1967 Eldorado Rear Window Trim

[vne247]

Does anybody know which is correct painted rear window trim or chrome for the 1967 Eldorado?  My car has it painted, but I have seen it both ways.  Did the factory send vehicles out both ways?  If so what is the option trigger for the difference?

Thanks!

[Mike Josephic CLC #3877]

Depends if your car has a vinyl top or not.
No vinyl top, chrome -- with a vinyl top the strip
is painted to match.  Example:  a black vinyl top
has a black painted strip around the rear window.

Mike

[Glen]

I did not think there was a chrome window trim.  I know that 68 through 70 Eldos had smooth and patterned trim.  The smooth was used on car without vinyl roof and the patterned was used on the cars with vinyl roof.  Smooth trim seems to be hard to find.   

[D.Smith]

I did not think there was a chrome window trim.  I know that 68 through 70 Eldos had smooth and patterned trim.  The smooth was used on car without vinyl roof and the patterned was used on the cars with vinyl roof.  Smooth trim seems to be hard to find.   

Glen is correct.    67-70 the Eldorado moldings were painted both ways.   Smooth for the slick tops, grained for those with a vinyl top.    But painted either way. 

Smooth, slick top style moldings are hard to find due to the popularity of the vinyl roof option.
In 1967 75% of Eldorados were ordered with the optional vinyl top.
In 1968 it was on 86.6% of Eldorados.
In 1969 it was on 92% of Eldorados,
In 1970 it was ordered on 94% of Eldorados.

[Mike Josephic CLC #3877]

My apologies -- I should have been more specific
and given a more complete explanation in my initial
post.

However, this topic was discussed on the Forum
several years ago.

http://forums.cadillaclasalleclub.org/index.php?topic=147653.0

Here is an example of a slick top for sale from
the net:

http://topclassiccarsforsale.com/cadillac/604695-1967-cadillac-eldorado-with-only-89k-original-miles-.html

Note the rear window trim.  In that previous
discussion, it was mentioned that slick tops
exported to Europe and some sold in CA had
chrome trim. I have seen a few (2-3) over the
last 50 years.

I have no way to verify that info since I do not have
any factory literature for the 1967-70 period.

So -- were these examples perhaps incorrect
restorations?  Or -- did some leave the factory
with a rear chrome trim? 

Mike

[Brad Ipsen CLC #737]

I know nothing about these cars but could the smooth painted ones be stainless underneath.  Easy enough to polish then.  It would not seem that painted steel would be good for this service.  Just putting them on the clips would scratch the paint and then there would be rust with plain steel.

[vne247]

Thank you!   My car is a a slick top which explains why the trim is painted.

[Glen]

I had two 68 Eldos and one each 69 and 70.  My driver is a slick top, the other 3 cars (parts cars) all had vinyl tops.  All cars had painted window trim, the slick top has a smooth finish, the others a grained texture but they were also painted. 

I always thought grained trim could be made to look like smooth trim with a little filler in the grain.  A layer of filler sanded smooth would not be hard to do. 

[J. Skelly]

I have pulled smooth trim off of a few cars and it was always painted steel.  The lower horizontal piece and the lower corner pieces are typically too rusty to use.