Beltline Molding

[Agoogol]

My 77 Kingsley has the typical black/chrome beltline molding. However, the chrome is nearly nonexistent, and flaked off in most areas. As well the
adhesive was letting go. I think may have posted about this before now that I think about it. Its funny, you post on different forums and talk to
people etc, you can't remember who you told what and where!

Anyway, I was thinking about just slapping some black paint on the old molding and putting it back on. But I imagine that won't look great. But buying
new replacement is expenmsive for what it is. I know many people just paint it, (it being the aluminum strip underneath the rubber molding piece) body
color and call it good.

However, as I was cleaning that strip of raised aluminum from all the old adhesive and flaking off paint, I brought a section of it down to bare
aluminum. When we restored our old 59 Shasta, it had a Z stripe of bare aluminum. I was wondering, have you ever seen anyone strip and polish their
beltline molding to bare aluminum only? I thought that may look good, but I don't believe I have ever seen a GMC with that look before?

Anyone?
--
Kevin Carter
1977 Kingsley
Centennial CO

 

[ekbyker]

I had metal supermarket cut me some ss steel strips that I instaled with 3m body molding tape and a few ss screws looks good

 

[sgltrac]

For $100 or so you can buy bodyside molding that is approximate to the
original. It’s adhesive type. It will stay in place if some small screws
are strategically placed after sticking it on. It also helps to have the
molding stored in warm temperatures (on one of your house furnace outlet
ducts works well) and have the coach body warm when installing.

Sully
Bellevue wa

On Sat, Sep 26, 2020 at 11:11 AM Eelko Byker via Gmclist <

> I had metal supermarket cut me some ss steel strips that I instaled with
> 3m body molding tape and a few ss screws looks good
>
>
>
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[s-m-h]

I have not seen one with the belt line polished up but I can tell you what I did and it looks pretty darn good if you ask me. My moulding was toast so
I pulled it off and clean up the belt line. Ground down a few screws flush and painted it with an aerosol bedliner/undercoating rubber. I also added 6
led marker lights along the side, 2 of them replacing the existing. I wired them up to the turn signals so they all flash when the signal is on. No
regrets on any of it. The belt line moulding doesn't really protect anything at the height its at anyway...
--
Shawn Harris
North Vancouver,
Canada
1977 Palm Beach 403

 

[Agoogol]

Yeah, I thought about the SS strips, but then, what's the point and for how much money?

And I thought about the replacement rubber for $100 but to spend money on something that isn't attractive...I don't like that idea.

The painting it body color seems to make the most sense but going to test larger area of just plain aluminum, see what it looks like.

But the lighting idea is good too...
--
Kevin Carter
1977 Kingsley
Centennial CO

 

[Rick Brackett]

I did take my beltline off this summer, sanded it down to get a uniform look of between a Satin and polished finish. It too looks pretty dam good, haven’t done anything with the screw heads yet.
I used the headlight restoration kit ,a drill ,and bought more sanding discs from Amazon. I plan on putting a 1/2 inch strip above the Aluminium extrusion to cover up the paint chips that came off with the moulding.

Rick.

>
> I have not seen one with the belt line polished up but I can tell you what I did and it looks pretty darn good if you ask me. My moulding was toast so
> I pulled it off and clean up the belt line. Ground down a few screws flush and painted it with an aerosol bedliner/undercoating rubber. I also added 6
> led marker lights along the side, 2 of them replacing the existing. I wired them up to the turn signals so they all flash when the signal is on. No
> regrets on any of it. The belt line moulding doesn't really protect anything at the height its at anyway...
> --
> Shawn Harris
> North Vancouver,
> Canada
> 1977 Palm Beach 403
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org

 

[powwerjon]

Removing the belt line rubber strip, which IMHO is useless because of its height and location on the coach can be a good thing. The coaches from 73 thru very late 76 had a gap behind the rub strip and it was used to cover it up the gap. The very late 76 till the end in 78 had an aluminum filler strip that covered the joint gap.

