Advice--Trim Strips

[RickInTex]

Ever since I got my car, I've been wanting to realign the trim strips that run behind the rear wheels to the back bumpers.  When they're missing or incorrectly aligned--as they seem to be on a lot of pagodas that I see for sale on the web--it really detracts from the appearance.  Anyway, mine are slightly off, to my untrained but obsessive (neurotic?) eye, which can't help noticing that they don't line up with the corresponding strips that run between the wheels.

Despite a lot of I've never found closeup photos that really help, particularly because strip alignment also depends on that of rear bumpers.  Photos and diagrams seem to suggest that the lower edge of the strip comes close to the lower, leading edge of the bumper, but I can't be sure.  And on mine, they seem to line up there, but look crooked from a distance.

Beyond eyeballing it, it seems like the only way to be sure they're right is to measure from each end to a reliable corner on the body, rather than use the bumper as a guide:  say the lower rear corner on lip of the wheel housing, for the front end, and the lower corner where the fender meets the tail panel, below the bumper?  Thoughts, anyone?  Any generous souls with a tape measure?  Or is there a secret technique, known only to vintage body shop techs?

Rick
Dallas TX
1967 250SL, 4-speed

[Douglas]

You're definitely right about the strip being aligned with the bottom of the rear bumper. The problem is that the panel bows out, so it's not optically straight when you look at it from the side. It has a slight angle.


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Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[RickInTex]

Doug, thanks for the pics, which show the strips as they should look.  On mine, they seem to be at the right height at the front end but too low in the back, near the bumper.  Like everything else I've seen in pics of your car, yours look spot on.  What can i offer you to do some measurements for me?  Doesn't seem like a topic other people are particularly jazzed about!

Rick
Dallas TX
1967 250SL, 4-speed

[Mike Hughes]

I've been hunting through some pictures of my Pagoda ot see if there is a good representative shot of how the rear trim strips should be aligned.  The trim strip should be aligned horizontally, so that it appears from the side to be a continuation of one horizontal line, from the rear of the front wheel arch straight through to the rear bumper.  The problem seems to be that when you view the car from a 3/4 front or rear view however (especially from substantially above!), the taper of the body tends to make it look like it is "off" somewhat.  The descriptions given by the other responders seem to cover the proper alignment.  Be aware that there is some play to the adjustment of the rear bumpers themselves, which are attached by only two bolts.  You might try removing your rear strips, making a chalk line with a builder's chalk string, and then aligning the bumpers to the line before resetting your rear strips.

- Mike Hughes  -ô¿ô-
  1966 230SL Auto P/S
  Havanna Brown (408)
  Light Beige (181)
  Cream M-B Tex (121)



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[hauser]

Rick have a look in the Photo Gallery "Photos from Hauser" and check out the third picture.  There's a good shot of the side of the car.  Take a piece of paper or an envelope and place it on your screen and see how it all lines up.

1969 280sl 5 spd
Gainesville, Fl.

[RickInTex]

The photos you guys have pointed me to definitely show nicely aligned trim strips.  As I said, I mine seem to line up with the rear bumpers properly but nonetheless slope down towards the rear--probably because the bumpers hang marginally lower than they should.  I think the idea of using a builder's chalk line is my best bet for getting them straight.  

I realize these disappear sometimes in the wake of body work.  Still,
it's a mystery to me why, when cars with intact strips get repainted, these don't get replaced precisely. Here's an example (worse than mine) from a pagoda on eBay right now, from dealer in St. Louis that has been the object of discussion on here before.  (Apologies to anyone with a personal connection to the car in question.)


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Rick
Dallas TX
1967 250SL, 4-speed

[Mike Hughes]

The rear strip on this white car looks just about right, allowing for the angle of the picture and the camera lense used.  It is possible that you may be seeing somewhat of an optical illusion caused by the bottom edge of the fender rising up to the rear from the rear of the rear wheel arch.  It can make the trim strip seem to be not following the horizontal line from some angles.  Different body colors can affect how you perceive this illusion.  You and a friend might try using a length of string to eyeball the alignment of your rear strips relative to the front set.  If they are off, this should settle the matter for once and for all.  Then again, you might find that they are not as off as your mind's eye thinks!

