WHAT CONSTITUTED THE CHROME MOLDINGS THAT RUN UNDER THE DOORS FROM WHEEL WELL TO WHEEL WELL ON THE 70 SS MODELS?

WAS IT AN OPTION?

I'VE SEEN SOME PICTURES OF CARS WITH AND SOME WITHOUT THEM.

The SS models did not have them, they were only on the plain Malibu

Would you please TURN OFF THE CAPS LOCK KEY

Thanks
http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

------------------
Dean Call
Team Gold member #3
A.C.E.S. # 00235
N.C.O.A. # 4350
http://macc.chevelles.net/images/heartss.jpg
macc.chevelles.net (http://macc.chevelles.net)

I must disagree. I rode to Tulsa in a 1970 SS396 convert, a documented origional, that has them. Having said that, I don't know how availability was determined. Perhaps they are related to the small chrome strip under the headlights, which this car also has.

------------------
"SSuper Dave" Palmer
A.C.E.S. #1483
Team Chevelle #32 Gold

Hmm..if that SS396 had them, they were probably put on afterwards. Only Malibu's came with those moldings from the factory, that's what made them a Malibu. The only moldings an SS came with from the factory were roofrail and wheel well. I have never seen an "real" SS anywhere with rocker panel moldings.


------------------
Bob
Merrimack, NH
{00==ss==00}
TC Gold Member #169
N.E. Chevelle & El Camino Assoc. #085
bob70@chevelles.com

Rocker moldings on an SS--no!

This was not an option for the SS cars. My Malibu has them and also the stainless strips under the headlights. The headlight trim was only put on early production cars as I understand. My '70 was built in 11/69.

I think it is standard equipment on the SSC model.

If you remember a long running post on clones, we created the new SSClone model.

Or, if they were on a real SS, maybe it is a Malibu clone.

Just havin some fun...

SSuper Dave's talking about my car. I don't have the build sheet with me at work, but I'll see if I can figure the codes that put the stainless rocker moldings on my '70 SS Convertible. The car is an early '70 (built in late '69) and has the stainless trim under the headlights also.

This is something I have also been studying on '70 Chevelles at Chevell-abration and the OCC Regional event in Tulsa. I talked to Alan Colvin (author of Chevrolet by the Numbers) at Chevell-abration about this. He is probably the foremost authority on trim-tag decoding. He did not know what the rationale was for the appearance of the stainless on my '70 SS.



[This message has been edited by Alan F (edited 09-03-99).]

Thanks for all the replies. (sorry about the caps)

Seems there is still some disagreement out there?

This site is truly fun and interesting.

According to GM , part#s 3980807 and 3980808
left and right,fit all 37-67 which is 2dr coupe and convertible, except SS pkg.
Rocker moldings were not available on the SS,but it is possible someone may have screwed up and ordered the wrong options. Iv'e seen this happen before. I once saw an 85 Buick regal white with blue interior, blue landau top, wire wheel covers, and a blacked out grille which was only available on the T-Type Regals. come to find out , whoever ordered the car sent GM the wrong option codes by mistake. I remember when the car came in.


Jeff

[This message has been edited by JSL (edited 09-03-99).]

I have a 72 SS 454 converable that has stainless rockers. They were on the car when I bought it back in 1976. I will pull out my build sheet and see if I can figure it out.

SS cars did not have the chrome on the rocker, as it interfered with the installation of the wheel opening moldings, which the regular malibus did not have.

I have found over the years that anything was possible especially on the 70 model. The norm as stated above was rocker moulding and upper belt line trim for Malibu and wheel opening is SS, but I would be willing to bet there are build sheets that would show other wise.
I learned from Dan Carr that the 70 was the only Malibu that did not come with wheel opening trim. It was a very interesting year for the Chevelle, so many options. Just look at the engine choices. Lets here from the folks with build sheets.

------------------
Philip Valentine
Lakeside, AZ
Team Chevelle Member #42 GOLD
philip@chevelles.com

In looking at the options list for 1970, I cannot find a regular production option for rocker panel molding as it was model specifica item and not an option. Deleted to make way for the wheel opening molding.

If the car came with them then it would not show up on the build sheet. If you find B96 R WHL OPG MLD then it should not have been installed on the line, although its possible it came with them but there is no indication it was ever supposed to. It may have been added to the car because some previous owner like it. I have seen dealers take items off news cars on the lot and install them on cars because the customer would only buy it if this was there. I had a dealer swap wheels tires on a truck for me to make the sale, when I asked him what about the the other truck? His reply, not everyboy cares about the wheels and tires.

In 1984 I was in the market for a Olds Delta 88 2 door coupe Brougham. I found several with all the options including this very wide rocker panel and lower fender molding, except one car with the right color (deep Blue). It had them on the drivers side but not on the passenger side. The assembly line screwed up because it was listed as an extra cost option on the sticker. The factory side with them had small metal pins factory welded prior to painting to hold the clips that held the molding but the other side required drilling every 12-inchs to install them, something I did not want so I passed on it when I saw them drilling in the body shop.

Regarding the fit of rocker moldings, they can be installed so that there is a 1/2 to 3/4" space from the edge of the molding to the wheel well lip on each end, allowing for the installation of wheel opening moldings along with the rocker molding.

I have both types of moldings on both of my non-SS 70's, and the fit is exact. Both cars appear to have come from the factory with the rocker moldings only.

One interesting note, the front fenders on one of my cars that did not have the wheel opening moldings installed when I bought it had holes predrilled in the exact locations for them. To me, they looked as if they could have been there from the factory.

