Is this the rare trim???

[Ray Cecil]

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2056344497994175/

[Rembrant]

Are you referring to the trim that only on some 1985-1986 trucks? Or something different? You can spot that one pretty quickly as it is below the signal light in the front fender, and runs right over the key hole in the door. If you're talking about something different, then ignore my reply...lol.

https://richmond.craigslist.org/cto/d/mattaponi-1986-ford-f150/7000898898.html

https://greenville.craigslist.org/cto/d/spindale-1985-ford-150/6993948719.html

https://macon.craigslist.org/cto/d/yatesville-86-f150/6993256730.html

https://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/d/tucson-85-f150-ford-lariat-truck/7003550850.html

[Ray Cecil]

Rembrant wrote

Are you referring to the trim that only on some 1985-1986 trucks? Or something different? You can spot that one pretty quickly as it is below the signal light in the front fender, and runs right over the key hole in the door. If you're talking about something different, then ignore my reply...lol.

https://richmond.craigslist.org/cto/d/mattaponi-1986-ford-f150/7000898898.html

https://greenville.craigslist.org/cto/d/spindale-1985-ford-150/6993948719.html

https://macon.craigslist.org/cto/d/yatesville-86-f150/6993256730.html

https://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/d/tucson-85-f150-ford-lariat-truck/7003550850.html

I am not really sure. I just remember someone saying something recently about rare side moldings, and I thought this one might have it. If not, ignore my post.

[Gary Lewis]

The really rare stuff is like on Rick/Fonzie's truck.  It shows on the cover of the early 1985 brochure, below:

[salans7]

The only "rare" race track trim is on the 1980 and maybe early 81 trucks. The black rubber/vinyl pieces are raised in the shape of a trapezoid, where the later pieces were flat. Just another thing that makes the 1980 trucks unique.

[Vic Roma]

To answer your question, no that’s not the rare moulding.

This is, and I believe, the last NOS one available in the free world:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F123960205894

[Gary Lewis]

Vic Roma wrote

To answer your question, no that’s not the rare moulding.

This is, and I believe, the last NOS one available in the free world:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F123960205894

I agree.  And that begs the question of how badly one wants to restore his or her truck using this trim.  Even if you find the last piece in captivity, how are you going to replace it when/if there's an accident?

But, the beauty of this trim is that it is pressure sensitive and it can be removed w/o having to fill holes or take off studs.  Like I'd have to do on Dad's truck.  

[Ford F834]

Gary, I find it odd that the 85 pressure sensitive trim is considered the “rare” stuff. I’ve seen quite a lot of it on junkyard trucks, except it’s all ruined out here in AZ. By contrast, the stuff that is on Dad’s and Big Blue I’ve only seen in person a couple of times, and only once in a junkyard. Maybe it is a regional thing, but in my experience that is the rare stuff. I also think it’s the attractive one, and if the junkyard truck I found hadn’t been damaged I would have pulled and bought the whole set:

[LARIAT 85]

I think the 1985 "pressure sensitive" trim molding is considered rare because it was only available for a short time and then quickly dropped.

The type in your picture was an unpopular option that was available from Ford for a few years.

[Gary Lewis]

I think we are using two terms that are not defined: popularity and rarity.  And each of us has our own dafynitions for those terms.

To me, rarity has to do with how long it was available from Ford.  And I suspect that was determined by popularity with those buying trucks.  In other words, the two terms are mutually dependent.  If few bought the trim then Ford would drop it.  Or, maybe there was a technical difficulty with the trim, like maybe the supplier discontinued it?

Anyway, if I use those terms with my definitions I'd say the 1985/86 pressure sensitive trim is the most rare.  And the type in Jonathan's pic, which is on both Dad's 1981 and Big Blue, the 1985, might be the next most rare.

But I do think we need to determine what definitions we are using for those terms when we state our positions.

[Rembrant]

Gary Lewis wrote

Anyway, if I use those terms with my definitions I'd say the 1985/86 pressure sensitive trim is the most rare.

I think I have to agree more with Jonathan's view on this trim Gary. It is probably rare in the sense that it was only offered during 1985 and 1986, but it was common enough that Ford did build quite a few trucks with it, and it still shows up today with some regularity. The old '85 4x4 F150 that I bought and disassembled had this trim.

Whenever somebody says that something is rare, at least when discussing Bullnose trucks, my question is always...rare in 1985, or rare as in what is still on the road in 2019?

I consider XLS and Freewheeling models rare, and maybe some other options like factory fog lights and fog light switch bezels. Me personally, I'd consider the pressure sensitive trim to be uncommon, maybe like a Victoria 2 Tone paint job or something like that.

My 2 cents worth;).

[LARIAT 85]

What's interesting is that the upper (black with chrome insert) "pressure sensitive" trim molding was featured throughout the early 1985 sales brochure as the new, exclusive molding that was found on Ford's upper-level line of trucks.  It was strangely dropped mid-year and Ford went through considerable trouble to change their brochures to completely delete it.

