JCMC64

Ive spent an hour searching the CSM and threads trying to find info on these, proper install steps etc. It seems simple enough on the surface.

I need to know the proper length of these for 71 Cutlass S hardtop.
The ones I got are very close but I can figure how to do a mock up, they just wont go in. THx.

Allan R

Jim,
I measured my 72 Cutlass S (same as 72 S) and mine are around 20.5 inches long. I measured from the rear of the pillar side bottom as best I could get the measure in there to the top right past the screw hole. What size are the ones in the picture?

JCMC64

Can always count on reliable Allan! Thx.

Mine are 20.5 too. I searched every section in the Fisher manual, although its the 70' version I got off WAC site. (got to go back there tonight to see if they ever uploaded 71' version yet.) They arent listed in the 70' FBM.

What I did was take out the Headliner trim strips (proper name?), and then cut back the windshield seal crap someone went crazy with (new windshields front and back), and I got the Pillar molding in. But holes arent lining up, so its off some.

But this still doesnt give me a clue how its SUPPOSED to go in.
Flying blind here. I need to figure out how it all goes back together-- Does dash have to go back in first? How does the headliner fit together at the pillar area, etc.
etc...Got no visuals to go by.

JCMC64

Allan, Can you take some pics of these areas so I get a little more visual reference?

starfire

I would suggest putting the dash back in before installing these. If they are repops the chances of the holes lining up are slim. You will need to "finesse" them.

oldspackrat

Jim,
Here are a couple pix of the drivers side A pillar molding.
Scott
http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps9b3ed5c2.jpg

http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps50f6ce3e.jpg

JCMC64

Star, they are not repops. They are date stamped "72".

Thx Scott...so I see it looks like you should have the kick panels on, Headliner and trim all installed, and doesnt seem the dash is in the way, though it looks like it would be better to have headliner all done, and Pillar molding installed, and then put dash on.

In case someone is wondering why I didnt take pics up front, its because I got the car with headliner and pillars already stripped.

In regards to the headliner, are you supposed to take all that metal trim off first? When I took the one metal trim strip off the front driver side, I found allot of old headliner underneath. It be nice to have a nice headliner, trim, pillar thread up here with good pics. Did I just volunteer myself?

Allan R

Jim, looks like Scott got you those pics before I could. They show the same thing so it won't matter.

The headliner trim you are referring to is called windlace. Don't lose any of it because I don't believe it's being repopped except for the rear windows of the 70-72 CS.

I do believe you need to have the dash and the headliner/windlace in before you install that A pillar trim. Sorry to be a wuss right now but I just don't want to take mine out to see how it fits. I might if you really run into a bind though.

Since they are OEM parts, you shouldn't have any trouble fitting them in your car even though it's a 70. The only A pillar covers I'm aware of being different are the ones for the verts, and the ones you have are def the same as mine.

If I find anything on my AM about that I'll let you know.

70Post

The metal A-pillar moldings for a post coupe car look the same....but they are a different length (may be the same thing on wagons and 4 doors as well..not sure).

There are only two screws holding on each molding....so it's not clear where you are having a problem. The lower screw hole in the door jamb/pillar area is pretty obvious. The upper screw hole in the A-pillar metal....use a straight pick as a locator to find the hole while you hold the black metal A-pillar molding up in position. Fishing around in there with the long chrome screw on the end of a screwdriver can be a bit frustrating when you are trying to find what angle the screw needs to go in, etc.

Quoting measurements, lengths, etc on a part like this is pretty useless unless you show a pic that indicates exactly where you measured.

These metal A-pillar moldings are the LAST thing you would install.

JCMC64

That is the vinyl trim, correct? I was referring to the metal frame trim that goes all the way around the roof line, under the headliner.
I do have all the vinyl trim it seems.

What Star and 70 Olds says too...got it. thx to all.

The car is a 71', the Fisher Manual I have is a 70' (all WAC has online Fisher wise), and the Pillar moldings are 72'.

I went cover to cover in the Fisher Manual and nothing, I browsed most of the ASM, and nothing either, but ASM has very little interior stuff like this in it.

JCMC64

Got ya on above. Yes I figured out the 2 holes for mounting. Both mine are off. The lower one on door jamb is very slightly off...the upper one is WAY off. Ive looked at dozens of pics of other ones, and verified measurement with Allan, and these moldings look like the right ones. I will take pics and post.

I did already mark the spot on body pillars with a thin blade screwdriver, and upper pillar molding hole is an inch too high (body pillar hole is an inch lower than pillar molding hole).

Quoting measurements, lengths, etc on a part like this is pretty useless unless you show a pic that indicates exactly where you measured.
[/QUOTE]

Got it. Thx.

70Post

Here's one pic....post VS. non-post moldings. Non-post moldings are longer.

JCMC64

These are definitely the ones on the left, shape wise. What does the one on the left measure longest point to longest point? (not diagonally though).

These measures almost exactly 23 - 3\4"

70Post

Apparently yours are not the same as the Post Coupe moldings on the L...measurement pics below (right at 22" total length). Don't worry if the first pic makes the molding look like it's longer than the distance b/n the black marker lines....that's just the effect of the camera/pic....it's accurately placed.

Allan R

Jim, did you get it sorted out? If not I could pull one of mine and measure the distance between screw holes if that will help?

70Post

Pic showing length measurement on the non-post Cutlass "S"/442 - 1970 (same as 71/2)....right around 22-1/2". Your moldings appear to be way too long. Send them back to whoever sold them to you...they didn't know what they were doing.

70Post

.........and....to allay any doubts about "sampling error" methodology in this very scientific study ( it'll be titled "A Double Blind/Random Sample Study Of Variations In Early '70's General Motors A-body Metal A-Pillar Moldings")...

here's a pic of the metal molding from a '72 Buick Abody non-post car. You can see from the measurements that this is the same length as the non-post blue molding I pic'd earlier.

Complete copies (with footnotes, etc) of this ground breaking study will be available at a later date. We're still looking for some placebos to work into this study...it's looking like the moldings you have may be the placebos.

JCMC64

Well then, these are an inch too long it seems. They look identical to all the other ones here and on web. Any guess as to what they go to?

Thx for all the help guys.

JCMC64

70post
Just Saw your other posts. They wernt there on my last post for some reason. LOL

Man, I had no idea there was 4 different lengths at least so far. What a headache. Hardly anything with these cars is straightforward!

I have a 71' cutlass S... what length ones do I need?

70Post

You need the blue and black colored versions on the pics above.....22-1/2" total length.

Maybe the big cars (Delta 88 and 98) used a longer version?? Who knows as I thought those cars, being more "luxurious" may have had the padded vinyl type. We had a '70 Delta 88 but I don't remember if the moldings on that car were metal or the fancier vinyl/foam type.

Hopefully someone with a big car from that era will chime in....but that's not necessary as it doesn't get you any closer...you still need the right moldings.

JCMC64

Ok. Thx for all your help.
Now I know to measure first
It would be nice to know what
23 3/4 pillar moldings go on.

Whats strange is in all the reading and research on this I did, all the descriptions and ads for them I read, not one mentioned the actual measurements / length of them.
Seems kind of important detail given all the varying sizes of these pillar moldings. I thought there was just Convertible or hardtop pillar moldings.