I removed those interior dog leg trim panels with the chrome accent strip that are found just forward of the rear wheel housings to do some work. They are installed with the same clips which are used for the door trim panels. On the door panels, the receiver holes for these clips use a cap shaped like a thimble with a lip which are pushed into the hole in the metal door frame.

My car is a '70 Z, and my question to the forum is, to install these dog leg trim panels, were these thimble shaped caps used, originally, to receive the clip fasteners on the trim panels when installing these dog leg trims? Mine were installed without the use of these caps but it would seem reasonable to me that they would have been originally installed with the same caps as with the door panels.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Dan

Dan,

I just reinstalled the same panels you're talking about. My 5/70 car did not have the "thimble" shaped caps, just a thru-hole in the sheet metal. My panels went right on and are held in place pretty good.

Bruce

My 70 is the same. there were never any caps installed.

Bruce, Jim

Thanks for confirming why my car didn't have the plastic retainer caps, too. I did notice that the clips for the dog leg panels were slightly narrower and shaped a little differently than the door panel clips.

Now, if I could only find out where Kats gets his undercarpet jute----------hmmmmmmmmm???????

Dan

Where Kats gets undercarpet jute! Now that's the $64 question! Dan, the only thing I can think of beneficial to installing the cups for the clips is to prevent rattle noise. I would install them. Like the jute, no one will ever know if you have it correct or not.

Chris

Where Kats gets undercarpet jute! Now that's the $64 question! Dan, the only thing I can think of beneficial to installing the cups for the clips is to prevent rattle noise. I would install them. Like the jute, no one will ever know if you have it correct or not.

Chris

Chris,

I had pretty well decided to install these cups for the dogleg panels. My reasoning is that these cups may allow the clips to slide out more easily and, thereby, reduce damage to these panels when removing them. They are fairly fragile, and I have seen many with cracked backer boards,. ie. masonite, where the clips fasten to the backer board.

Functionality takes priority over originality for me in this case, and, as you say, who will ever know.

How Cool, (Sweet for contemporary slang) would it be to peak under new loop pile, surge bound carpet, and find that original natural fiber jute padding; messy, but original. I just can't get that vision out of my mind. If anyone has any NOS or real nice jute pieces, ------------yeah, right. There has to be a supplier out there in the restoration world, somewhere.

Dan