1968 non-RS wheel well moldings

[RAS68]

I have a question about rear wheel well moldings for NON-RS 1968 Camaro. Many references and parts suppliers indicate that the short rear wheel well molding is only correct for the RS equipped cars in 68. However, many survivor photos of Z28, SS models and non-RS base models with survivor status and legends class winners show that many of these cars ( NON RS cars) had the short rear wheel well molding. But I have also seen original survivors with the long version like the 1967 cars. My 68 SS L34 currently has the short version with no screw holes present for the long version (but it has been restored before so not a perfect example). My question is - is it correct for Non-RS equipped 1968 camaro to have the short version of the rear wheel well molding? And what determines which type ( long type or short type) goes on each car? I have read many if not all the posts related to the RS wheel well molding but can find none which address my question.
Thanks in advance - CRG is a great web site and I visit it often.
Allen

[bertfam]

Allen, the rear moldings (P/N 7795063 and 7795064) are for all 1968 Camaros, Rally Sport or not. Only the fronts are different. Which leads to more confusion because the parts manuals contradict each other! One will say "WITH RS" while another will say "WITHOUT RS" for the exact same part number!! However, the front RS moldings are shorter because of the side trim (the "spear").

Ed

[william]

I have to disagree.

I have a number of vintage magazine road tests of different '68 Camaro RS and they clearly show both front and rear wheel well moldings terminating at the RS lower body trim. They were also serviced that way.

[bertfam]

Bill, this is a picture of my car (SS/RS) and as you stated, it goes all the way down. However, I always thought it was "supposed" to end at the "spear", and my molding was wrong!

(Ignore the spear location and the screws holding it on. I know that's wrong!)

Ed

[bertfam]

And here's the rear.

Ed

[william]

Bill, this is a picture of my car (SS/RS) and as you stated, it goes all the way down. However, I always thought it was "supposed" to end at the "spear",

That is not what I stated. On a '68 RS, all 4 wheel well moldings terminate at the RS side trim. Here's a photo of a '68 RS at the Tech Center. '68 RS cars did not use the rocker spears.

[bertfam]

Bill I wasn't referring to the single long spear that was standard on all non-RS cars, but the Z22 3 piece (each side) rocker molding set.

You have a picture of the front wheel molding?

Ed

[rare396bronze]

All 68 rear's are the same 7795063 & 7795064 The front 68 r/s is 3928529 & 3928530 which stops at the r/s molding. The non r/s molding on the front is  9785881 & 9785880 which goes all the way  down to the bottom off the fender. Hope this help!

[william]

Absolutely NOT.

All vintage road tests show the same thing-all 4 wheel well moldings terminate at the RS side molding. This is the PHR Feb '68 test of an L78 SS-RS.

[william]

Side view, same car.

[rare396bronze]

That what I am saying on the RS option on the front's are shorter. The rear's used the short on the RS & standard Camaro because there was they only offered one type of wheel molding 7795063 & 7795064 per my 1969 Chevrolet parts books.

[william]

The P & A Manual is a no way to determine what was used in production. I worked for a Camaro business for 15 years. There are many examples of GMPD messing up applications. In production, a non-RS '68 Camaro with style trim used the same full-length wheel well moldings as a '67. All you had to do for a non-RS style trim '68 Camaro was order '67 moldings. That's how they were built.

[bertfam]

I should have checked this before I replied above, but the 1967 and 1968 AIM's show the Z21 (fronts) as 3893829 and 3893830. For Z22 it says "See RPO Z21". This tells me that ALL 1967 and 1968 Camaros ordered with Z21 or Z22 got the same exact molding.

Yes, they were replace in SERVICE by two different applications, depending on if the car had Z21 or Z22 (Without RS or With RS), but according to the AIM's, for production, there was only one set for the fronts.

Ed

[william]

Nope. The assembly manual is just that: assembly instructions. If a different part assembles the same, they use the same instructions. There are plenty of examples in all the AIMs.

'68 Z/28, Hi-Performance Cars October '68.

Once again, worked in a parts business for 15 years. Not the first time I have had to explain this:

All '67s with Z21/Z22 and '68s with Z21 used the same 4 wheel well moldings. Only '68 RS used the 4 shorter moldings.

[bertfam]

Bill, I think we're all saying the same thing with regards to the front moldings, but getting confused on the wording!

1968 Z21 (non-Rally Sport) - Got the "long" molding as shown in the top pictures.
1968 Z22 (Rally Sport) - Got the "short" molding as shown in the lower pictures.

Ed