Wheel opening mouldings

ronw · Feb 14, 2015

Where is everyone getting there wheel well mouldings? And are they aluminum or stainless. Thanks Ron

ronw · Feb 14, 2015

Forgot to mention the the car is a 68 dart. Thanks again Ron

Dartsun · Feb 14, 2015

Try AMD auto metal direct I know they sell them not sure if aluminum or stainless. Dustin

Swinger340Canuc · Feb 14, 2015

I got a set from AMD, now I'm taking my car apart not putting it together but I test fitted one on the left front and it seems to fit nice and seems to be an exact match metal wise as my originals, I'm happy with them.

autoxcuda · Feb 14, 2015

Repros are aluminum. Originals were aluminum 68-76

They originally were treated in a "Bright Dip" protective surface treatment. Like an anodizing but not technically anodizing. The Bright Dip actually makes the part little more shiny looking. 1968 Dart: grille, headlight bezel, hood molding, GT side molding, rocker molding spears, and trunk moldings are also Bright Dip aluminum. The repro parts that are offered are Bright Dip also.

67 was stainless wheel well molding.

I've heard that some early 68's had stainless. Have not seen original car to confirm. Do others have any concrete proof of stainless in early 68.

pntastar69 · Feb 15, 2015

I was gonna buy a set of wheel openings from a 68 Dart GTS and the guy said they were stainless from the factory.

ronw · Feb 15, 2015

The moldings that were with the car originally were stainless. The rear are in bad shape, that why I'm looking. Ron

gdrill · Feb 15, 2015

whitepunkonnitro has some stainless.

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=303937

autoxcuda · Feb 15, 2015

gdrill said:
whitepunkonnitro has some stainless.

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=303937

Those sure look aluminum. But the picture is fuzzy and no detail so it's tough to 100% identify (or see 100% condition for that matter).

That's a problem. People just use "stainless" to describe all the bright trim on the car.

When you attach a file to an FABO post, the site automatically downsizes the picture. You can't click on it to see a higher resolution pictures. So you have to get a higher resolution picture sent by the poster or the poster needs to post detailed portions of the part (clipped or take up close)

autoxcuda · Feb 15, 2015

ronw said:
The moldings that were with the car originally were stainless. The rear are in bad shape, that why I'm looking. Ron

So they are the same hard material that widow trim stainless is and not the same material the headlight bezel are?

The 67 (early 68 ) stainless moldings have a sharp edge on them. And the material folds back on itself a little until it makes the flat portion that screws to the fender.

Here's a set of stainless moldings. The straight piece on top (rocker spear) and the masking taped pieces (hood trim) are aluminum.

bighammer · Feb 15, 2015

autoxcuda said:
Repros are aluminum. Originals were aluminum 68-76

They originally were treated in a "Bright Dip" protective surface treatment. Like an anodizing but not technically anodizing. The Bright Dip actually makes the part little more shiny looking..

Steve, thanks for this info. Do you know if there is a way to duplicate this coating as a DIY? Or where to buy "Bright Dip"? Is it actually dipped, or sprayed on?

Thanks

autoxcuda · Feb 16, 2015

bighammer said:
Steve, thanks for this info. Do you know if there is a way to duplicate this coating as a DIY? Or where to buy "Bright Dip"? Is it actually dipped, or sprayed on?

Thanks

No DIY bright dip that I know of.

And it's not as common and harder to find places that do it as opposed to regular anodizing. And I'm told many place that do bright dip don't have vats big enough for long pieces of trim.

whitepunkonnitro · Feb 16, 2015

gdrill said:
whitepunkonnitro has some stainless.

