Side Trim Install

[gregbr]

Has anybody installed new upper trim? I'm installing new trim on the newly painted truck, it has new bedsides, so I have to drill those holes yet. The problem is, the trim on the original doors and front fenders lines up OK, but when I mark the holes on the new bedsides the same as the old bedsides, the trim runs downhill from the rear of the cab to the rear of the bed at the top of the taillights. It looks really crappy when you look down the side of the truck from the front or rear. The trim holes are 8" down from the top of the bed at the cab, then 9" down from the top of the bed at the rear near the taillights. Do I have to pull a string all the way down the truck and files the holes or what am I missing. Greg

[SactoJim]

Mine was like that and most I've seen are the same.

I didn't put my uppers back on but if I were you, I would use masking tape to lay out the shape of that rear mldg. so it looks right and see if the rear mldg has a little flex in it Use the clips with dbl sided tape and just follow your tape line to the hole you drilled at the rear of the bed.

I think if you lined that bed mldg up straight with the rest, the rear would be too high.

[67_C-30]

The molding on the pass side of my '69 is in factory location, and the one on the driver's side is put on with the adhesive clips from LMC. The pass side looks like you are describing, it goes downhill. I am going to take it off and do it like I did driver's side.

[Dingfodgy]

My '67 doesn't have upper moulding and I've never installed this stuff before. But when I look @ 67_C-30's red SWB- I think the right side (Factory) attachement is correct. It follows the profile of the bed as it gently flows southward. Having it arrow straight and not following the body lines , IMO looks kinda cheesy! But to each their own....do what you think looks good.

[SactoJim]

I'm with Dingfodgy.....but I'm guessing that with how long that mldg is, it probably has enough flex to make it curve just enough so it doesn't look "wacked".

[67_C-30]

Originally Posted by SactoJim

I'm with Dingfodgy.....but I'm guessing that with how long that mldg is, it probably has enough flex to make it curve just enough so it doesn't look "wacked".

It actually won't flex. That's what I tried to do. I installed it with the adhesive clips because the the piece of trim was damaged. I lined it at the front and it does taper down, just not as drastically as the pass side. the pass doesn't even line up correctly at the top. The bottom lines up perfectly, but the top is almost 1/2" higher at the front. If you saw it in person you'd agree that the pass looks much worse than the driver's side. I'm considering doing what you did Sacto, and eliminating the top trim altogether when I have it painted.

[SactoJim]

Well I'm glad I didn't go back to a two color combo (almost did) cuz that would've pissed me off!

I hate when mldgs don't line up correctly.

67_C-30 - I like the top mldgs only cuz they make the truck look a little more deluxe, but they just look cleaner with just the lowers IMHO.

[gregbr]

Thanks everybody! Mine looks exactly like the passenger side of 67 c-30's truck. I never noticed this before I took the truck apart.

67 C-30, Can you add a picture of each side that will show the side trim and how it lines up with the tallights? Mine will line up with the taillight trim once everything is installed. Just wanted to compare the two sides.

I'll have to find my pictures before disassembly to see how it looked.

Thanks, Greg

[67_C-30]

These are the best 2 I have on file. I can get you some more tomorrow. I'll also get measurements from the top of the bed to the moldings on both sides for you.

[67_C-30]

#2

[Sicmaro]

mine are all orignal never been off.... they look to slowp down too

[va_tlc]

... this truck didnt have any chrome on it, we drilled all the holes and lined it up by the ole eye trick, use the blue painters tape down the side of the truck all the way, then you can tape the chrome to the truck step back and eyeball it, move it if ya have to, get it all looking good and drill away or use the stick on clips, we drilled,

[67HEAVEN]

Very nice trucks in this thread.

Is there somewhere on this site that has information (with photo examples) of the various trim levels for each model year? Although many of you will instantly recognize a truck's year and trim level, I'm still running to catch up.

[GSFMECH]

Every stock one I have ever seen slopes downward. The top of the side trim will be at the same height as the top of the tailgate trim when it's on as it came from the factory. My 72 is like this.

Mike

[gregbr]

Thanks everyone for the info and pics. Greg

[BB72CHEVKT]

:[QUOTE=GSFMECH;2442229]Every stock one I have ever seen slopes downward. The top of the side trim will be at the same height as the top of the tailgate trim when it's on as it came from the factory. My 72 is like this.

[67_C-30]

I just went out and took some measurements on my molding, and I (unwittingly) ended up at within an 1/8" of being the same on the rear. The passenger's rear (factory holes) measures 8" from the top of bed to the top the molding. The driver's side rear measures 7 7/8" from the top of bed to the top the molding. It too close to even tell by eye. The front is dramatically different though. The passenger's front (factory holes) measures 6.5" from the top of bed to the top the molding. The driver's side front measures 6 7/8" from the top of bed to the top the molding. The drop on the factory molding is 1.5" from end to end and mine is 1" from end to end. Incidentally the trim on the cab to the top of the bedside measures 6 7/8" just like the I made the molding on the driver's side measure. For some reason the factory holes make the bed molding 3/8" higher than the molding on the cab and doors. You could consider it cab sagging if the lower molding didn't line up, but the lower molding and body seam lines up perfectly on both sides. You can tell in the pic below that my upper molding still follows the body line on the bed. It just no longer sticks up higher than the cab molding. Correct or not, I'm not going to let that molding on the bed not line up with the cab. I don't mind the factory drop, but I want it line up from piece to piece. It makes the truck look like it has had the molding installed incorrectly. When I repaint it, I will drop the rear of the molding down to the proper 8" on both sides instead of the 7 7/8".

[gregbr]

Thanks for the details. On mine the cab and bed line up good, it was the drop that threw me off. Greg

[timcos]

I think having the trim parralel to the lower trim provides a beefier look. The downward (even slight) angle to the rear gives a more aerodynamic appearance.

I like both...it is all in the eye of the beholder.

Tim