So some POS stole one of the drip rail moldings off my car. It is a long piece with a gentle curve in it, pretty simple form. I was thinking of going to the Pull-A-Part and finding some moldings that look "close enough" and then try to work them into the right curve. I searched the forum and Google but can't find anything about working/bending/making/tweaking drip rail moldings. I was thinking a liberal amount of heat and some gentle bending would work. I liked the idea I found on here about melting lead into the channel to beat out dents, that might work for bending as well to prevent kinks. Kind of like filling pipe with sand for bending. I'm already looking for used moldings, but it would be nice to have something on the car for now.
Do a search, a member named MP&C did good tech thread with lots of photos. I don't know how to paste a link from my phone.
I found that thread. Cool tech, but he's making the drip rail itself. I need the trim piece that snaps over that. On my car it hides the edge of the vinyl top. I've seen a DIY on how to pull your own molding through a dye, but it didn't go into how to bend it or curve it.
Tricky Tricky. its basically a channel that youre trying to bend against the strongest point. One way to practice would be to roll it over a large curve, experiment with heat. Think about using a crank or alternator pulley, this will support some of the molding while youre trying to bend. By the way this also works great on bending brake and fuel lines if you need a large radius. It will still be very challenging to get it without kinking
Drip mouldinds for what kind of car? and are they stainless? Stainless would be almost impossible to duplicate at home.
I hate to admit it, but it is my O/T '75 Plymouth Duster. Would it help if I lied and said it was for my '61 Olds? They are stainless unfortunately. It just eats me up that the car was complete, but now it is missing that trim piece. Nobody repops it either. I've got me feelers out on the A-body boards. I looked at some other moldings from other cars and thought if I can get a close enough match I could m***age it into place. I saw that recommendation a few times on here, but that was only for using straight pieces.
Yes it's OT car, but the process is the same for a pre 65 hamb OK car I would not try to make those, period. I worked for a Dodge dealer in 74/75 and I do remember a new 75 coronet 4dr that the owner complained about a kinked drip moulding at the rear where it starts to curve down. There was a defect in the gutter or vinyl top and the mechanic kinked the new one, too. Had to send the car to a body shop Working with stainless is almost impossible on a thin long part like that.
The Jalopy Journal
