Door Sill Plate Taxonomy/Classification

[Ireland Engineering]

@mvpvintageparts is making some door sill plates for our cars but there seems to be some confusion as to what models/years came with what. Possibly a few minor fitment issues as well. We want to definitively nail down what's what. We have found some info on the web, but what's making this hard is the ETK pics are never helpful, they are NLA, and the interchangeability of the parts between years/models. Thanks to @Forrest_KoogleWerks for bringing most of this to our attention.

 

This is what we have so far and PLEASE correct us if anything is wrong. Any additional info is greatly appreciated, it will allow us to keep making great things that actually fit and are affordable.

 

#1. 1600/Early 2002' and 1602's (03/'66 to 04/'72). Characterized by the gray color and the fact that it screws into the sheet metal on the interior of the car. Also the rubber strip is not channeled into the plastic but rather clipped from underneath the plastic sill plate. Part numbers seem to be #51477470007 (Sill Plate) and #??? (Gasket)

 

#2. Mid range 2002's & 1602's (03/’71 to 08/’73). Characterized by being clipped to the seam of the door jamb instead of screwed in. Rubber strip is channeled in the plastic and held in by clips. Has a thin flexible rubber "foot" on the interior side. Part numbers seem to be #51471808680 (Sill Plate) and #51471822072 (Gasket).

 

#3. Late model 2002's (08/’73 to 07/’77). Square tail light cars? Characterized by the increased width of the sill plate that extends all the way to the edge of the rocker. Uses clips to attach to the seam. The rubber strip is channeled into the plastic and retained by clips. Has a thin flexible rubber "foot" on the exterior side. Part numbers seem to be #51471822070 (Sill Plate) and #51471822072 (Gasket).

 

We are also aware of the OEM aluminum sill plate #51479555225, but are unaware of any other variations or original options.

 

Also please advise if the touring models also fall under these date ranges as well. @Conserv?

 

Another thing, what if we made a large one that was sort of a combination between #2 and #3? Like it had a sill plate on either side of the seam?

 

Edited October 20, 2020 by Ireland Engineering

[Conserv]

I dunno about the tourings! Since they arrived in April 1971, with the Modell 71 upgrade/facelift, they should have been, at the outset, equipped with the #2 version sill plate. Although there was a “square taillight” version of the touring, i.e., 1974 model year, it did not have square taillights, but it did have plastic grilles, etc. I suspect these 1974 model tourings had the #3 version sill plates, but @02Leswill actually know!

 

(In your breakdown of the three versions, I believe the #1 version probably stopped in April 1971, with the Modell 71 upgrade/facelift, not March 1972.)

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[Ireland Engineering]

10 minutes ago, Conserv said:

I dunno about the tourings!

 

Steve

 

Aww man we thought you knew everything! Haha.

Anyways thanks for the input. We were just going by date ranges given in ETK. Could there have been crossover? It does mention that #1 part number was superceded by #2 so maybe we got the wrong part number. Though 51477470007 is listed as "GRAU", we don't think #2 ever came in a gray?

[02Les]

6 minutes ago, Ireland Engineering said:

Aww man we thought you knew everything! Haha.

Anyways thanks for the input. We were just going by date ranges given in ETK. Could there have been crossover? It does mention that #1 part number was superceded by #2 so maybe we got the wrong part number. Though 51477470007 is listed as "GRAU", we don't think #2 ever came in a gray?

 

I believe Tourings had the narrow sill plates first and the wider ones from the facelift model 73.

I also believe (don't quote me!!!) that Tourings sold with the Sport Paket had the optional metal sill plates.

Edited October 20, 2020 by 02Les

[Conserv]

54 minutes ago, Ireland Engineering said:

Aww man we thought you knew everything! Haha.

Anyways thanks for the input. We were just going by date ranges given in ETK. Could there have been crossover? It does mention that #1 part number was superceded by #2 so maybe we got the wrong part number. Though 51477470007 is listed as "GRAU", we don't think #2 ever came in a gray?

There are lots of date range inaccuracies in ETK. Sometimes they’re simply errors, sometimes they reflect they are currently interchangeable, as in “functional equivalent” rather than “original application”.

 

In addition, colors today are not necessarily the same as the original colors. Again, think “functional equivalent”.

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[Conserv]

53 minutes ago, 02Les said:

 

I believe Tourings had the narrow sill plates first and the wider ones from the facelift model 73.

 

Just to emphasize, Les’s “model 73” here is the “square taillight” version of the touring, the one without square taillights, ? the same as my “1974 model”.

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[bluehills2002]

I have a dealer accessory catalog that shows an “entrance protector” with the last part number you reference. It looks like it is fastened with two screws.

[bluehills2002]

. . . or more likely three screws ( one not shown).

[Ireland Engineering]

24 minutes ago, bluehills2002 said:

. . . or more likely three screws ( one not shown).

Thanks for that! What is that book called? Off topic but we have a special scanner coming in to specifically scan books. We were thinking of creating an online library for the BMW community of the out-of-print stuff. I've never seen that one before!

[CGoldone]

That's a really good idea!  Scanning a library would help a lot of people get familiar (or more familiar) with these cars.  Of course it would help you as well.  I think that great vendors such as yourself deserve a lot of support.  It's a two-way street!

[02Les]

2 hours ago, bluehills2002 said:

I have a dealer accessory catalog that shows an “entrance protector” with the last part number you reference. It looks like it is fastened with two screws.

 

That looks like the optional metal (aluminium?) sill cover.

[Conserv]

17 minutes ago, 02Les said:

 

That looks like the optional metal (aluminium?) sill cover.

 

 

+1

 

Agreed. And these are relatively rare. They appear also in the ca. 1972 U.S. dealer accessories brochure, a page of which is shown below.

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[bluehills2002]

That photo is from a “BMW accessories” blue book. I believe it is identical to the one posted in the reference section here by Seb, all though his version is not in English. I will bring mine in to work next week and scan it in, for the non-German speaking among us.

[Tdh]

My '71, with a build date of 2/3/71 has option #1.  

[PaulTWinterton]

On 10/20/2020 at 10:23 AM, Ireland Engineering said:

We are also aware of the OEM aluminum sill plate #51479555225, but are unaware of any other variations or original options.

 

It looks to me like #1 and #2 sills projects inside the car to meet the carpet, while the aluminum sill plate projects toward the outside of the car, covering the rocker.  Therefore 2 pieces were used together.  How will that work with the IE offering?

 

Edit:  I think I understand now.  The IE extrusion will not cover as much interior sill as the original #1 or #2.  Carpet will tuck under new interior sill (hopefully).  The IE sill plate will also replace the aluminum sill plate # ..5225 as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 22, 2020 by PaulTWinterton