69 Louver Trim Attachment- HOW???

[Jamie F.]

Okay, I give up. How do you get access to install the rubber nuts on the back of the two most rearward louver trim pieces (TJ-2) screws???
No access from the hood, door jam, or???
What's the secret? Push the nuts through the 3/8" holes?
Thanks in advance for the technique!

[Bill C.]

Re: 69 Louver Trim Attachment- HOW???

Jamie:
Are you sure you are working on the correct side of the opening for attachment? The trims attach on the rearward side of the opening and can be drilled from outside the car. Not sure of the hole size but it would be the same as the small size of the rubber attachment anchor. Drill the hole and press in the attachment anchor which will stop at the larger shoulder, now you have a visible anchor to attach the trims. If you have been drilling on the wrong side (forward) no worry, been there done that but tims will cover yiur mistake Good Luck, Bill 20328

[Jamie F.]

Re: 69 Louver Trim Attachment- HOW???

Bill,
Thanks for the reply. Yes I am drilling the holes on the rearward side.
For example the rearward holes once drilled have no access behind them to reach behind with your hand and attach the nuts to the screw like the front two do as the cowl bulkhead firewall is right there.
The assembly manual says the holes should be 3/8", rather large for that screw. Do you start the rubber nut on the screw and then push it through the holes?
Or?

[Bill C.]

Re: 69 Louver Trim Attachment- HOW???

Holes should be the size of the smaller side of the rubber anchor. Now you press the anchor into the hole and the larger part of the anchor (Shoulder) will stop the anchor from going any futher. If you have already drilled the hole to the larger size so the anchor passes through the hole I think you have to find a way to hold the anchor in the hole till you can start the screw which wil expand the anchor. The anchor design is such that it will expand with screw pressure while attaching the trims. Sounds like you need more then luck.....................Bill # 20328

[Jamie F.]

Re: 69 Louver Trim Attachment- HOW???

Bill,
I haven't drilled the holes yet to the large size. I appreciate you response, but I don't think you are understanding me.
You state to press the nut into the hole from behind the hole, the inside of the fender, correct?
Well you can't get behind the hole on the rear two fins, the firewall and cowl are right up against the rear of the fins.
You can do that on the front two, but not the rear two. You just have access to the top of the second from rear fin, but that is it.
You cannot reach behind the fender back there, it is blocked all around.
Hence my question, how do you get the nut on the back of the two rear fins if you can't reach back there???
Understand?
Thanks for your help!

[Bill C.]

Re: 69 Louver Trim Attachment- HOW???

Forget about the back side of the hole............................the anchor has a barrel and a shoulder. The drilled hole needs to be the smaller size to allow you to push in the anchor from the outside and will stop at the shoulder leaving the anchor set in the fiberglass. Now with the screw placed throught the trim and will secure the screw into the anchor. You do EVERYTHING from the outside...........forget about thinking the anchor is a nut installed on the back.
First determine that the anchor is lit a mushroom with a top and barrel. The barrel goes into the hole that's why the hole should be the smaller size.........................................Bill

[Jamie F.]

Re: 69 Louver Trim Attachment- HOW???

Bill,
Now I understand! Thanks for your patience with me!
Won't the rubber shoulder on the outside cause the trim piece to end up set away from the fender surface? Almost like floating?
Or will they compress flat?

[Bill C.]

Re: 69 Louver Trim Attachment- HOW???

The shoulder part of the anchor will be absorbed behind the trim. It's been a while but I remember the trim as having a slight return which will help but if not just snug the screws up till the margin is equal...............I was about to tell you to have your wife look at it ! When you finally see how it goes together you feel kinda dumb.

[Jack C.]

Re: 69 Louver Trim Attachment- HOW???

I'm glad I have a 68.

[Joe L.]

Re: 69 Louver Trim Attachment- HOW???

[quote=Jamie Fiffles (49040);365425]Bill,E[quote]


Jamie------


The WELL NUTS install exactly as Bill has described---from the front side. The shoulder on the well nut seats against the fiberglass. The louvers are designed to accommodate this. Besides, if you do it any other way, it won't be as-original.

By the way, if it were me, I would not even consider installing that goofy louver trim on a 1969. So, in that case, all installation difficulties are avoided.

[Jamie F.]

Re: 69 Louver Trim Attachment- HOW???

Well thanks to Bill for all your help and patience! And to Joe for seconding, and for his opinion!
I guess the third owner of my car agrees with your sense of taste Joe as he took them off and filled the holes. But the tank sticker says they should be there, and so do the filled holes, so on they went! Took only 10 minutes once Bill corrected my preconcieved notion of how they "Should" attach.
Next decision of taste is putting back the alarm key hole in the back panel. Same previous owner didn't like that either and filled that hole when she got her first repaint. I kinda agee with him on that one, that keyhole looks terrible back there.
What happens if my complete alarm is in place except for the keyhole? Do I loose all the points, partial?

[Bill C.]

Re: 69 Louver Trim Attachment- HOW???

That's the beauty of belonging to NCRS. My best guess is the alarm must be complete for judging and functional so you need the key switch. Bill

[Terry M.]

Re: 69 Louver Trim Attachment- HOW???

Next decision of taste is putting back the alarm key hole in the back panel. Same previous owner didn't like that either and filled that hole when she got her first repaint. I kinda agee with him on that one, that keyhole looks terrible back there.
What happens if my complete alarm is in place except for the keyhole? Do I loose all the points, partial?

Your biggest hit regarding the alarm -- from a points standpoint will be the function of the alarm. On the other hand, with the alarm key hole covered, how are the operations folks going to know there is an alarm to check? The answer is that they will not -- full points so long as you don't tell them it should be there.

The interior judges look at the relay and flasher in the storage compartment. So long as that all looks nice -- no problem. Will they look for the alarm lock hole? I doubt it, but there is always a chance.

Exterior judges will not notice the filled in alarm lock hole -- unless it is a crummy job of filling it.

So do a good job and the only person who will know what you have done is you. If you can live with that -- the organization won't care.

We do the judging for you, so fooling the judges is your loss. The most the judges get is a T-shirt (sometimes) and a couple of doughnuts and coffee, and maybe sometimes lunch. Of course we do learn something from every car we judge -- sometimes about the car and sometimes about the owner -- so suit yourself. It is your car and you can do what you want with it.