[killakev]

My car was originally born with a black vinyl top. When I bought the car a few years ago, the Vinyl top had been removed and the car painted. So I am looking to put the vinyl top back on.

My question is...Can someone inform me how the clips mounted the two quarter panel trim pieces and the one long trim piece below the rear window? No idea how vinyl top moldings were originally installed. I did find the holes that were puddied over for the corner transition pieces. Ames sells a "clip" set for this year but they have no info on how used or installed.

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

[ID67goat]

There are a bunch of little studs that originally held the vinyl top trim clips....similar to the studs that hold the clips around the windshield and back window.

Sounds like your studs were removed. Here is a document for a Chevelle, I couldn't find one for a GTO, but it is similar.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XA9...aYeMdHjwV/view

[Greg Reid]

I'm wracking my brain trying to remember but I had to do the same thing 10 or so years ago. Mine had been removed and I didn't know what went where. I wound up examining a junkyard Buick Skylark and that clued me to the basic method of attachment.
Like in the link above, they are mostly just studs that get a plastic clip but have a few spots that get something else.. The tricky part is the pot metal rear corner pieces. They have studs and get twist nuts from inside the trunk. Also, the 'checkmark' shaped pieces that go up the backside of the quarter window get a different treatment that uses a springy type clip with a stud that goes through the sheetmetal, then a regular sheetmetal screw at the top.
The pot metal rear corner pieces have the studs molded in so it's hard to get the right location for the holes on the car. You can't lay them down on the car with the studs in place.
I had to use a scrap pair and grind the studs off and then drill the locations out. That way, I was able to lay the pieces down on the car and use the holes for locating drill points in the quarters.
If you get the clip set from Ames, lay all the pieces out and take a pic. I think I could remember what goes where then.
In that link that ID67 posted, they are calling these locations the 'diecast spear' and the 'diecast trim corner'. The long horizontal piece below the back glass also has a different type of attachment at each end. All of this will be likewise on your Pontiac. Locations and number of attachments are different but in general, that illustration is similar to the GTO.
Once you get these 'spears' located, it's just a matter of connecting the dots between them with regular trim clips.

[killakev]

Thanks for the info guys. Going to have to absorb this for a bit but in the meantime - attached is the picture of the clips from Ames catalog

[kk68]

Don’t have a copy, but there is a GM Molding & Clip Manual for 68 (#W307) in the Ames catalog that says shows schematics of mounting locations for all exterior emblems, moldings, and clips for GTO, Lemans and Tempest. Might be what you need.

[nytrainer]

Originally Posted by killakev

Thanks for the info guys. Going to have to absorb this for a bit but in the meantime - attached is the picture of the clips from Ames catalog

Kev, Not sure if your car is already in paint but if not many stud welders (for pulling dents) have the capability of spot welding the original style studs. I have a few dozen of these studs that came with my spot welding gun. I’ve used these in window channels and vinyl top trim and prefer this method over drilling holes and using screws to hold the retainers. You near NY?

[killakev]

Originally Posted by kk68

Don’t have a copy, but there is a GM Molding & Clip Manual for 68 (#W307) in the Ames catalog that says shows schematics of mounting locations for all exterior emblems, moldings, and clips for GTO, Lemans and Tempest. Might be what you need.

I'll have to ask them if it shows detail or if it's just location of trim

[dataway]

Trainer .. I'd be interested to know which stud welder you have and your thoughts on it. One of the few tools I don't have in my shop.

[gtohunter]

Have some pics of what's where but don't have the measurements. You could lay out the trim where it fits properly, place tape on both sides of the trim, find the centerline and attach clips/drill holes as necessary.The third pic with the vinyl top on, the trim is just kind of lying there, and not fastenened.

[nytrainer]

Originally Posted by dataway

Trainer .. I'd be interested to know which stud welder you have and your thoughts on it. One of the few tools I don't have in my shop.

