67 Rocker Moldings � Original/Replacement?

[Ron N.]

First time judged 10/08: Deduction 1 condition point.
Second time judged 10/09: Deduction 2 originality points (replacements) 1 condition point.

I owned the car since new and never replaced the rocker panels. Given anything can happen in 43 years; is there anything in the attached photos that would lead a judge to think these are not original?



Thanks, Ron

[Rich P.]

[Ron N.]

[Jack H.]

I agree (yours are UNLIKE current day parts). Those have VERY raised irregularities adjacent to the arrow heads that extend to the forward and rear edges due to stamping tool wear.

I think the judges 'mis-fired' as the stamping tool wore gradually from first use (1963) forward in time. My hunch is they were unaccustomed to seeing 'Star/Bowtie' quality, factory original parts and were 'hair triggered' on the issue of looking for surface irregularities.

Yes, I'd expect rocker panels made in 1963 to appear flatter/fresher than their equivalents stamped out five years later in 1967, but far flatter/fresher than service replacement parts from the same assy tooling stamped out in, say, 1999.

While the lion's share of both restoration and judging is science, there IS a portion of both that amounts to 'art'...

[Ron N.]