Trunk Floor Hole Plugs (TMI)

[Steven43]

I am still in the process of restoring both my Mark 1 and Mark 1A Tigers (even though I think I just won Lord Rootes with the ’66). I now have some useless thoughts about trunk floor-hole plugs. I had wrongly thought that all round-cornered cars used rubber hole plugs. And remember, I was in charge of the CAT-hosted TU car shows for 20 years; and I went to that 2018 STOA car-show judges school where Norm M. explained to me what a trunk is supposed to look like, as we were going over what would become Ken M.’s extremely stock black vinyl dash, light blue Tiger. So, in my ’65 1300s serial number, which needed a new trunk floor and Alpine spare-tire well, etc., I installed the CAT rubber hole plugs. I have a connection to the CAT hole plugs, back in the late ‘90s when I was CAT president or something, I took the trunk floor-hole plug mold to Karr Rubber, here in El Segundo to have another batch of plugs made for the Club. This took months, and when I returned the mold to CAT Parts, all the other molds for rubber parts had gone missing. This was not the end of the world. By the ‘2000s, CAT rubber could not compete with the great stuff SS was selling. All except for the truck floor-hole plug rubber. CATs were closest to the original (and yes, you have to sand off the CAT logo). The question I’m asking is: when were the rubber-hole plugs discontinued, and replaced by the steel plugs? I was lucky enough to view Buck’s survivor ’65, 1500s serial number Tiger. This car is damn near untouched and has steel-hole plugs. I also looked at a round-cornered green Tiger at TU ’22 this past June, and it also had steel-hole plugs. I do believe very early Tigers used rubber hole plugs. I just don’t know when the change came. I do believe I got it wrong with my ’65. I should’ve installed steel plugs during the primer-sealant stage. Too late now. To add to everything else, I’m the guy selling steel hole plugs on ebay.

Steven Alcala

P.S. CAT Parts did score big on a shipment buyout of rubber parts years ago. Good parts at a good price, you just got to know which parts.

 

[Steven43]

More Photos, Buck's survivor and the green tiger at S.M.

 

[HolyCat]

Steven,

In a quick search of the Rootes Alpine Parts manual, I was unable to find any rubber plugs or steel plugs listed for the trunk floor. I wonder if spare trunk floors were supplied with steel plugs already installed. No plugs are shown in Plate A - Section YX. When I reviewed the parts list, I could not find any plugs listed in the Rear Trunk section of YX (pages YX16 and YX17).

However, when I consulted the Parts List Supplement for the Sunbeam "260" and "289", it lists two plugs for "Sealing holes rear trunk". Part number 9131457 has the description "Plastic plug" and part number 9119010 has the description "Rubber plug". There are no number required listed for either nor any size or other description. There is no listing of metal plugs. There seems to be no way to tell if these plastic or rubber plugs are the ones you are interested in.

When I looked up these two part numbers back in the Numerical Index of the Alpine parts manual, 9119010 is indicated as being on pages YX3 (Grommet - Plugging rear lower panel), YX12 (Grommet - Blanking support bracket holes), and YX13(Grommet - Blanking support bracket holes).

9131457 does not appear in the Alpine Parts Manual's Numerical Index. Was it used for the same functions as 9119010?

 

[Warren]

I've had and have several of the trunk metal plugs. I've had several cars that had them. One was a one owner car that hadn't been apart and two others that went from 39 to a yellow and were painted in place. I can recall removing them from the passenger floor as well. Every time it was a recurring thought as whyp aren't there drain holes here. I would not be surprised if the parts list was incomplete as to a shell part added on by Pressed Steel.

 

[michael-king]

The spring steel plugs were the factory plugs, they were used in alpines and other rootes cars suck as mimx, superminx and scepters for plugging the mfg locating holes.

Rubber pligs were aftermarket stuff to my understanding.. Easy and cheap replacement tgat wont rust

 

[michael-king]

However, when I consulted the Parts List Supplement for the Sunbeam "260" and "289", it lists two plugs for "Sealing holes rear trunk". Part number 9131457 has the description "Plastic plug" and part number 9119010 has the description "Rubber plug". There are no number required listed for either nor any size or other description. There is no listing of metal plugs. There seems to be no way to tell if these plastic or rubber plugs are the ones you are interested in.

When I looked up these two part numbers back in the Numerical Index of the Alpine parts manual, 9119010 is indicated as being on pages YX3 (Grommet - Plugging rear lower panel), YX12 (Grommet - Blanking support bracket holes), and YX13(Grommet - Blanking support bracket holes).

9131457 does not appear in the Alpine Parts Manual's Numerical Index. Was it used for the same functions as 9119010?

I think the rubber and plastic plugs are for things like the vent pass through and plugging holes used in the alpine
Im quite sure the large round holes in the back of the boot floor used the metal plugs always.

A quick check would be the period road test pics.

 

[Austin Healer]

rubber plus were used at the top (underside) of the "A" pillar near where the outer w/s bolts are. one on each side of the car

 

[65beam]

rubber plus were used at the top (underside) of the "A" pillar near where the outer w/s bolts are. one on each side of the car

I have a template that shows where to drill the fender for installing a radio antenna near the windshield. You'll find in the instruction sheet that those openings were directly below where you mounted the antenna. I've found the openings to be a great help in routing the coax cable thru the body.