Wheel well trim or NOT?

[MxRacer855]

I can't decide what looks better. I'm NOT going for a factory resto. It really seems like the majority of people leave the trim off.

What do you guys think?

Jeff

[twodko]

They're left off chebbies. Def wheel well trim. Just sayin'........ 

[Corey Dean]

I tend to think wheel well chrome trim, and only speaking of wheel well trim here, is like jewelry. I think it can detract from the muscular, aggressive stance. Leave the jewelry off, it's a Charger, not Dog The Bounty Hunter. Now, if it's an SE Broughm than put it on. Just my opinion, everyone has their likes and dislikes and that's the beauty of this hobby, you can do what you want to your car as long as you are happy.

[VegasCharger]

I voted "ON"
Much better appearance!

IMO leaving it off is a cop out.
Other topics:
2nd gen Chargers with no vinyl top should NOT have the C Pillar trim.
But should have the Charger C-Pillar scripts.
All 68-69's should have the black in the tail panels especially 68's.
Just my 

[hatersaurusrex]

I voted "ON"
Much better appearance!

IMO leaving it off is a cop out.
Other topics:
2nd gen Chargers with no vinyl top should NOT have the C Pillar trim.
But should have the Charger C-Pillar scripts.
All 68-69's should have the black in the tail panels especially 68's.
Just my 

Yeah nothing ruins the look of a 2nd gen Charger like leaving off the black tailpanel or painting the bumper.   Unless you're going for a completely custom look, that is.   I'm still not a fan but have seen some nice cars with painted trim - just not my thing.

[Lord Warlock]

Cars of the 60s had chrome, if your car had it to start with, by all means put it back on and enjoy it.  Some colors look better with minimal chrome, as do some cars, but the 2nd gen chargers look best with a few shiny accents on them.  I like the vinyl tops and the chrome trim around the windows, I even like the rocker chrome on mine that few chargers seem to have on, the wheel well trim just completes the package and add a little flash to the edges and help enhance the body lines.  I vote to use the trim. 

[Ghoste]

Wheel well trim was pretty much standard fare in the Chargers.   They were the flagship of Dodge performance so looking muscular and classy was easy.  If you want a stripper go Super Bee.

[six-tee-nine]

Leave it on.

Vintage cars had it and demand it.
Without any piece of chrome a car looks really 80's

[garner7555]

I don't like tons of chrome on anything. I painted the chrome bumpers on a king ranch f250 I use to have and really improved the looks. Back to the charger,  I ripped off the rocker panel trim and I am gonna loose the wheel well trim as well.  I plan to keep the chrome bumpers and I may not shave the drip rails either.  Some chrome is fine, too much chrome just doesn't look good if your not going factory resto.     

[XH29N0G]

I understand the trim arguments.  I had a 69 Pontiac with tones of trim, but my dad's (now my) 70 XH was ordered w/ no trim (had no blacked out tail panel).  I grew up thinking cars (and boats) should be simple, but fast.  But I think that was my dad's influence.  I still like the look.

[bakerhillpins]

I think you are a fool to leave it off..     One of the best parts of these cars is the way they accented elements of the vehicles with chrome moldings.

Just sayin.

[Ghoste]

Agreed.  The Chargers were far from being overdone with chrome, they had just the right amount to accent certain parts tastefully.

[Back N Black]

I vote trim on. 

[Charger-Bodie]

If the trim was thick gaudy stuff, I'd say leave it of but it's just right. Put it on.

[Mytur Binsdirti]

I can't get enough trim.

[myk]

Just say NO to wheel well trim.

[TPR]

Trim on for me. Looks unfinished without it.

[nvrbdn]

i went ahead and voted yes. i have heard that "especially for the 69" it is a must. i was told that for a 70 it is an either/or type thing. i myself have a complete set of original pieces residing in my trunk. just waiting to see if i will finally go ahead and mount them on the car or not.

[bill440rt]

Wheel opening moldings were standard on '68 - '69's, optional on '70's.

IMHO, they really set the car off. Nice & tasteful. It almost looks unfinished without them. Especially on stock restored Chargers.
Then again, some may look OK without it, it all depends on the "theme" of the car, especially on modified/customs.

If the trim was thick gaudy stuff, I'd say leave it of but it's just right. Put it on.

x2
Chevelles come to mind, they had really wide, thick wheel opening moldings. Clunky looking almost. 

[EccentricMagpies]

goes good with dull paint

[Cooter]

Although. I think WWT is opening up a place for rust to start, and I generally (pun intended) leave it off.
However, I have NOS pieces for the Challenger and they will be returned to the car.

[twodko]

The "Dog the Bounty Hunter" reference was funny as hell! 

[Patronus]

Great poll topic!
Only geezers run wheel well trim. 

[TUFCAT]

Just say NO to wheel well trim.

Just say NO to spandex work shirts...      

[4aThrill]

i think it all depends on the look your going for on your car/ride and just one more thing to think about clean/shine, dents in the trim but it does protech the paint somewhat though

[1974dodgecharger]

Lol, holy shit tuffcat that me lmao so bad.....

Just say NO to wheel well trim.

Just say NO to spandex work shirts...      

[cudaken]

My Wheel Well Molding was still on pretty good shape so I reinstalled them.

Cuda Ken

[charge69]

The trim, at least on my Charger is NOT chrome!  The wheel well trim, vinyl top trim and all the window trim (windshield, rear window and side glass) is all polished stainless steel!  How can it this thread go this far without someone pointing this out?

Anyway, I prefer the wheel well trim on a Charger. Most came with it for a reason, it looks more complete with it.

[Lord Warlock]

hey, its metal, its shiny, so even if it is stainless and not chrome, we reserve the right to lump them all together. 

