30 Chrysler Drip Rail

[Bill Harmatuk]

OK you Chrysler, Dodge, Desoto experts.

How do you remove the original drip rail from a 30 Chrysler CJ sedan with out completely screwing it up??

I do know it has hidden body nails behind it, that go through the body and into the wooden header. The nail are spaced a foot apart and are hidden by part of the drip rail /rail gutter. I've had a putty knife behind the rain gutter and it has loosened up some but refuses to move very much. It now has about a 1/16 gap started.

Any help would be appreciated. There is minor rust behind the drip rail and I would feel much better if I could remove it and clean and sand.

I see some cars that have either removed the drip rail or it has been replaced with non original.

Thanks

Bill Harmatuk

[Guest martylum]

Bill-you'll think I'm stalking you but I follow the technical column with interest.

I restored a 29 Desoto sedan with an , I think, Briggs body and found that LeBaron Bonney listed drip rail in several shapes in their catalog for Model A Fords and one style fitted the Desoto so i bought new rails and welded together for enough length for the Desoto body each side. The old rails were rusty and thin. I drilled holes and attached with period style body nails from LeBaron. I think the other style rail is aluminum and these were steel. I was able to use various other hardware items from this catalog so some of their stuff works on Chrysler products too. The Desoto may have used the same body maker as your CJ.

Martin Lum

[DavidAU]

Have you tried carefully bending back the folded tabs at the end of the gutter strip and having a look. You can see in your photos that it has an insert strip which must cover the heads of the screws/nails as it is slightly shorter than the gutter itself.

Once the tab is moved back you may be able to get a screw driver or similar under the end of the cover strip and gently prise it out.

David

[Bill Harmatuk]

Hey Marty

You can stalk me all you want.

When I get up to my eye lids with the ole Chrysler, I'm going to aggravate the......#*(( out of you.

I still need to pick your brain about 2 part epoxy primer.

I think I'm going to spray her a section at a time to make sure the metal is right, when the primer lays down. Its 97% ready and in ospho, right now. Going to sand it again, and inspect with a microscope before I spray. I'm NOT in a hurry. Going back to black paint.

Drip rails.

The little tabs are, I'm sure, holding the clue to taking the rails apart.

Before I go bending 70 year old tabs, twice, I thought I would ask to see if anyone has done this before.

It appears that once the tabs are unfolded the center section either slides out, length wise, or it is some kind of snap fit. The nails ARE behind the center section.

I'll do surgery the next time my wife is out of town and I have plenty of time

and no distractions.

Thanks for the in put and I'll take pictures.

(Just got back from a 2 day Nikon School.)

Thanks again.

Bill H