Body Molding

[wiging19]

   My 1970 convertible came with side molding and when I redid the body I had the molding holes filled in and went without.  The reason of course was you just could not get the molding any more and what was available looked terrible.   I've been wondering if anyone makes that molding any more and if I remember the end peices were the hardest to find.  Just wondering and been thinking about it so I thought I'd ask.   Most pictures of the cars don't have them except some of the RT/SE models.  I'm sure this is an interesting topic considering I don't think I'm the only one who faced this issue over the years. 

[burdar]

You'd have to find used or NOS moldings.  Most people toss them so they're hard to find.  I like them personally.  You never see them at shows...everyone puts hockey stripes on.

[wiging19]

That is what I've noticed too.   That is why I thought there would be some interesting stories on why people took them off or still have them on.  I liked them when I've seen them (rarely) but finding them was impossible when I tried.  The after-market stuff at the time I did the body work was the adhesive type and that just took away from the look in my opinion.  The body line is beautiful on the e-body without them but the trim really prevented people from dinging the doors.  A problem too many new cars face with their thinner metal in my opinion

[MEK-Dangerfield]

My car had the moldings originally. Someone saw fit to remove them and fill in the holes too.

I honestly don't even see the moldings for sale at Carlisle. I guess the demand isn't great enough for someone to make them after-market.

[wiging19]

My car had alot of the SE trim so it came with the molding.  I know my body man said the car looked better without the molding but if I could have gotten the original looking ones that attached to the car I would have put it back on.  Just one of those things you can't get and explains in part why so many people today are putting the side stripes on the various e-bodies.  Makes the cars pop.  Now it would take too much work to put it back on the car I've modified/restored my 318 car to the point it would take too much work to return to original.    The next owner after me can fight that battle.  Long after I'm gone I hope.

[Super Blue 72]

My car isn't a '70, a '72 and it came from the factory with the body side mouldings.

Since the car is mostly original, I'll keep them on.  It does make it harder if I want to add stripes as it messes up the '71 style R/T style lines and it's in the way of a '70 stripe unless I take off the top thin stripe.

One thing the body side moulding did is from what I was told, it eliminated the side louvers on my car as my '72 is a Rallye (JS) car and did not come from the factory with the body side louvers as verified by the original owner and the car still has all the original body sheet metal.

The factory body side moulding often can be identified by the squared off ends which you usually don't see reproduced as the aftermarket stuff ususally has tapered ends.

Despite the body side mouldings taking away a bit from the sportier look, I'll probably keep them as they as factory and once I get the car on the road it'll help protect the car from door dings and such in parking lots.

[Giveitawack]

 
Did the 'Cuda ever come with side mouldings?

[joelson6]

yes, cudas came with moldings.

my '72 has the moldings. they were on the car when i got it on 1990. but they were pretty beat up. the passenger fender was dented and so was the molding. when i started restoring the car, my first thought was to lose them. but around 2002, an incredibly clean set cam up on ebay. they had the black insert like what's on my car. i missed the ending of the auction but the reserve wasn't met. i emailed the seller and said i'd pay the reserve. so, for $475 shipped i got them. i'm putting them on the car. ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THEM ever since i bought that set but never finding them. not too long ago a set sold on ebay for about $250, should have bought them. other than 1 piece here and there, they are real hard to come by. still have my originals, but they are in "rat rod" shape 


you don't know how happy i am that i decided to put them on. the moldings break up the green on my car. i think they look great.

[wiging19]

I've never seen the molding for sell.  I like your car.  It was the orignal color of mine and showed me what it would look like with the correct molding.  Part of mine got torn off and a tapered one was put on both sides.  It was okay looking but when I had the car painted it was too ratty to put on.  Looked better to just leave them off.  I wished I had them a week after the first time I had the car painted some lady in a honda threw her door into mine took a hunk of paint out of my car about an inch in diameter.  I really had a hard time not losing it.  I wanted to scream Lady you just did $500 worth of damage to a new paint job.  Instead I just kept my mouth shut because I think I have lost control since I just finished paying $23k for body work and painting.  The door dings in my opinion make cars look worn & older than any other wear on a car.

[joelson6]

when i found my moldings, i sat on them for 7 years till the car was painted.

[wiging19]

Just wondering when you've seen them on ebay what was the description?  Do you just look under challenger parts in general or e-body trim?

[wally426ci]

I ditched mine and filled them. They look great on the car above. I couldnt give them away at Carlisle a few years ago. I wound up trading them toward some other molding I needed. My fender ones were mashed.

[joelson6]

\
 I couldnt give them away at Carlisle a few years ago.

        


your kidding me 


usually when i'm looking for parts on ebay, i do a search for "challenger", go to vintage parts and then look through each category. it tough now with all the new challenger crap. it's amazing that there's 6000+ parts listed for challengers now. i can remember back in 2000, there was less than 1200 listed. and it was stuff from cars, not all this repop crap.

[Topcat]

Did the 'Cuda ever come with side mouldings?

Yes my car had them. Sorry no pictures of it then.
My car was a Gran Coupe.

[ChallengerHK]

I couldnt give them away at Carlisle a few years ago.

I had the same thing around 2000. I had a complete NOS set that had come with the car. I think I got something like $75 for them.