help with moulding clips

[STONEYH]

I have a 78 Cutlass 2dr. that came with a vinyl top. The top has now been deleted.Does anyone know where I can get the clips to put moulding around the back window? How are they supposed to be fastened to the car? Do I need to drill holes for the new clips? :x

 

[87GP]

Sounds like you had a "French Tuck" vinyl top. That is where the vinyl is rolled over and appears to lay on the glass. On cars w/o the tuck or w/o a vinyl top, there are window moulding clips like the ones on the front windshield. They are mounted on small welded on studs spaced evenly around the back glass. You could put them on with pop rivets but you'll need to seal the rivets to prevent water leaks. A stud spotter/dent puller has an attachment to install these studs but the tool will cost around $250-$300.

When new moldings came with clips they had these small flat head phillips screws with a glob of sealer already on them. Sometimes they leaked too.

I would try pop rivets and put a good amount of sealer around them and set the molding while the sealer is still soft. Should be OK.

 

[xitabl442]

There are pop rivets with shoulders available now that you can rivet on and they still leave the clip removable. Since they have a shoulder that sets tight to the metal they also seal better than the 1/8th rivets that you used to have to use. We have some on hand at work, but I don't remember who makes them. If I remember, I'll take a look tomorrow. I know that to install them correctly the rear glass should be removed if it isn't already.
I always thought the studs were installed on all the cars with or without the V/T, but I must be incorrect.
Good luck.