okay, i'm going to sound like a moron here. i just got my car back from the body shop a few months ago. i told them not to fill the moulding holes because i wanted to run moulding. they filled the holes on the rear fender where the body tapers. i got a screaming deal on paint and they went above and beyond (besides this shit), so taking it back to them is not something i want to do. the moulding clips pull the moulding into the body so i can't just install the clips where there's a hole available and ignore that section. i did, however, buy the universal clips that have a threaded bolt and nut to secure the moulding to the car. so a stock shaped hole is not important. since i'm a moron, and i build motorcycles mostly, i'm thinking the only thing i can do is drill the car where the moulding will land with a pilot bit and step up slowly and carefully. will this eff my paint up? is there a way to do this that totally eludes me? thanks in advance...
I think your only choice is to drill the holes - if you are careful, it should not damage the paint. Take some touch-up and paint around the hole where the paint is broken to prevent corrosion. I drilled the holes on my 49 - as far as I know, they are just round holes anyway . Hope you could find some good clips - ones I used were junk - I'm looking for better ones.
put some good masking tape over the paint and drill through the masking tape. then pull the tape.... carefully!!!!!!!!!!! make sure it's good auto masking tape not home depot special. this will help the paint not to tear or peel at the hole --- if indeed you have to drill a hole in new paint.
x2 on the "universal" clips. many fit poorly. it's no fun fighting clips that let trim rattle or damage paint.
from inside your trunk you should be able to see where the holes were. you would also be able to see where they were if you take out your rear door panels. im not to sure about drilling from the inside out, that could be a problem. i would try to find a stock hole at each end of where the trim was. then you will at least know its going to be straight. then drill up the rest.
May sound goofey, but if it were mine, I would take it back to them, and tell them you changed your mind, and now want the mouldings on. Let them do it, so it will be right. Also if a problem in the near future with it, you can take it back to them. JMHO... And by the way.....BEAUTIFUL car. Love it!! Cheers, Bob
do what the other guy said, put masking tape on the car and drill carefully. BTW, that color looks amazing on there.
Did they weld up the holes, or did they just get plugged with filler? If they're just filled, you can drill them out from the back side without going through any metal. Take it slow and you'll go through without messing up the paint to the point that it won't cover. It's pretty common that some trim holes get plugged up and painted over during a body job, if they really did do this car "above and beyond" for a good price, I'd just do it and consider this part of the assembly process as opposed to bodywork.
I would avoid drilling the finish hole from the inside out but you could drill a small pilot hole. You may even get in there and find that the holes are just filled with bondo. That is commonly done in body shops as opposed to welding. In whick case it should be pretty easy to punch a pilot hole then drill the bondo out from the outside.
I hope you have some good clips. I even bought the "correct" clips from Dennis Carpenter* and they sucked. I had to drill tiny holes through those and bolt them to the car so they wouldn't rattle. I second the idea of placing automotive tape over the spot you want to drill then applying touch up before putting the trim on. With the trim you won't even see the holes anyway so chipping is not that big of deal. *Dennis Carpenter in general sucks. Every item I've bought from them has been over priced and did not fit correctly. $120 for side trim clips that don't even fit right and have burrs that scratch the paint? Give me a fucking break. Could have just gone to Home Depot and got some clips that fit better for $20. Window crank didn't fit either, had to file down the inside. What should have taken about 30 minutes took about 3 hours. Front carpet was all cracked and "cut to fit", yet I still had to trim some rubber off so it wouldn't stick out the door. I hate that place.
i bought them from the early ford store in san dimas. http://www.earlyfordstore.com/ they (body shop manager) wanted nothing to do with my car when i brought it to them. they don't do old cars. but my father is friends with the owner (who is never there) and bought me the paint job at a fund raising auction. it was a night of a ton of drinking. where the manager had to deliver on a drunken party promise and a small amount of money. they welded all patch panels, new floor panels, repaired the drip rails, and basically gave it everything they had for 10 months. so i just want to handle this last bit without putting them out. they welded the holes. i checked everywhere for filler. i'm going to run some blue painter's tape and drill slow with new bits. everyone has great ideas. i would have spaced for sure on touch up paint inside the new holes i spent a ton on those bullshit clips too. they don't work or fit. totally bums me out. that's why i got frustrated and got the universal ones. i'm going to measure and cut them down with a dremel to get a really close fit. thanks to everyone for the responses and compliments!!!
