the board set that required heavy welding repairs.. One board or two I'm not sure but still it was a lot of trigger squeezing. Being the rebel, I said after the first set, there has to be a better way. As luck would have it, I think I found it. With both sets gl*** beaded and epoxy primed, on close inspection you will notice on this one set, the mounting brackets are missing. Holes are there, unfilled, but no brackets. They required straightening and at the time not yet ready when painting day arrived. So they got sprayed out and that confirmed plan B was in action. On the back side I taped the back of the holes, I used panel adhesive to fill the holes from the top side, plastic squeegee to spread and when dried, 15 minute set time, I pulled the tape and refilled the back side. I used a plastic spreader and afterwards a a light sanding to how you see it now. One day I'll glue the covers down if I get around to adding the brackets. Not saying it's the best application for panel adhesive, but they say it can be used this way and I did. Knowing I still have the brackets to mount, I'm tempted to just glue the rubbers and adhesive the brackets into place. I say trust the process, and time will tell how it ends. Because money is tight and those covers are a commodity, I might sell them and still get creative. These by the way go on the garage car and it to is evolving but you can see in this picture why those mounts were removed for repair. 1977 or 78 was when that picture was taken.
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