1970 L78 Nova SS - Cash or Cash Plus Trade

[J PAUL]

Marlin,

Thanks for the input concerning the exterior options! My last question is my small block has on the TT. A 3. As you mentioned the A is black interior. The TT calls for a VT. What 3 exterior options should be on the car since the drip rail is needed for the VT? You should charge by the answer and not the hour.

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Hah! I can't charge for this answer bec/ I don't know it

When you have a 3 on the TT, it is most likely d/rail, d/frame and body side. That is the most common combo, even for cars without a v/t - like my '69. For your car the d/rail is a given, and the body side moldings will have pegs spot welded to the body sides - making them a given. The upper row of rocker moldings are also pegged (I believe), so if you have pegs - they are a given. It's the door frame moldings that give us fits, as there is really no telltale sign that a car came with them or not. However, if you've got a 3 on the TT, and no pegs for rocker moldings - that pretty much leaves you with door frame moldings.

BTW, if someone ground off the pegs for the body side molding, and then repainted the car, you can still usually tell if the car had them. Look at the ends of the door skin, on the inside, right where the skin wraps around the door frame. There will be a hole there that was filled in, on both ends - but the door latch end is obviously much easier to see. This is because the body side molding for the doors is pegged on, except for the ends - which are screwed, thereby requiring a small hole through the frame/skin, and a unique clip inside the molding to accept a machine screw. So, look for those holes to be repaired.

[JRSully]

A way to tell what door frame mouldings the car came with is to look at the 1/4 window "hockey stick" or moulding that goes around the rear of the 1/4 glass and across the top. Normally this is not removed due to 1. a PITA to remove and not destroy it. 2. It keeps a lot of water/junk from entering that area. Hit it with a magnet, if it sticks, it is the steel version (not the polished alum)and the car probably didn't have the polished alum door frame moldings. Again, this is assmuming the car has not been messed with moulding wise