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MG MG Y Type - YA Running Board front end rubber join

Hello All,
So in the course of the rebuild I have welded the rear end of the front wings, the sills and the front end of the rear wings.
In other words all the places my perforated running boards attached . Angles have changed a bit , curves are not quite the same and it is proving to be a bit of a fiddle .
Anyway I have the seal/joining rubber for the front ends but it does not want to sit flush on the top surface. It is a T in cross section but really needs to have the top of the T on an angle to sit nicely flush on the sloping top surface .So have I got a duff one ?
Or should the rear edge of the front wing slope under a bit ? and the front end of the running board slope out?
Or do I just lean on it heavily and clamp it up as best as it will fit .

Your thoughts as always are greatly appreciated , thank you.
John B Y4424
J K Bowman

Hi John

Much of your problems are arising from the fact that you have "welded" everything in place and as you say changed the angles. Accordingly you cannot really say that you "have a duff [gasket] one". They were never meant to be put together in this way so it would be a miracle if the standard gasket would fit nicely I am sorry to say. Originally everything would have been loosely bolted on with play in all areas and gaskets/beading being put in place then everything tightened up so that everything would slide into place fulfilling the maxim of cars of the day NOT being built to tight tolerances with nice even panel gaps. Rather it was a case of "it fits where it touches" philosophy of car building.

I hate to say it ... but I wouldn't have been starting from here. The backside of the wings and running boards totally create a rust trap where they butt up against the beading but then back in 1947 - 79 years ago - I do not think anyone would have thought that 80% of a century later a bunch of people would be obsessing over conserving them so it wasn't much of a consideration. What I did was weld in new edges against the rest of the wing and running boards after cutting off all the rusty bits and kept the wings separate from the running boards. Can you reverse what you have done and redo it as above? That would be the best way to go sadly.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Paul, I think you are being a bit hard on John. The way I read his post I don't think he has welded anything together which wasn't intended to be welded together, rather he has just repaired the usual rusted out parts of the wings and running boards. Hindsight would suggest that doing this while it is all fitted up together would give the best fit but, like so many of us, he has done it off the car and finds that it now doesn't fit as intended. The nub of the matter though is that the rubber, which is there to hide such irregularities, is formed of an equal "T" section whereas it really needs to be unequal with the top of the "T" at an angle to the upright bit. My wings and running boards are certainly at an angle and I belive this is correct. This is, I believe, normal with the malformed rubber between the two being forced into a shape it doesn't really want to take up. Whether the originals were like this I don't know. Does anyone have an original? All I can suggest is that you make it fit the best way you can John.

Ian
ian thomson

Hi Ian and John

My comments certainly were not intended to be harsh but were based off my reading of his questions.

If the concern is just the rubber formation then John what I would suggest that you use a Dremel tool and grind out some of the material on the side facing the front wing. Go slowly and do one side at a time offering the rubber back up to the car frequently to see how the material removal is going on.

I would also suggest that you bolt the wing and running board firmly to the body of the car. Have the cross bolts between the wing and the running board loosely in place. Cut the rubber so that you can slot it over the bolts when you are checking it and mark each rubber up with a mark so you know a) which side you are removing material from and also b) which side of the car the rubber is for. Make it indelible so I would suggest maybe score it with a branding mark.

Worst case scenario if you mess one up you can always buy another.

As to the original, my guess it that it was probably made out of a lower grade rubber (the war had just ended so cheap was imperative) and it was probably more pliable.

Is that more helpful for you John?

Paul
Paul Barrow

Hi Guys
Thanks for your comments . Don't worry no offence taken . In an ideal world I would have been working in a large garage with space to loose fit all the panels. My reality is a small garage and any job is a cramping experience . Not helped by the present hot weather. Anyway I understand what you mean about the front rubber infill . Thanks for that.
Looking closer at it I don't think the front wing repair is far out, if at all. The running board front edge was very frilly so was less good . The long edge mounting strip I got the angle wrong when I welded it , so the curve was wrong etc etc.
To cut to the chase I shall wield the angle grinder at the first opportunity and rebuild from front to back a bit at a time .
Thanks as always , for your thoughts and advice and being a sounding board . This is an incredible facility to have available .
John B
J K Bowman

John,

Sorry to here of your fitting problems. I have the same poor fit on the near side front wing to running board on YB0952 for the same reason: both repair end panels were welded in separately W/O matching the curveture to each other.

Your comment about working under hot weather conditions reminded me of a famous London Times front page headline: "76 Again Today - No Relief In Sight"

I checked on the current weather conditions in Hereford. It is 67F, although it is forecast to rise to 84F over the next several days.

Please stay inside and fully hydrated with plenty of clear liquids. Preferably several large Tanqueray and tonics with a twist over ice, or perhaps a Pimm's Cup.

Rocky
Williamsburg, Virginia USA
Rodney C "Rocky" von Dullen

Ha Ha ! Thanks Rocky , I like your approach . Strangely after enough rehydration things appear to fit better than before . Which proves that dehydration has a negative impact on performance. Cheers ! John B
J K Bowman

This thread was discussed between 26/07/2026 and 01/08/2026

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