Body side moldings and front fender Nova Emblem

I am about to mount the body side moldings on my 71 Nova. It originally came with moldings, but some one along the way has taken them of and welded the mounting points. I was lucky to find a set of GM moldings, i bought them of a guy who had taken them of a car 1979 and had had them lying around the garage for all these years. So, how do I mount them? Do i have to drill holes, if so, were. What sort of clip should I use? Pictures? Part of two this thread concerns the front fender nova emblems. I founded i template on www.novashop.net, but i don’t thinks it is correct, ok, maybe its correct were to put the emblem but I cant get the measurements right. It is not a lot of novas around t Sweden so I can’t find any car to do measurements my self. By the way i drove the car for the first time in 7 years last week. The last time I drove the car it had a mild smallblock, now it has a 518 hp big block 4.10 gears and manual valve body. What a car and engine!!! I will have lot of fun with it in the future.


Kalle

are the side moldings for a '79 (4th gen car) the same as the side moldings for a '71 (3rd gen car)????:confused: :confused:

are the side moldings for a '79 (4th gen car) the same as the side moldings for a '71 (3rd gen car)????:confused: :confused:

Sorry, I meant that he removed from them from a 3rd gen nova in the year 1979.

Kalle

The moldings on a '71 were held on with clips inside the molding that snapped onto buttons that stuck out from the body. The buttons looked like small nail heads. The ends of the molding were held on with screws that went through holes in the body. The molding followed the highest body line and were basically level from front to back. If you look inside the door, at the rear where the outside shell folds over you hould be able to find a hole, or at least where a hole was before someone welded it up. I believe there were also holes on the front of the door, the back of the front fender, just below where the engine emblem went and back at the rear sidelight. You should be able to use these marks to establish a molding line. I will try to get some pics of mine tomorrow but I'm not sure they will show. How you will get those little buttons back on I cannot tell you, but maybe someone has a solution.

Dave

You can use screws to mount the plastic clips. The front fender piece attached differently from the back two pieces. The trim clips had studs on them and there were a series of holes in the fender that the studs bolted through.

I tried taking pics but without photoshop you really can't see where the plugs are. Here are the measurements from my '71.

The piece that goes on the front fender is held on by studs that go through holes in the fender. The other 2 pieces are held on by those buttons with a stud at each end. Here are measurements to the stud holes I could find. They should let you establish a line. Remember that these would be to the center of the molding strip.

Front: The first hole is on a line 3 1/16" (sorry, no metric ruler ;) above the top of the cutout for the front sidelight.

Door: The rear hole in the door is 1 1/2" below the center of the cutout for the lock.

Rear Quarter: The last plug I could find is 4 1/2" above the top of the cutout for the rear sidelight.

You should be able to get a good line with the front and rear measurements.

Wish you lived here in the Bay Area...I have a set of molding and clips I would give you.:p

Thanks everyone!!

Bluseman, thanks for the measurments!

The fact that the moldings were mounted on studs/buttons that are welded/attached to the body makes it difficult for me. You see , me car has pretty nice paint job that i have planed not to ruin. The buttons is relative easy to attach with the right spot weld equipment. But it require a clean metal surface, in other word grinding in the paint job. It is possible to screw the clips to the body? Or must the clips be “inside” the molding and then snapped to the button? 72VenturaII said: “The front fender piece attached differently from the back two pieces. The trim clips had studs on them and there were a series of holes in the fender that the studs bolted through.” Maybe I can use such front fender clips for or all the moldings? That way in don’t have to weld buttons to the body. What do you think? Does any one have I pictures of the clips? You all know it is not so easy to find that kind of parts over the counter. If I have a picture, or know how they look like it is much easier to order a part.
Does anyone have answers concerning the front fender emblems?


Take care ! // Kalle

I have saw replacement window trim studs for sale that screw in. I don't know for sure; but I think the trim studs are the same size. I think Classic Industries sells the studs.

you could glue the molding on. the 4th gens are just glued on with some really good glue

You can use screws to mount the plastic clips.

Just thought I would repeat myself.:D

I think 72Ven is right. I don't see any reason why you couldn't screw the plastic thingies on. You couldn't glue the molding on that I took off my '71 because it does not have a flat back.

Dave