Lower tailgate trim

[402Bowtie]

I feel like this may be a dumb question, but I will ask anyway.

Is it an anomaly that this original paint, custom deluxe truck doesn't have lower trim?

I have a takeoff tailgate that also only has the upper trim that I've always thought was odd. The truck in the pics is only the second tailgate I've seen with upper trim but no lower trim.

[Casper42]

I cannot recall another like that. GM was odd with how they fitted out these trucks, adding things or substituting things, or just not using them when other trucks had them. I have a '72 Cheyenne and it has the very lower horizontal one-inch brightwork trim, just below the large woodgrain appliqué, when most Cheyenne's didn't have that.

[special-K]

No lower tailgate trim on a 2-tone, other than Z84 and YE9, is an anomaly.

42 Casper, I don't know what 1" trim you are talking about. Have any pictures by chance? I have never seen any other trim on the sides of these trucks other than the black or woodgrain accent lower trim and belt trim (upper). What you describe can't be factory, from what I have seen or know.

[402Bowtie]

Originally Posted by special-K

No lower tailgate trim on a 2-tone, other than Z84 and YE9, is an anomaly.

42 Casper, I don't know what 1" trim you are talking about. Have any pictures by chance? I have never seen any other trim on the sides of these trucks other than the black or woodgrain accent lower trim and belt trim (upper). What you describe can't be factory, from what I have seen or know.

There have been a few threads related to the tailgate trim configuration that 42Casper is referring to. Here's one thread.



Any more original-paint examples that have a two-tone truck with upper trim, but no lower trim? A SPID or serial number would be interesting too--maybe a plant-specific thing?

I'll get a pic of my takeoff tailgate that has that configuration.

[special-K]

I thought he mean side trim by the way he described it. So, he means the lower tailgate trim as well as woodgrain tailgate band. I have seen that before. I have had a Cheyenne Super with lower tailgate trim myself. That thread you linked is about K/5s. There are some differences in how those were trimmed and how pickups were.

[mr.mud1]

i had,years ago,one of the narrow lower trim moldings,NOS but can't recall if i ever had a truck with it from factory.i have a Fremont,Ca built 72 Cheyenne Super with YE9 cheyenne Super on the SPID,the woodgrain band on the tailgate and no lower trim.it was untouched original paint so i know the lower lolding was never there.

[Casper42]

other than the top tailgate protector, all brightwork is original to 1972

Originally Posted by special-K

No lower tailgate trim on a 2-tone, other than Z84 and YE9, is an anomaly.

42 Casper, I don't know what 1" trim you are talking about. Have any pictures by chance? I have never seen any other trim on the sides of these trucks other than the black or woodgrain accent lower trim and belt trim (upper). What you describe can't be factory, from what I have seen or know.

[special-K]

^^^ Yeah, I had one like that, too. It's an anomaly as well. I posted that I had misunderstood your post to mean side trim. The one I had was original paint and unaltered for sure. I take it your truck is original paint with nothing changed, too? If I recall correctly, your seat was redone using a Cheyenne Super cover.

[Casper42]

one paint respray, but these moldings masked off during the project

Originally Posted by special-K

^^^ Yeah, I had one like that, too. It's an anomaly as well. I posted that I had misunderstood your post to mean side trim. The one I had was original paint and unaltered for sure. I take it your truck is original paint with nothing changed, too? If I recall correctly, your seat was redone using a Cheyenne Super cover.

[402Bowtie]

Originally Posted by mr.mud1

i had,years ago,one of the narrow lower trim moldings,NOS but can't recall if i ever had a truck with it from factory.i have a Fremont,Ca built 72 Cheyenne Super with YE9 cheyenne Super on the SPID,the woodgrain band on the tailgate and no lower trim.it was untouched original paint so i know the lower lolding was never there.

Yes, that makes sense. For purposes of this thread, I'm not interested in Cheyennes or Supers--those had the woodgrain band.

My question is related to the lower trim levels--Custom and Custom Deluxe.

I think every Custom Deluxe truck "should" have come with the tailgate upper trim and the thin lower tailgate trim.

Not sure on Custom trim level..maybe if individual trim options were ordered? Here is a Custom with the thin lower tailgate trim.

Here's another custom deluxe I found on the board with no thin lower trim.

[special-K]

Yep, the Custom Deluxe came with tailgate trim which included lower. Customs came with no trim unless as an option. Then, the tail end trim would be the same as Custom Deluxe. Deluxe 2-tone gave Customs the trim.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by special-K

Yep, the Custom Deluxe came with tailgate trim which included lower. Customs came with no trim unless as an option. Then, the tail end trim would be the same as Custom Deluxe. Deluxe 2-tone gave Customs the trim.

The Custom Deluxe came standard without tail and side trim. The build would have to call for other trim. My truck only had the window trim and paint divider, "standard" paint scheme. In other terms, Z62 calls for window trim and "deluxe" chrome interior short the pedals didn't have trim. Agree, two tone gets all the trim. Seems you meant some Deluxe get the trim.