This photo show a typical belt line rub strip.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/general-pictures/p67639-img-11371.html

When we did our frame up restoration of our 77 Eleganza II we chose to remove the rub strip (it served no useful purpose). We had the edges of the filler strip seam sealed with body sealer, sanded and painted when the coach was painted. (Coach painted at Topeka Graphics)

Examples of outcome:

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/topeka-gmc-paint-job/p7822.html
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/77-gmc-exterior/p37090-mvc-014s1.html
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/77-gmc-exterior/p37089-mvc-013s2.html
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/77-gmc-exterior/p37085-mvc-009s1.html
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/77-gmc-exterior/p37082-mvc-006s1.html

You will notice how the rub strip area basically disappears and really made for a better paint job.

Now the earlier coaches with the open gap behind the rub strip not all is lost. You cannot just fill the strip with body filler, Bondo or fiberglass as it will crack, seperate and leak.

The best alternative is to use 2” wide X 3/16” thick aluminum strap to cover the gap. Fasten with counter sunk screws and then fill screw holes with body filler and sand and prime any bare aluminum with an aluminum primer before painting. Depending on the length of the aluminum strap you can purchase you may have to do a lap style joint to make the strapping long enough.

Regards,

J.R. Wright
GMC Great Laker MHC
GMCGL Tech Editor
GMC Eastern States Charter Member
GMCMI
78 GMC Buskirk 29.5’ Stretch
75 GMC Avion (Under Reconstruction)
Michigan

>
> I did take my beltline off this summer, sanded it down to get a uniform look of between a Satin and polished finish. It too looks pretty dam good, haven’t done anything with the screw heads yet.
> I used the headlight restoration kit ,a drill ,and bought more sanding discs from Amazon. I plan on putting a 1/2 inch strip above the Aluminium extrusion to cover up the paint chips that came off with the moulding.
>
> Rick.
>

>>
>> I have not seen one with the belt line polished up but I can tell you what I did and it looks pretty darn good if you ask me. My moulding was toast so
>> I pulled it off and clean up the belt line. Ground down a few screws flush and painted it with an aerosol bedliner/undercoating rubber. I also added 6
>> led marker lights along the side, 2 of them replacing the existing. I wired them up to the turn signals so they all flash when the signal is on. No
>> regrets on any of it. The belt line moulding doesn't really protect anything at the height its at anyway...
>> --
>> Shawn Harris
>> North Vancouver,
>> Canada
>> 1977 Palm Beach 403
>>
>>

 

[Agoogol]

Rick, I'd be interested in seeing pictures!
--
Kevin Carter
1977 Kingsley
Centennial CO

 

[powwerjon]

Click any of the links in my email

JR

>
> Rick, I'd be interested in seeing pictures!
> --
> Kevin Carter
> 1977 Kingsley
> Centennial CO
>
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[Agoogol]

Sorry if I wasn;t clear. I lookedt yours, it does just blend away, I like it. But walso wanted to see what Rick did:

I did take my beltline off this summer, sanded it down to get a uniform look of between a Satin and polished finish. It too looks pretty dam good,
haven’t done anything with the screw heads yet.
I used the headlight restoration kit ,a drill ,and bought more sanding discs from Amazon. I plan on putting a 1/2 inch strip above the Aluminium
extrusion to cover up the paint chips that came off with the moulding.
Rick.
--
Kevin Carter
1977 Kingsley
Centennial CO

 

[Rick Brackett]

Kevin did you see the pics I sent? I thought they would go as a file but I guess not.
Not sure if they got through.....always had a difficult posting stuff on this forum

Rick.

>
> Sorry if I wasn;t clear. I lookedt yours, it does just blend away, I like it. But walso wanted to see what Rick did:
>
> I did take my beltline off this summer, sanded it down to get a uniform look of between a Satin and polished finish. It too looks pretty dam good,
> haven’t done anything with the screw heads yet.
> I used the headlight restoration kit ,a drill ,and bought more sanding discs from Amazon. I plan on putting a 1/2 inch strip above the Aluminium
> extrusion to cover up the paint chips that came off with the moulding.
> Rick.
> --
> Kevin Carter
> 1977 Kingsley
> Centennial CO
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org