WAIT A MINUTE-WHAT JUST HAPPENED (6 YEARS AGO)?

[71_bronze_gtx]

In late 2012 I bought a '71 GTX that needed, among other things, a lot of body work. It was missing the rocker moldings. Some time in 2013 I stumbled onto a pair on ebay listed at $900. When I got them for a $500 offer I thought I had done good.

For the most part, the restoration work finished up this past spring and as I was preparing to attach the rocker moldings I discovered they are about 6" TOO SHORT. Huh?

Otherwise, they appear to be identical to the correct GTX moldings.

Does anyone have any idea what vehicle they might be from? Maybe not even a mopar.

Shown below an actual GTX molding, not mine.

[Eric]

Probably barracuda gran coupe moldings
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1970-Plymouth- ... Sw6PxcIniV

[71_bronze_gtx]

Thanks, Eric. I think you're right. Now I know how to advertise for a resell. Or I could put them on my '72 cuda tribute.

Not likely I'll ever find GTX moldings.

[71_bronze_gtx]

Much to my surprise, I found a listing for 71 GTX rocker moldings on ebay the other day. The seller is "klassicparts".

https://www.ebay.com/itm/312699797251?V ... 2699797251

He told me he made a few sets of them in his shop and they are an exact reproduction of originals, which he had a set of. At least one thing in the photos looked a little hinky. The second pic - the beveled ends of the ribs. Also, they are completely covered in dark gray paint.

Anyway, I ordered a set, figuring I may have to correct a couple minor mistakes.

I can't find any hard intel on how exactly these were attached. There were 2 screws and I think 7 clips, but I have no info on the clips other than original part numbers, including how they attached to the sheet metal. Anybody have this info? My plan all along has been to attach the moldings with 9 screws. I would counterbore and drill the moldings for 7 more screws.

[Eric]

From what I’ve seen of the reproductions I’m not impressed

https://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparfor ... ng.114127/

[71_bronze_gtx]

As it turns out, they're giving me a 2 - 3 weeks delivery time. I'm guessing he has to make them.

I never thought it made sense for anyone to set up tooling to produce these moldings. With a few less than 3,000 GTXs built, and most likely less than 500 in existence now, the economics didn't seem favorable.

I had a plan before I retired to make a set in our machine shop just using a vertical mill, material either aircraft aluminum or ABS. Appearance side would have been pretty accurate, but the back side would have been nothing like original. Then I found the "incorrect" moldings and abandoned the plan.

When all I had was the chipped-up Gran Coupe moldings, I was seriously considering painting them white to match the other non-factory trim on the car. See the thread Turning Root Beer Into Lemonade.

I'm putting PPG paint protection film on the rockers and lower quarters. I'm toying with the idea of putting it on the rocker moldings too.

How about a nice big set of mud flaps?