I'm looking for a couple NOS or used, flat, metal backing intact, 87-88 Thunderbird/Cougar body side moldings. They must be NOS and unused or used, flat, metal backing intact. I'm planning on having my Thunderbird painted in the spring of 2017 and I want to replace the moldings on the car. I have 4 pieces I'm having a hard time finding. They are as follows:
Driver side: the door molding and the molding in front of the rear wheel on the quarter panel (circled in yellow in the picture).
Passenger side: the molding behind the front wheel on the fender and the molding in front of the rear wheel on the quarter panel (circled in yellow in the picture).
I want NOS unused parts or used, flat, metal backing intact, moldings and I'm willing to pay for them :D. If you have used molding I want pictures ;)
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These are the part numbers of what I'm looking for:
E7SZ-16003-AP molding, fender, right (passenger) side
E7SZ-6320939-AP molding, door, left (driver) side
E7SZ-6329076-AP molding, quarter panel, right (passenger) side
E7SZ-6329077-AP molding, quarter panel, left (driver) side
I have tried Green Sales, Stilwell, and NOS Ford Parts. They don't have the molding pieces I need. So at this point it's you guys or hope for eBay.
I saw a couple pieces on eBay the other day. They were new old stock. They are still there. I was looking but am just going to fix the one piece on mine.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-OEM-Ford-1987-1988-Thunderbird-Quarter-Panel-Moulding-Trim-RH-Lower-/401173773041?hash=item5d67d1faf1:g:RcIAAOSwe7BW1fCE&vxp=mtr
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-1984-88-FORD-THUNDERBIRD-RH-FRONT-FENDER-MOULDING-/300618644158?hash=item45fe447abe:m:mgy2z00rq6XTgw03hFosxJQ&vxp=mtr
I have an 87 5.0 bird. How do those trim pieces come off and go back on? I could not find a site link or you tube video.
I've seen those but they are of no use to me.
The plastic moldings between the bumper and tires (front and back) bolt on. The rubber moldings between the tires are held on with 2 sided tape. The only way to get them off with out damaging the rubber molding is to put a drywall joint knife between the body and molding and gently hammer it through the double sided tape holding the molding on. You have the go from top to bottom. Reason being that you can bend the molding if you go from front to back length wise. The molding is backed with a metal strip. Once it is bent the molding is pretty much done for. You can remove the metal strip to straighten the molding however the molding will shrink length wise (about 3/4" for the door pieces) if you do. The metal backing is there to keep the molding at the correct length.
Out of curiosity why are those parts useless? Do you want to get all of them at once. I would have figured piecing them together would be the only hope.
I am serious when I say this. I called 5 Ford dealerships yesterday and asked them if they had any left over NOS 87/88 Tbird trim pieces for you and none of them did and only one laughed. I called the one where my wife and I bought the one for my in laws 40th wedding anniversary present in 1987 that my mother-in-law still has. I told the parts guy that it came from there new and my 89 years old mother-in-law is expecting them to still have what ever part it needs. He laughed.
Thanks for the trim info. I got the one off I needed to get off to tap out a dent under it and fix the crack in it.
This made a decent thread bump for you.
Those molding pieces are useless to me because they don't match the molding on my car. There is no point in me buying them if they don't match what is on my Thunderbird ;)
Dealers don't have any of the trim pieces for these cars. The best bet is online, eBay, or these forums.
Bump?
Well
These make me laugh.. (free bump)
You dont want ours,, they are not in the shape you need.
ive studied these molding pieces a long while now, and fixed them with to look nice and new but you have to paint them.
you aren't going to find the "correct center stick on chrome trim either.
just an fyi,,
everyone has silver inserts.,, everyone.
ford made the color change to red or gold by adding plastic covers over the sliver trim parts
my 20th has the gold trim but it was fading.
i discovered after pealing away in an area i was safe to do, the clear cover was colored with gold on the inside ,, and the actual molding itself was silver.
my remedy was.......
buy 3m vinal tape best quality
peel off long strips
spray paint the exposed side with the color "sunburst gold"
stick tape on top of the existing center trim.
razor knife off the excess and now its good to go.
