This Month`s Tech Article

by Randy Irwin
1955 SIDE STAINLESS INSTALLATION
Side stainless on a 1955 Chevy can be replaced easily with bolt-in and
push-in style clips.You may choose to purchase a complete clip set,
(which contains all the clips you need to do both sides of your vehicle),
or individual clip sets to complete just the fenders, doors, quarter panels
or lower paint dividers. CCI also sells complete side stainless kits to finish
your vehicle right! Make your Classic stand out at car shows and conventions with correctly placed stainless. Take the guess work out—it’s easy
when it’s a kit!
#1a
#11-158
#1b
Photo #1a & 1b & 1c & 1d: Many times when at a car show, we
see a vehicle that has the fender and door stainless upside
down! It’s very easy to do! In this article we will go over the
proper way to install stainless on your 1955. On a Bel Air, the
stainless goes all the way forward on the fender and stops half
way through the door. Then it continues lower down the door
into the quarter panel. If you are going to install Bel Air
stainless on a non-Bel Air car, you will need to find a Bel Air
and take as many actual hole placement measurements as you
can. The holes in the fender and upper door are 1/4".
#34-32
Parts Needed:
Member price
34-32
55 Two-door clip set
Includes clips for fenders, doors, quarter panels,
upper & lower paint dividers.
34-03 55 Fender clip set
34-04 55 Door clip set
34-06 55 Quarter panel clip set
34-07 55 Upper & lower paint divider clips
11-158 55 Side stainless kit, 2-dr Bel Air sedan
Includes for left and right side: long lower stainless,
fender spears, forward upper door molding, rear
lower door molding.
11-155 55 Side stainless kit, 2-dr Bel Air convertible/hardtop
Includes for left and right side: long lower stainless,
fender spears, forward upper door molding, rear
lower door molding.
Tools Needed:
Time Frame:
Phillips screwdriver
3/8" Wrench
2- Hours
61.74 set
14.24 set
17.09 set
20.89 set
15.19 set
#1c
455.99 kit
The hole for the forward clip for the lower door stainless is
5/16" and the hole for the rear screw for the lower door
stainless is 3-5/16".
455.99 kit
#1d
All the holes in the quarter panel are 5/16".
12 August 2011 Chevy Classics
Photo #2: This shows a fender
spear for the left hand side of
the car. Notice the wider part
of the molding is toward the
bottom. This is where there
might be some confusion,
because this molding could
easily be installed on the right
hand side of the car instead.
#2
#6
#3
Photo #6: There’s nothing like side stainless to make these cars
look great!
Photo #3: The rear of the
stainless has three push-in
style clips. The holes that
these clips install into on the
car, are not accessible with
the stud fender on the car.
They slide into the stainless
from the rear.
#4
Photo #4: The front of the
stainless is held in place with
two clips with spring loaded
tails and a 10-32 nut.
Photo #5: Remember not to
over tighten the nut, you can
damage the paint. The upper
door stainless has four of the
same type of clips with a 10-32
stud for the rear of the
stainless, but the front of the
stainless has a flat plate that
slides into the stainless, and is
held in place with a 10-32
phillips head screw.
#7
Photo #7: The lower rear door and quarter stainless is painted
in the center. The color inside is Winter White. On the lower
door and quarter panel, the wider metal part is toward the top
of the car.
#5
#8a
#8b
Photo #8a & 8b: The front of the stainless is held on to the
door with a large clip with a tail, and a 10-32 stud and pal nut.
At the rear end of the stainless there is a plate, like the upper
door stainless, that is held in place with a 10-32 phillips head
screw. This hole is offset to the top.
Chevy Classics August 2011 13
Photo #9: This shows the
phillips screw in the door jam.
#9
Photo #10: This shows the pal
nut, which has a large washer
on it, to cover the 5/16" hole.
This large hole allows for any
adjusting.
#11
#14a
#14b
#10
Photo #11: Photo #11 shows the
three different sized clips used on the
quarter panel stainless. They have a
spring tail and a 10-32 stud. There are
10 clips that hold the quarter molding
in place. The three clips at the rear of
the stainless are the small ones, the
next three clips forward on the
stainless are the medium sized ones,
and the four clips on the front of the
stainless are the large ones.
Photo #14a & 14b: The upper paint divider is held to the body
with three clips with a spring tail and 10-32 studs and nuts.
#15
Photo #15: The lower paint divider fits
at the rear of the quarter molding and
is held in place with two flat clips and a
10-32 stud and nut.
#16
#12a
Photo #12a & 12b: These clips
can be installed with the tail up
or down. It doesn’t matter, the
10-32 stud is in the center
either way.
#12b
Photo #16: The channels on
the molding are to the rear
end of the car, and the
molding is bent to hug the
body down at the bumper.
The nuts for clips at the rear of the stainless are accessible
through the gas door, or from under the car. The ones further
forward on the car are accessible through the inside of the car
where the quarter window is.
Photo #13: The upper paint divider
fits between the quarter molding
and the lower quarter widow
beltline molding. This
molding is not reproduced,
so the stock one will need
to be restored.
14 August 2011 Chevy Classics
#17
#13
Photo #17: Photo #17 shows all the stainless in the proper
place and facing the correct way.
Good luck!