Decor Molding Removal?

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PADave

Well-known member
Joined
May 14, 2015
Messages
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Location
PA, USA
My Car
1972 Mach 1 Q Code
I did a search but didn't see anything.

What is the safest method to remove the 10 piece decor group molding pieces? A picture of the clips looks like they are spring loaded?

Thanks

 
I have a couple cars with this molding but never tried to remove. If it is like other Ford molding there will be acorn nuts on and you will have to pull the interior panels to get to the nuts on the spring clips. I know on the door you can see an acorn nut on each end of that piece.

On older Fords you could just grab the trim lift up and tilt it out and pop it off not these pieces.

The two front pieces are pinched between the lower gravel panel and the fender. There are two tabs that help keep it pulled in tight to the body. You would just have to remove the three bolts and pull the fender and gravel pan apart and slide it out.

Pic of the front piece is attached. I was lucky to find some NOS pieces while on my last trip to Michigan to get a parts car.

They are one of the Hens teeth for sure so be careful when removing them.

Road salts do a number on these parts if you ever find any buy them someone will need them for sure, same on all models.

When you go back on be sure to seal around the spring clip studs with some putty to keep water out. I like to use the strip stuff you put a windshield in with lasts forever. You can also use just strip calk that you can get a home improvement store.

David

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The bright molding is affixed to the car with studs on the sheet metal (no acorn nuts anywhere), and clips that 'feel' spring-loaded, but really only snap into place - just like the windshield/backlight molding.

The 2 pieces up front might be fastened in the manner David outlined, but the other 8 pieces will wind up leaving the studs sticking out of the car's sheet metal when you remove the molding.

Very similar to this:

images


 
There are nuts on the end of the door pieces

There are 3 acorn nuts on the rear pieces [ behind the tires ] on the quarter panel - trunk access

strip in front of rear tire - also studs and nuts

access from 1/4 vent or remove interior panel

Door one stud / nut on end - other 5 or 6 are plastic snap on the welded stud clips

fender behind tire stud and nut on each end - one plastic snap clip in center

Front of fender - loosen front valance to slid it out

Snap on stud clips - gently pry up at each plastic clip

Clips usually are dry / brittle and crack

 
My "No Stripe" Mach 1 was missing the 4 pieces on the fenders (previously repaired and damaged & omitted, I'm guessing). I remember pulling the pieces off my doors, with the welded studs staying put (had the painter grind them off before painting). The quarters - honestly, I'd used a plasma cutter and left the rusty sheet metal attached to them since I had to change quarter panels anyway (later sent them to another member who needed a few of the pieces).

I don't remember the acorn nuts on the doors, though.

 
Yes, same studs - but they're only on the doors and quarter panels forward of the rear wheel openings (probably because it's a lot more effort to get into the areas behind the pieces to tighten those acorn nuts). ;)

I'm thinking I don't remember any acorn nuts because of how rusty mine was when I took it apart - they might've just not even been there anymore and rusted in-place. I literally used a plasma cutter to cut the rear pieces off the car rather than risk bending them trying to separate from the sheet metal. :cool:

 
Thanks all, good info.

Looking at the picture Mister 4x4 posted, the pieces might slide left or right and come off.

I will dig into it. I have a new set to put back on but want to save and polish the old ones, they are not too bad.

 
Excuse my ignorance but where does this moulding go please? I have a Decor Group vert and can't see this moulding on it.
The exterior decor group came with Lower body side paint with chrome molding. Honeycomb grille and sportlamps. Color-keyed front bumper. Color-keyed hood and fender moldings. Flat brushed-aluminum hub caps with trim rings.

The molding is low on the car separating the 2 tone.

nostripes.jpg


 
Oddly enough, that's probably what my car looked like from the factory (minus the spoilers and upholstery on the roof ;) ). ::thumb::

Also just a reminder: cars with the molding did not come with the hockey stripes, and vice versa - despite what you see on a lot of the over-loaded restorations (I say "over-loaded" because a lot of people tend to include all or as many of the optional items as possible when restoring these cars - I know I did it, too... but mine's not a faithful restoration).

