From:Doug Strange e-mail:Amcadoug@aol.com
Subject:RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: ACE Footboards wanted please Date:Mon Mar 25 07:58:53 2019
Response to:7025
Sorry about my mistake yesterday. Remember...I’m becoming an old fart
and my memory may be slipping.

Steve Salzman confirmed my observation. I’ll check into it more this week.
I first saw the black paint on a set of footboards that likely were on EXP-4.
These are like new and have white rubber mats.

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Hi Strange
Sorry Doug - Stephen Marks or Mark Stephens? Lots of
people make that mistake - no offence taken I can assure
you!
My mats measure 13-9/16" by a fraction over 3-1/2".
pretty certain they are reproduction ones but I've no
idea where from - they came with the 'kit' 20 years
ago.... (My target date for getting it all finished is
the European AMCA meet in May. No, don't laugh....)
The footboards are away at the paint shop along with
everything else so I can't measure them at the moment
Interesting what you say about them possibly being black.
Certainly with the Henderson all the bought in parts were
black - horn, headlight, tail light, dynamo and so on.
I'm guessing Ace may have used the same idea with the
bought in parts and maybe, if the footboards were the
same as the Indian, maybe they were bought in too? I
await the decision with interest as my footboards are
currently in the 'paint it blue' box and I might have to
move them quick to the 'paint it black' box!
Best regards
Steve

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Mark,
I measured my 1921 footboards. Outside of metal boards
are 14 inches long X 4 inches wide. The original mat
does not fit the available space completely as I assume
the rubber mat has shrunk in the past near 100 years.
Doesn't look anything like how your mat is installed.

I'm also finding that the boards are painted black and
not Packard Blue. Can anyone confirm their board paint?

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Thanks Doug. I went out and bought some Indian foot
boards and tried my Ace mat - photo shows result. The mat
is longer and narrower than the metalwork. So - is it the
metalwork or the mat that doesn't fit? Mats are available
on US eBay and comparing the picture given with what I
have, the outside rib on mine is much wider. I used the
'Contact seller' facility to describe my problem and
asking for the dimensions of their mats but didn't get
any answer. So what I did was cut a strip out of the
middle of the metalwork and welded the two halves back
together. Then used the belt linisher to trim the end of
the rubber mat. Everything fits OK now. Fussy or what? If
any of you go to the European AMCA meet, where they are
focusing on four cylinders this year, and see someone
measuring Ace foot boards with a tape measure - that'll
probably be me......
Regards
Steve....
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I contacted Steve privately but will repeat it here for
the history of the topic. When Indian purchased the Ace
company, they took advantage of the footboards and
continued the Ace design forward on all Indians until the
rubber covered footboards appeared in 1940. Only Indian
substituted cleats made from a stamping (less expensive)
instead of the cast cleats used my Ace. Also, Ace did
not rivet the mats to the footboard pans like Indian,
only gluing them down. So replacement Ace foot boards
are as easy as purchasing them from an Indian parts
vendor, except requesting pans with no rivet holes. The
cleats are not available as far as I know.

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Hi Guys
Anyone heading for the AMCA Europe meet in the
Netherlands in May this year? It has a 'four cylinder'
theme. I will be taking the Henderson and am frantically
working to complete the ACE so that I can take that as
well.
Can anyone help with a pair of ACE footboards please? Or
can anyone suggest where I can get some - or get some
made? I have the hinges and the rubber mats - it's only
the sheet metalwork footboards themselves that I'm
missing.
All leads greatly appreciated
Best regards
Steve