What colour should the sills be?

[RON13R]

my sprint has black stone chip on the sills and front & rear valances thats looking a bit tired
is this correct for a late 76 sprint with round rear number plate lights on the bumper or should it be body colour?
Im looking at getting some paint done and it has to be correct
thanks
gary

[Maidstonerob]

It should be body colour. Stonechip tends to used to cover rust but if the metsl is good underneath a decent stonechip that can be overpainted with the body colour is what was done to mine . Hopefully giving some much needed protection without ruining aesthetics

[georgethompson730]

Sills 'should' be black up to about 3/4" down from the door edge, but only between the wheels. Rear lower wings are body colour, and the valance in front of the front wheel is also body colour, sorry Gary There are many cars around that have them body colour, and it's personal preference really, some think it's a more modern look.
I do agree that whatever colour you go for its a good idea to use stone chip protection at the same time.

[Jon Tilson]

Factory OE would be satin black cills below the stainless trim, satin black rear panel and boot lid lower enclosed by the trim and front panel is body colour.

Jonners

[georgethompson730]

Did late cars come with the sill chrome trim? I thought that was an early car thing only. Without the sill chrome trim the satin black finished as previously mentioned.

[Carledo]

Both my T plate Sprint (VA 26xxx DLA end of "series 3") and my S plate 1850HL have the sill moulding, though I will be deleting it to lose the rust trap (along with the door rubbing strips). I think only the 79> series 4 and VIN plated cars came without the sill moulding. I've not yet decided on sill colour for my car, ATM i'm inclined to go for stone chip under body colour and see how it looks, I can always put a bit of satin black over it if I don't like it! The factory did it the same way! The satin black "go faster" paint bits are correct in period but are a bit too 70s boy racer-ish for me, I prefer a sleeper, but that's just personal taste!

I'm completely with Jonners on the satin black, though I hesitated to say so, i've been "not quite correct" on a couple of details lately!

Though I have seen more than a few Sprints where the satin black tail panel has carried down the rear valance but ended at the rear wing seams at the sides. There is a '75 white one in my yard ATM that has been done this way, but it is not an original car and has mouldings and body coloured sills.

We can all take a lesson from the TV show QI here, if "everybody knows THAT!" whatever THAT is, is almost bound to be not true!

Steve

[sprint95m]

The very last of the Sprints didn't have sill trims when new.





Ian.

[georgethompson730]

Hang on a minute, are you telling me 1850s had chrome sill trim as well when did that stop? Where have I been all this time. Having a late car (Aug.1980 registration) anything older is always an early car to me.

[Jon Tilson]

1850's follow the same theme as Sprints. Some time in 78/9 the stainless cilll trims went but the satin black stayed.
I tend to agree with Steve in that the cill trim clip holes are rust starting points, so not having them is no bad thing and ive left them off my ealy 1850 for a while though still have them safe in the garage.

Jonners

[Galileo]

From the brochure dated 12/78

IMG_20170408_165412.jpg (152.88 KiB) Viewed 1844 times

IMG_20170408_164856.jpg (114.15 KiB) Viewed 1844 times

[Carledo]

That would still be about right for the Sprint at least, I'm not so well up on 1850 comm number series.

My Sprint, VA 26140, is one of the last of the series 3 cars, the last, IIRC being 268XX. My car was registered 1/8/78, the first day of the T reg.
Series 4 cars, VA 30000> began either very late in 78 or early 79 and it is at this point I think the sill moulding was deleted. I don't think this minor change was the cause of the new series starting, there were other detail changes at this time as well, like the introduction of dual circuit brakes, nor do I think it had anything to do with the rust propagating qualities of the clip holes. It was probably just a cost cutting exercise by the bean counters!
It is highly likely therefore that a brochure issued in Dec 78 and probably prepared a month or so earlier would show a series 3 Sprint and a similar equivalent series 1850HL.

Steve

Ironically the 1850HL shown here has it's pinstripes like Bumpa's car in another thread, not like the ones on my earlier 77 model! Another detail change for the rivet counters?