Tampa Bay PT Crusier Club - How to Install a Belt Line

Installing A Belt Line On Your PT Cruiser

Submitted by: John Vaccaro

Belt lines on PT Cruisers are very popular. So much so, that there are third party companies charging quite a bit of money for their kits. Chrysler has now jumped on the band wagon and is offering a PT Cruiser with a chrome belt line and grill enhancement as part of the "Chrome Package." So, its not surprising that a lot of PT Cruisers are seen with them.

A friend of mine that I worked with asked me if I knew how to install the chrome strip around the belt line of her Cranberry PT Cruiser. Although I had never done one before, one of the club members had and told me how he did it. So, being the adventurous and energetic guy that I am, I helped my friend install the belt line on her Cruiser. It took about two hours (not counting the beer breaks) but if you have a dark color Cruiser it is worth the time it takes to put it on. If your Cruiser is silver, white or any of the new lighter colors, you may want to look at the black wheel molding to see how it will look on your car. Some auto parts stores do not carry the black molding as standard stock but it can be ordered.

What you need:

A tape measure.
A razor knife with a new blade.
A bottle of clear finger nail polish.
A 3/8"x36" wooden dowel.
Duct tape.
Chrome wheel-well molding - purchased at any automotive supply store.
A carpenter's square or mitre box (optional - to help keep the cuts straight).
Most important - a helper.

Getting started:

Before you start, make sure the car is clean and free of dirt and grime. You need to measure around the Cruiser to find out how much molding material you are going to need. The molding material normally comes in a roll and sells for about $10.00 to $15.00 a roll of 20 feet. It comes in various widths and patterns, so which one you choose is up to you. The best way to measure this is to start at one end of the hood and measure around to the other end. This will give you the length of the longest piece of molding needed. Measure the rest of the vehicle starting at the front door and working your way back to determine how many rolls of molding material you will need. Remember! You do not want to have a splice of the moulding material in the middle of a door or any other place that should be continuous.

Now that you have the molding, you want to pre-cut the pieces before you install them. Start at one end of the hood placing the molding flush with its edge. Walk the molding around the hood to the other end of the hood and mark it with the razor knife or a pencil. Cut the molding at your mark. Do the same for each of the four doors, the back hatch and the rest of the vehicle. This is where the carpenter's square or mitre box comes in handy. We used a piece of scrap counter top edge trim ('L' shaped and approximately 1' long) and placed the molding against the inside of the 'L'. By keeping the blade of the razor knife against the edge of the metal, we have a guide to help cut the molding in a straight line. If you are not using a square or mitre box, the edge of the 'L' shaped piece of metal that you are using must be cut straight for the molding to be cut straight. Next, place the cut molding pieces next to where they will be installed on the car so you don't get them mixed up. Now that the pieces are all pre-cut, use the nail polish to seal the ends of the molding where it has been cut. Try not to put too much nail polish on the edges as the excess may damage the finish. Allow the nail polish to dry before continuing with the next step.

Take two pieces of duct tape about 6" long and tape them on the dowel so that it makes a handle for your helper to hold on to. This also keeps a non-scratch surface against the paint of your car. Since all of the pieces are pre-cut, you can start anywhere on the car you like. Peel a small amount of the adhesive backing (about 3" to 4") off of the piece of molding you are going to install. Have your helper place the dowel in the belt line where you are going to start. I found that if you are going to install the molding from right to left, have the helper stand to the right of you or to the left of you if you are installing from left to right. Place the edge of the molding even with the edge of the part you are starting with (the door for example) and use the dowel as your straight edge setting the molding on the dowel. Peel about 4" or 5" of the adhesive backing off as you go, moving the dowel along the PT's belt line. Peeling off too much of the adhesive backing can cause the molding to stick to the car where you don't want it to.

Continue the above steps until you have gone all the way around the car. You can come back when you are finished and press the molding against the car to make sure that it adheres properly to the surface of the car. That's all there is to it! You not only have installed a professional looking belt line, but you have saved yourself a bunch of money in the process.

Finished Photo
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