Sider sill 'step'

[HFStuart]

On Spiders the outer sills are bigger than on other models to give extra strength. As they are a little wider there's a slight step under from the bottom of the door out to the edge of the sill covered by a the rubber strip in it's stainless holder. The same step can be seen in the bottom section of the front wing.

At some point in production the 'step' got slightly smaller. I'd guess this might have been during the S1 to S2 change when it acquired the longitudinal roof bars and therefore may have needed less floorpan strength. It way well have also coincided with the change in the join between the front wing and valence panel from a flange joint ( flanges but up behind the panels and are bolded together) to a lap joint (one panel sits over the other and they're bolted though from the front)

Two questions  - what were the sizes of the two different steps and does anyone know when the changes I mention were made?

Stuart

Edit  - I should have said my 1977 series 2 parts book does not show any difference in the parts, not does the S1 parts book.

[rossocorsa]

I've never studied spiders that closely but I'll see if I can find any info

[rossocorsa]

I checked S1 S2 and S2FL books and there seems to be no difference, I need to look at the microfiche ( it is more comprehensive/up to date than the S2FL book) but the reader isn't set up so I'll try when I've got more time. On coupés the most significant re-engineering was done for S2FL so I would have thought this was the most likely point for any change in the spider as well but maybe not... Late in S2FL spider production the was a change to the higher exposed fuel filler maybe other charges were made at that time?

[HFStuart]

I'd have guessed earlier than that. I know the change in wing to valence panel joint was fairly early and the two types aren't compatible so I was surprised to see no mention of that in the parts books I've got. There is a change to front wing part number for coupes in the S1 book  - but no matching change to the valence. And there's no changes at all shown for the Spider making me think the coupe wing change was very early.

Anything you can find on the fiche would be much appreciated.

[rossocorsa]

Afaik the wing/front valance design was changed at S2FL any earlier change to wing part number must have been for a different reason. A lot of surviving coupé/spiders have received several wing replacements often from sh parts leading to strange mixtures of fixings on some cars

[rossocorsa]

Just checked S1 and the valance part number doesn't change so the fixing method must be the same for both coupé wing part numbers.
Beta parts are so damn complicated at times!

[Neil-yaj396]

Wasn't there a lot of independent fettling at Zagato on the Spider bodies? Would changes such as this necessarily make their way into any of the parts records?

[peteracs]

Wasn't there a lot of independent fettling at Zagato on the Spider bodies? Would changes such as this necessarily make their way into any of the parts records?

Given the whole backend is different, then there must be specific parts listed which are different to the Coupe. Any differences in the sills should be noted in the later parts fiche I would have thought?

Peter

[HFStuart]

Given the whole backend is different, then there must be specific parts listed which are different to the Coupe. Any differences in the sills should be noted in the later parts fiche I would have thought?

Peter

There are plenty of Spider specific parts listed but I suppose it's possible that changes Zagato chose to make might not have made it to the later parts books. Possibly only the 'significant' revisions ( S1 - S2 and S2  - S2 F/L) made it but you'd think sills would be hard to miss.

Interestingly Mark has a new old stock coupe wing on his parts site with the flange type joint and he's listed that as S1. I might drop him an e-mail to see what his take is.