As long as the pieces are removed correctly (i.e. not bent) they can be restored, many times without painting as long as there are not any large nicks/abrasions to deal with. Automotive rubbing compound, followed by polish, then wax, will make the moldings appear almost new. As far as removal goes a large trowel can be used to run through the moldings from top to bottom, cutting the tape. If you run from front to back you will bend the moldings. Also the key is to not remove the aluminum backing. Removal of the backing causes the molding to shrink up to 3/4" in length.
As far as restoring the chrome insert, yes it can be done. I used a method similar to yours but a different 3m product. It's called metalized film tape: https://www.grainger.com/product/3M-Silver-Polyester-Metalized-15C477?functionCode=P2IDP2PCP
It's weather proof and looks exactly like the factory chrome insert. You just cover the insert with the tape (like your electrical tape method). It is virtually indistinguishable from the original insert and has the same chrome sheen.
Bump?
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The door ones are the only ones I don't have spares of. I've actually been looking for an extra set myself juuuuuuust in case... I used the ones I had for the last repaint.
I've got a NOS passenger door molding. The driver's one is made of unobtanium.
Bump. Bump.
Bada bump.
TTT bump for you.
PS- i have been having really good luck on Car-Part.com with my sons recent demo durby ride with a deer. you have to call the various yards person to person talking and such which is fine by my standards.
Give that a try. seems they have a lot of combined resources.
I'd probably have to buy a whole door just to get the molding. Mostly to make sure it was removed properly, since it's easy to bend the molding up if it isn't removed correctly.
I "correctly" removed door molding once in my life.
heat gun about an inch below the molding to heat up the steel so the heat travels UP and under the sticky part.
with a hand held razor sper i was able to remove somewhat easily.
not sure how you do it though.
Easy way is a joint knife: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Wal-Board-Tools-6-in-Hammer-End-Joint-Knife-22-076/100660218 and a hammer.
You cut through the molding tape from top to bottom by hammering the joint knife through the molding tape. Start at one end and work your way to the other end from top to bottom. This process doesn't bend the molding at all and just cuts the tape, leaving the molding flat and like new when removed.
This works good as well. I think Lisle makes something similar with a handle attached.
https://www.amazon.com/3M-08978-Molding-Emblem-Removal/dp/B000K2S6FO
Yup. Same basic idea. The instructions for the tool are exactly how to remove the molding, except I use a joint knife and hammer.
good looking source here, spent some time helping you locate some this morning.
if you work out a deal,, call me because i will piggy back some things on your order and we can split it... scott 304 772
https://cpprohomeoh.car-part.com/image?seller=3047&partGUID=3047-1-171627&vehicleGUID=3047-1-V5109&display=1988%20Ford%20Thunderbird%20Header%20Panel%20Assembly-Stock%23%205HC197#
That would be an option however I was able to restore a spare beat up driver door molding I had sitting around to almost like new condition. Now I am not so much in a hurry to buy a whole driver's side door and have it shipped to me ;).
I'll be posting an article in the next few days detailing how it's done.
Well I was able to buy a complete set of side moldings so I no longer need any. Including what's on the car I have two full sets now. This thread can be closed.
Hello, I'm a newbie here and I'm in desperate need of two new (NOS) door molding pieces for my 1988 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe restoration. (black with the red stripe). I have located all the little pieces, but not been able to find the two doors. The body shop removed them incorrectly and destroyed them . Any help would be
Thanks
Victor
You have a tough road ahead of you. If you can find another set and remove them without bending the pieces you can use those. There are only three sources for the moldings. You can try contacting them and see if they have the door moldings.
Stilwell: https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1NHXL_enUS689US689&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=stilwell+obsolete+ford+parts&*
Green Sales: http://www.greensalescompany.com/
NOS Parts: http://www.nospartsltd.com/
Other than those try eBay. You may end up having to restore the door moldings from another car.
Thanks for the quick reply, I have tried Stilwell & green sales and they don't have any.
I'm also on the eBay every day looking for them. Still no luck!
You can pull the metal backing off the moldings if they are really bent up. However the molding will shrink in length about 3/4" or so.