plastic trim retainers

Unknown

Hi, I have a 51 hornet sedan. The car has no ss trim on it as yet. All the holes had been filled in and painted over when I bought it and I want to put ss trim back on and don't know what the retainers look like or where they go. Stu Coleman refered me to restoration specialties co. and I got there catalog . I am in right field looking at it. they have so many I don't have a clue what I might need out of it. Does anyone have a drawing with demensions on the car for the trim and maybe part #"s or pictures ? I finally have rounded up all the ss trim. Thanks Will.

[Deleted User]

Will, If the ss trim retainers you are refering to is the mid door material, then you need to contact K Gap in California. If the trim retainers you are looking for go on the wide triangle profile rocker trim ,then go to restoration specialties or any trim shop that sells Au-Ve-Co retainers and clips. The mid door trim Hudson used at the factory was galvanized strip material that was as long as the trim parts themselves. The strips on the rockers were about 3-4 inches long and were spaced apart. The tough ones to get are the wide trim retainers. K Gap sells the retainers for the narrow triangle profile . Good luck.

Walt-LA

Will, There is also a piece of painted oval trim that runs along the bottom of the doors, from the pork chop to the front fender well. Because it is hard to find, some are just leaving it off. Like the mid door "bumper," it was mounted on a continuous retainer. I got several strips of it, and the mid-door retainer from Ken Amman in Lennon, Michigan, which I am cutting into 3"- 4" pieces for use. While the bumper and oval moldings look to be about the same width, they are NOT- they're different by about a sixteenth of an inch, and need they're own retainers. The retainers on the rocker panel and fender skirts are 5 1/2 inches long. K-gap sells the smaller retainer (for the bottom piece) in one foot pieces. I was able to get used pieces for the larger from Bill Albright in Fontanna, CA. Both rocker panel retainer types were spot welded in place, but replacements can be bolted, even with a speed nut or small nut on outside because of trim shape. Glad to send vendor addresses if you PM or email. Walt-LA

Unknown

Thanks you guys. I bought retainers from K Gap but I couldn't get any to fit and had to send them back. Ken Amman didn't have anything but I did get some of the narrow ones from Bill Albright. I'll take any addresses you might have and I'll go to a trim shop for help. Never thought of that. Thanks again fellows. Will.

[Deleted User]

Another idea.... enjoy



http://members.aol.com/stepdown53/door.pdf

rambos_ride

littlerunt2 wrote:

Hi, I have a 51 hornet sedan. The car has no ss trim on it as yet. All the holes had been filled in and painted over when I bought it and I want to put ss trim back on and don't know what the retainers look like or where they go. Stu Coleman refered me to restoration specialties co. and I got there catalog . I am in right field looking at it. they have so many I don't have a clue what I might need out of it. Does anyone have a drawing with demensions on the car for the trim and maybe part #"s or pictures ? I finally have rounded up all the ss trim. Thanks Will.

That's a heck of a project you bit-off there adding back the trim, especially not having any of the clips or a reference car to go by. I'd be prepared to spend a bit of time researching and finding originals or aftermarket replacements.

If it were me I would find my local autobody supply jobber and go look at the aftermarket clips they stock to sell to bodyshops. More than likely the company will be "Auveco" or "W&E"

I believe a lot newer model clips are more universal and could be made to work. I've done this many times on 60's cars when you couldn't buy clips (probably not the case now...)

bull_islander

There used to be someone in the club that had reproduction pieces. I got mine 20 years ago, is that person not doing it anymore? I tried to dig through some old WTN's with no luck finding a listing in the classifieds. I also dug through my parts drawers, I found a couple of extra pieces, but no paper record of who I got them from (I want to say his last name was Hudson).

Unknown

I have used a polished Aluminum trim and plastic retainers for the molding along the bottom of the doors and fenders with stainless spear points or a flat ended piece. The molding is about 1/32 in. narrow than the painted trim piece. Put them on a 51 Pacemaker coupe and have seen them on sedans.

Unknown

Hi again. Yhe man's name is Ken Hudson and I did contact him in Fla. He dosen't make them anymore and dosen't know anyone who doses. I think my best bet is to go to a shop and see what they have to say. After all the replys are done I'm going to copy them all or save them so I can get back with some of you guys on you're suggestions and offers and let you know where I am. There is no hurry, the weather is going to be too cold for me to want to monkey around in the garage anyway for quite a while. That will be a spring or summer job. I just wanted to get a head start and get ideas from people who know. Thanks Will.

Unknown

Thanks you guys. I am new at this computer stuff and I think I sent my reply to all to one person. I will go to a shop and see what they have to say. It's getting to cold here so I'll wait untill next year. Thanks for all the suggestions and offers. I'll keep them all, Will.