As I've posted about before, my first car in 1984 was a 79 Calais w T-tops, and earlier this year I bought another with the intention of making it what I always wanted the original to be. While I'm waiting my turn for parts and my mechanic's time, I'm just curious if any of the knowledgeable historians here know something I don't. The vast majority of 79 Cutlasses I have ever seen had the side stripes, however BOTH of my Calais cars did not. My first one was brown and had a camel 1/2 vinyl top and side moldings, but no stripes. My latest is dark carmine metallic, and has neither a vinyl top or side moldings, and no stripes. Were stripes and molding std, and "stripe delete" and "molding delete" chosen on my current car, or were stripes and molding options in 1979 that apparently 99% of all Cutlasses came with?
1979 Olds Cutlass Calais questions
- Thread starter dgmeadows
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D90 was a $34 option accent stripe, body side.
BX2 was the lower body side moldings. It was a $60 option.
The padded landau roofs were a $194.00 option that years later costs $1,940.00 to fix when it loosened or cracked, captured water, and rusted your roof.
Just kidding.
Does that help any?
BX2 was the lower body side moldings. It was a $60 option.
The padded landau roofs were a $194.00 option that years later costs $1,940.00 to fix when it loosened or cracked, captured water, and rusted your roof.
Just kidding.Does that help any?
Yes, thanks much. I found a partial window sticker for the Calais I have now. It lists in std equipment Lower Body Side Mldgs and Rocker Panel Mldgs. I assume those are the polished stainless trim pieces. It also lists B84 Moldings, Body Side, so perhaps it came with the typical door bumper strip moldings but they were removed at some point? There is no D90, so it appears it did not have the accent stripes.D90 was a $34 option accent stripe, body side.
BX2 was the lower body side moldings. It was a $60 option.
The padded landau roofs were a $194.00 option that years later costs $1,940.00 to fix when it loosened or cracked, captured water, and rusted your roof.
Does that help any?
Calais may very well have had the BX2 wide moldings standard. Kinda makes sense as all 79 H/Os came with them and I've seen enough 79 H/O window sticker RPOs to know they don't list BX2 as an option. I've only dealt with mainly 82-88 so not too familiar with the 79 offerings.
So if you have them standard but are not on the car, then someone probably removed them. Which is what normally happens when one or more clips age and break off, taking the molding with it. Then rather than deal with the PITA of replacing all that, they simply take them all off. Seen it a lot.
So if you have them standard but are not on the car, then someone probably removed them. Which is what normally happens when one or more clips age and break off, taking the molding with it. Then rather than deal with the PITA of replacing all that, they simply take them all off. Seen it a lot.
The wide polished lower trim is still on there. What it doesn't have is the colored molding that runs middle of door, which I assume was the B84 option listed on my window sticker. I can't read what the cost was, as that part of the sheet was damaged. I like it without that "door ding protector" strip, but will obviously have to be selective where I park it.
Yep, the B84 is the body side molding option ($48.00 in 1979, almost $200 in today's dollars!!!) that runs down the middle side of the car. Sometimes, the chrome edging or colored vinyl section gets all gnarly over the years or the glue starts coming off, and like the lower body side moldings, owners tend to just take them off. It's not a huge deal.
You can always get some close to OEM looking body side moldings if you ever desire.
You can always get some close to OEM looking body side moldings if you ever desire.
You are on the money, the wide stainless moldings were standard with the 1979 Calais.
I had my 79 Calais re-painted (same color) in 2002 and since I was not able to find the beige body side moldings at that time. I've since located a roll of it about 5 years ago but they are still in the box waiting to be installed. I think you need a special tool to make the correct cuts needed. Also, I made a big mistake when I installed the rocket badge side fender emblems. I installed them way to high and I used extra adhesive to put them on. So that probably means that in addition to having a ghost emblem be there if I try to remove them, I will more than likely take paint as well.
So, no moldings will probably ever make their way on to the car as long as I own it.
I had my 79 Calais re-painted (same color) in 2002 and since I was not able to find the beige body side moldings at that time. I've since located a roll of it about 5 years ago but they are still in the box waiting to be installed. I think you need a special tool to make the correct cuts needed. Also, I made a big mistake when I installed the rocket badge side fender emblems. I installed them way to high and I used extra adhesive to put them on. So that probably means that in addition to having a ghost emblem be there if I try to remove them, I will more than likely take paint as well.
So, no moldings will probably ever make their way on to the car as long as I own it.
The painted ones were options on the non-W-30, not the decal stripes like the ones you have.
i really like my current dark carmine Calais without stripes, vinyl top, or side vinyl strip molding. I do like the polished stainless lower trim. My original brown Calais in my avatar had the landau roof and body side moldings, but coincidentally neither had the body line accent stripes.
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