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=303937

Ok, here's the rundown on wheel trim moldings:
67 is one year only and stainless. It can be identified by a thin, sharp edge that is not on any of the later years
68-72 are Stainless
73-up are Aluminum
All are interchangeable within their respective bodies.
I currently have the set listed above, and also have a 73-up Scamp/Duster set for the same price.

bighammer · Feb 16, 2015

Well, it's possible mine could have been stainless originally ('70 Dart) but they look original, and are aluminum. I'd like to freshen them up tho.

autoxcuda · Feb 16, 2015

whitepunkonnitro said:
Ok, here's the rundown on wheel trim moldings:
67 is one year only and stainless. It can be identified by a thin, sharp edge that is not on any of the later years
68-72 are Stainless
73-up are Aluminum
All are interchangeable within their respective bodies.
I currently have the set listed above, and also have a 73-up Scamp/Duster set for the same price.

I think you are mistaking on the material of those moldings. Maybe double check and look at them close. Maybe they are the 67 stainless moldings?

All the original 68-72 cars I've seen are aluminum. But I have heard that early 68 cars got stainless in some cases.

Any long term 68-72 Dart owners hears to verify aluminum wheel lip moldings??

Here's an NOS 68-72 aluminum wheel molding. Look at the picture enlarged. You can see that is aluminum from the way it shines, texture, and thickness. P/n 2785856 for passenger front.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Mopar-1...Parts_Accessories&hash=item339b64fef4&vxp=mtr

Here's NOS rears:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Mopar-1...Parts_Accessories&hash=item339b64f33e&vxp=mtr

Here's a old for sale ad that shows up close picture that you can see that the molding are aluminum not stainless. Seller incorrectly had listed them as stainless. http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=155027

whitepunkonnitro · Feb 16, 2015

autoxcuda said:
I think you are mistaking on the material of those moldings. Maybe double check and look at them close. Maybe they are the 67 stainless moldings?

All the original 68-72 cars I've seen are aluminum. But I have heard that early 68 cars got stainless in some cases.

Any long term 68-72 Dart owners hears to verify aluminum wheel lip moldings??

Here's an NOS 68-72 aluminum wheel molding. Look at the picture enlarged. You can see that is aluminum from the way it shines, texture, and thickness. P/n 2785856 for passenger front.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Mopar-1...Parts_Accessories&hash=item339b64fef4&vxp=mtr

Here's NOS rears:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Mopar-1...Parts_Accessories&hash=item339b64f33e&vxp=mtr

Here's a old for sale ad that shows up close picture that you can see that the molding are aluminum not stainless. Seller incorrectly had listed them as stainless. http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=155027

Ok, I stand corrected. This is what I just found by comparing moldings I pulled myself from different cars.
68-stainless
69-thick aluminum
72-same
73-aluminum, but of a lower quality.

Swinger340Canuc · Feb 16, 2015

autoxcuda said:
I think you are mistaking on the material of those moldings. Maybe double check and look at them close. Maybe they are the 67 stainless moldings?

All the original 68-72 cars I've seen are aluminum. But I have heard that early 68 cars got stainless in some cases.

Any long term 68-72 Dart owners hears to verify aluminum wheel lip moldings??

Here's an NOS 68-72 aluminum wheel molding. Look at the picture enlarged. You can see that is aluminum from the way it shines, texture, and thickness. P/n 2785856 for passenger front.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Mopar-1...Parts_Accessories&hash=item339b64fef4&vxp=mtr

Here's NOS rears:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Mopar-1...Parts_Accessories&hash=item339b64f33e&vxp=mtr

Here's a old for sale ad that shows up close picture that you can see that the molding are aluminum not stainless. Seller incorrectly had listed them as stainless. http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=155027

My 72's were Aluminum.

davescuda · Sep 29, 2017

Any body have a good picture of the 67 Dart stainless moldings?

autoxcuda · Sep 29, 2017

davescuda said:
Any body have a good picture of the 67 Dart stainless moldings?

I have a restored set of 67 to very early 68 stainless for my 68 conv. I'll try to remember to pull them down from the rafters

autoxcuda · Sep 29, 2017

Ok got home and left the car out so I could pull this out of the rafter. This is a right rear....

On a fender/quarter they look great. Much more pop that aluminum. I mocked the fronts when I buffed them out on some never repaired primo 68 Dart fenders I have.

The side of the trim to the wheel is where you notice it's much sharper edge. But you gotta get up real close.