I have the clips and chrome for the windshield and rear window of my '71 Cutlass. Any tips on how to proceed?

 

Bruce,
If the little "nail head" pins are there for the clips just slide the clips onto them & then gently press the trim pieces over the clips till they snap into place. The nail head pins should be around most of the sides & top of the windshield & all the way around the rear window I think? If the pins are gone/rusted away, you might need to buy some new ones. You have to drill a small hole & then screw the pins into the holes. If you want to give me a call, I can guide you through all of this.
Dash parts are on the way & headlight housings will be tomorrow.
Scott
c. 317-727-7041

 

NOOOOOOOO!

Pinchweld rust under this trim is one of the worst parts of owning an A-body. Once you spend the time to fix this, the LAST thing you want to do is start drilling holes in the pinchweld area. The right way to fix missing posts is to have new ones welded on with a stud welding gun, like body shops use.

 

Joe,
You're right about the correct way to fix these is to have them welded on, but I don't think that is what the owner of this car is going for. I have a little inside info & I think he just wants to get it together for a "project". I was just offering a quick fix for him.
Bruce, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Yeah, I know:

I'm just trying to prevent the ultimate buyer from having to deal with half-@$$ed workmanship. To be honest, I'm also tired of watching musclecars get destroyed in films and TV shows. The new Las Vegas show seems to average one early 60s car destroyed per episode.

 

Hi Brujay: I would be interested to see some pictures of your progress with the rear window trim. Also, where did you get the clips, what is the specific part number?
I plan on removing my trim this winter and fixing whats there. thanks, Miles

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brujay
We're not trying for a real restoration--we'll leave that to the lucky person we sell the car to after the film--just something that makes the car look OK.


SMH.

 

I'm guilty of screwing in a few of the clips for the rear window trim on my car. Problem is I don't weld and can't afford to have it done, so I went the alternative route. The problem I had though was the trim (on the bottom of window) did not seat as close to the glass as I would've liked it to. This may also have been due to the improper thickness of the glass seal when I reinstalled the glass. ( to be fixed at a future time) The windshield was cake, as all of the clip posts were intact. I definitely am a proponent of doing it right though, if your budget and skills allow. Chumley

 

I found on my car the nailheads for the side trim and the vinyl top trim were ground off. I have all the trim and always wondered what would need to be done to replace them. If i reweld some in where would i get these?? ScottM