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Auto body repair & detailing/1992 Eagle Premiere side molding off

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Expert: Cameron Orsich - 8/28/2006


Question
I have a great running 1992 Eagle Premiere 4 door limited sedan. Believe it or not, the aprox. 8 inch wide molding on the passenger side of my car got hookrd on the fender of a horse carriage when the horse was spooked by the fire truck's flashing lights while parked at my daughter's therapeutic horse riding camp. The Horse is named Debbie and she is a beautiful black percheron! I love telling my car was hit by a horse.It would be funnier but the molding on the passanger front door was pulled off and the black plastic clips holding it on had quite a few of the top tips broken off. The molding on the passanger rear door had slid forward to a point where I couldn't open both passanger side doors. So I pulled off the rear door molding. All moldings are intact. The back black plastic clips have only one where the top tip is broken. I would like to have the molding put back on without costing me more than my kids school supplies. I am not a perfectionist but I want my car to look clean and neat. Is there any way that I can "glue" the molding back on?  I am worried about which glue will hold up to the Michigan summers and winters. I am not good with too many tools. Thank you very much.

Answer
Ok...I thought I took care of this yesterday, but here goes.

Your door panels should have rivets that hold the clips that hold the molding; so the simple thing to do would be to tap the broken clips off, and snap (force) some new clips on, position the molding over the new clips...and wham it on.

I use my fist when I have an audience, and a rubber mallet when I don't.

Another way to do this, is to use a two part catalyzed 50/50 cement.  They make long working time types--you'll need the extra time.  This stuff can pull a train.

Don't mix anything until you are certain you have everything in place:

--c-clamps or battery cable like hand clamps.

--something stiff and long enough to act as backing for the molding--make sure the clamps will spread out enough to clamp the doors edge, the thickness of the molding, and the temporary support behind the molding.

--Paper towels and lacquer thinner for cleaning up not yet dried cement resin.

--Duct Tape--to tape down the center, if needed.

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Cameron Orsich

Expertise

NOTE: MY EXPERTISE IS AUTO BODY...PLEASE limit your questions to the subject of GENERAL AUTO BODY PANEL QUESTIONS...you know: OlD Fashioned, Do It Yourself, By Hand, Back Yard, Under Shop Lights at 3:00 AM AUTO BODY QUESTIONS. I can answer auto body questions for any make, model, or year regarding replacing valances, door skins, fenders, etc... I can also answer questions on how to grind, weld, fiberglass, fill, paste and spray top coat, feather, mask, prime, paint (enamel, lacquer, base-coat/clear-coat), touch-up, melt-in, wet sand, wool polish, sponge polish, finesse, and much, much, more...to much to list here. I love air tools, but if you don't have any...no problem...as I can answer all your questions on how to achieve superb results doing it yourself...the old fashioned way...by hand. If you want a shop answer, go to a shop and pay someone to do it for you. If you want to take pride in doing it yourself, just ask someone who's been there and done that--me, Big CO. I'm available to answer general Auto Body questions for those whom want to do it themselves. Please...no collision, basket case, or train wreck questions. If you have something special that you want to fix, paint, or restore yourself; but don't know how, you've come to the right place...ask me...Big CO, the neighborhood know it all with the shop lights on all night

Experience

Having put myself and my brother through college in the late 80's and early 90's buying and selling over 250 cars. I restored my first car, a '72 350 Chevelle Malibu 4 barrel, in 1978 at just 16 years old. From there, I never looked back...usually restoring classics or sport cars: 340 Cuda's, 396 SS Chevelle's, Novas, Dusters, late 60's Mustang Convertibles, GTO Judges, 455 Buick Grand Sports, about a dozen 280ZX's ('79-'83)--the most recent, in July of '06, I sold a '83 280ZX on cars.com to a gentleman that flew in from Colorado to my state of Ohio just to purchase it from me. As for experience: Have replaced valances, door skins, fenders. Have grounded, welded, fiberglassed, filled, pasted and sprayed top coat, feathered, masked, primed, painted (enamel, lacquer, base-coat/clear-coat), touched-up, melted-in, wet sanded, wool polished, sponge polished, finessed, and much, much, more...to much to list here.

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