side chrome strips on a 54 mercury, installation tips

L

lasallefellow

Junior Member
Can anyone tell me how the stainless side strips that go down the belt line clips work? I have new ones and they don't seem secure at all. I think the factory must have had problems also as the original clips have a whitish hard stuff on them on the body side of the clip. I'm about to put the strip on with unversal trim clips. The only trouble with that idea is that the lower strip is held with the same type of clip and it has two mounting holes per clip, so I'm going to have to deal with this as the universal clips mount in the center of the strip, one hole. Do you put the clips on the chrome piece then put the whole deal on the car or put the clips on first? My new repro clips don't seem to want to stay in the strip but won't snap on the strip when they are on the body first. Thanks for any advice.
 
Clips go on first. The white stuff is a sealer the factory used. The two little tabs in the center of the clip need to be squeezed together after the "jaws are inserted in the hole. I use plumbers putty to seal them, as it does not harden. Put the putty between the clip and the body, the excess will easilly squeeze out.

Look at the clip to figure the top and bottom, one end will appear to have a hook, the other a catch with a small ramp to facilitate the stainless sliding up and over. I use bar soap on the "ramp" portion of the clip prior to clipping the stainless on. Just rub soap on the upper side, it comes off the first wash job.
 
The repro clips dont work as well as the originals.Ihave 50 clips from dennis carpenter and there useless.I used spring clips from Restoration specialities but you have to be able to get to the back side to put a 3/8s nut on.The two tabs on the original clips have to have some hard rubber or something in between themto resist the two tabs collapsing.when you push it into the hole.
 
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