MCI Mouldings

[Tom Y]

I am getting ready to put the mouldings back on my 5C. Have any of you replaced the plastic under the mouldings? If so did it come from MCI? I need to put the gutter on also put I think it did not have a spacer under it. Does anyone get a price break through MCI? I tried a local bus converter but they don't order enough parts to get a break.  Thanks Tom Y

[JackConrad]

    I don't get a price break, but yes the side trim moldings have a spacer under the trim at each screw.  Most were and are missing on our bus, but you can't notice it.  We did use SS screws when we reinstalled our trim. 
   MCI also sells a black rubber strip that goes behind the trim. I opted to not use the rubber strip feeling that it would trap dirt and moisture.
   There are no spacers under the drip rail. We did put a layer if 3/4" x 1/8" butyl rubber tape under our driprail to insure a watertight seal. 
   All this on our MC-8, but I am pretty sure your MC-5 is the same.  Jack

[Tenor]

My 68 mci 7 appears to have had WOOD(!) under the moulding.  I found many pieces of it left inside the bus.  There was no way I'd put that back in.  There seems to be no issue on my bus with those being left out.  I also stripped a 72 MCI 7 and it did not have anything underneath them either.   As for the gutter, I had to strip those from the 72 as well and it had old butyl tape behind it to seal it to the body.  I thought that was a pretty good idea so I got it from a local rv parts dealer in 20 ft rolls and put it together.  A trick to that I think.  I put it on the gutter first and then put it on the bus.  I think that caused some of the tape to slip.  It might be easier to put the tape on the bus, then put up the gutter with 2 people.  Good luck!  

[Tom Y]

Jack, The black rubber strip is what I am thinking about. Mine has the round plastic spacers, but it also had a black plastic strip that showed on the top and botom. My plastic strip is in poor shape. So did you remove the remaning spacers? And just screw the moulding on? My 5  looks the same as the 8s. Thanks Tom 

[JackConrad]

Yes, I just screwed the molding to the bus without spacers or the plastic strip. We only reinstalled the molding above the baggage doors, going up behind the D window and across the windshield and the drip rail. Molding under OEM windows was left off after reskinning.  Without the black plastic strip, when washing, I can direct water behind the molding to rinse out any dirt that has accumulated behind the molding. Jack

[Tom Y]

Jack, One more question please. On the drip moulding the screws are up right? It has been off to long. Thanks Tom

[JackConrad]

Yes, at least on our MC-8 they are.  Jack