Exterior finishers and mouldings are the chrome and bright trim strips that define the Midget's side profile, together with the protective threshold plates and brightwork upgrade options. This section covers side mouldings, threshold plates, and brightwork upgrades and alternatives.
Side Mouldings
The waistline moulding runs along the full length of the car's flanks in several sections: a front wing moulding, a door moulding (handed left and right), a rear wing moulding, and an A-post moulding that bridges the vertical gap between the horizontal waistline trims. A sill moulding runs along the outer sill below the door. Each section clips onto stud plates that are riveted to the body panel beneath. The moulding clips are a common failure point, they become brittle with age and crack, loosening the moulding.
Large quantities of clips and rivets are needed for a full renewal, as over forty rivets secure the clips across the front wing, door, and rear wing mouldings on each side alone. A sill moulding fitting kit provides all the stud plates, clips, rivets, nuts, and washers for a complete sill moulding installation, a significant time-saver over sourcing each fixing individually. The bonnet centre moulding is a chrome strip running along the bonnet, secured by stud plates at five positions along its length.
Threshold Plates
Stainless steel threshold plates fit across the door sill aperture, protecting the paintwork on the sill top from scuffing as occupants enter and exit the car. They are sold in pairs and are a practical addition on any Midget, as the sill top is one of the first areas to lose its paint through normal use. On a car with new outer sills, fitting threshold plates from the outset preserves the finish for years.
Brightwork Upgrades and Alternatives
The upgrades and alternatives section within exterior finishers covers stainless steel and aftermarket replacements for the standard chrome trim items. Stainless steel mouldings and finishers offer superior corrosion resistance over chrome-plated originals, maintaining their appearance without the need for re-plating as the car ages. Full details are covered in the dedicated Upgrades & Alternatives section.