Body / Glass: Chrome strip clips 54 Commander

[poweroptions]

On the big belt line chrome strip on the doors the clips have all popped off. It had 4, now there are none. How does one repair those clips? Or does one have to resort to 3M emblem tape? Or is there another method? TY

[tsenecal]

I had planned on using the emblem tape, but I picked up some two part epoxy for metal, with a claimed strength of 2900 pounds. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but will let you know if the clips can be put back with epoxy.

[poweroptions]

I had planned on using the emblem tape, but I picked up some two part epoxy for metal, with a claimed strength of 2900 pounds. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but will let you know if the clips can be put back with epoxy.

I got all of my chrome and pot metal redone and just got to putting it back on. I reamed the holes out larger to avoid to much pressure on these fragile clips and all but 2 have popped off when I was trying to work them in the holes. I used my needle nose to squeeze them and limber them up and greased the holes. No luck about the time I think they are going to seat the little washer pop off and the clip detaches. NUTS and double nuts. I went to town and bought 3M emblem tape. It is so thin that I stacked it up 4 times. It doesn't have the holding power since there is tension on those long belt line strips. I was sure someone else on the forum has experience with this. I have not had luck with epoxy before. Let me know how your project goes with the epoxy.

[rbigcal]

Did you check restoration specialties for clips ? How wide is it ? In some cases the christmas tree fasteners will work by sanding off the round sides so they will slide inside the molding.

[studegary]

I had planned on using the emblem tape, but I picked up some two part epoxy for metal, with a claimed strength of 2900 pounds. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but will let you know if the clips can be put back with epoxy.

Perhaps you mean 2900 psi (pounds per square inch). A straight weight (without applied area) for strength makes no sense to me.

[poweroptions]

Car porn

Did you check restoration specialties for clips ? How wide is it ? In some cases the christmas tree fasteners will work by sanding off the round sides so they will slide inside the molding.

These chrome strip moldings have clips with a nipple protruding from a flat plate. The plate has 2 short slots that have washers that are spot welded on top of the 2 miniature studs. The clip/plate would slide under these washers for the proper alignment of the nipple to the mounting holes drilled in the door. The spot welds have failed the small washer pops off and then the clip falls off. It is a different set up from most other attaching methods I've seen. This is a 54 Commander C model I'm dealing with.

[Jeff_H]

There were 2 types of attachment used as I recall.

Sounds almost like you have the type where there is a flat plate about 1-1/2" long held to the door with 2 screws and there is a "button" on the chrome that snaps onto this plate. The other type has a plate riveted or staked onto the chrome that has a springy knob protruding that snaps into a hole in the door.

Both kinds have issues.

The first type, the door mounted clips are a pain to get aligned so the buttons on the chrome snap into them. Then, they get rusty eventually. The other type, the plate/springy knobs break off the chrome as they are attached with just the pot metal casting having cast in pins peened flat.

If its the 2nd type, if you have the broken off part, I would try sanding the back of the chrome and cleaning up the plate and try JB welding it back together. May have to file/sand the cured material if too high and prevents the chrome from going all the way down. I dont know if the pot metal casting is thick enough there to risk drilling a shallow hole and adding stubby screws or not.

My own '53 has the door mounted clips with 2 screws and fussy shim washers. I got replacement doors from a '55 that had the other type and I had to weld up all the other holes and drill new ones for the clips.

[poweroptions]

There were 2 types of attachment used as I recall.

Sounds almost like you have the type where there is a flat plate about 1-1/2" long held to the door with 2 screws and there is a "button" on the chrome that snaps onto this plate. The other type has a plate riveted or staked onto the chrome that has a springy knob protruding that snaps into a hole in the door.

Both kinds have issues.

The first type, the door mounted clips are a pain to get aligned so the buttons on the chrome snap into them. Then, they get rusty eventually. The other type, the plate/springy knobs break off the chrome as they are attached with just the pot metal casting having cast in pins peened flat.

If its the 2nd type, if you have the broken off part, I would try sanding the back of the chrome and cleaning up the plate and try JB welding it back together. May have to file/sand the cured material if too high and prevents the chrome from going all the way down. I dont know if the pot metal casting is thick enough there to risk drilling a shallow hole and adding stubby screws or not.

