V5X Body side mouldings

[dvldwg89]

What are they and what do they look like. V5X is on my fender tag. Does anyone have a picture of what they look like on a 71 cuda?

[RzeroB]

V5X was the vinyl side moulding option. It was a colored vinyl insert that went inside of a silver/gray metalic colored base about 3/8"-1/2" wide and ran along the body side crease (just above the wheel well openings) from the front to back. The "X" in your V5X indicates that the vinyl insert color was black. Here are a couple of pics of a blue one on a '70 Cuda.

[dusty]

Cool topic. Most folks took theirs off and never put them back on. I've seen estimates that 50% of the cars had them yet today they are a rarity.

Very hard to find. I've looked extensively.

Luckily I saved my set, but perhaps Moparts would have a listing for a set.. I'd love to have a backup set..

In any case. These snapped into holes drilled down the side of the car. I love the look. It's very retro and looks kinda cool..

That's why I put mine back on.

Here is a shot of the car with them on right now.



The fasteners for them were hard to find. But I have a part number in my resto thread.. up there.

Wish these were available in repop form. It would be nice to have a nice shiny bright and unscarred set..

 

[dvldwg89]

Thanks guys. Ill eventually put them back on if i can find reproduction parts. I think I remember them being on the car  back in 87.
Guess when it was restored Duane didn't put them back on.

[duodec]

Cool topic. Most folks took theirs off and never put them back on. I've seen estimates that 50% of the cars had them yet today they are a rarity.

Very hard to find. I've looked extensively.

Luckily I saved my set, but perhaps Moparts would have a listing for a set.. I'd love to have a backup set..

In any case. These snapped into holes drilled down the side of the car. I love the look. It's very retro and looks kinda cool..

That's why I put mine back on.

Just an FYI.  My '71 Challenger has the body side moldings but they attached via rivets that were apparently welded to the body panels, not holes like your '70.  PLastic clips slipped over the rivet heads and the trim was held by the clips.  If I remember correctly, some of the trim also had a single threaded bolt at one end that was attached through a hole in the body and held with a nut inside.  Not certain but I would expect a '71 Barracuda would have the same mounting method.

If those rivets were removed  and the sheet metal repaired you'll have a bit of a job getting the trim back on, or might have to consider alternatives.

[Super Blue 72]

Yes, as RzeroB said, the V5X code is for body side moldings with the black insert.  Different years had different options of the colors available as an option.

I think I agree with duodec.  Not exactly sure as I haven't looked at mine and I assume the Challengers and the Barracudas were the same but I think there were like little studs that the molding attached to.  The little studs (sorry if that's the wrong term) stuck out from the fenders/body and the molding has plastic clips that they attach to.  If memory serves me right I think I saw a resto picture and the owner chose not to put the molding back on and you can see the areas where he ground down the studs along the side of the body.

A lot of people got rid of them as it messes up any stripe you might want to put on.  In most cases if you got the body side molding I think the stripe if there was one was deleted.  I think that's the way it worked.  You might see a car with molding and a stripe today but I'm not sure that's the way they came from the factory, but who knows... 

This may not only pertain to stripes.  My car is a '72 Rallye and the Rallye cars are supposed to have the side louvers on the front fenders but my car did not come with them presumably due to the molding.  The original owner verified that the front fenders are original and there are no holes in the front fenders.

dusty, you had holes for yours?    I'll have to look closer at my car when I go out.  I agree as you have said, they are very hard to find, especially in good shape not all mangled.

[dusty]

 "In most cases if you got the body side molding I think the stripe if there was one was deleted.  I think that's the way it worked."


That's 100% the way it worked.

Yep SuperBlue. Machine drilled holes in the fenders, door skins and rear quarters. Each strip does in fact have a small stud that is threaded on each end. Then the rest of the fasteners are fastened with wire clips that snap in.

At least on *this* car. Hope this helps.

[Super Blue 72]

Hey dusty, thanks for the info.   

I just took a quick peek at my car.  It's under a cover and a tarp tied down over it but I managed to see the front part of the molding and I do see the wire clip that you mention at the leading end of the molding and lo and behold there is a hole for it to go into on the front fender!  Lean something new everyday!  Thanks! 

[dusty]

Hey dusty, thanks for the info.   

I just took a quick peek at my car.  It's under a cover and a tarp tied down over it but I managed to see the front part of the molding and I do see the wire clip that you mention at the leading end of the molding and lo and behold there is a hole for it to go into on the front fender!  Lean something new everyday!  Thanks! 

Yup. I'm trying to piece a second set together for the car here. I think with a bit of work, the vinyl strip can be removed and led lighting put in the chrome channel. Just thinking.

It'd be fun to pull off the correct ones and snap in the LED set of side mouldings for cool street cruising.

[Super Blue 72]

Very cool idea! 

[duodec]

Here's what I have on the '71 Challenger. 

Clip: 

Rivet/stud: 

There is a stud every 6-8 inches

[dusty]

I guess in 71 they used different fasteners? I took a pristine never apart car apart here and they used spring clips??


That's odd!

[dvldwg89]

Just wondering. I still haven't seen a picture of a gilled 71 Cuda with these on

[IMNCARN82]

I could've sworn somebody repro'd those in fiberglass. Installed with screws I think. 

[Super Blue 72]

Just wondering. I still haven't seen a picture of a gilled 71 Cuda with these on

If memory serves me right I think I have only seen one...or it could have been a 1970 though.  Either way I couldn't find a pic anywhere, sorry!