I think that it looks just fine, if not better without them. Don't crack the paint, that will let water into the primer unless you re-seal the hole. My dum-dum opinon; pencil tip pipes, a sand-bag in the trunk (instead of a 1.5" lowering block) and drive it. I've had my car on the road for many many years ,there are a lot of little shits that i'd like to change; but road trips and cruises and the annual Hamb drags keep me from tearing it down for the rebuild. So 20 years of fun beats sweating over a tiny detail. Bitchin car by the way.
I just noticed you are in Huntington. Where about?grew up there in Fullerton now. Maybe I could drop by and give you a better idea? glad I chopped my coupe....don't want to have 2 nice coupes running around at the same time! PM me if you are interested in me stopping by
i considered not running the moulding. but there's a shit load of holes in the car that will look lame if i don't. i think it will look dece with moulding on there. thanks man! it's rescue green from a modern jeep. i had a crazy idea that it would work on my car and i hadn't seen it done before. i think it came out pretty cool. i'm on 14th and olive. downtown. the car is in la habra though. i'm fixing some things before i bring it home to be ruined by the sea air. i appreciate the offer! i'd rather have help getting a better rear end in the car though. this shit tops out at 50 mph since i don't have an overdrive tranny. that's actually a pretty good idea! i've never done moulding shit before. the glue will hold that stainless to the body? there's going to be some outward pulling pressure. seriously big thanks to everyone! you guys are awesome!
It came out awsome. i like that color on the jeeps but never would have thought of using it on a hot rod. looks killer
That is one beautiful shoebox ! A very striking color ! Honestly , if it were mine and I had to have trim install , I would take it back to the "Professionals" that did your car and have them do it . That way if something gets messed up or the paint gets chipped , they will be responsible for the error and be able to fix it right there ! I really don't see why you think they will get upset with you about the trim . OK so you changed your mind like a 1000 other people have done after they had their car painted . So what ! You are going to have to pay for them to drill the holes and mount the trim . You are a paying customer that really loves their work . You just decided you would rather have the car with trim . Let the pros do it so it will turn out really nice ! Retro Jim
If you are looking for moulding clips try Hilco Fasteners in Garden Grove, Ca. They have almost every kind of factory bolts , nuts, clips, etc. There address is 7522 Park Ave. Garden Grove Ca 92841.714-657-7455
the 3m Plus tape may be a better option than the trim glue. The glue is best for odd shaped emblems but a long straight trim piece it would be easier to put on with the tape. It'll come off with less chance of damaging the paint if you every want to change to a different moulding as well.
If you drill the holes.......also put a short length of rubber tubing on the drill.....that gives you a added safety factor when the drill breaks thru...(been there) Ken
before you drill more holes make sure they didn just mud them over while giving them a skim coat and forget about reopening them
thanks man! hearing that from you guys makes my day! i totally took a chance and am stoked on the result. thanks so much for the compliment!! seriously. i'm a car noob so i'm stoked about the good feedback. yeah. having a pro do that last piece might be worth the piece of mind. i can get the other pieces on no problem. it's a small price to pay... we'll see though. how hard can drilling into new paint be? i go there for hardware. i never thought to ask about moulding clips... thanks man. good call, dude. tape it is. another good call. i'm going to drill the car nice and slow. virgin style.
I second that........leave well enough alone, you will probably damage the paint job no matter how careful you are, especially if you don't know how well the paint adhered to the primer. Speaking from experience...............
somethings have got better over time, moulding fastening with glue and or tape is superior to clips . no holes, no rattles,ease of install
........Guess I would take it back to the body shop........they might be better to drill the holes than you........Nice shoebox
i would try to fill the back of the mouldings with some type of epoxy and then use some good 3m double faced tape. that should work pretty well.
Restoration Specialties & Supply, Inc., Winder Mass., www.restorationspecialties.com they have the largest selection of clips and fasteners I have ever seen....... If you don't want to buy any, you can make them with a little patience, some flat light sheet metal (22-26 gauge) and #10 nuts, bolts, washers.......By leaving the metal flat and not curved like the molding, the metal actually holds the trim tighter to the body. Justb don't over-tighten...this has worked for me on various applications.
you could get some epoxy and fill the trim up and level it out on the back side and use double faced tape. it should work pretty well.
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