Topic: Mounting Wide Grille molding to the headlight bucket... confused

[Angela]

Can anyone explain how the WIDE grille molding attached to the headlight buckets? There are three holes in the headlight bucket, along the edge which both the wide and thin molding mates. Two of those three holes I know are for attaching the narrow grille molding. The third hole in the headlight bucket aligns with a mounting tab in the wide molding. However, looking at several original buckets as well as two NOS buckets, that hole is too large to work with the self-tapping SS screws (with wax) that hold the front edge of the wide molding.

A previous owner removed the wide trim and taped all of the hardware to it. I found a J-nut and a SS screw taped to this hole in the wide molding mounting tab, which aligns with the headlight bucket. However, I don't see how a J-nut would work here, because it doesn't allow the molding to lay flat.

I've seen repro mounting harware with a machine screw and nut for this location.

How was the wide molding attached to the headlight bucket from the factory?

[ruppstang]

I am just going by memory here but I believe that a nut plate was used on that one screw because the sheet metal screw would not hold in the pot metal extention. Marty

[Angela]

I've got at least 6 sets of used original wide moldings and have notice that all of them have markings scratched into them from the heads of the SS scews in the mouting tab location at the headlight bucket. So it appears that the SS screw was used there... but something else like a J-nut or other item must have also been used since the hole in the headlight bucket is too large to hold that screw. I wish I could find a picture of a car that had never been disassembled.

[ruppstang]

As I said they used the same ss screws but with a flat tinnerman speed nut. To know for certain you would need to check the assembly manual, I do not have time right now. Marty

[Angela]

Thanks marty. I've checked the assembly manual but there is insufficient detail shown at this specific location...

[Oz390]

FAM calls out a nut on the backside for the upper screw thru the bucket, no matching number in the Guide to Ford Fasteners. 

I'd guess a flat spring nut.