I don't think the upper (aluminum with black insert) trim molding that Gary has was ever featured in the sales brochures like the early 1985 "pressure sensitive" style [briefly] was.  I have only seen it in the smaller Ford Accessories brochure.  I suspect this trim was an option intended to be used on solid-color trucks from 1980 - 1984 only.  At the time, most solid-color trucks were lower trim level work trucks, and trim molding would have been unimportant to most of those buyers.  This "Ford Accessory" upper trim molding would not have been used on the production 1980 - 1984 tu-tone trucks because the paint colors changed *above* the side marker light, whereas the "Ford Accessory" molding is placed *under* the side marker light.

1980 - 1984 tu-tone trucks used a slightly different, all-aluminum trim molding to separate the colors *above* the side marker light, as seen in the first picture of this post.  

Starting in 1985, the tu-tone paint changed *under* the side marker light.  The 1985 "pressure sensitive" trim molding was originally designed to be used to separate the two colors at the top.  It could also be used on solid color trucks as well.

[Rembrant]

LARIAT 85 wrote

What's interesting is that the upper (black with chrome insert) "pressure sensitive" trim molding was featured throughout the early 1985 sales brochure as the new, exclusive molding that was found on Ford's upper-level line of trucks.  It was strangely dropped mid-year and Ford went through considerable trouble to change their brochures to completely delete it.

Hey Rick,

Wasn't this trim also on 1986 models? If you look on Craigslist or wherever, you will see 1986 trucks with the trim...unless there was a different trim used from mid-1985 until the end of 1986?

[Gary Lewis]

Can't say about 1986 trucks, but the chrome with a black vinyl insert is on Big Blue, which is an '85 with tutone paint.

[LARIAT 85]

Rembrant wrote

Hey Rick,

Wasn't this trim also on 1986 models? If you look on Craigslist or wherever, you will see 1986 trucks with the trim...unless there was a different trim used from mid-1985 until the end of 1986?

No, it is the same.

The 'pressure sensitive" trim molding was rarely seen on new trucks after the latter part of 1984.  Ford dropped it completely in early 1985, and there was no mention of it anywhere at all in the revised 1985 sales brochure or the 1986 sales brochure.  It wasn't found in the Ford Accessories brochure, either.

The very few 1986 trucks that I have seen with it are solid-color, F250 trucks.  


As I pointed out in an older post, when the early 1985 models came out with tu-tone paint, Ford initially used the [new for 1985] upper "pressure sensitive" trim molding under the side marker light to separate the two colors at the top. A [new for 1985] tri-color tape stripe was used around the wheel wells to separate the two colors at the bottom:




When Ford suddenly dropped the "pressure sensitive" upper trim molding half-way through the model year, they also dropped the lower tri-color tape stripe along the bottom and around the wheel wells. Then, they added a new tri-color tape stripe to separate the colors at the top and re-introduced the older 1981 - 1984 lower trim molding to separate the colors at the bottom:





What's odd is that Ford re-introduced the older and and now dated-looking 1981 - 1984 lower trim molding with all those rivets to replace the lower tri-color tape stripe.  That doesn't make any sense at all.

[LARIAT 85]

Gary Lewis wrote

Can't say about 1986 trucks, but the chrome with a black vinyl insert is on Big Blue, which is an '85 with tutone paint.

Yours is the only tu-tone truck I have ever seen with that particular style of upper trim molding.  

Big Blue was 30 years old when you purchased it, so anything is possible. Is it still wearing the original paint?  

What is the build date?  Perhaps your truck was made during a transition period where the earlier lower trim was brought back, but the upper tape stripe wasn't ready yet, so Ford stuck that trim molding on it?

[kramttocs]

Ford F834 wrote

Gary, I find it odd that the 85 pressure sensitive trim is considered the “rare” stuff. I’ve seen quite a lot of it on junkyard trucks

I've always thought the same when it comes up since there are at least 3 trucks with it in the local jy. None with the thin black though.

Speaking of trim - is some of the later black bottom trim with the black removed the same as the bright option?
I say 'some' because I know some pieces had slots for the black to hook into so those obviously aren't.
Saw a jy truck the other day where all the black was removed and it looked a lot like the bright on an 80 a few rows over but with some residue lines. Didn't pull a piece off to compare side by side.

[Gary Lewis]

Rick - Big Blue was built in 5/85, so is actually a mid-to-late 1985 model.  And he's sporting much of his original paint, although it appears the front clip has been repainted.  I'm guessing that it was in an accident that bent the front frame horn and damaged the front clip.

Scott - Prior to 4/81 there was lower trim w/o the black vinyl.  And it may have been the same basic trim.  Is that what you are asking about?

[salans7]

It's the same basic trim, the only difference is that the "vinyl insert" version has the holes for the barbs that Ford used to retain the vinyl.

[kramttocs]

Yeah, Gary that's it
Thanks Shaun. But not all years or pieces have the holes from what I am finding. I believe it's earlier years that did and later years used just the adhesive although I haven't checked enough to know if that's completely accurate.