'69 wiper door trim screws

[Jeffrey S.]

On early '69 wiper doors, the upper trim piece was held on by hidden clips across the top and a screw (not a "rivet") on each end. I know what the head of the screw looks like but can anyone tell me if it was a sheet metal screw or an machine screw? If it was a machine screw, what was the thread size? Thank!
Jeff

[George W.]

Re: '69 wiper door trim screws

Neither.
It is a "knurled" pin, similar to those used to attach the splash shields to intake manifolds.
G.

[Jeffrey S.]

Re: '69 wiper door trim screws

George,
Thanks for your response. What you are describing is called a drive screw. I believe that this was first used in late '69 according to the Bizzoco book. On page 40 he states that the "rivet" first appeared on late '69 cars. Early cars used 2 styles of Phillips screws. The AIM shows 2 different part numbers for this and these numbers are different than later AIM numbers. I remember that many years ago I tried to remove these which I know had Phillips heads and the heads snapped off. Another indication that these were screws and different than later cars is that the AIM for '72 shows that a .113 hole was to be drilled in the door on the assembly line to accept the drive screw where there is nothing shown on the page for '69 indicating that the hole was drilled (and maybe tapped?) where it was manufactured. Attached are 2 pictures of a very original '72 that shows a Phillips style screw. Anyone have an original early '69 to compare?
Thanks!
Jeff

[Alan S.]

Re: '69 wiper door trim screws

Hi Jeff,
Here's one of the screws from my 71.
It's an odd little screw... notice the round 'shoulder' on the flat head; and the slots are very small, even for the size of the head.
Should it have body color on it or not?
Hope this helps!
Regards,
Alan

[Jeffrey S.]

Re: '69 wiper door trim screws

Alan,
Thanks very much! This really helps because it looks like a sheet metal screw not a machine screw. I found some sheet metal screws that are exactly as pictured in the Bizzoco book with sheet metal screws. I find it hard to believe that this was used because it screws into a solid piece of aluminum not through
thin sheet metal or fiberglass. I also found a 6-32 screw with a head close to what you show.
Jeff

[Alan S.]

Re: '69 wiper door trim screws

Hi Jeff,
Any thought as to painted or not?
I don't have a picture of my wiper door in it's original state and I can't remember if the body color was under the trim or not?
Regards,
Alan

[Jeffrey S.]

Re: '69 wiper door trim screws

Alan,
I can only speak from my own observations of my car. When it was repainted (from original paint) some years ago, I did not remove the trim piece from the door. I remember that I could not get the clips to release so I left it together. I took the trim of for the first time last week and there was paint under the trim and on the door which leads me to believe that the 2 were painted separately and assembled after paint. Also, the original paint '72 that I posted the picture for showed no evidence of paint and appeared black phosphate or oxide. I believe that these screws were black or maybe zinc/cad but not painted. Someone who has more experience than I do might give you more definitive answer.
Jeff

[Terry M.]

Re: '69 wiper door trim screws

This is John Ballard's territory, and I would be real interested in his (or one of the other C3 exterior judges) take on it. I have always believed the pieces were painted and the trim assembled to the door after paint. Thus the screw or drive rivet would not be painted -- UNLESS this area was finessed on one of the120% of production that went through the refinish line.

[Don L.]

Re: '69 wiper door trim screws

FWIW, my thinking is similar to Terry's. My '72 AIM shows the screw with its part number and shows the assembly to the trim piece. That said, does it stand to reason that the screw should NOT be painted?

If the screw is to be body color, it seems to me that the door/trim sub assy would be done off line and prior to paint. Then there's the complication of how to mask the stainless "bead" when already in a sub-assembly. Also, the wiper door would then NOT be painted underneath the trim. Alternatively, if the screw is indeed painted, the door/trim would have had to be delivered to St. Louis already assembled and painted - or - there would have had to be a supply of painted screws in each body color option on the assy line.

Alan, thanks so much for posting your photos. You and I have converesed about this issue off line and the photos are extremely helpful to me as I currently have no screws and am working blindly to get correct look without useful information like you have shared here.