installing Drake running board mats

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bobo1932

New member
I bought Bob Drake replacement running board mats and need to glue them on. Should I glue them to painted boards, primed or sandblasted? Should the paint be scuffed and with what grit paper?
 
I would glue them to sandblasted boards, you want the contact cement stuck to the best base possible. You should also scuff the underside of the rubber to give the glue some "tooth" to stick to.
 
I glued mine to DP 40, which was scuffed lightly with 320 grit paper. I had the car for 7 or 8 years with no problem. I'm going to do this car the same way.
 
I followed recommendations as to glueing to bare metal. You do need to scrub off the release agents off the bottom side, or they will not stick. Bruising the bottom side is a good idea also.
 
To clean the bottom of the rubber, use sandpaper disc that is the roughest you can get and scuff them well. It removes the release agent that is used in the molding process. Glue does not stick well to painted surfaces, and if you sandblast the steel boards, that is the best way as you get a lot of "tooth" for the glue to stick to on both the rubber and the steel. When you start to apply the glue, do it in 2 to 3 inch strips at a time. I have used masking tape to control the glue on both the rubber and the steel in 2 inch strips. Take your time and do a strip each day, allowing time for the glue to set up properly. FOLLOW THE GLUE INSTRUCTIONS. If you start at the edge where the lip is, it helps to get everything to come out properly. The last thing you do is the ends of the boards. You will have to trim them. I used c-clamps to hold the end pieces in place after I put the glue on. DON'T RUSH and it will come out fine.
 
One last comment; be sure to make your boards straight as possible. Use some bondo for the low creases, as they will show if you don't.
 
I've had multiple successes with DP40-coated, sand blasted boards (the color and finish is a good surrogate for the original on the underside of the boards), but as in all of the comments above, the key is not adhesion on the steel side, but rather adhesion on the rubber side of the glue.
 
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