In the process of replacing my interior with new parts and I have run into a snag with the dog leg trim that goes behind the door. I am short at least one or two of the original clips that attach the trim to the body but that isn't the problem. In attempting to use the clips I am having a heck of time getting them properly located on the new trim piece. I attempted to use universal trim clips made of plastic from ACE Hardware (I love their fastener department) but the ones I bought were too big. I will go back and buy smaller ones but I am wondering what others who have used this replacement part have done.

Edited July 3, 201014 yr by conedodger

MSA sells the clips. They look original, but I had to form them a bit so they would fit into the receiver hole. MSA also sells the rubber receiver grommets.

Thanks Miles. I need to dig out their catalog...

Don't know if you finished your trim clip installation, but I'm also installing new trim clips and thought these pictures might be of some help. I'm actually replacing my backer boards as well, so I have access to both sides of the trim piece. If you don't have access to both sides of the trim piece, you can use the tool shown in the pictures by making a cardboard or 1/8" plywood template of the trim piece, find and drill the holes as shown, then transferring that to your actual trim piece.

Anyways, I built a "hole finder" similar to what we use to find holes when building our homebuilt airplanes. Some scrap aluminum, a piece of wood dowel that just fits in the hole in the car body, a piece of material the same thickness as the trim backer board and a little bit of hardware get combined as shown in the picture to make the "hole finder". Make sure the hole in the top piece matches the hole used to hold the wood dowel in place. To use, simply have the trim piece correctly positioned on the underlying body part, lift up the edge of the trim piece where you need to mount the clip, slide the wooden dowel into the hole, press the "hole finder" tight against the other side of the trim backer and drill your pilot hole. Take the trim piece off and drill the full size hole followed by trimming to the hole that allows the clip to pass through the trim piece. The pictures do a better job than the words.

BTW, the plastic clips I used are from a '90/'91 Toyota Camry. They seem to have just the right amount of grip for the holes in my '72 240Z.