Rocker Panels

[USMCTerminator]

I had a question on the rocker panels on 2003 cobras. The Rocker Panel on the RH side of my cobra is coming loose at the forward end of the panel (long panel). I pulled the rocker panel molding trim off that secures the rocker panel to the body along the top of the rocker panel. This is the trim that says mustang on it and has 4 or 5 clips that go through the rocker panel and into the body of the car. I noticed that there is one hole in the body forward of the holes that the trim clips hook into that appears to not be used. It had some type of adhesive over this hole that was used to hold the rocker panel to the body that has since separated.

Should the rocker panel have a clip of any sort that connects directly to the body in this location? Is this adhesive what was used from the factory or is this something the first owner did?

Thanks for any help.

 

[Carbon Driven]

Post up a picture but I think the Mustang strip should go the entire length of the door sil

 

[USMCTerminator]

Will do. I'll try and pull it off this weekend and take a picture.

 

[Carbon Driven]

I believe there is 10 holes for that strip to plug into

 

[Carbon Driven]

I verified that there are 11 holes the strip plugs

 

[Bfazona]

Subscribed. I have the same issue, but may have a broken clip at the front hole from the previous owner catching it with his foot.

 

[USMCTerminator]

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[USMCTerminator]

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[USMCTerminator]

The first photo shows how the front part of the long rocker panel is loose. The second photo shows the hole in the body where it looks like a clip should go. The black trim that secures the rocker panel to the body stops before that hole. It appears the previous owner had used an adhesive to secure it and the adhesive wore away. Any insight anyone can provide would be appreciated.

 

[Carbon Driven]

Does ythe clip strip look like its cut off at the end and should be longer? I'll post a pic of mine tomorrow

 

[USMCTerminator]

Does ythe clip strip look like its cut off at the end and should be longer? I'll post a pic of mine tomorrow

Thanks for the reply. No the black "mustang" trim that secures the rocker panel is not cut. There is also no cutout in the rocker panel itself for a clip to go through. There is only a hole in the body itself for a clip to go into. It almost looks as if there should be a clip on the inside of the rocker panel that goes into the body. I'm hoping someone here has removed one before and can clarify if that's the case.

 

[Carbon Driven]

Ok took my side skirt off earlier and snapped some pics. The plastic plug strip only has 10 clips. The 11th is not filled in and left that way as its under the door hinge pivot area. I do have an 01 Cobra so maybe 03/04 terminator ones might be different for the 11th.

Hope it help

 

[Bfazona]

Did you ever get a definitive answer to what secures the most forward hole?

 

[USMCTerminator]

Ok took my side skirt off earlier and snapped some pics. The plastic plug strip only has 10 clips. The 11th is not filled in and left that way as its under the door hinge pivot area. I do have an 01 Cobra so maybe 03/04 terminator ones might be different for the 11th.

Hope it help

Thank you very much! The fact that the 01 also has a extra hole that is not used makes me think that there is nothing wrong with my rocker panel except it is just "pulling" away from the car. I may buy some 3M adhesive and a new rocker panel trim to replace the one currently on the car.

 

[USMCTerminator]

Did you ever get a definitive answer to what secures the most forward hole?

Not definitive, but it sounds like Cobra Drifter's 01 cobra has a similar design and a clip is not broken off. I think I will apply some 3M adhesive to the bottom of the rocker panel at the front where it is pulling away from the car and then replace the plastic black rocker panel trim with a new trim. The adhesive is around $10 and the trim is about $30. I will let you know if that fixes the problem or if the only other solution is to replace the entire rocker panel (~$300).

 

[USMCTerminator]

Did you ever get a definitive answer to what secures the most forward hole?

I took my rocker panel off last night and repaired it. To answer your question, nothing secures the most forward hole. It is not used. I will post up pictures and an explanation. If you have any questions let me know.

 

[USMCTerminator]

I repaired my passenger rocker panel problem last night. I will try and keep this as short as possible and to the point.

Prior to performing the work I researched the best adhesives I could find and came across 3M VHB Heavy Duty Mounting Tape #5952 on Amazon for $31. Note: this stuff is extremely strong. Do not apply until you are sure you are ready. It will damage anything it is attached to if you try and remove it.

I then ordered a new Mustang Logo Rocker Panel Molding Trim ($30) and Rocker Panel Molding 14 piece push pins ($13) from Late Model Restoration.

Rocker Panel after removal:

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I then found what was causing the rocket panel to pull away from the body of the car. The previous owner had used some sort of adhesive to bond the rocker panel along the top. The adhesive had since failed. I removed the old adhesive and cleaned the surface with Isopropyl Alcohol.

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I cleaned the front (short) and rear (long) rocker panels with Isopropyl Alcohol where they contact each other. I then applied the 3M tape along the front panel.

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I then reassembled the front and rear rocker panels while applying pressure to the tape for 30-sec. Notice the difference in the gap between the two panels.

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Finally I applied the 3M tape along the body of the car where the most forward hole (that is not used) is located to secure the forward end of the rocker panel along the top side. This is where I had the problem to begin with.

I then reinstalled the rocker panels, making sure to line up the holes for the rocker panel trim to clip into along the top of the rocker panel. I applied pressure to the tape for 30-sec and then installed the rocker panel trim that secures the rocker panel to the car. I let the tape set for the night and reinstalled all the push pins along the underside of the car in the morning.

Finished result:

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The only thing I would say is be careful when lining up the holes because I had a hole that was off a little and I used a file to open it up so the trim would clip into it and I managed to scratch the paint.