'74-'76 Superior Rocker Panel Moldings

Kurt Arends

PCS Elected Director 2021-2024
Looking for a pair of rocker panel moldings for my '75 Superior ambulance. Please let me know if you know of any. Thanks!
 
Still looking for a pair of Superior stainless rocker panel moldings for my '75 54" ambulance. I assume that all '71 through '76 Superior rocker moldings will be the same. Any leads will be greatly appreciated.
 
I have been looking for years. I don't think They exist. 74-76 would be different from the 71-73s. I tried the 72s on My 75. Too short plus the rear are angle cut to follow the "C" shaped tail light. The 75 light is straight. If You do ever see any, I would like to know also.
 
Gather up a couple sets from a caddy the year you need. You will need at least 3 of them. Use the finished end on the front run cut the rear open. Put it one your car, figure out what you need to finish the run and cut that off your third one. Cut one more piece at least 4 inches long off the third one and then trim it top ad bottom till it just slid into the curl of your molding. Use that to splice them to gather then install it as if it were one piece. If you want it one piece the stainless can be welded up, ground down and polished to where you can't tell.

it is not unusual to see a splice in these moldings on a pro car. the trick works just as well for body side moldings. as each of the manufactures use different ends on the doors you may end up with 2 splices on a door but once they are welded and polished your good to go.

we are going to have to start figuring out how to make some of this stuff. the days of finding the best used parts to put one back together are grinding down. right now it's cheaper to make up the trim you can them buy it. at lest for me is is your case may be different. if you can't find some one to do this I can. but all most any plating shop can do it for you.
 
The stainless moldings can be cut, welded, and polished, however, Cadillac used a poor quality stainless in these rocker panel moldings, and they made them look good by having them flash chromed. Today, it is next to impossible to find a shop that has tanks long enough to flash chrome the rocker panel moldings, and when you do find a shop that can do them, the process isn't going to be inexpensive.
 
The stainless moldings can be cut, welded, and polished, however, Cadillac used a poor quality stainless in these rocker panel moldings, and they made them look good by having them flash chromed. Today, it is next to impossible to find a shop that has tanks long enough to flash chrome the rocker panel moldings, and when you do find a shop that can do them, the process isn't going to be inexpensive.

Our saying then that one best be happy with a splice then?
 
Does anyone happen to know if the '74-'76 Superior rocker moldings were the same as the '74-'76 M-M rocker moldings? I do know of a '74 M-M hearse in a junk yard.
 
The rocker moldings were sourced from Cadillac, and they are for the limo, so they should be the same across the entire professional car builders vehicles that used rocker moldings.
 
Paul,
Are you saying that the C.C. rocker panel moldings are the same as those used on the Series 75 limo?
 
Paul,
Are you saying that the C.C. rocker panel moldings are the same as those used on the Series 75 limo?

This is the information that I was told at one of the Miller Meteor reunions, by a factory worker. I have no reason to believe otherwise, since the body builders used every standard part that they could source, instead of making a proprietary part. The only way that you will know for certain is to find one, and see if it matches up. The part doesn't show in the Cadillac parts book, since it wasn't specifically supplied as a standard item on all commercial chassis cars, just like the rest of the moldings. I have figured out that in some instances, the body builders used the same sources as GM to have some specific moldings made, such as the upper door molding that attached at the bottom edge of the door glass. It is identical in every aspect, except for the length. The body builders also used parts from other manufacturers, such as Ford, in certain instances.
 
Bump. Still looking. I am going to hold off for the real thing as there has to be a bunch of '74-'76 hearses and Series 75s still laying in junk yards.
 
Going to give the Series 75 rocker moldings a shot. Sounds logical and I know where this '74 is sitting.
 

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FYI to anyone interested:

I had Ken Novak measure the rocker panel molding length on his '76 Series 75 Sedan and then I measured the length of the rocker panel molding on my '75 S&S Victoria. They ARE NOT the same molding. The Series 75 comes in at about 115", and the Victoria measures 118-3/4". I am glad that we did this before I ran down to purchase the rocker moldings on that '74 Series 75 Sedan in the junk yard.

I guess that my search continues for a '74-'76 commercial chassis coach with rocker moldings in a junk yard!
 
Same problem with my '73 Lifeliner

I'm having the same problem with my Lifeliner. One of the rocker mouldings was missing so I now have 2 from a '73 Fleetwood limo that I am going to have spliced to get the correct length.
 
All '71-'76 commercial chassis rocker panel moldings have to be the same. I checked my Cadillac Chassis & Body Illustration Catalog, but they don't show the C.C. moldings. They do show the Series 75 rocker panel moldings and they list the '73 and '74 Series 75s as having the same part numbers for the rocker moldings. Based on that comparison, I would say that it is safe to assume that all '71 thru '76 C.C. coaches used the same rocker panel moldings(which we have established as being a different length than the Series 75).
 
Moldings Located!

I have located and purchased the rocker panel moldings that I needed for my '75 Superior 54" ambulance, thanks to Matt Taylor and the photos that he took and posted of the '73 Superior 3-way hearse while at Elmer's Auto Parts/toy museum in Fountain City, MN on Wednesday's tour last week.

Thank you Matt!!
 
Update

Noticed this old thread that I had started 4+ years ago and though that I should update/correct this information. The rocker panel moldings used by each coach manufacturer ARE unique to each manufacturer. They did not come from Cadillac as part of the commercial chassis. For instance, M-M's rocker panel moldings used from '74-'76 are very different than those used by Superior in those same years. These stainless rocker moldings commonly disappeared from many coaches as they got older and rust repairs were done to the front fenders and rocker panels. I do have a good source for used moldings, if anyone is looking for them.
 
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Do you have a source for moldings for the downsized 1977 - 1979 Superior Commercial Chassis cars? I might need a few for my 1978 Superior Ambulance, once I start working on it again.
 
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