Johnny
I bought it in the ‘90’s and I believe the brand was Fitz-a-dent? I’ll go out to the shop tomorrow and confirm.
Came with a nice case, slide hammer, smaller pull rod handle, and the tips for the “Trim nails”, the typical copper studs and also shrinking tips. Was expensive at the time and I have since seen similar ones at 1/2 the cost but it paid for itself multiple times over IMO.
They’re doing amazing pulls with glue pullers nowadays.

[dataway]

I was actually thinking about one more for other metal fabrication projects than for vehicles Always comes in handy being able to tack on an attachment point to the exterior of something. If you get around to it, shoot me a PM on the info. Thanks.

[killakev]

Originally Posted by nytrainer

Kev, Not sure if your car is already in paint but if not many stud welders (for pulling dents) have the capability of spot welding the original style studs. I have a few dozen of these studs that came with my spot welding gun. I’ve used these in window channels and vinyl top trim and prefer this method over drilling holes and using screws to hold the retainers. You near NY?

I am in Central NJ and work in Staten Island

[killakev]

Originally Posted by gtohunter

Have some pics of what's where but don't have the measurements. You could lay out the trim where it fits properly, place tape on both sides of the trim, find the centerline and attach clips/drill holes as necessary.The third pic with the vinyl top on, the trim is just kind of lying there, and not fastenened.

Awesome Pictures....Thanks so much

[nytrainer]

Originally Posted by killakev

I am in Central NJ and work in Staten Island

In paint yet? If so wouldn’t want to use stud welder. If in primer still then best/original way.

[gtohunter]

Originally Posted by killakev

Awesome Pictures....Thanks so much

Hope it helps a little.

[killakev]

Originally Posted by nytrainer

In paint yet? If so wouldn’t want to use stud welder. If in primer still then best/original way.

Has been painted years ago. I guess the studs aren't the way to go.

[HWYSTR455]

There are screws that you can use to replace the studs, they are for windshield reveal/surround molding, but it's the same stud size.

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Repla...iABEgLatvD_BwE

Someone should make templates for this....

Corner moldings, take old ones, hack off the studs, and use it as a guide to mark. You can drill thru the spot where the stud was and line it up perfectly on the quarter. Because of the shape of the quarter, it kinda only fits in one small area. use the 1/4 glass molding as a reference, with the intermediate piece stuck on it. If you have old ones, you can hack the insert piece off and just butt the pieces together, and tape them in place.

Once the corner pieces are in, you can lay out the rest, do a tape line, and mark the holes. Start with like one in the middle, if it doesn't work out once all are in, you can just try again offset front/rear by like an inch, glue the unused holes up, they will be covered up anyway.

You get the idea. Between the quarters and the 1/4 window pieces, that 'U' shape trim only goes on in a very small area. If you get what I'm saying.

I had to do after my car was painted, was not happy. I dropped it off at the paint shop and specifically said I was going to run a top....

.

[HWYSTR455]

Don't stretch the top material, just lay it down on the glue and smooth it out. I stretched the one on a Cutlass one time and it shrank, pulling away from the channels, and lifted off the length of the roof, making kind of a 'tent'.

The 'V' method of trimming around the studs work good.

If you have repop channel molding, just to say, there is a different between regular and top molding. You can make the non-top molding work, if you take your time. You can't compress the top molding enough to fit a car with no top as I recall.

Test-fit the channel molding, and if it's tight, you can carefully rock it back and forth to open it up some. Patience is a virtue here.


.

[HWYSTR455]

Pretty sure I used only the plastic clips, and left off the weird looking end one.

I can dig, but there's the Fisher Body Trim and Molding manual, but as I recall, it was worthless.


.

[HWYSTR455]

This one:

Body by Fisher 1968 Service Manual

https://www.amazon.com/Body-Fisher-1.../dp/B00A8O32H6

There is one that is trim and molding specific, but can't find info on it.


.