I have long had "new in box" set of the Ford bright wheel well trim molding, I stay on the fence as to whether I should use it. Every vehicle I have ever had that had it, came with it. My '77 truck has the plastic molded front tub like splash shields, they attach to the fender lip with a few #8 SS self drilling flat head philips screws. I have an aftermarket set of molded tub like plastic tub splash shields for the rear, holding them up easy to see they will fit, but my truck has the original protection there, plus new inner arches .... and a good coating of bed liner in there.

If I put the bright trim on, I think the best fit would be to the metal, and in front I'd then re-attach the plastic tubs afterwards. If I use the rears, I think it best to do same. Attach the trim, then attach the plastic. Trying to attach them at the same time is gonna be a trick.

I could attach the bright trim after the plastic but might not work or "lay" as smooth?

A second consideration is the rolled exposed edge of the trim. It is smooth, but is metal, and I worry about wear on the paint. Maybe a strip of a tape along the rolled edge where it would contact the paint is in order. I know, factories never insulated the rolled edge from the paint, they just put them on.

 

I agree that fender trim 1st, then the liner. But....it has been so long since I took the fender trim and inner front liners off the red truck. That I can not remember if the trim or the plastic inner liner was 1st. I have never put either back in/on yet.

I feel that looking at your sig pic truck, that it is good looking enough to go without. And then no worry about paint wear or dirt trap.

Where did you get the plastic rear liners?

 

I got the liners from J C Whittney back in the early 1990s as I was then "collecting" parts I then thought I might want, Not even sure what they cost, likely $50, maybe $60 .... I might should have saved. Same with the trim, my plan was to use it and just the wide strip in the dent next time, but I didn't because in the years since, my taste changed and I decided on solid white. Today I wouldn't buy either of them, but back then it was just a truck I used. I knew was some rust in the fender edges, I knew too of some "creative" body repair that I would someday want to replace, which is why I bought all those parts. I just had no idea how long was gonna be.

I guess it just gnaws at me, like I should use them ..... but I'm not sure I want to. I've wasted more $$$ on just one pass and a 1-2 shift at a dragstrip. I guess if I don't know the cost, it doesn't really matter?

Another thought is to only use the plastic liners as a match to the front OEM ones, they only are "blacker" what with never having seen a puddle. The plastic would protect the fender lip much like the front ones do tthe front fender lips. For sure if this was 25-35 years ago and I was driving it on trips, etc .... I'd use them. No doubt but that they would keep inside between bed inner and outer drier. They came one taped inside the other with instruction and hardware sandwiched between them, shipping label on outside. Once in place, they actually have a 3" wide portion that acts like a mud flap if desired.

They would also hide any bed to frame gap view.

Thank You for the bounce back, makes for some thought.