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Ever since I first had my TVR I had fancied getting some kick plates for it, especially after the missus managed to scratch the paint on the door sill with her shoes on the first outing whilst trying to get out!! The opportunity of acquiring a set did not present itself and over the years I had completely forgotten about them. A few months ago I
found my self admiring a nice polished set fitted to a lovely blue SEAC
parked at Castle Combe and this kicked my ‘shiney bit lust hormones’
into action – gotta get a set, gotta get a set! Leven Technology are well known for producing many quality stainless and aluminium styling accessories for all types of TVR’s (as well as other marques of sportscars), they also produce a fine range of kick plate sets for Tuscans, Griffiths and Chimaeras etc and now more importantly, for Wedges as well.
The plates are made
of a durable, high quality bright polished stainless steel, which according
to Simon who runs Leven gives a much higher reflective finish to the metal
surface than the norm. In fact, the mirrored surface of the plates was
so shiney that I had trouble getting my digital camera to focus on the
plate surface! The
plates also come neatly packaged and protected and include a comprehensive
fitting instruction sheet and several sachets of surface preparation/degreaser
solution to get the doorsill surfaces prepared for fitting. The top side of the
plate comes with the model logo permanently acid-etched into the surface,
the finish comes well protected by a removable protective plastic film.
The reverse side of the plates are supplied with a full width 3M double-sided
adhesive tape. Although I initially though that sticking the plates on
and not physically fastening them with screws or similar was a bit dodgy,
I can assure you that this stuff sticks like the proverbial to a blanket
and once on, these babies ain’t coming off again in a hurry. This also leads on
to another interesting point. Believe it or not the sill widths on the
wedge cars not only varied between models, 280i, 350i, 400’s etc
but between sides of individual cars as well ! Simon has put considerable
research into this prior to going into production of the plates and has
come up with what he feels is the optimum size to safely fit to most of
the wedge cars (1050 x 65mm). He does recommend however that on receipt
of the plates and prior to attempting to permanently fit them you ‘dry
run’ the fit of the plates on BOTH sides of the car just to ensure
a perfect fit – you have been warned.
Another thing to take
into consideration before fitting is the alignment of the doors themselves.
If the doors have become out of ‘true’ and have started to sag
it could catch on the plate, it would be wise to check the clearances
before fitting the plates. Another vital point to watch for is to check
the bolts and screws that run along the underside of the door and inner
door panels have not become loose or are sticking out too much. If these
are not checked and adjusted first you could potentially gouge the surface
of your new plates as soon as you close the door for the first time. On inspection my panel screws were a little proud, it only takes a few minutes to check and tighten them and could avoid a disaster. After some serious cleaning of the sill surfaces I wiped the surfaces with the supplied degreaser pads. Then I tried positioning the plates several times with the backing tape still on to get the hang of lining up the plates in one go. Having perfected the procedure that I was going to use I peeled the backing tape away to expose the adhesive on the tape. In the end, I sort of tilted the plate along one edge and carefully let the plate fall flat against the sill. The tape bonds immediately and does not allow for any re-positioning at all - You need to get this right first time or you might find yourself in a bit of a pickle. I wiped the plates with a cloth and simultaneously applied pressure to all parts of the face metal to ensure a secure key with all parts of the sill.
I repeated the process
on the other side of the car and hey presto – job done. I must say
that the plates really add the finishing touches to the car and give that
extra ‘air’ of quality every time you open the door (see pics
above). All in all, I am really
pleased with the plates. The quality of the product is second to none
and they were very simple to fit – although ‘dry running’
the fitting procedure beforehand is pretty essential as once the adhesive
is exposed you really only have one attempt to get it right. I have reviewed several
products from Leven over the past year or so and I must say that dealing
with them comes as a breath of fresh air compare to other companies I
have dealt with. It is good to see a company that takes product quality
and customer service a priority instead of an afterthought - Please don’t
just take my word for it however give them a call and see for yourself. The plates are available from Leven Technology are produced for the 280i, 350i, 400SE and 450SE. Limited numbers of other models can be produced but to special order and are subject to a minimum order quantity. For more information please contact Leven Technology direct on 01633 484844 or check out their website. At the time of the review, the plates were priced at £59.95 for a set including delivery. |
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