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So, I got my new trim piece (thanks, @kingbee) and I'm trying to find some info on how exactly to install it without doing damage. Maybe my Google-Fu is weak this morning because I can't even get the nomenclature right...everybody seems to call it something different.
THIS is the piece I'm referring to...
Kingbee was good enough to include some clips and hardware for my convenience, but I think I'll pick up some new ones to avoid old-part breakage. Best I can tell is there are 3 different styles for this one piece...is that correct? Looks like one gets riveted-on...?
There are other solutions to this issue, I know. But the truck is 45 min away from me and 30 min away from the nearest parts store (not to mention 0 4G, nevermind WiFi). It's extremely helpful to me to be able to gather-up parts and information before I make the trip...at least until I can get current tags and get my baby home.
BTW, I'd like to add... /begin rant: There is NOTHING wrong with this trim piece that a 2 dollar clip couldnt have solved. The apparent dent is an illusion of reflection, that pic even fools me into seeing a ding in the hood...there is no damage to the fender and/or hood (the scratches are real, no sheetmetal damage). Driving 2 sheetmetal screws through the trim to hold it on is as dirt-bag of a "fix" as I've seen...ruined a perfectly good piece. Who DOES that...?
With the door installed you might be able to slide the new piece on from the grill shell side? Probably not. You might want to remove the fender completely? Grill shell edge hdwr is a PITA.
Up in the very corner of the trim, to the right of the side marker lens, there is one mount stud that you should be able to access the nut from the inside of the grill shell? Remove the grill park light lens and housing you might see an access hole? Or reach WAY up in the very corner 1/4 or 11/32??
There is a mount stud behind the door/fender edge, open the door you can see it, remove that nut. 3 plastic mount clips that the trim clips onto that are slid on the 3 rivet studs they mount to. is all that holds it on in the middle.
You should be able to un crimp the long piece of trim from the fwd edge piece.
1. Remove the 2 screws the PO installed.
2. Remove the side marker lens, disconnect the bulb holder form the lens and put back in the hole.
3. Locate nuts on the 2 mount studs and remove. Are you getting new plastic clips? If so just pop the old trim off.
Yikes! That's kind of what I was figuring, the clips that came with appear to be slide-on rather than snap-on...that's why one of the "ears" is broken off of each one...I get it. No harm, no foul.
Trim is such a PITA...finding clips and bits and OEM tag-ons is why 90% of my "builds" get nosed, decked, and shaved. Yeah, I like the look, but replacing hard-to-find trim bits, let alone figuring out how to install em is a science in itself, lol. It's also the reason why (among other reasons), I gave up messing with "valuable" vehicles...ever witnessed a potential 'Cuda buyer lose his mind over a piece of incorrect rocker-molding...? It ain't pretty.
I really want to replace this particular piece (its the only F'd up piece on the truck) so I may go ahead with it. The sheetmetal screws look trashy and I don't like it. Since this is the only piece of trashy trim on the truck I don't think I can wait for paint-day...it's gotta go now.
If the door or the fender is off, piece of cake. Dennis Carpenter sales quality plastic mount clips. Yes the slide on mount plastic pieces push lock on to the rivet heads, then if possible you slide on the new trim on over that.
The front stud is bent tab mounted (I think) and the rear stud mount bracket slides in a top and bottom notch groove in the back side of the trim itself.
Pulling the fender is not that bad compared to realigning a door. IMO
Upper front fender moulding clips shown as circled letters in lower pic.
CT = 381955-S
CARPENTER NOS OBSOLETE PARTS in Concord NC has 1,331 = 800-476-9653.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PH = D3TZ-16A076-A
GREEN SALES CO. in Cincinnati OH has 14 = 800-543-4959.
CARPENTER NOS OBSOLETE PARTS has 1,338.
----------------------------------------------------- PL = D3TZ-1020880-C requires 383229-S Rivet
CARPENTER NOS OBSOLETE PARTS has 2,066.
----------------------------------------------------- 383229-S =
FRED GRANDE FORD in Casco MI has 8 = 586-749-3141.
When I got home from work this morning I was eyeballing the moulding and noticed a cutout on the back side about 2" from the trailing end (where it breaks for the door. On the R side in the pic). I used it to slide a couple of the plastic clips in. Seems like it was put there on purpose. A smart fella might be able to figure out how to set the trim over the clip and sliiiiide it back to the next one and repeat as needed (5x, IIRC).
Am I on to sumthin' here?
77&79F250, after finger-banging this piece and looking it over for a bit, your instructions and pictures, along with ND's graphic are a lot more understandable...sometimes ya gotta know what ya don't know before you can actually learn something...i think
The way I installed my trim is to install each stud clip in each end of the trim piece. The plastic clips should be installed on the fender. Carefully install the stud clips in their corresponding holes and lightly tap the molding with the back of your hand to snap it over the plastic clips. Then install your nuts to the stud clips. The front can be tricky because you have to use an extension with a socket to go through a hole in the fender. I used some tape to hold the nut in the socket. The back stud can be reached with the door open. Tricky but doable.
