What goes here? (Interior bedside gap)

[harrij4]

I just got some new interior bedside panels and they look great! But, there's a gap I need to solve for. It's between the interior panel and bedrail, about 3/4" toward the front, and basically 0" at the rear. What goes there? It looks like it needs to be a tapered filler or some sort. Is this the infamous "chrome strip"?

[notsolo]

Yep chrome strip would be even with the top of bed side, strip is 66 3/4" long.

[72gmguy]

I don't remember a gap like that on mine. I will have to check.

[harrij4]

Originally Posted by 72gmguy

I don't remember a gap like that on mine. I will have to check.

That would be great. Anyone else who has a closeup of this intersection would be great. I don't mind fabricating a part, but have no idea what it should look like or how it is installed.

[1rippen6]

Here is what you need, not an easy fab. item.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ighlight=panel

[Blazerowner]

I’m hopeful the guy that makes the carpet strips will make these. Mine aren’t bad but it would be nice to have a new set.

[Stokester]

The new bedside panels don’t fit. Should be snug against bedside. You might try and roll back the material and trim the backer board.

[harrij4]

Originally Posted by Stokester

The new bedside panels don’t fit. Should be snug against bedside. You might try and roll back the material and trim the backer board.

So you're saying that the rigid backer board should stop at the back edge of the B-pillar and just the vinyl should continue up over the B pillar to the door opening? Can anyone with factory panels confirm this?

[DeadheadNM]

OEM rear panels have a cardboard backing that (for lack of a better descriptor) conform to the contour bend of the B pillar and are affixed posterior from the B-pillar by the chrome strips along the top and screwed to the face of the B-pillar, the stands along the quarter panels, and to the rear "post" near the tailgate. This is the best example pic I can post at the moment. There is nothing amiss with your panels. A set of the chrome strips is what you need for best fitment.

It's also worth noting that for single wall tops there are two styles of upper stainless top to bedside trim pieces: one with and one without CST panels.

[harrij4]

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

OEM rear panels have a cardboard backing that (for lack of a better descriptor) conform to the contour bend of the B pillar and are affixed posterior from the B-pillar by the chrome strips along the top and screwed to the face of the B-pillar, the stands along the quarter panels, and to the rear "post" near the tailgate. This is the best example pic I can post at the moment. There is nothing amiss with your panels. A set of the chrome strips is what you need for best fitment.

It's also worth noting that for single wall tops there are two styles of upper stainless top to bedside trim pieces: one with and one without CST panels.

Mine is a single wall. If you've got one, I'd love a close up shot of what's happening at the B pillar and C pillar.

[DeadheadNM]

When possible I will. At the moment my Blazer is having a few details tended to at a local resto shop: http://www.musclecarrestorations.com...Blazer-72-001/

If you post a pic of the top to bedside trim pieces you have we can try to sort out if they are CST or non-CST pieces as a lot of changes may have occurred since the Blazer was built. From what I recall, the non-CST pieces project down along the inner bedside and may interfere with the chrome panel retainer strips. The CST top to bedside strips are reproduced and are of good quality (or were). The panel strips can be re-chromed at a fairly reasonable cost if you locate a set.

[A1971Blazer]

From the factory assembly manual....

[harrij4]

Originally Posted by A1971Blazer

From the factory assembly manual....

Attachment 1923533

Attachment 1923534

Oooh...that's useful. It looks like the panels do "warp" up over the B-pillar a bit. So, I'll have to form them accordingly.

I wonder if those strips can be approximated using aluminum or stainless j-channels. Those can be bought in various profiles at lengths up to 8ft.

[A1971Blazer]

On my '70 I used some textured ABS plastic sheet for side panels...
I bought some aluminum "J" channel for the top trim and some push-on vinyl trim for the ends and bottom....
it fits so snugly that I only used about 3 or 4 black trim screws per side

[notsolo]

Originally Posted by A1971Blazer

On my '70 I used some textured ABS plastic sheet for side panels...
I bought some aluminum "J" channel for the top trim and some push-on vinyl trim for the ends and bottom....
it fits so snugly that I only used about 3 or 4 black trim screws per side
Attachment 1923620

Attachment 1923621

Nice job with this....That's about as clean and tight a fit as your going to get.

[A1971Blazer]

Originally Posted by notsolo

Nice job with this....That's about as clean and tight a fit as your going to get.

Thanks...
only regret......just wish I had made it a little taller to come flush with the bedside....

[Woodsloafer]

Following - great information!

[harrij4]

Thanks for the help so far, this may all be old news, but given how hard it is to find this info I bet others have similar questions. Here's another weird wrinkle, it appears as though the door panel trim used for '67-'71 is the same profile, but just shorter pieces. Can anyone confirm that?

https://www.manestruckparts.com/stor...Category_ID=19

[A1971Blazer]

Originally Posted by harrij4

Thanks for the help so far, this may all be old news, but given how hard it is to find this info I bet others have similar questions. Here's another weird wrinkle, it appears as though the door panel trim used for '67-'71 is the same profile, but just shorter pieces. Can anyone confirm that?

https://www.manestruckparts.com/stor...Category_ID=19

The profile is very similar...the ends are finished a little different....I have a decent set of panel trim pieces...looking for a reputable plater to refinish them

[71K5Randy]

I have heard of someone using multiple pieces of the reproduction door panel trim instead of the long rear strips. They said they cut the contoured ends where the two pieces met, and the seam didn’t stand out when installed.

[harrij4]

Originally Posted by 71K5Randy

I have heard of someone using multiple pieces of the reproduction door panel trim instead of the long rear strips. They said they cut the contoured ends where the two pieces met, and the seam didn’t stand out when installed.

I was thinking the same thing. That said, I wonder who is reproducing the door trim. They should easily be able to make "longer" versions of the door trim using the same roll-tooling.

[71K5Randy]

Originally Posted by harrij4

I was thinking the same thing. That said, I wonder who is reproducing the door trim. They should easily be able to make "longer" versions of the door trim using the same roll-tooling.

Agree but that’s only if it’s rolled. Given how the ends are formed, it’s possible it’s all done in a long die.

[harrij4]

Originally Posted by 71K5Randy

Agree but that’s only if it’s rolled. Given how the ends are formed, it’s possible it’s all done in a long die.

Yeah. I'd put good money on roll-forming with a secondary operation to form the ends. Either way Im sure those tools are somewhere overseas and not likely to be willing to do "one-off work. Buying three sets of door trim, welding them together, grinding/polishing the welds, and having it plated would work, but sure sounds expensive!

[SeventyOne]

Originally Posted by harrij4

Yeah. I'd put good money on roll-forming with a secondary operation to form the ends. Either way Im sure those tools are somewhere overseas and not likely to be willing to do "one-off work. Buying three sets of door trim, welding them together, grinding/polishing the welds, and having it plated would work, but sure sounds expensive!

Probably just as expensive as finding the correct strips and re-chroming

[harrij4]

OK, I think after some serious searching (and concluding that I'll never find a set of OE strips) I think I've settled on using these stainless steel tile bullnoses. They won't have the exact profile of the original, but they're a nice radius and can be polished to a mirror finish.

Alternately, the local Home Depot has some chrome plated options
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Custom-B...DC98/305238415