My own '53 has the door mounted clips with 2 screws and fussy shim washers. I got replacement doors from a '55 that had the other type and I had to weld up all the other holes and drill new ones for the clips.

You got it right, mine are the second style. Spent a ton of money on the pot metal restore now to only have all the clips failing. Thanks for your advice ! I never have the best luck with JB Weld. I thought maybe MIG welding but I'm afraid that will disfigure, melt, or discolor the newly restored chrome strips. I thought of maybe filling the entire backside of the strips with JB Weld or similar product to get the backside flush and then apply the 3M tape. The nipples/ buttons are breaking down too from age.

[tsenecal]

The product that I purchased is JB weld steel reinforced epoxy. It states on the package "Strength 2424 psi". I will be trying it today, and will report back as to how it works out. I had looked at several different versions, and had remembered 2900 psi, but that was not the steel reinforced one.

[Jeff_H]

No, don't even think about mig welding. Pot metal is a zinc based alloy with a low melting temperature around 800F or less. For pit repair they grind/drill out the pits then copper plate it. Then they can solder fill the pits over the copper as the solder will stick to that (but not the raw pot metal). Solder melts at less than 1/2 the melting point of the pot metal or 360-380F or so depending on the type.

I would only consider soldering those clip plates if these were stripped down to the bare copper and only if they had not yet been replated as the heat from soldering is sure to discolor the chrome IMO.

If all that fails, you may go with that thicker double sided foam tape, or another thought is use something like "marine goop". That stuff will stick about anything but it can be runny until it sets up and you would need to figure out how to hold the trim in place in the meantime. I would avoid those solutions as if you need to remove the trim later it may not want to come off and get damaged in the attempt.

[poweroptions]

No, don't even think about mig welding. Pot metal is a zinc based alloy with a low melting temperature around 800F or less. For pit repair they grind/drill out the pits then copper plate it. Then they can solder fill the pits over the copper as the solder will stick to that (but not the raw pot metal). Solder melts at less than 1/2 the melting point of the pot metal or 360-380F or so depending on the type.

I would only consider soldering those clip plates if these were stripped down to the bare copper and only if they had not yet been replated as the heat from soldering is sure to discolor the chrome IMO.

If all that fails, you may go with that thicker double sided foam tape, or another thought is use something like "marine goop". That stuff will stick about anything but it can be runny until it sets up and you would need to figure out how to hold the trim in place in the meantime. I would avoid those solutions as if you need to remove the trim later it may not want to come off and get damaged in the attempt.

Thanks Jeff, got it. I was thinking I'd screw them up hitting them with the mig. I was going to experiment on something crappy laying around the garage. I'm going to hit my auto paint shop in Tyler to see if they have thicker tape than what I picked up at O'Reilly's

[bezhawk]

I cut some screws off with a dremmel, and drilled out the bumps on the pot metal that is supposed to hold the clips. The screws have to be VERY short, and you have to be extremely careful in drilling the posts. One full turn of a screw is good to hold, and as an added insurance use a dallop of JB Weld in the screw hole. I did this on my very first car in l972.

[poweroptions]

I cut some screws off with a dremmel, and drilled out the bumps on the pot metal that is supposed to hold the clips. The screws have to be VERY short, and you have to be extremely careful in drilling the posts. One full turn of a screw is good to hold, and as an added insurance use a dallop of JB Weld in the screw hole. I did this on my very first car in l972.

Ok that sounds like a good plan. I have to find better clips now. My clips are just breaking down and the plating process didn't do them any favors either.

[altair]

I just got some rare clips from Steven Allen's in Florida, he has a large inventory of Studebaker clips. Also check with Jurassic Parts they equally have a large inventory of clips.

[poweroptions]

I just got some rare clips from Steven Allen's in Florida, he has a large inventory of Studebaker clips. Also check with Jurassic Parts they equally have a large inventory of clips.

Thank you, Matt has been a big help already at S Allen's. I'm calling now.