Hello All,

Lately I've had a rash of car problems that I have had some difficulty with. Thanks to the kind souls on the BB, we've vanquished these obstacles but there's always a new one that pops up.

Over the last year or so, fixing or diagnosing various problems under the dash, I've had to lay my old creaky torso in the driver's footwell. In doing so, I've managed to finally tear off the rocker molding. I've purchased a slew of new clips 1304520 but for the life of me cannot figure out how they are to be installed.

Searching both BB and turbobricks, I get that I should put them in warm water to soften them up, but I'm not clear whether they go in the rocker molding first or whether I insert the clips into the holes in the body. One poster commented that they're to be turned 90 degrees????

Can anyone give this thickhead a very clear and understandable procedure on clip and molding installation.

Thanks much,

Marty

I have always installed them on the panel first. I put the clip in place and then push the center pin in to secure it. I try to have them aligned properly but even after being installed they can be rotated for that final alignment.

I then position the trim in the correct position (front to back). It is not so easy to adjust after it is started on. I hook the top edge of the trim piece on the top back edges of the clips (or at least as many as I can.

Then I strike the trim with a mallet on the first clip. It snaps into place. check for correct positioning and move on to the second clip and strike it. Keep moving back and as you go see if you can get the trim started on the top of at least two clips back from where you are working. Never "set" the bottom of the trim on a clip if it is not already started on the top of at least the next clip in the line.

If the back edge of the trim is corroded at the point where it is supposed to grasp a clip you might consider leaving that one or two (or even three) out. Actually every other hole equipped with a clip is enough to hold it if it comes down to that.

A little soap on the clips is not a bad thing for some helpful temporary lubrication.


Good luck,
Randy

Had the same problem this spring, bought a bunch from IPD, figured they should be slid on the moulding, lined up with the hole and pushed in warm.

result, they all busted to pieces when pushed into hole????so I threw the trim and the fasteners in the garbage......

so, not being at all concerned with the 88/240/47's appearance rather liking a low profile/low income junker/keep away from this uninsured wreck, I simply covered the holes with some plastic plugs and polyglue, and spray painted the rockers with a nice flat black paint.

Looks great, and before winter hits, I repainted with rustoleum flat black and a brush. And, WTH, painted the cracked black whatever under the windows!

And why not, I painted all the chrome around the grill, headlights and bumper, blocking out everything except the logo. Changed the wheels to a black/silver and now it looks mean like a volvo cop car??

Volvos are really fun, and my wife refuses to ride in it.

Hi Marty,

My recollection is that each clip has a "push-in" center core or rod that has to be in place first, sticking out from the "back" of the clip. Then (I think) each clip is pushed (snapped?) into it's rocker hole, parallel with the rocker and with its little core rod proudly sticking out.

When each clip & rod is in place, you then position the molding strip and smack it onto its clip(s) with the heel of your hand or a rubber mallet, when two things then happen at once:

1) the clip engages with the locking rail inside the molding, as...

2) ...the locking rail pushes the core rod into the center of the clip and spreads it, tightening the clip in its rocker hole.

Or something like that ;-)
--
Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.

Hi Bruce,

Very lucid of you. One question: On the workbench, without the interfering push rod core, the clip sloppily fits into the concealed space of the molding.

I can see how the clip fits into and is secured in the rocker holes. Just not "seeing" how the clip is secured to the molding.

Marty

"On the workbench, without the interfering push rod core, the clip sloppily fits into the concealed space of the molding."

That's OK Marty. That's not when it normally fits. It takes the impact pressure of installation ON the (already positioned) clip for locking to happen. Unless the molding's locking channel has been spread or otherwise damaged.

I think if you pushed in hard enough (on the bench, without the rod in place) those "grippers' on each side the clip's core hole might snap/lock into some sort of a channel in the molding. But then you'd have a useless clip stuck forever in the molding, with no core rod to spread it and lock it in the rocker.

It's gotta be that 1-2 punch, or is it 2-1? It's been years.
Would it help inspire you to know that my daughter used 3 of them on her 240's loose rocker molding? Following my semi-lucid directions?

--
Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.