Chummy door cards

[Steve Clare]

Hello
I'm replacing the horrible hardboard door cards on my 27 chunmmy.
Can anyone advise me when cups and screws replaced pinned on door cards?
I'm assuming that Austins used japanned gimp pins to fix them originally?
Many thanks

[williamsderbys]

Hello
I'm replacing the horrible hardboard door cards on my 27 chunmmy.
Can anyone advise me when cups and screws replaced pinned on door cards?
I'm assuming that Austins used japanned gimp pins to fix them originally?
Many thanks

 My 28 Chum has some of its original cards and they seem to have been fixed with coloured head tacks !
 Gimp pins ?
 Did they ever use cups and screws? I have always thought that was 'modern' upholsterers method.
Interested to see what others say.
 JW

[bystander]

Hello
I'm replacing the horrible hardboard door cards on my 27 chunmmy.
Can anyone advise me when cups and screws replaced pinned on door cards?
I'm assuming that Austins used japanned gimp pins to fix them originally?
Many thanks

 My 28 Chum has some of its original cards and they seem to have been fixed with coloured head tacks !
 Gimp pins ?
 Did they ever use cups and screws? I have always thought that was 'modern' upholsterers method.
Interested to see what others say.
 JW

So perhaps I am not the only one who winces every time I see cup washers and screws used on Austin Seven upholstery! Some very expensive work often ruined by the over-use of this non original method of fixing.

[Steve Clare]

Thanks for this.
I think I will will pin the new ones on.
Gimp pins ( I hadn't heard of them before either)- are upholsterers tacks. I found some on e bay japanned black.

By the way, what material is the board on your original door cards.  Rexine stretched over heavy card such as millboard ?

[Chris Garner]

Steve,
I think the original door card material was birch ply. This is what I used when restoring a '29 RF saloon and is still available...I believe the minimum thickness is 4 mm these days. It is very easy to work with and I am definitely no woodworker!
Data from types of woods used by Longbridge in the 1930s show that birch was used in quite large quantities.
Chris

---

Additional to the above, the original door cards etc on my '28 saloon has evidence of gimp pins and my '28 Chummy, although restored, is fitted with gimps by the previous owner who was fastidious in getting authenticity correct.

[JonE]

If anyone is doing doorcards on SWB saloons, would you check your inner door skins for crayoned writing that might give you original colour and trim (when doors were separated from rest of body)
Probably mostly Fabric cars, but worth looking!

[AustinWood]

For my car, and some others in late 20s early 30s, this information is available from the British Motor Industry HeritageTrust.
My car (March 1929) was brown with brown leatherette upholstery.

[JonE]

Jim - the point being that there are only limited cars that are ledgered... and some of those are wrong! There will be a wider range of cars that could possibly have this factory information. One car has body number, body colour and trimming type... very faint.

[Jeff Taylor]

Steve,
I think the original door card material was birch ply. This is what I used when restoring a '29 RF saloon and is still available...I believe the minimum thickness is 4 mm these days. It is very easy to work with and I am definitely no woodworker!
Data from types of woods used by Longbridge in the 1930s show that birch was used in quite large quantities.
Chris

---

Additional to the above, the original door cards etc on my '28 saloon has evidence of gimp pins and my '28 Chummy, although restored, is fitted with gimps by the previous owner who was fastidious in getting authenticity correct.

Chris,

I believe much thinner (than 4mm) Birch Ply is still available though not easy to find and quite expensive - somewhere on my computer I have details of a company that can supply it - as soon as I can locate the details I'll post them here. It was also used on the door cards of my 1936 Morris 8 Tourer and is thinner than 4mm. 

Jeff.

[squeak]

Steve,  I sourced my plywood, never more than 3mm, from a local firm repairing vintage aircraft and gliders. It is graded according to defects in the surface A,B,C or D . So AA would be the best BOTH sides and DD the worst. For a trim panel that is to be covered and unseen BC or BD would be OK.  Exterior grade glue is more important than a few knots or filler.
I googled Aircraft plywood 3mm UK and came up with many options local to you .
Gymp pins, (the small headed ones),  japanned, nickle or brass do look the part but can be difficult to remove when you need access to the window winder or door locks for service.  Common practice is to use nickle plated cup washers with raised head countersunk slotted wood screws. To reduce their impact minimize the number and size used, never larger than #4 and say 9" apart. I use a countersunk washer that does not have a return so it remains invisible behind the screw head but works to provide the necessary slippage against the fabric. Oh and avoid the common mistake of overpadding, 3mm or NOTHING is good,  good luck ,    cheers  Russell