'73 Lifeliner trim clips

Bill Leverett

Bill Leverett

PCS Member/Paramedic Supervisor
I know the collective wisdom will help me with this. Pictured are the nylon clips that hold the stainless trim on my Lifeliner.

When I removed the trim, the majority of the plastic tabs on these holders broke off (very small plastic tabs at the top and bottom). If I try and remove the clips, the round nylon center piece stays and the remainder of the clip comes off. I'm guessing that this is a proper design feature so that the remaining round plastic piece can simply be pushed through the panel and fall off inside. This leaves a nice hole to use a brand new clip.

The part number on the clip is "P-4268". It is 1 3/4" in height.

Has anyone run across these before? Are replacements available and if so where? If not, what should I use?

Thanks
 

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The basic problem that you have is that the mounting tab on the clip is off centered, and the molding requires this to be properly aligned. You are supposed to ask the question... "How do I remove these clips?" before you break them off, not afterwords. I could have helped you to save the clips for reuse that didn't break removing the molding. One trick that I learned is to spay WD40 or some other lubricant on the molding area where the clip is located prior to removal. This will allow the molding to be released from the clip without damaging the clip itself. These clips are no longer available, and I know this because I needed them for my 1969 Miller Meteor ambulance roof trim. I was able to save just about all of them by pushing the center plastic pin inward after the molding was removed, so the clip fell into the inside of the body cavity. I was able to purchase new pins for the old clips. Now, I have no idea what to suggest for replacing the damaged clips, but if you push the center pin into the body, the clips that remain will be able to be reused.
Paul
 
Thanks Paul...many of the small tabs had already broken and parts of the stainless trim just rattled about so some were beyond saving. Having said that, I'll see what is salvageable.

Where did you find replacement pins?
 
Bill Leverett said:
Thanks Paul...many of the small tabs had already broken and parts of the stainless trim just rattled about so some were beyond saving. Having said that, I'll see what is salvageable.

Where did you find replacement pins?
Click to expand...

at a swap meet a few years ago...
 
thats a different clip then your 69 there were no ears on them. but that being said. they were common clips. I may have a few but no more then 3 or 4. restoration specialties 814-467-9842 most likly can match it up if you sent in one to them. but you woun't like there price at some were around 2 bucks each. they will not revile there source eather to me. like Paul said push in the center and it will lift out. if you luckly you can dig most of the centers back out. if not and you can't get them a wood dowl will work for a locking pin. push it in trim it off.
 
That is the same type of clip that holds the upper roof molding trim on the 1969, and I had searched for them for over a month on every website that I could find. The closest that I could find is the same clip that has the hole in the center of the clip, where as MM used the clip with the hole off set. The clip pictured is 3/4" square, same as the one on the roof of the MM.
Bill......... is yours one and three quarters inches in hight or three quarters inches in hight? If 1 3/4" I might know where to get them. Problem with all the clip manufacturers, they don't give you the dimensions, only a picture, without any way of figuring out size.
 

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This one is 7/8" x 3/4"... I have to order a box at a time just to see what they look like, since they don't sell them in less than box lots, and they don't give you specs. The number that you posted, is just a mold number, and doesn't correlate to anything as far as the clip is concerned. This is what I was told by the clip manufacturer. I order these through a friend that is in the retail old car parts business, when he places his order.
 

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Firstly, thanks for all of your help with this Ed and Paul. Next time I will "call before I dig".

Paul, the second set of photos shows what would probably work. Mine are 3/4inches (not sure why I typed 1 3/4" earlier) and approx 5/8 inches wide. Mine only had a very small tab on the top and bottom...not like the 3 on yours. I've included a better picture.

The width really doesn't matter as far as I can tell.
 

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Paul don't know why I thing yours had the tension ears. but the tabs are anti rattle pads. to hold the trim off the body a space and keep it from rattling. the difference is in who made them. when I looked around last night all I could find was the rivet on one GM used. MM used the off set to keep away from there seam on the top. but why here other then they had them I don't know. with out punching out the center they will brake off the lock everytime. width is not importent grip rand and the hold sise is. it the replacment takes a bigger hole your Ok smaller you will need to relocate them. then the car looks like a wood pecker go to it before you put the trim back on.
 
An old body shop guy showed me an easy way to save those, take an electric drill with a tiny drill bit, drill in the center of the round plug. Then take a small screw and very carefully screw it into the plug and then pull the screw and plug out. I lost only 2 while redoing my 76. Hope that helps others.
 
The clip (in the second picture) is 7/8" across the tabs on the gripping side. This is the measurement that matters. If you check one that is removed, measuring the bottom side of the, will help to determine if this clip that I have will work for your car. I am going to the Spring Carlisle show (PA) at the end of the month, and that is where I usually find molding clips. Problem is that once you find them, if you don't buy enough, that once they are gone, they are gone forever. The clips that I pictured, I bought last year for my car, but it wasn't the same. I only had the picture to go by, and had to buy a box of them just to see what they were. They all look alike in pictures, so finding the correct one is the hard part. I use the pins from the "wrong" ones to replace the missing pins in the ones that I can reuse from the car. In the past, I was able to buy spare pins, but even those have been discontinued..
I believe that the clip in the first picture would work for your car, but you would need to weld up all the old holes, and drill new holes to use this clip. How many will you need?
 
I got to thinking on this problem . that in it's self is a dangerous thing but looks to me like we are going to be in trouble on this kind of plastic parts. so save all the old clips you can. as they are off set one can center them back over the hole with a tapered punch. drill a 1/8 in hole in the center of the clip and using a long range pop rivet put them back in place. a dab of silicone will seal up the hole. you want the long rivet so that it doesn't split the clip. use a aluminium one as they are softer and won't rust. going to have to get more inventive to keep these cars on the road. screws threw the molding just don't get it.
 
the problem with gluing is it's had to keep it were you want it and all your gluing to is the paint. if you clean it to bare you inviting rust if you can't get it covered. one big headed long grip aluminum river would do and you could get it back off if needed easily. there cheap enough to buy, easy to find and use.
 
Work around.

Still haven't been able to find a replacement for the clips and needed to get the trim on so I had replacements made. Along with the nylon clips, there were steel clips used at the ends of the trim pieces. So I went to a sheet metal fabricating business and had them make 20 clips for me.

Here is the result. They worked very well. I filled the holes on the body with silicone in case I ever find the correct nylon clips. I had to drill another hole for a screw.
 

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looks good. you start building the next car from scratch. this is what you need to do. did you make them out of Stainless steel of aluminium. the set in the back were always rusted out to bad to re use.
 
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