Whether it’s prepping for a paint job or a simple replacement, driprail mouldings can be challenging to the uninitiated, as there are no visible screws, clips, or other attaching hardware. Since the mouldings aren’t part of the body structure, how do these bright trim pieces stay intact, or come off for that matter? The simple answer is, the mouldings clip on to the driprails. Putting them on and taking them off is the difficult part.
Removing the mouldings from the driprails is a relatively painless process if you follow our string of how-to photos and fashion the custom tool we show you here. Installing mouldings, especially new ones that have never been on a car, can be challenging. The new set we used here, a high-quality reproduction from Virginia Classic Mustang, gave us a fit or two, and we’ve installed several sets of these mouldings before! So you can imagine the frustration and anxiety levels you might reach if you’ve never done this. Sometimes it’s easier to install mouldings on one car than another, so keep your fingers crossed and hope you own one of the easy cars.
We won’t lie to you; these things are just plain tough to put on. We don’t even know exactly how the factory managed to get them on without denting them; it must be a miracle. If you’re replacing your mouldings, we suggest you practice with your old ones first by actually reinstalling them back on to your driprails.
Lastly, if you can get the old ones off, but you’re having trouble installing the new ones (even with our tips), don’t fight the mouldings until they’re wrapped around your spouse’s neck. Calm down, take a deep breath, then drive to your favorite body or restoration shop and write them a check. Otherwise, you’ll end up ordering three sets of mouldings before you get it right, and you won’t have kind words to say about me or Mustang Monthly. Remember, I warned you.