Good information here, guys! :bravo:

 
They were... but it was either the stripes, OR the molding - but not both.

 
Talking about the hockey sticks.

I have run into a dead end on a Special Order 73 black vert I have. Not even Marti can tell me what was in the special order. You need the records from the DSO and they seem to be long gone. I even contacted Ford and they had nothing. The only thing that Marti can tell me is that it was a Special order and was black since the original door sticker was in place and not painted over. The build sheet was in horrible shape but I sent it to Marti and he pointed out the Special Instructions section on the lower half of the sheet. There are three special instructions and one is to "Install Argent Bumper". The remains of the Argent side stripes are on the edge of the door also but at a dead end getting real proof. We know the car had black paint, argent front bumper, and probably argent hockey stick stripes and argent on the flat hood.

The buck tag was gone so nothing there. I went back to Dearborn where I got the car and the PO did not know who the original owner was. Going to contact dealer if still open and see if by chance they have old records.

David

 
An Argent bumper? Hmmm.

I thought all the bumpers were painted base body colors, which Argent being a trim color I wouldn't think would qualify.

And then, An Argent bumper on a black car? Wow.

 
The problem was that they did not have black in the right paint for the rubber bumper. Most of the cars with special color paint in 73 would have got an argent bumper. Bumpers were painted separate from the cars not with same paint.

I will have to get the scan of the build sheet off another computer so I can send you a copy. The Argent bumper note is completely there and not damaged so we know it came with one.

David

 
Talking about the hockey sticks.

I have run into a dead end on a Special Order 73 black vert I have. Not even Marti can tell me what was in the special order. You need the records from the DSO and they seem to be long gone. I even contacted Ford and they had nothing. The only thing that Marti can tell me is that it was a Special order and was black since the original door sticker was in place and not painted over. The build sheet was in horrible shape but I sent it to Marti and he pointed out the Special Instructions section on the lower half of the sheet. There are three special instructions and one is to "Install Argent Bumper". The remains of the Argent side stripes are on the edge of the door also but at a dead end getting real proof. We know the car had black paint, argent front bumper, and probably argent hockey stick stripes and argent on the flat hood.

The buck tag was gone so nothing there. I went back to Dearborn where I got the car and the PO did not know who the original owner was. Going to contact dealer if still open and see if by chance they have old records.

David


David, unfortunately (as you already know) you will probably continue to run into dead ends on your DSO number to the point you may not ever find your info unless the selling dealer still has records. When I started at the dealer in the late 70's Ford was releasing some micro-fiche records to the dealer for any DSO ordered in your sales area. Our was 22 (Charlotte). The base had C800 fuel trucks used to refuel the F-16's. Since they did not want a lot of heat near the very volatile JP-4 fuel, the exhaust system and muffler all exited to the front bumper of the truck. Since that truck was not sold in our DSO sales area and was not a RPO (regular production option) the base would give us the DSO # and we in turn would give that info to our Detroit contact. They would send us a list of everything that was "Different" and the part #'s to order.

But as Ford moved away from paper files and got more computerized, a lot of the older files such as what is needed for our age cars didn't make the transition. Hopefully you can contact the selling dealer and they may still have some old info.

The dealer I was at let things age 5 years then they pitched it. I knew in 1970 they had sold a lot of Boss 302 Mustangs. In 1976 I got the itch for a Boss 302 so I told the sales manager I was going upstairs and check the sales records for 70 to see if I could track down any of those Boss cars. Of course they laughed at me and told me "Boy those records are long gone"! Wish there was someone I knew who could help, but your contacts at Ford are probably just as good if not better than mine. :)

 
It is so frustrating to know you have an odd car that nobody will believe without documents. There were 144 special order mustangs in 73 and most were probably the paint and stripes. MCA would laugh at me to go to a show with an argent bumper but I know it was there along with many others.

David

 
I'm not doubting you, David - you know WAY more about the details than I do. It just seemed odd to me that they would paint a urethane bumper in a trim color, rather than body color. And then, putting an argent colored urethane bumper on a black car - that's just weird.

 
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