Conv Well Molding attachment help needed

[Chris Many]

Hi guys, so I am working on repairing the convertible well lip on my 1970 Satellite conv. I need to fit the well moldings to the car to make sure I fix the lip properly. The car came dismantled with the moldings, but not the originals. They have clips in them (see picture) and no screws. According to the Plymouth parts book the screws are pn 9416049. does anyone have a picture of them, or a closeup of the underside of the lip with the molding installed?

Just setting the moldings in place I don't see how they stay in place with just screws. Seems like the molding would flip inside the well. It's like there is something missing, but there is nothing listed in the parts book except for the clips and screws. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[droptop]

Just the screws is all that holds the upper belt moldings in place. It sets in the channel, but sticks up and looks like it should go down farther. But that protruding lip is what the parade boot is attached to.

 

[5wndwcpe]

Just the screws is all that holds the upper belt moldings in place. It sets in the channel, but sticks up and looks like it should go down farther. But that protruding lip is what the parade boot is attached to.

Harold,
I have the same issue - clips and no screws. According to the Moparts gurus, it's a phillips headed machine screw. Problem is an 8/32 is too small and a 10/32 (or 24) is too big. I emailed Tom at R/T Specialties about it, seeing as how he sells the clips, but he never got back to me.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

Hey Chris Many & 5wndwcpe - I feel you pain gentlemen and I have your answers (or at least what I came up with.
1st - everything droptop said is 100% correct. The trim does stick up a little and "look" like it should set down onto the body further. The trim "sticking up a little" makes a gap that the clips on the parade boot can clip onto.

I am not building a "factory perfect" car (fyi). Yes, there are some VERY unique phillips head machine screws from the factory. There are a series of holes going along the top/body line where that trim goes (as you know). The screws just come "up" from beneath, through the holes in the top/body line & up into those clips. Those clips can slide back/forth so you can line them up with the body holes, but sometimes the clips are jammed in there pretty tight. (I had 2 tight ones, so I drilled extra holes in my top/body lip). With all the trim pieces linked together, in addition to the screws on each piece, that trim is pretty sturdy.

When I was looking, I couldn't find the right screws, but if you measured very, very carefully...very carefully....you could probably custom-trim some hardware store screws. Honestly, on my car I have a couple sheet metal screws in there with the pointy tips ground off. It's crude, but has held for many years. THE KEY POINT about making your screws is that the length is VERY critical. The distance between the clip screw hole & the underside of the trim is very small (<1/4"). If your "homemade screws" are too long, they will bottom out on the trim itself & push a dent upwards. If your screws are too short, they just don't secure the trim. As for me, I just figured the screws aren't even visible, so I didn't worry about it and made some screws.

If I did it again, I'd probably just get some hardware store machine screws, run some grade 8 nuts on them, cut-to-length with a dremel cutoff wheel & remove the nut to clean up the threads.

 

[Chris Many]

Good advice PurpleBeeper.

I did find on the web that the screws 9416049 are also used on the Superbird headlight assemblies. Guess I could find a Superbird and get some reference screws from it, but I suspect I will have to do something like you described. It might make sense to back a spacer the goes under the clips, so I could bottom the screws out on the spacer instead of dinging the moldings.

 

[Chris Many]

Ok, found some pictures of a 9416049 on a superbird headlight assembly. So I know what the head looks like. I had some 8-32 1/2 SEMS in my toolbox, so I was able to try them out and conclude that the hardware is a washer head 8-32 either 3/8 or 1/2 thread length. Probably had cutter threads. If it's 8-32 3/8 thread cutter then it is this part by AMK:

https://www.amkproducts.com/bulk-fasteners-products/?Product_ID=12560

If it is 1/2 thread length then B12477 (Chrysler 9422835) will work, but isn't thread cutter.

-Chris

 

[5wndwcpe]

Found them

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-1968-7...796527?hash=item5da564aaef:g:6HMAAOSwlARfvYnZ