As shown in the photo, the accelerator pedal that came in the boxes for my Jan 1963 built FHC has a bend in it. Is this the way it came from the factory or has it been damaged? Thanks.
Yes, that’s how they are.
Interesting!
Thanks Ray.
Yep… that is a factory bend.
Interesting that the photos of the part in both SNG and Moss show the pedal straight.
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It’s far from conclusive but this photo from my 8/61 SPC shows a “feature line” which to me is the draftsman trying to indicate a bend.
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And if you hold a straight edge to the outlined edge of the pedal the bend becomes apparent.
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Well spotted! It’s probably just another example of where the manufacturer of the repro part decided the bend was unnecessary and saved themselves one manufacturing step. Maybe Bill Angel @angelw can make us a proper one? Come to think of it though, as it’s a LHD part only, there will be no demand for it in Bill’s home market, so we’ll probably have to make do with sticking one in the vice and giving it a calibrated “tap” with a BFH… 
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I’ve had both and contributed to a previous long thread on the topic. Obviously it’s a LHD-only issue and the pedal is pretty stiff. The base pivot means that the top of the pedal moves twice as far as half way up. Because the linkage attaches at the top it is possible for the top to jam against carpet and continued pressure to bend the middle.
My 70 FHC has that bent/curved shape which is not the same as the factory crease 2/3 up the pedal.
Interesting that the pedal in my 71 FHC is straight as well.
It may be connected (doh!) to the use of SUs vs Stranglebergs if the carb linkages have different geometries and angular sweep? Just a guess. I thought it was to do with LWB vs SWB floors but I think that was ruled out.
When I purchased my 70 E new it had a bend in it. Not a sharp crease but a gradual bend. I had the dealer make it straight. My fathers E had a straight pedal.
I believe that a very large person had driven the car and pushed off from pedal to exit the car?
Glenn
Could well be. I shudder sometimes when I see big guys pull themselves out of a top-down OTS by heaving on the top corner of the screen. Saw one crack when abused like that. Pressing the pedal would be in the same league.
Makes it easier to floor it!
I purchased the current repro from SNG, thinking maybe I could just add the requisite bend. Here is how they compare.
The bend can be done, but the ugly welds done from the wrong side caught me by surprise. The repro is welded from the visible face and poorly ground flush and then plated, accentuating the seam. The original was welded from the back so nothing was visible. This is true at the pivot too. I called SNG and this is all they offer.
Does anyone know where a proper original looking repro can be sourced?
Or failing a replacement, what is a good way to repair the tin worm damage in the pivot area of mine, bearing in mind I don’t having brazing capability.
Wishful thinking: maybe the carpet/padding will be thick enough to obscure the worm damage?
Rick OBrien
65 FHC in FL
The one in that 27k mile Gooding & Co car looks pretty straight to me.
The one in my 29k mile car is as straight as an arrow. I ran my finger up the back side of it, and there is no evidence of a crease whatsoever.
It seems like a poor assumption to believe that because most of them are bent, that’s the way they came. The design doesn’t exactly lend itself to remaining straight after tens of thousands of miles of abuse.
This has been talked about before: on a lot of the early cars, the pedal did indeed come from the factory with a bend in it.
Tweety had it, and I’ve seen numerous pictures of other unmolested cars that had the bent pedal. At what point they ceased bending it I have no idea.
So let’s do a simple survey then. Please vote only if (a) your car is LHD, and (b) you have no reason to believe than your pedal has been replaced.
Is your (LHD only) accelerator pedal bent?
- Series 1 - Yes
- Series 1 - No
- Series 2 - Yes
- Series 2 - No
- Series 3 - Yes
- Series 3 - No
0 voters
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The picture I posted of mine had 90K hard miles on it, hard enough to require a second transmission. Also showing about 90k of rust too:-) My reason for posting was not to argue the point if all cars are bent are not. I’m just looking for a suitable replacement or assistance in repairing what I have.
Although looking at your picture, the pitting may not be very visible. I just need to make a new floor plate. Colin Chapman would love it. Mother Nature has added considerable lightness to it.
Rick
Not really sure of the value of a survey…how many people have confidence as to whether their throttle pedal is original.
And when you say “bent”, are you referring to a clear, straight line that obviously appears to be from a manufacturing process, or does any curvature qualify as “bent”?