Passenger side trim

Jean-Marc Dugas

Jean-Marc Dugas

PCS Member
I just noticed today that the trim on the passenger side of my 54 XL is different than the trim on the driver side of the car.

This is the mid-level trim that goes the whole length of the car from behind the front wheel well to to the front of the rear wheel well. It is identified in the picture where it is circled in blue.

As you can see in the other two pictures, the edge trim on the driver side are tapered and capped, but the one on the passenger side are not.

Would anyone have the correct tapered and capped trim in good condition available for the passenger side of the car.

As always, I appreciate anybody's help.PXL_20210914_185756156~2.jpgPXL_20210914_185552422.jpgPXL_20210914_185516186.jpg
 
Looks like they are different trim but can't tell for sure in the pictures. Standard foe the year caddy molding bought in the right length for mm. So you looking for both doors. Tapered both ends? Or blunt on end tapered the other? How log are the correct ones?
 
John ED Renstrom said:
Looks like they are different trim but can't tell for sure in the pictures. Standard foe the year caddy molding bought in the right length for mm. So you looking for both doors. Tapered both ends? Or blunt on end tapered the other? How log are the correct ones?
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Both doors and rear quarter panel tapered both ends.

I'll measure tomorrow.
 
What this looks like is the molding was damaged, and they just sourced another molding and did a blunt cut off to the length that was needed. The taper on the ends was formed with the stamping of the molding. Both the right and left sides are identical. If you have someone locally that can weld and polish stainless steel, that is the best way to repair this issue. It will be difficult to find the exact length moldings that you will need, and custom making them will be the easiest method. Post the lengths that you need for each door separately, and possibly someone such as Kurt Arends might be able to find the parts you need. Finding moldings that are longer length than needed is usually the best method, because one end will already have the proper end, and it will just be a cut, splice, weld to get the other end done to the correct length. On one car that I had, it took 3 pieces to get the correct length for the rear quarter panel.
Technically, there were 2 different profiles for this molding design which started in the 1960s and ran through the 1990s, however, I don't have the date year of when they transitioned from the original to the new. My guess was sometime in the mid to late 1960s. Some of the moldings started off with a narrow taper, and got wider in the middle, and tapered to a smaller width at the opposite end. I believe that the early width of the molding was 5/8" and the latter was 1/2". I just checked the couple of pieces that I have handy in my office.
 
The tapered both ends has to be MM. So your only chance is 4 2 door caddies of the same profile. As caddies are tapered on the swing end blunt on the other. So unless yours are tapered one end sawed off on the other you need 4 to get your ends. I might have the ends her if you can show me the profile.
 
Follow-up question. I have been told that the trim that is on the passenger side is the correct one, however, the trim that is on the driver side is definitively the nicer one.

For those that have mid 70s Superior Cadillacs, which one do you have on your car?

 
The passenger side might have the correct profile, however, the moldings are not original to the car, and have been cut. The door molding should have an angular taper so it can pass by the molding in front of it when the door opens, and it should have a closed-end on the door handle side of the door. This rule applies to both side doors. The moldings were never cut with an opening at the end. I would be more inclined to say that the driver's side moldings are original to the car because the ends are closed and tapered in all the correct places.
 
Paul Steinberg said:
The passenger side might have the correct profile, however, the moldings are not original to the car, and have been cut. The door molding should have an angular taper so it can pass by the molding in front of it when the door opens, and it should have a closed-end on the door handle side of the door. This rule applies to both side doors. The moldings were never cut with an opening at the end. I would be more inclined to say that the driver's side moldings are original to the car because the ends are closed and tapered in all the correct places.
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Those are my thoughts as well.
 
What is the profile you need. Take a good close picture of the one you want from the end. They had about 3 that they used. I have a few of them here but looking flat on they all look the same in a picture.
 
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