Cab molding kit

[robert ruggles]

I have a 1981 Custom Deluxe stepside. I want to install the brushed rear cab molding kit. I watched a video on replacing the molding and the side pieces have clips that you bolt on from hole on the inside of the cab. My C10 doesn't have these holes on the inside of the cab for install the side molding. I'm guessing that GM drilled the holes in the cab on the assembly line or the rear cab molding kit was available on the Custom Deluxe? Has anybody on the form have experience installing the rear cab molding kit and had to drill the holes. The inside paint in my cab is perfect and I hate the idea of drilling a couple of large holes into it.

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[Doppleganger]

@robert ruggles I think what you're looking for starts at 21:15

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[Scott91370]

You won't see the holes from the inside. They're up inside the opening where the speakers go.

 

[Grit dog]

@robert ruggles, your truck is BEAUTIFUL!


Just lay out where they go and drill carefully, only through the outer sheet metal.

 

[80BrownK10]

Be warned this is where rust will start! The holes have metal clips that go through them that rattle around and even if you got paint all o. The edges of that hope the vibration will break it off and it will start to rust out from this point. The trim collects trash, dirt and pine straw and leaves and holds moisture up against the body promoting said rust!

 

[Dave Arends]

Just use 3M tape if you don’t want to drill.

 

[Grit dog]

Be warned this is where rust will start! The holes have metal clips that go through them that rattle around and even if you got paint all o. The edges of that hope the vibration will break it off and it will start to rust out from this point. The trim collects trash, dirt and pine straw and leaves and holds moisture up against the body promoting said rust!

Given the pristine condition of the truck, and the owners location, I'd bet my money that every one of us on this forum will be pushin daisies before the cab trim clip holes rust out that truck...

 

[80BrownK10]

Given the pristine condition of the truck, and the owners location, I'd bet my money that every one of us on this forum will be pushin daisies before the cab trim clip holes rust out that truck...

When I got mine it was rusting from the holes. It had a repaint at some point as well. I also have owned it for 15 years or more so this was awhile ago. I live in the south so road salt is not used that often, but it is used in the area my truck is from. Maybe a time or two we might have it used...so there is a chance it was used and not rinsed well?

But yes if the truck is kept in great condition and is a fair weather truck you probably won't have any issues.

 

[AuroraGirl]

Be warned this is where rust will start! The holes have metal clips that go through them that rattle around and even if you got paint all o. The edges of that hope the vibration will break it off and it will start to rust out from this point. The trim collects trash, dirt and pine straw and leaves and holds moisture up against the body promoting said rust!

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do you mean like around the wheel arch on this example

 

[Grit dog]

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do you mean like around the wheel arch on this example

????

 

[Grit dog]

When I got mine it was rusting from the holes. It had a repaint at some point as well. I also have owned it for 15 years or more so this was awhile ago. I live in the south so road salt is not used that often, but it is used in the area my truck is from. Maybe a time or two we might have it used...so there is a chance it was used and not rinsed well?

But yes if the truck is kept in great condition and is a fair weather truck you probably won't have any issues.

No, I get it. Doesn’t even take road salt. Just wet or humid will accelerate rust a bit. But these trucks aren’t as fragile as some make them out to be.
Constant moisture (usually due to trapped debris) will take its toll, but for example, I have spots on the freedom wagon that have been sitting bare since last fall/winter (in the shop, but wet western WA and not climate controlled) that are still shiny silver or worst case wipe the corrosion off with your finger.

That said your concern is valid. Especially for a daily driver and or adverse weather.
But coming from the Midwest and having several of these trucks around back in the day, every one of them turned to Swiss cheese from rust, but never saw the back of the cab rust out on the ones with that moulding. (May have been rusting but never saw any cancer come out from under the trim)
I’d be comfortable that if the truck wasn’t exposed to conditions that rusted out the wheel wells, rockers, floors etc then the back of the cab is safe.

 

[Grit dog]

@80BrownK10
One thing I’ve considered doing before I install new wheel well trim and cab moulding on our truck is using Clear bra type film around the holes.
Wheel wells, strip of clear material under the entire trim piece so it doesn’t rub the paint off and makes a little better seal at the screw holes (and paint the back side where the screws go through after install)
Cab molding, at a minimum a piece that goes over each (painted) hole, then push the clips in. To provide some buffer against the bare metal.

but I think that stuff works great. I’ll probably do the lower body panels where the wheels kick up stuff and the front of the hood/fenders to keep the paint chips away.

 

[Raider L]

@robert ruggles,

When I removed mine when I was rebuilding my truck, I remember there were these nail head looking things that the back of the molding was attached to. They weren't screws I don't believe, they looked like the head of a small nail sticking out from the skin. I wonder what those were? We just ground them down flush with the skin. Now, my truck is a '74 Custom Deluxe Ten. It had all the trim, back of the cab, all the wheel well openings, trim down the middle of the whole truck from back to front. In order that we wanted to make the body smooth we removed all of it. All of it was screwed on except that is the back of the cab. None of it was screwed on. It was attached by those pins. I don't remember about the side pieces of the cab. There may have been a screw or two somehow.

 

[FireTruck1984]

@robert ruggles,

When I removed mine when I was rebuilding my truck, I remember there were these nail head looking things that the back of the molding was attached to. They weren't screws I don't believe, they looked like the head of a small nail sticking out from the skin. I wonder what those were? We just ground them down flush with the skin. Now, my truck is a '74 Custom Deluxe Ten. It had all the trim, back of the cab, all the wheel well openings, trim down the middle of the whole truck from back to front. In order that we wanted to make the body smooth we removed all of it. All of it was screwed on except that is the back of the cab. None of it was screwed on. It was attached by those pins. I don't remember about the side pieces of the cab. There may have been a screw or two somehow.

Yes, Trucks that had the trim from the factory have studs that hold the clips..
When you buy the trim kit to add to a truck that didn’t have trim originally,
The clips are mounted with screws. (screw in studs)

 

[robert ruggles]

Thank you for the replies, I think I will use the 3M tape to attach the cab molding