OK - what is the trick to installing the drip rail stainless?

I bent the cr@p out of the drivers side piece while I was trying to install it. Thinking that I learned something from the experience, I installed the passenger side 5 minutes later, only to bend it as well. I was MUCH more careful on the passenger side and the piece crinkled in the middle as I tapped it onto the curved part of the drip rail.

The pieces were GM and when I hold them up against the drip rail, they do not appear to have the proper curvature to fit. I think the passenger side crinkled because of this.

Hi Gheatly, one problem I had on mine was the thickness of the paint prevented them from going on like they should. I sanded the edges down with 400 I think. Not down to the primer, but just enough to knock down some of the paint that had built up on the rail. That area can load up with the paint and it can get thick.
They should just snap in place, usually not very easy, but it shouldn't be so hard as to bend them. I had to screw around with the corner also, but it will go.
The roof rail drip moldings are the hardest thing to do without screwing them up in my opinion.
I put little dimples in mine removing them with the can opener, but not bad enough to justify buying new ones.
Let us know how it goes. http://www.camaros.net/forum/smile.gif

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Steve
67 SS 396,4-sp
67 RS 327,4-sp
72 RS 350/350
69 4X4 suburban 350,4-sp
73 3/4 ton 454/400
Stevo Camaro's Toy (http://www.geocities.com/stevocamaro)
Our Muscle Cars (http://community.webshots.com/user/steve_lynell)

gheatly- I just did the same damn thing with mine 5 min. ago!! Mine were the originals and a little dented from removing them but now theres a nice kink on the pass. side moulding in the curved section. Arrrg...
Were yours brand new? If so where did you get them (I think I'll be needing some new ones)

whitey,

They were brand new GM (sniff, sniff). I just bent $150 worth of stainless. However, I don't think the bends are too bad.

Neither of the pieces I had would "just pop on". There was a lot of stress placed on the molding as it went around the curve. I used a small hammer and a paper notebook about 1/2 inch thick to soften the hammer blows. The dents were clearly not caused by the hammer, because the wrinkle occurred in the middle of the piece, not on the edge where I was tapping it.

There is a guy here in Ft Worth that repairs stainless for $15 per piece. That's a lot cheaper that $75 per piece that most of the parts suppliers (Rick's Year One, etc...) are charging for new ones. I will just have to drive around with scuffed drip rails while the stainless is being repaired.

You can use a small hammer and some thin flat pieces of metal as guides and bang out the kinks. Just take your time and then buff them till they shin when your done. I did this for all the side moldings on my 64 nova.

Yea, I know exactly what you mean. I'm going to try and repair the moulding before popping for a new one. It's pricy stuff. Mine went on fairly easily (before the big kink) but I took the car down to bare metal before the primer/paint so I haven't got the extra build-up of paint, either that or the painter was trying to stretch out what he had to work with. The paint still chipped a little though. Either way I think were in the same boat.

I used a big solid rubber hammer to tap them on about a 3" diameter head. This of course wasn't thought of until I dented mine first. I think when painting a car the rails should be stripped and masked off to keep any primer off until painting. Then spray the epoxy primer, base color, then mask them off before clearing to keep the mil build up off. I think they should go on fairly easy then.

I just intalled the repos on my 69. The finish was OK. I bent the drivers front one a bit installing it. Guess that was the "practice" one. I learned to use my rubber mallet on the rest. After I stopped crying from the paint chipping under the molding, they went on OK. No bends or kinks.
The finish isn't quite identical on all the pieces, tho'. The front straight pieces are a lot shinier than the rest. But it's kinda hard to notice after a while.

joe


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69 SS396 Resti-Clone
WCA Member
Badboatdude@CS.com
69 Pics http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1506559&a=11674961

[This message has been edited by Joe G (edited 07-20-2001).]

Joe, who did you get your moulding from?

I got mine from Jim's Dyer's Classic Chevy at a car show.. It is the repo stuff by "Corvex". It is the same repo stuff that the other guys (Rick, Ground Up, etc) carry. Made in Taiwan, but seems to be acceptable. At least the bends seemed to be correct.
I did spread the trim open a bit by placing it shiny side down on some carpet and sliding the back side on my channelocks through the u-shaped side. I then started the installation at the curve and worked both ways from there. It snapped on easily with my rubber mallet. I just tapped it on the edge of the trim.

Hope this helps. http://www.camaros.net/forum/biggrin.gif
joe

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69 SS396 Resti-Clone
WCA Member
Badboatdude@CS.com
69 Pics http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1506559&a=11674961

[This message has been edited by Joe G (edited 07-22-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Joe G (edited 07-22-2001).]