1935-1936 Ford Running Boards

[mercman from oz]

My brother is tidying up his 1936 Ford Deluxe Fordor Touring Sedan after many years of ownership and use. While the mechanicals have been updated, the rest of the car is very original and original. One item that needed replacing were the Stainless Steel Strips that had been damaged over time. These Strips were standard on the Deluxe model closed cars. He chose to buy a pair of Reproduction Strips and went to fit them to his original Running Boards. To his surprise, they would not fit? The Repro items were completely straight, while his Running Boards had a slight dip in the centre. When querying this, he was told that his Running Boards may have "drooped" in the centre from use over the years.
We have a friend who owns a very original 1935 Ford, so we asked him if what the Strips on his car looked like. He held a String Line on the front and rear of the Strip and supplied us with the above photo. As you can see in the above photo, these original Strips are not straight, but do in fact have a slight dip in the centre, albeit very slight. Now, it appears that some (or all?) of the Reproduction Running Boards are totally straight (no slight drop in the centre) and therefore the straight Reproduction Stainless Steel Strips would fit the Repro Running Boards perfectly. What does anyone know about this?

[Don Rogers]

I concur with your findings. Both original running boards and trim strips have a slight dip/curve. I had always thought that the curve was there to keep water from collecting where the RB fastens to the fenders. No research to confirm that.

[Kerk]

I believe the DIP is correct . I have a couple but have never checked them! I always thought that some day might need them. kx

[DavidG]

Except that the moldings weren't standard equipment on all deluxe closed cars, but rather just on the touring sedans (and convertible sedans), at least in North America.

[Jembow]

My original UK 3 window coupe doesn't have these strips.

[mercman from oz]

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Jembow, I am learning all the time. Your 1935 Ford Deluxe Three Window is 100% correct without these Stainless Steel Strips. DavidG correctly pointed out that the only 1935 and 1936 Fords that got these Stainless Steel Strips on the Running Boards were the Deluxe Tudor Touring Sedans, the Deluxe Fordor Touring Sedans and the Convertible Sedan in 1935 and again in 1936. Checking out the original Sales Brochures for 1935 and 1936, these Stainless Steel Strips are not shown on any other body styles other than the three listed above. I hope that this clarifies the situation. Sorry for the confusion.

[35fordtn]

We stock the Repro strips and I have several originals, and indeed the NEW ones are straight and all originals have a dip. The same with the Boards. I always wondered the difference and Don Roger's guess makes perfect sense. I have noticed this slight curve in all original boards from 33-40 and if washing a car with water it becomes nearly obvious that they were designed that way to shed the water away from the fender if on level ground.

[DavidG]

Don and Michael,

With respect, which came first, the dip in the body or the dip in the running board? In other words, which is the chicken and which is the egg? Think about it. Maybe it wasn't the running board given that Ford's design intent was NOT to make its cars last 80 years. That would be commercial suicide.

[rotorwrench]

I don't know if Henry ever worried about the older cars. He just wanted to make decent utilitarian car that folks could afford to replace at regular intervals. Edsel was the one that wanted to change the designs to make them more pleasing to the eye and keep them updated enough to compete in the market. Henry wouldn't let him mess with the frame though so all the designs from 1935 through 1940 had to fit the same short frame. What is amazing is that they managed to do it so damn well.

[mercman from oz]

1936 Ford Deluxe Fordor Touring Sedan illustrating the slight curve in the Stainless Steel Running Board Trim on original Running Boards and Trim. The amount of the Running Board visible below the Trim is a constant distance the full length.

[mercman from oz]

If you look at the picture of the SS Strips on the 1936 Ford in the previous Post, you will see that they have a slight dip, and are not straight? For comparison, the ones on this 1935 Ford are straight?
Does that mean that this 1935 Ford has Reproduction Running Boards and Reproduction SS Strips to match?

[Karl Wescott]

All original 1935-36 running boards I have examined have the slight dip. The 1937-39(std) do also. I had (at one time) a pair of NOS 1937-39's. In surveying to reproduce these (in fiberglass, sorry) it appears the steel stamping dies were modified by extending the 1937-39 from the 1935-36. This reinforces my belief that the originals had the dip. BTW, our smooth fiberglass boards (not for covers) DO have the dip. I am not sure about Drakes boards, but all other reproductions I am aware of (steel or fiberglass) are straight.



My evaluation is the dip is both for style (following the curve of the bottom of the door/body, AND for clearance of the door when opening. I have observed cars with (straight) underlying boards and hinge pin wear with rub marks on the board from the doors.

[35fordtn]

Drakes have the dip. The cheaper steel reproduction from Howell's I think do not have the dip.

Trevor if you are still searching for original curved mouldings, shoot me a email.

[blucar]

I had a pair of NOSR running board SS moulding's that I bought over 15 years ago for a project I was involved with at the time.
I had made a comment several months ago in a tread here on the Barn, about my '36 Deluxe coupe having the SS mouldings and that I had a set of NOSR that had the dip.
Don't have the moulding's anymore, they are on their way to Australia to a friend of Trevor's.

[mercman from oz]

Here is a shot of these Ford Deluxe SS Running Board Strips loose, showing the slight bend as both ends are touching.

[mercman from oz]

When the SS Trim on 1935/1936 Ford Deluxe Running Boards is Straight like on this car, does that mean that the Running Boards and SS Trim are Reproduction?

[Lawson Cox]

Yep. (WAG)