Reproduction Dart wheel opening moldings

-
69GT

69GT

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2009
Messages
1,591
Reaction score
319
Location
Metro Detroit
I bought a set of reproduction wheel opening moldings years ago for my 69 Dart. Just recently got to the point on the resto of the car where I could install them. I got them from Metro Parts and paid just over $200 for them. It turns out these things are junk. They are severely misshapen and don't match the contours of the wheel openings at all. Also, they came with only the two center screw mounting holes in each molding so I have to locate and drill the rest of the holes. I've been working on them for three days trying to reshape them to match my wheel openings and it just isn't happening. I did get a couple of them close so I measured the hole spacing on the wheel openings and drilled the screw holes accordingly in the moldings but now they don't line up with the holes in the fenders/quarters because the moldings are still misshapen. I've decided to give up on them and buy another set. So, my question is, does anyone know who makes an accurately shaped set of moldings that come with all of the screw holes already in them? I see Summit, Jeg's and Classic Industries carry them but I just want to be sure if I buy another set that they will fit. I posted a wanted ad several times hoping to find a nice set of originals but had no luck.
 
Sorry they didn't work, I really thought they would. They are probably all made by the same company, but if you google them they range from $197 to $356 so maybe they are made by others?
 
Someone was carrying both offshore and US made wheel opening trim. I wondered what the difference was.
 
Screenshot_20250822-070302_Firefox.jpg


Screenshot_20250822-070319_Firefox.jpg


Screenshot_20250822-070126_Firefox.jpg


Screenshot_20250822-070223_Firefox.jpg


Ebay ^ item numbers shown


☆☆☆☆☆
 
Can they be made to fit without kinking them? I've seen where aftermarket parts need to be massaged in...
 
Not all " Made inChina " parts should be considered the same. You can specify what standards you want your parts to be manufactured at .
 
One thing to remember is the wheel openings may have been modified . My 70 darts rear wheel well lips were rolled as well as small pie slivers were cut out of the front fenders to allow for bigger wheel /tire combos. Apparently the tires rubbed on turns the pie slices were cut out of the front side of the fender openings. I found out while doing body work and put them back to stock I then later discovered I am stuck with limited tire wheel combos unless I mod my wheel openings LOL! the things we learn on a resto . :thumbsup: we actually used some junk moldings to line up the metal we welded into the front fenders. I want to point out that I could never tell the fenders were modded untill we actually got into the body work ad disassembly of the car... whoever did it in the old days hid it well.
 
The wheel openings on my Dart have never been modified. I bought the car from the original owner many years ago. It was just a slant six car owned by a woman who bought it new.
 

I took 2 Dart front wheel opening mouldings as pictured in post #5 and reworked them to fit the rear wheel openings of this '67 Coronet R/T as they were missing.

Anodized Aluminum (shiny) mouldings that you could carefully bend. Too much bend and the finish will crows feet, too much open faced hammer tapping and they will dent.

First gradual bend I did around a gallon paint can on my flat steel work bench with a layer of cardboard on it.

Next getting more serious, I made a paper template of the '67 R/T wheel opening. Then transferred that pattern to a 3/4" cabinet board.

Cut out the pattern in the 3/4" board with a jig saw and sanded smooth to shape.

Then starting at one end, screwed the new moulding to the board, tapping and shaping to the curve along the way with a tape faced auto body finish hammer. Working one screw at a time pulling it into shape.

Once into the shape of the template board, then I moved the same process onto the car. Using masking tape layers to protect the new Base/Clear paint job on the R/T.

Lots of care went into it, one day per side. Those mouldings were impossible to find, so we made new ones.

Owner was extremely happy seeing it could be done.


Rears only, the fronts were the stainless steel factory originals that came with the car.

Screenshot_20240111-213513_Gallery.jpg



☆☆☆☆☆
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-
Back
Top Bottom