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Tifosi Member
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Sill Molding - Two sources have provided differing views on what the original sill molding that ran from wheel well to wheel well just under the doors looks like. One claims it is 5/8" plastic chrome look self adhesive trim. The other agrees it is 5/8" but believes it to be the same as the body side molding that was black vinyl sandwiched between two thin strips of chrome look plastic. Anyone know for sure? Sill Paint - What paint was used below the sill molding? I have seen this area in body color and have seen a black paint similar to undercoating - like a protective finish. Thank you all, Matt Kleiger |
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John Kimbrough Member
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Matt, I used the 5/8" kit for the body moulding and the rocker panel moulding from J.C. Whitney. It had the black vinyl sandwiched between plastic chrome. It exactly matched the original installation and made for a real easy installation. John. |
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Arvin Appelman Member
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I used spray on truck bed liner. The look is right and it is durable. I bought it at Wal Mart. Arvin Appelman 19492 Last edited on 02-16-2006 03:43 am by Arvin Appelman |
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Jensen Healey Super Moderator 
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I thought the rocker panels were painted body color or sprayed with undercoating and painted black. Any applied mouldings were probably installed by the dreaded P.O. or dealer installed. Kurt JH 13148 |
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Jim Sohl Member
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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. |
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Tifosi Member
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Interesting. I'm starting to think that Jensen may have used different moulding at different times. I don't think the sill moulding was a dealer item. The Martin Robey parts catalogue lists 2 different numbers for "Finisher - sill mouldings" - Jensen part number 91187 (up to chassis 13349) and Jensen part number 97082 (up from chassis 13350). While I totally agree that we should just do what we like and what looks good to us as owners, if I can figure out which is correct and if I can source the item, I'd like to stay original. As for the paint, I owned a JH in 1975 as a 17 yr old. The picture I have of that car had a strip of sill moulding but was body colored below. The paint color (and type) may have changed at some point to black. Maybe it changed along with the moulding change as above. |
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Greg Fletcher Administrator 
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I think Jim's comments are spot on. Many Federal cars did not have side moulding installed. My current JH never had it installed and never had the dealer black paint below either. Logically, the factory would attempt to standardize that sort of thing for cost savings. I've never seen a home-market car with moulding, black paint below or side marker lights (also a Federal market item). Period correct and esthetics are more important than so-called factory correct. I think the original luggage rack and Dunlop wire wheels are neat, just because the car didn't leave the factory with them doesn't mean they are any less cool. |
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Tifosi Member
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Hi Greg - sorry to disagree with you but Alison of Rejen in the UK said that every JH and GT they've seen over there had the sill moulding - black vinyl sandwiched between 2 chrome look plastic strips. In fact they sent me a small sample. And as I posted before, it's in the Robey parts catalogue. |
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Greg Fletcher Administrator
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Sorry, not paying enough attention- I was talking about SIDE moulding actually, the stuff further up on the side of the car. As for SILL moulding, that was not on either of my '73 Jensen Healeys and both were pretty original. It's just metal panel below the door so I'm not sure what that means. Maybe a later addition? |
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Jensen Healey Super Moderator
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Matt, your research is very interesting. How is the sill moulding attached? I see no evidence of any holes on my car although it has been re-painted. Isn't it wonderful that new and interesting data keeps popping up after more than 30 years. Keep up the good work Matt. Kurt Housh JH 13148 |
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Tifosi Member
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Thanks Kurt! I'm in the midst of having my car restored and I'm really enjoying the education I'm getting along the way. The sill trim, whether all chrome look or the black vinyl sandwiched between the plastic chrome strips is basically a plastic strip with a 3M type adhesive backing. It comes in a roll. I've actually located a supplier for the 5/8" trim in chrome color and am looking for a supplier for the other style moulding. There is a flat strip running just under the doors on the JH where the moulding would go (at least on my Mk II). Matt |
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Art DeKneef Member
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I checked the three cars I have here. A 73 and 2 74s. All three had/have the side moulding and the sill moulding. The 74s have the black coating on the rockers, while the 73 is body color. The mouldings are different which is probably to be expected since they came from different dealers. Art |
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Tifosi Member
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Hi Art - was the 73 a Mk 1? If so, that could explain the different trim and the body colored paint. |
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Art DeKneef Member
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Yes it is. |
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Jay Member 
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This picture appears to be a JH5 (rubber bumpers). The composition of the picture, with Jensen Motors LTD in the background, leads one to believe that you are looking a factory equipped Jensen Healey. Both side molding and some sort of sill molding appear. The front side marker light on my '74 JH is larger, lower and more forward on the fender. I'm not sure but my JH seems to be pretty original and there is no evidence of either trim molding. There is evidence of the JENSEN HEALEY tape stripe on the lower edge of the doors. Attachment: joc-6-1024.JPG (Downloaded 56 times) |
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Mitch Ware Member 
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#19670, a JH5, had neither body side nor sill moulding on it. It did have black painted sills (that were later painted body color over the black) as well as rubberized rust enhancing water retaining undercoating sprayed on the rockers.  I always assumed that the undercoating was a dealer item. When I restored it I simply put chip guard on the sills and painted them body color. Mitch Ware 1974 JH-5 #111119670 1971 TR-6 #CC66950LO |
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John Kimbrough Member
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I have sales brochures and advertisements that show some JH had side moldings, some had side moldings and rocker moldings, and some had both and pucker painted black rockers, some not. I have owned mine since new, and it has all three. I believe all were factory, based on the photos. John. |
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Greg Fletcher Administrator
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John- let us know the year and VIN, that's seems to be the overriding factor on which cars have what. On the general undercoating- I'm of the opinion that all the J-H's had it and the dealer undercoating product was simply an up-sell item applied over the existing stuff. |
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John Kimbrough Member
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Mine is a 1974 JH, vin 15375. |
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Tifosi Member
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This question is for those of you who have the sill moulding on their cars - so what does it look like? All chrome look or is it black vinyl sandwiched between two thin chrome strips (like the body side moulding). Matt |
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Mark Rosenbaum Member 
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Here's a photo of what's on my car. The photo is of the left side, forward wheel well. Attachment: sill molding.JPG (Downloaded 56 times) |
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overdoer Member
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My 72, 73, both 74's had the black molding sandwiched between the chrome with the strip ending to form a point at each end of the car. I have even sold sets of this that I removed from parts cars. The 73 has a chrome looking strip of the same shape but is solid and not a sandwiched design just below the door. I have seen a few cars come with this strip below the doors and many with the trim in the center of the doors and fenders. Marck |
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Jim Sohl Member
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My '73, sn11210, came to me as a repo from Cook County (Chicago) Ill. I am apparently the second, or at most, the third owner. Anyway, 11210 had no trim on the sides or sills. No undercoating on the sills, no snaps to hold the top/cover down, a crashed 4-speed and seriously folks, a bullet hole in the front right quarter about mid-way between the 'J' crest and the top of the quarter. Original color was 'mustard' with two different reds over the original. |
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Tifosi Member
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Jim - was that bullet hole OEM? Line worker at the plant must have had a bad day :) Matt |
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Jim Sohl Member
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Well,, let's see. I doubt 11210 shipped that way, so,, dealer installation or normal wear and tear? If the bullet hole was part of the repo effort, is that wear and tear or a financial incentive? You decide. |
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Mark Rosenbaum Member
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I used to have a 1956 Dodge pickup truck with two .30 caliber rifle bullet holes in the side of the bed. I always thought they added character to the beast. Rather than fixing them, I just painted the truck in a very effective camouflage pattern. |
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