Side trim clips sealant etc..
 

I'm going to put some paint on the Amazon so the side trim is off.

When I put the trims back on I was going to put some seam sealer around the backs of the panels where the trim clips come through..is that a good idea or should I use something more 'putty' like? Don't think you can get the original stuff anymore..

On a side note....is there an alternative to those god awful side trim clips? My Merc has plastic female sockets which push into the bodywork holes, then male plastic clips go into them, that way there is no metal to metal contact..it's much better.

Cheers

Sticky situation...
 

New clips, waxoil and old school windscreen sealant. Works for me.

I completely agree with you about the Mercedes attention to detail. My W123 has a very good system but I can't see it working with the trim I've got on my PV (but I might take a closer look just in case)

I wouldn't be surprised if in the 1960s Mercedes used a similar system as the Volvo however so I guess we shouldn't be too hard on them!

I've been thinking along the lines of caulking strips and just hoping those evil clips don't scratch my new paint.

I've also been considering full on modern automotive double sided tape but for that to work I reckon you'd need to fill in the underside of the trim with something like an epoxy filler so there would be enough surface area for the glue on the tape to grip onto the trim.

There's a company called Bresco that do all manner of fasteners, among which are Mk 2 Escort trim clips, which look possible.

Yep..after posting i went on a better hunt, found these..https://bresco.com/acatalog/Moulding...3P.html#SID=31

They also do wider ones which you could cut down to help with perfect alignment strip to strip. Rubber washers and nuts and off you go..

Good find but perhaps these are better because of the curved top? It could dig quite nicely into the bent up lipped edges of the trim

https://bresco.com/acatalog/Pronged-....-BSF049P.html

https://bresco.com/acatalog/BSF054-5-Popup.jpg

Maybe, but it's all about the height..the strips are 17mm top to bottom with a 1.5mm or so lip top/bottom..have to order some to have a play. Rather have plastic mind.

Wrap some PTFE tape round the threaded portion and a fiber washer between the nut and the body shell. A good dollop of grease wouldn't do any harm either.

Something I noticed when I started working on my car after it had stood unused for 22 years: Little or no rust where the clips pass through the body panels; but, where the pointy rear ends of the (chromed) trim strips at the back touched the paint (note: merely touched) rust had developed that penetrated the paint and the body panel to produce a hole where there was no hole before. Here are pics of the right and left hand sides. I am aware: chrome + steel = galvanic action, but I didn’t know that the action could be so powerful.

I shaped my own from a piece of hard plastic to fit exact size of slot, drilled a hole for screw as per photo 10 years ago. It was a pain to screw nut in from other side in certain spots but not a problem in that time.