Originally Posted by Casper42

other than the top tailgate protector, all brightwork is original to 1972

Stock lower tailgate molding on a Cheyenne huh? Learn something new everyday. By chance is that option on your SPID or build sheet?

Originally Posted by 402Bowtie

I feel like this may be a dumb question, but I will ask anyway.

Is it an anomaly that this original paint, custom deluxe truck doesn't have lower trim?

I have a takeoff tailgate that also only has the upper trim that I've always thought was odd. The truck in the pics is only the second tailgate I've seen with upper trim but no lower trim.

Seems to me the factory missed it or something has been altered, such as a replacement gate or paint scheme.

[402Bowtie]

Here's my '71 takeoff tailgate. Also missing the thin lower trim.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by 402Bowtie

Here's my '71 takeoff tailgate. Also missing the thin lower trim.

Interesting. Hmm. I wonder why.

Perhaps it was common for an assembly to prep the tail gates for "deluxe" or Cheyenne, and it was up to the line to install this or that, who didn't because they were high

That said, both tailgate examples in this thread have painted....Is the generally the base color behind woodgrain bands?

[special-K]

Do you mean are the letters painted behind the woodgrain band? The answer is no, that area was painted all one color.

On Casper42's tailgate, I'm not sure that lower trim wasn't added at some point. It shows as being masked before the repaint, but that could mean the trim was added, then the truck was painted. The P.O. also added chrome bumpers at some point. A lot of things can happen in 50 years. Some trucks got a heap of changes while some may have been kept original except for an accent or two, often the addition of GM trim that was not original to the truck. I had a '78 Scottsdale 30 that I added the Silverado trim on the grille to and added door pouches I bought at the dealership. I can see people now, 30+ years later, pointing those items out as an odd exception from factory

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by special-K

Do you mean are the letters painted behind the woodgrain band? The answer is no, that area was painted all one color.

On Casper42's tailgate, I'm not sure that lower trim wasn't added at some point. It shows as being masked before the repaint, but that could mean the trim was added, then the truck was painted. The P.O. also added chrome bumpers at some point. A lot of things can happen in 50 years. Some trucks got a heap of changes while some may have been kept original except for an accent or two, often the addition of GM trim that was not original to the truck. I had a '78 Scottsdale 30 that I added the Silverado trim on the grille to and added door pouches I bought at the dealership. I can see people now, 30+ years later, pointing those items out as an odd exception from factory

Yep, that's what I meant. My 72 Super has a molding along it's hood center, front to back. Factory? Nah.

[402Bowtie]

Here's a low-mileage example of a '72 Custom without the lower tailgate trim despite being a two-tone truck.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by Casper42

other than the top tailgate protector, all brightwork is original to 1972

Glad I was reminded this thread, I had to correct a detail elsewhere. Casper, your rear-end is beautiful, pun not intended. I generally prefer without a band, but with that color and lower molding it POPS.

[Casper42]

Originally Posted by special-K

On Casper42's tailgate, I'm not sure that lower trim wasn't added at some point. It shows as being masked before the repaint, but that could mean the trim was added, then the truck was painted.

Though ANYTHING is possible, this is HIGHLY unlikely. If someone replaced all or most of the moldings, then perhaps the lower was added. But none of my moldings have been replaced that I can tell. I know the owner who had it in their family for 40 years, had it repainted and they report it was simply a respray

[Already Gone]

My 72 Custom/Deluxe has the lower molding..

[402Bowtie]

Originally Posted by Already Gone

My 72 Custom/Deluxe has the lower molding..

Yep, which that is typical. With this thread I'm trying to document examples of Custom Deluxe and two-tone Custom trucks without lower trim. I'm curious if there might be a pattern... Color dependent, plant dependent, or maybe more likely--completely random.

[jocko]

Interesting thread John. I sure don't know the right answer - but, I "thought" the lower tailgate trim came from the factory only on a Custom Deluxe with solid lower body paint -or- on a Custom with solid lower body paint with RPOs BX2 and/or B85 ordered.
(by solid "lower" body paint, I mean any paint scheme other then the deluxe two tone)
Casper's is the only Cheyenne or Cheyenne Super I've ever seen with lower tailgate trim.

[KQQL IT]

I thought I read it was a k5 option

[Casper42]

Originally Posted by jocko

Casper's is the only Cheyenne or Cheyenne Super I've ever seen with lower tailgate trim.

I've seen a good share of the lower trim on this trim level over the years, not giving it much thought as I have seen soo many inconsistencies between factory builds, based on many factors - most seem to be the assembly plant.

[jocko]

KQQL IT, I don't think it's an option for anyone - I'm not aware of an RPO for lower tailgate trim on a truck or Blazer.

It came on some K5s and it came on some trucks (the link John shared above is for a lengthy discussion on K5 lower tailgate trim).
Not sure the same logic applied to trucks and Blazers though.
I think the question trying to be answered here and in the K5 thread is 'what combo of trim levels, paint schemes, etc prompted the factory to include it as a matter of course' - or, put another way, 'when was it automatically included?'