- Mike Hughes  -ô¿ô-
  1966 230SL Auto P/S
  Havanna Brown (408)
  Light Beige (181)
  Cream M-B Tex (121)

[RickInTex]

I don't know, Mike.  Maybe you're right, but it really looks out of line to me.  Anyway, this is why, ideally, some objective criterion would be desirable, e.g. measuring from lower corners of the body panel behind the rear wheel.

Rick
Dallas TX
1967 250SL, 4-speed

[J. Huber]

Just measured. This might be relative to car heights...My bumper at the corner is 16 1/2 inches off the ground. My trim strips are 16 5/16 off the ground -- level all the way across. The trim piece behind door is 16 1/16 or so inches. I agree about the optical illusion, because my rear trim appears slightly lower at the front end because the body line on upper panel angles up slightly. Are you now sorry you asked?

James
63 230SL

[RickInTex]

James--not sorry at all.  Numbers--that's what I want!  If I weren't on the way out the door I'd go and measure mine right now.  A question:  are you satisfied your strips are spot-on aligned?

Rick
Dallas TX
1967 250SL, 4-speed

[J. Huber]

Hey Rick. Satisfied that it looks good to my eye but I cannot verify my strips are the definitive angle. You see, my car was missing the trim for years. After I had it painted, I went on a search and bought some from Mark Passerelli, one of the 113 restoration gurus. The good news was I could still see the original holes under the paint and used them... I'd wait for a few more numbers.

James
63 230SL

[Douglas]

Okay, I finally got around to making some measurements. This is tricky. For starters, how do you measure these with some consistency from car to car? There's too much curvature underneath the trim to get a dependable measurement.

I decided to use the sculpture line that runs horizontally on either side of the car as a reference point. I'm referring to the horizontal groove that runs nearly the full length of the body panels towards the top of either side of the car. (This is where you might see a pinstripe.)

Technically speaking, I believe the trim behind the rear wheels should be angled ever-so-slightly upwards towards the rear of the car. Keep in mind the panel is not flat. It bulges out slightly around the wheel openings and tapers in towards the rear, so the difference is very subtle.

I measured the distance of the front and rear tip of the trim from the sculpture line directly above it.

At the rear of the trim, I got a consistent measurement on either side of the car of 11.5 inches (29.5 cm) from the sculpture line.

At the front, I got a consistent measurement of 12.5 inches (32 cm) from the sculpture line.

Again, the difference of 1 inch is probably more because of the added curvature as you get closer to the opening for the rear wheels. It's not so much pointed "upward" towards the rear as it is pointed "outward" as it gets closer to the wheel openings.


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Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[RickInTex]

Excellent notes, Doug:  clear and helpful.  Thanks!

Rick
Dallas TX
1967 250SL, 4-speed

[J. Huber]

Thanks Douglas. Since I threw out the other set of numbers, thought I'd check your method. My front edge is 12.5 to sculptured edge: my rear is passenger side 11 5/8 and driver side @12! So pretty close but obviously off from yours on the back.

My car had a rough childhood and much less attention to detail over the years -- I'd say yours is the gold standard to work off of. Nice work.

James
63 230SL

[Douglas]

James,

Gold standard? I definitely can't live up to that. Maybe my previous SL, but my current SL is a work in progress that I'm enjoying immensely.

In any event, I do believe these pieces of trim are original and accurate on this car.

I think the best way of understanding the placement of these pieces of trim back there is to look at the car from the front at a 3/4 angle. The trim all along the side forms a nice horizontal line that goes all the way back from the front to the rear. It makes sense when you look at it from that angle.


Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220