[R6red4spd69RT]

I think it really depends how "old school" your taste is.

I'm a proud old school guy, I like my car how I saw muscle cars all those years ago.

Yes, I'm an old guy and I grew up with these cars and I love them. That doesn't mean though other tastes aren't valid. 

[twodko]

Hey Myk,

Tuffy's just jealous.

[chargerbr549]

I tend to prefer the wheel well trim with old school 15" wheels and taller tires (i'm kind of old school anyways) but if your into the taller wheels and and short tire combo I think the trim sometimes tends to clash with the bigger diameter wheels, JMO,

Kevin

[Baldwinvette77]

People out there are starving, and here we are arguing over wheel well moldings, Gotta love the first world 

[R6red4spd69RT]

People out there are starving, and here we are arguing over wheel well moldings, Gotta love the first world 

Wow, I thought we were talking about cool stuff we're jazzed about!

I don't think we're "arguing".

Big buzz kill.

[1973rallye]

Yes to wheel well trim. Ma mopar knew how to do it up right. Just the right amount of bling to bring it all together.

[dual fours]

I think wheel well trim looks very nice with certain tires, wheels and body color, FK5 being one of them.

[don duick]

Great poll topic!
Only geezers run wheel well trim. 

the charger is a geezermobile  so they should be left on

[Chippa]

I've been wanting to put a set back onto my 69' but the cost of buying them and shipping them to me in Western Australia has turned me off from purchasing a set 

So if anyone has a set they would like to offload for a good price and ship to me let me know !!!!  haha

[Ghoste]

If I cant everyone to build their car the way I want then I certainly cant solve world hunger.

[71charger_fan]

When I repainted my car, I left off the trim as it wasn't in great shape. Now that repros are available and the car's being painted again, I'm going to put it back on.

[Bob T]

Looks nude without it, unless maybe your car has a custom flat or suede finish paint job.
There's a blue Willy's coupe with a suede job around , it just looks super cool...

[Brass]

Depends on the car - the wheel and color combo.  I think my car looks better with - so that is how I voted.

[69wannabe]

I think it looks good with it myself!! A good friend of mine has a 69 General Lee and he took his wheel well chrome off so it would be more correct for a General Lee and since I wasn't going back with the uniform he offered me his original set that was in very nice shape for free!! I had planned on buying some re-pop trim but i'm glad I waited since this was one of the last additions to the car since I had to drill new holes for the trim with the new fenders and quarters we put on there. Looks great with it to me tho...

[TPR]

I've been wanting to put a set back onto my 69' but the cost of buying them and shipping them to me in Western Australia has turned me off from purchasing a set 

So if anyone has a set they would like to offload for a good price and ship to me let me know !!!!  haha

PM sent.
TPR

[1974dodgecharger]

Looks nude without it, unless maybe your car has a custom flat or suede finish paint job.
There's a blue Willy's coupe with a suede job around , it just looks super cool...

I like the chrome when I do a magnum setup, but with a modern setup I like to take it off hence why I have not sold my chrome pieces since they are original to the car. (excuse the random picture taker)

[tan top]

  put the trim on    although look good with out it too    not much help  here 

[el dub]

Are the screws that hold on the trim stainless? What size are they? You all got me wanting to put my trim on next.

[HeavyFuel]

Never even crossed my mind to leave it off. 

[dual fours]

Are the screws that hold on the trim stainless? What size are they? You all got me wanting to put my trim on next.

80 %+ say do it.  
Now this is an honest poll, you can only vote once.

[Lord Warlock]

The originals I don't think were stainless, mine were corroded and a bit rusty when i took them off to paint, the ones i used to put them back on were stainless i believe.  I found absolutely no rust anywhere under my trim when i took them off, so they don't attract rust, some of the backsides of the trim had minor grime and  a spot or two of rust forming that came off with a little scrubbing with steel wool.

[Ghoste]

Nice photo heavyfuel.

[HeavyFuel]

Are the screws that hold on the trim stainless? What size are they? You all got me wanting to put my trim on next.

Zinc.


AMK has them.

[el dub]

Thanks, that's what I was looking for Heavy Fuel.

[bill440rt]

Just a heads up, those screws are correct up until '69.
In '70, the screws changed to this design.

[HeavyFuel]

Ah...Bill....I see what you did there.....'just a "heads" up'.   

[bill440rt]

    

[64dartgt]

For me, being a New Englander, a car without the chrome wheel well trim used to be a sure indication that there was too much bondo in panel to refit it.  They used to just slather it on.  I once saw a 70 camaro with a missing chunk on the door a half inch thick 

[challenger70]

The originals I don't think were stainless, mine were corroded and a bit rusty when i took them off to paint, the ones i used to put them back on were stainless i believe.  I found absolutely no rust anywhere under my trim when i took them off, so they don't attract rust, some of the backsides of the trim had minor grime and  a spot or two of rust forming that came off with a little scrubbing with steel wool.

I thought all the trim was stainless...  I bought a set off a guy that claims they were original in real nice shape and they had chunks of a very rusted out charger still around the screws.

[Lord Warlock]

The trim itself probably is stainless,  I don't think the original screws that held them on were stainless though, my screws rusted some, as mentioned before there was some pitting and rust looking spots on the underside of mine after taking it off, but it all came off after working on it with steel wool and sandpaper.  So I believe the trim is stainless...can't sand and repolish chrome...found out that the vent window chrome is actually plated not stainless like the rest of the trim was, it did NOT like being sanded on .   None of my fenders had any rust forming along the edge where the wheel well trim was, so I don't think it promoted rust there, unless there was other rust  already present.

[Ghoste]

Yes, stainless trim with non stainless screws.