C4 General Discussion General C4 Corvette Discussion not covered in Tech

center molding

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old May 8, 2010 | 07:39 AM
  #1  
tortonness's Avatar
tortonness
Thread Starter
Advanced
 
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
Default center molding

the black center plastic moldings that separates the exterior bodypanels on my 1986 C4 has a few bumps in them and i was thinking of switching them out if possible. does anyone know if that is at all possible or do i have to buy all new body panels?.
Reply
Old May 8, 2010 | 09:38 AM
  #2  
RLG's Avatar
RLG
Burning Brakes
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 877
Likes: 0
From: Broken Arrow Oklahoma
Default

Are you talking about the belt line molding"

I think the doors and the rear bumper pieces are out there, pretty expensive.

seems like I saw them from Zip.

front bumper piece is not
Reply
Old May 8, 2010 | 09:43 AM
  #3  
floridamale's Avatar
floridamale
Safety Car
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,939
Likes: 1
From: Vero Beach Florida
Default

You will have to look for some of them in the used parts market. I have always wondered if the bumps are caused by rust forming where the nuts are attaching it to the body and causing the belt line to lift off the brackets.
Reply
Old May 8, 2010 | 10:01 AM
  #4  
RLG's Avatar
RLG
Burning Brakes
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 877
Likes: 0
From: Broken Arrow Oklahoma
Default

If you take one apart there is a small metal stainless looking strip that has the studs pressed in. They are screwed into the plastic with little screws. The plastic that the screws go into becomes brittle and breaks, causing the plastic to come apart from the strip.. The metal strip goes the full length of the molding.

It seems that the nuts themselves rust.
Reply
Old May 8, 2010 | 11:14 AM
  #5  
tortonness's Avatar
tortonness
Thread Starter
Advanced
 
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
Default

hmm ok so it`s when the nuts rust it causes the moldings to become "bumpy". :O .

hmm maybe if i unmount them i can try to mount them back on again.
Reply
Old May 8, 2010 | 04:22 PM
  #6  
RLG's Avatar
RLG
Burning Brakes
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 877
Likes: 0
From: Broken Arrow Oklahoma
Default

Here is what happens, If the nuts are rusted the studs start to spin and you can't get the nuts off.

There are only 2 nuts on the doors and 3 on the dog leg. The rear bumper is another story.
Reply
Old May 8, 2010 | 05:29 PM
  #7  
Joe C's Avatar
Joe C
Race Director
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 11,470
Likes: 764
Default

if you're looking for OEM, about half of the 13 pieces are discontinued, the other half is still available from GM - for how long, it's anybody's guess. seems like the missing pieces are available as reproduction. not sure about the fit and finish though.

if the nuts are frozen on the studs, good luck getting them off without destroying the part. if you just want to replace them with used, there are plenty of folks here on the forum selling used. ebay is another source for used, but NOS doesn't seem to come up too often.
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To center molding





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:14 PM.

story-0
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-8
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-9
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE