differences from comet gt and regular comet?

My 72 Comet GT came with the stainless drip rail from the factory, however my car also came with a vinyl top...... perhaps only those with vinyl tops had the drip rail molding?

 

Intresting point!

 

That's the ONLY way to keep the vinyl attached to the car along the drip rail, unless it's a halo vinyl top. I just wasn't sure on the vinyl top availability on GT's. Excellent point though. If the car had the vinyl top removed, there should be some evidence of the quarter trim holes being filled (maybe visible from the back side of the quarter).

 

Some vvintage pics for reference.

 

The vinyl will not fit under the drip rails. I personaly have never seen vinyl all the way to the rails from the factory or otherwise. I may have seen a pic here of one but not close enough to see how it was finished at the rail edge. My 73 had a top that will eventually go back on. I took those rail guards off for the body work and they were pretty tight.
So now I am curious about the use of a top also. Seems I am seeing alot, if not all, 72 and earlier without a top.

 

Someone posted here before that vinyl top cars and non-vinyl top cars had different drip rail moldings. I can't see that since the vinyl basiclly stuffs into the drip rail and not under the drip rail molding.

 

This is what I have not seen. Maybe I have on here but not a close shot of how it's "stuffed" lol.
As far as different types of drip rail molding.. Not heard that before.

 

Oh here we go...maybe?? Looks like it does overlap the rails. Some shops that did dealer add on vinyl used to do it without pulling the drip rail trim off. That's probably what I was thinking about.

 

My vinyl top was "under" the drip rail by about 1/8" to 1/4" from the top of the vertical flat of the drip rail. I suspect there was a little bit of shrinkage over the years, too. I know the vinyl top was factory installed, as it had the rotation number written on the underside of the vinyl.

 

Here, the drip rail chrome is removed and you can see a tiny bit of vinyl on the very top of the drip rail. It was cut by hand, so remeber it's not going to be 100% consistent. There was a lot more overlap along the back C pillar drip rail, and not so much along the horizontal section of drip rail.

 

Itresting. I just cant see how it fits under that stainless piece.. Mine was a pita to remove and in doing so I just didn't think there is enough room for the added thickness of the vinyl.. I am even wondering if it will go back on without cutting into the paint. If I ever get it painted

 

I watched the whole video. I'm going to have to work out before I do mine lol. That guy sounded like he was struggling a little. I was hopeing to see them install a drip rail molding like ours..

 

different part numbers... with and without the roof covering for the molding....
http://1bad6t.com/Maverick/repair/diagrams/Comet_11.jpg

I suppose one with vinyl.. perhaps the trim molding was just a tiny bit wider to allow for the thickness of the vinyl

 

Thanks Brian (and Jeff)! I guess I never thought of the trim being different. I just thought they used a bigger hammer to put it on with a vinyl top. I wonder if there is a similar book for the Mercury, and whether it would show a "delete" for Comet GT?

 

Those are just the parts book (not even Ford), it wouldn't show a delete. You'd need the factory trim catalog, or a Mercury order form. Dennis Martin had mentioned, years ago that there was a different drip molding for a vinyl top car.