Jim Sohl
|
As I understand things, from reading the old message board and snooping around the web, etc., Jensen Healey's, as they left the factory, had no body trim or moldings as is commonly seen on U.S. cars today. The long moldings usually seen from the front markers through or above the door latch or key lock (if there was one) and on back to the rear markers, were a dealer installment. If you spend enough time searching for pictures on the web, you will find that not all side moldings appear the same. Most are ruler-straight, a few follow body curves, some are below the door latch, etc. Again, AFAIK, sills/rockers were originally painted the same as the body without any obvious under coating. Regarding the moldings themselves, British sensibilities about automotive style in the early '70's was little different then that of the '60's. Very little 'unnecessary' or 'extra' trim was used on Brit models of the late '60's early '70's era. Most 'styling' decisions were driven as much by the need to accommodate known and future American regulations for bumpers, crush-zones, minimum clearances, etc., than any other single styling goal. As to adding or replacing side moldings yourself, just do what you think looks best. As to what is 'correct', dealers installed all sorts of stuff, A/C, moldings, undercoating, luggage racks, and more. The parts used for dealer installed 'stuff' was not necessarily the same. Today, thirty-some years later, what is 'factory-correct' and what is 'darn-good-for-what-it-is' becomes more and more the same with the passing of time.
|
