1954 Chevy Pickup | Runningboard Step Plates

A Side Note About Aluminum Running Board Step Plates

I ordered these aluminum running board step plates from Classic Parts (formerly Chevy Duty) and discovered, after one simple rainfall, that I wasted my money in more ways than one!

Runningboard Step Plates

They sure look beautiful, don't they!? Yes! But don't kid yourself ... before long, a film of white oxidation formed all over the entire step plate that will not come off no matter what I try! They look horrible! In the picture below, they actually look good compared to what they look like to the naked eye. Also, I wear steel cleats on the tips and heels of my boots and, as you can see, I'm scratching my running boards because these step plates aren't wide enough. As usual, aftermarket parts are great for show cars but worthless for actual use.

Oxidized Step Plates

As If That Wasn't Bad Enough ...
After removing these step plates, I discovered an even worse nightmare! Underneath the plates there must have been the equivalent of a quarter-cup of white powder -- oxidation -- eating away at the paint!!!

Underneath Oxidized Step Plates

I sure am glad I discovered this when I did! I think a couple of years more and my running boards would've had holes in them!

I'll be designing my own step plates and having them fabricated out of stainless diamond plate steel and posting the pictures here, sometime in August/September 2007, when my truck comes back from paint -- See Here.

New Original Step Plate Templates

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