Rear Wing to Sill

[Dazman1360]

In need of a Stag expert!

The 2 images below are of the rear wing section where it meets the sill (between door and wheel arch). The sill has a raised strip/step that runs along the top, the top image shows the wing has been fitted flush and the bottom image with it more inward so retaining the step front to back.

Is one wrong and the other right, or did this change during Stag production?

[Richard B]

Just had a looksie ate mine, and it is the same as the green Stag above.

The step follows the sill line, the wing sits further in, so that it stays inline with the rear door edge.


I think the grey primer car would not look corect if the door was fitted. On Series One cars that step has a S/S trim fitted to it, Although I have ner got around to fitting some to my car.

[Mallard]

I'd need to check my extensive Stag library to be 100% sure but my recollection is that the strip should not be flush at the bottom, i.e. the green car may not be correct.

The sequence was

early Mk 1s - plain painted raised strip
later Mk 1s - chrome trim fitted to raised strip
Mk IIs - chrome trim fitted and sills painted black
last 500 - stainless steel sill cover fitted (left over from cancelled US-spec production), no chrome strip at top.

now what I am not sure of is whether the sill / body had to be altered to accommodate the stainless steel sill cover for the final 500 or so Stags. If the raised strip thing were still there, the sill cover wouldn't sit flat on the sill, and you'd have a muck trap behind it.

Could the green car be a late one configured to take the sill cover, with the red / primer one being maybe an early one, built to have the trim strip fitted?

Edit: hang on, I see you are talking about the sill / wing join. The sill and wing are not meant to be flush. The sill sticks out a bit. Apparently this is a common inexpert restorers' mistake.

I am still interested to know about the stainless steel sill plate point though. If you take it off, what's behind it? The same sill set up as all earlier Stags?

[StagNL]

Mallard, I believe the shape of the sills didn't change throughout production.
Only the finishing changed.  Take a full sill cover (last type) off and you'll find a thin retainer just under the sticky out bit.
Either way, all sill finishers are muck traps and good wayus to encourage rust formation.

Mind had the top sill finisher of later Mk1 cars.  Never refitted it as I want to keep it rust free for as long as possible.

Julian

[DJT]

The rear sill/wing join didn't change during the production run. It should mirror the lower section of the front wing, i.e. Have a pronounced step as per the green Stag.

Mallard is roughly correct regarding the sill trim and paint history.

[Dazman1360]

Thanks to all for clearing that up!

[Mallard]

Thanks to Julian re the sill fitting arrangements. The stainless steel ones look quite nice but IIRC those cars also went back to having the body-colour tail panel. Quite a few that one sees don't have this, i.e. they are often left black, presumably denoting a retrofit.  

[StagNL]

Had a good look at mine this morning and found that a previous repair had been done incorrectly on both lower wing sections above the sills.
These were pretty much the only repair panels on my car when I got it and now I realise why the doors don't fit right at their rear edge...

Julian