------------------
Rainer Seitz
Vancouver, WA
Team Chevelle Gold #50

'68 SS396
'70 LS3 400 Malibu
'70 Malibu convertible 350/300hp
rseitz@chevelles.com

More info:
The rocker moldings don't interfere with the wheel opening moldings - there's about 1/4" gap. The car has never been restored. However, it was repainted in 1985. Since the color match was poor, I was able to tell that the rocker moldings were on there before the repaint. I can't sit here and tell you that the factory put them on this car. I do, however, believe that they did.

In case someone has access to more documentary numbers than I, here are "the numbers" for my '70 SS 396 convertible. My build sheet is torn and missing small pieces, so I can't post EVERY number.

TRIM TAG:
ST 70-13667 BL00234 BDY
TR 765 28 A PNT
12A 331688 030296

BUILD SHEET CODES
A01 ALL TNTD GLAS
A02 TNTD W/S
A39 DXL ST BELTS
A51 STRATO BK ST
B22 DR EMBLEM SS
B37 FLOOR MATS
B93 DR EDGE GUARD
B96 R WHL OPG MLD
CD2 W/S JAR MONIT
C05 FLDG TOP EQUI
C06 PWR FLDG TOP
C60 AIR CONDITION
D33 REM CTRL MIRR
D34 VISOR MIRROR
D55 CONSOLE
D88 HOOD&DECK STRIP
F41 SPC PERF SUSP
G94 331 RATIO AXLE
J50 POWER BRAKES
JL2 PWR DISC FRT
L34 V8 396 CI 4 B
M40 3 SPD AUTO
N40 POWER STG
PL4 F70X14 WS
UF1 MIRROR LAMP
U14 INST GUAGES
U25 LUGG COMPT LAMP
U27 GLOVE COMP LP
U28 ASH TRAY LAMP
U29 COURT LAMP
U35 INSTR CLOCK
U69 AM-FM RADIO
U76 W/S ANTENNA
U80 REAR SPEAKER
V31 FR BUMPER GUARDS
ZL2 SPC DUCT HOOD
ZL3 SS 396 CONVERSN

BUILD SHEET BOXES
1-7 Illegible
8 BL00234
9 136670L152167
OF SEQ NO. 331688 25 0296
10 03 12-03
11 XV-R
12 AS
13 GC GC
14 OQ OQ
15 BK
16 AW --
17 HH - L
18 FF
19 BL-BK
20 C4
21 V CG
22 AO
23
24
25 13667
26 WHT
27 CTW
28 CF
29 CW
30 NF
31
32 450
33 768
34 DE
35 AC
36 HL
37 TR
38 KE
39 DH
40 TCS-3
41 L34
42 7683
43 765
44 28 A W?
45 AO
46 PD88
47 SV
48 SZ
49 R59
50 N6
51 Y6
52 738
53 XM
54 YD
55 DG
56 YM
57
58 2-35
59 936
60
61 761
62 ----
63 9464
64 480
65 BN
66 XSEA
67 GK
68 CN
69 KA
70 CH
71 BLACK
72 985
73 CR
74 66?
75 MISSING
76 NHHD
77 G8895
78 3468
79 ----
80 6789
81 1----
82 M-BKT
83 780
84
85 5498
86
87 DDKBL
88 --
89 -----
90 07?
91 MISSING
92 MISSING
93 TIRE CODE L8DS 5
94 SHIFT H-FLR
95 HBCBL NY
96 NA9 -----
97/98 AC-LABELS 396-350HP
99 MOUNTS C-F35
100 AZ-AB
101 BA
102 CE
103 GI GJ
104 DQ
105 BD
106 F70X14?
107
108 765 28 A 136670L TW
109 LES GARRETT CHEV, INC...IRVING, TEXAS 75061
110
111 TSL103
112 07
113 246
114 A
118 S
The rest are gone.

elcamino, what you say is true.
I worked at a Chevrolet dealership years ago.
Salesmen were always having me go out and find a new car in the lot that had something on it that the customer wanted and switch with the car they were getting.

A dealer wouldn't pass on a sale because the buyer wanted something extra, they would get it on the car one way or the other.

I met a fella at one of the N.C.O.A. shows a few years ago that had something on an all original - unrestored Chevelle that wasn't supposed to be available on his car. He got very tired and P.O'd at people who kept telling him it was wrong cause he bought the car new and got what he asked for on it.


------------------
Dean Call
Team Gold member #3
A.C.E.S. # 00235
N.C.O.A. # 4350
http://macc.chevelles.net/images/heartss.jpg
macc.chevelles.net (http://macc.chevelles.net)

Alan F,

I find nothing in your build sheet that confirms the rocker molding. This car was built 12A=Dec 1st week. I have a copy of a build sheet from the same plant Fremont that predates your car, 11C and its legiable engoiugh to see that no boxs for molding. One intersting note is the body numbers. BL0024 for your car and this one is built 2 weeks before yours and is BL17713 adn a lower VIN sequence. There were 52,166 cars built before yours. So it appears the body number is no indication of the time frame a car was assembled. Contact me and I might be able to put you in touch with the owner (in NM) of the car built close to yours so you can compare notes!

I don't think you will ever document this or know for sure because I believe this molding was a Fisher Body Installed item. Its like bumpers window chrome etc, no RPO.



[This message has been edited by elcamino (edited 09-05-99).]

elcamino,
Thanks for the feedback. That's a very interesting observation about the body numbers. I like the look of the car with the rocker moldings - makes it more sleek, especially because of the darkness of the color.

Anyone else got a '70 SS with stainless rocker moldings? Or have I got the rarest car on the planet? http://www.chevelles.com/forum/wink.gif

My '70 has the chrome rocker covers. I have both the original window sticker and build sheet and I can not find any indication that my car should have these unless they are indicated as part of the trim (box 43)#790. Many other options like door edge grds are listed but nothing about rockers. I would tend to agree with elcamino as a fisher body addition.