Body side molding install help needed

[Wayne Morris]

I am in the process of trying to install body side molding. I have completed installing the two front fender pieces and now trying ti figure out the rest.

[Wayne Morris]

how does the door molding attach? The "bath tub" pieces seem to go into the holes in door but how do the clips go into them??

The pic with rear fender trim with two clips installed is how it came off of the car years ago.

[Jason Edge]

From the factory the doors used the "bathtub" shaped push in fasteners for the inner 3 attachment points on sedans (4 attachment points on the coupe/conv door).  The trim simply pops onto the fasteners.  That is the outer ridge of the bathtub fasteners is just wider than the side trim and it pops on.

For the door side trim front and rear very end fasteners, there is a slide in clip that has a wide Phillips pan head screws that screws in from the inside of the door through the door lip opening.

Below is a picture of the complete Sedan Door side trim factory fastener set:

Here is a picture of that door trim "end fastener" as it looks installed in the trim

NOTE 1: As an alternative to the inner "bathtub clips" you can use "Push In Spring Clips" like those use at the front of the rear qtr fastener set BUT, all old bathtub clips need to be removed form your door. 

NOTE 2: As an alternative to the inner "bathtub clips", you can use "medium Studded fasteners" like those use at the front of the rear qtr fastener set BUT, all old bathtub clips need to be removed form your door AND you will have to remove the door panel to access the studs. 

[Jason Edge]

On the rear qtr panel side trim for the sedan  You will have 5 push in spring clips at the very front (on left of picture below), then 3 medium size studded clips (3rd row from left) and then the 2 small studded clips. These rear qtr side trim gets progressively smaller and you will want to use the smaller ones at the very rear section.  NOTE: The trunk cardboard has to come out in order to access the 5 studded fasteners on each side. For the very rear, the rear bumper needs to be removed to access a plastic access cover.

[Wayne Morris]

Jason, thank you for clarifying how the clips are located and how they work. Very help full. My only remaining question is how to seal these clips to keep water out of my trunk & doors? What typ of sealer also?

In a previous conversation with you, you had said something about "T-clips" for the front fenders. You said you would put me on your waiting list for them. Were you talking about the clips that screw into the topside of the fender opening? if so, take me off of the list, please. They were still attached to the moldings and I realized this when I went to install moldings.

Thank you for passing on your knowledge and in a very timely manner on top of everything else.

[Jason Edge]

Wayne, 4 things to consider on "sealing" the fasteners:
1) I include bonded washers with all the studded fasteners I sell.  This as a rubber side that should face the sheet metal on the rear qtr, or fender or door (if used on the inner section of door).

2) The original "bathtub" inserted fasteners used for the inner sections of the door (3 on sedans, 4 on coupes/convertibles) pretty much fill the oval hole completely. If not see #4 below.

3)  Doors are pretty much designed to have some water running through them. Look at the bottom of the doors and you will see drain slits. A bigger concern would be if they are blocked. The inside of the doors have some type of weather coating layer... almost like undercoating.  And most of our 63/64's are not being driven daily in heavy down pours. some are still daily drivers but fewer and fewer. OH. You have that protective water proof skin attached to the doors behind the door panels because some water is expected to go the rough the doors. If you have new soft, supple scraper seal rubber that seals against the glass that will keep most of the water out but some still gets in and the ends, etc.

4) I use silicone on EVERYTHING for sealing house and automotive and yard items against water. You can get it everywhere from the home improvement stores to the local grocery stores. Get it with a pointed tip applications. There are different grades, but most will be more the adequate to apply around the fasteners.  For example I have been sealing the bottom of my 12 volt low voltage yard lights with silicone to fill the holes where water would go up in and ants would follow and build their nests. The only bad thing about silicone is it does not take paint well... at all. So if you were using those spring push in clips for the door, or concerned about the front 5 push in clips on your sedan rear qtr trim (Coupes & Convertibles have 9), put a dab of of silicon around the clips before you push in . These has push in spring clips form the factory and were designed for a bit of water entry but with silicone you can basically make all fasteners water proof.

FRONT FENDER MOLDING CLIPS:
Here is where I have to be careful as the 63's do not use these. They just have a series of 9 studded fasteners on the front fender side trim.

Using the picture below as an example, 64's have studded fasteners at the rear (green arrows), and a T shaped fastener that slides into the side trim with a perpendicular flange that butts up to bottom side of the fender j(red arrows). It in turn has a small hex head screw and flat speed nut to attached the T-Clip to the fender. This is in the location of the red arrows. 
I STAY OUT OF THESE because it is a unique fasteners and no one (that I know of) is making them. THE GOOD NEWS, is they are stainless and do not rust, so the issues is PEOPLE LOSE THEM!

For more visuals see the 2nd pictures. That is the T-Molding Clip. Sometimes that raised center ridge is there and sometimes they are smooth. Either will work. 

As a further visual see the 3rd picture: That would be your standard 1964 front fender side molding fastener set.   The upper row is the T molding fasteners used at front of fender side trim (red arrows) and the bottom row are the medium sized studded fasteners with bonded washers, and nylon lock nuts that I sell. You also will note, I was out of the 4th T molding clip, but that allows you to better see the small metal hex screw and flat speed nut behind it. 

[Wayne Morris]

Thank you once again

Wayne

[Wayne Morris]

I could could not get the proper clips for the door side moldings. I got some used bathtub clips but they were not secure enough to satisfy me. I ended up using medium sized studded clips. The end clips I modified the stud length and the length of the spring arm as necessary. Picture 2 shows inside of door. 

My Caddy is not a show car but I want it to look as best possible.  I think  it worked out ok just a lot more work pulling door panels! I do use it for local "Cruise Nights" 

[Jason Edge]

Looks great and 99.99% of those out there would not know the difference.  From your experience I am curious if you think a smaller studded fastener would work even better. I do have them with a narrower flange but the same #10-24 stud that I sell with the rear qtr fastener sets.  You can see the circled in the green in my rear qtr set below. I have always meant to try one but have never gotten around to it.

[Wayne Morris]

I did use a smaller studded fastener on one door but it did not seem as secure when tightening the lock nut. I tried the larger clip which I modified and it was more secure, It did have to be all the way to the edge of the molding to work and that is why on one end I had to trim and re-bend the spring arm slightly.

[Jason Edge]

Gotcha.