I am about to have a body shop install the stainless peak moldings (trim on the upper doors and under rear side windows). Also, I'm doing the trunk chrome pieces along the lip on my 71 GS. These pieces were not installed by the factory so the holes need to be drilled. Several forum members were nice enough to provide photos of the mounting holes as drilled by the factory. I had planned to give those photos to the body shop. Well, as luck would have it, my computer hard drive recently crashed and I am unable to retrieve the photos and I don't remember who sent them to me. If anyone has the trim pieces off your car who can help by taking some clear photos of the mounting holes would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you have a car with these moldings, please forward me some photos of the pieces as mounted. I want to get the positioning right.
I had a mint set a few years back & was looking at putting them on my '71. Changed my mind & sold them. Local climate was a big factor. Factory was using "T" studs welded to the exterior sheetmetal for most of the moulings. Plastic clips installed inside the moulding would secure to the stud. At the ends a factory hole was used with a different style clip that pushed in the hole & was locked in the moulding. I found a set-up that would work using a clip inside the moulding. It was plastic & had a threaded steel hub cast in it, 6-32 I believe. I had planned on using stainless 6-32 mushroom head machine screws installed from the inside. Small dab of seam sealer/body sealer around each one. This meant stripping the interior to install the screws. I had laid masking tape on the car where the mouldings were applied & traced the outline. Changed my mind just before drilling that first hole. There were 28-30 new holes to drill.
I'll get some pics for you either tomorrow or this weekend if Steve hasn't changed your mind. Does sound like lots of trouble..
Photos showing the side trim and trunk pieces mounted would be good. But I still need photos of the mounding studs and holes. I'm going to do it. I have a body shop set up to do the work, I just need to determine correct T stud spacing from photos, and how many holes to be drilled. I have all the correct hardware and clips. I had some good photos of all the T studs and holes previously but the body guy never got a chance to see them before my computer ate them. The actual number of holes drilled is like 7 or 8 per side under the rear side windows and the T studs on the doors can be drilled in or shot in. I just need to know how many to correctly mount them as the factory did it. Someone out there must have a car in restoration or a junker in the yard with the trim off the body that can be photographed.
Take a close look at the mouldings you have. There may be evidence on the inside of the clips originally used. Stains, scrathes etc.. This might help determining quantity & spacing. Again, my decision was based primarily on local climate. I'm directly on the Bay of Fundy. Heavy salt air year round, fog & more fog. You're in CA, weather usually better there! I did a search & was surprised to see all the information available here. Search under "upper peak mouldings". One has some nice photos of a red car with the mouldings removed, exposing the t-studs.
Only one hole at the ends on the doors. Probaly does not matter how many studs wer used as they will be covered.
