[pt500]

For the question on this old thread from a few days ago, if you haven't removed them yet, see my "How To" (below) on the rear C-pillar "applique" covers, if that is what you are referring too. Read down to the last part, because it is very easy to accidentally break off the flat metal mounting brackets that are on the undeside of the covers, unless you slide the covers off off forward very carefully once you remove the screws in the door wells.

The brackets are just held on to the back of the covers by stupid little little plastic nubs (designed by a moron). If they break off (and they probably will), you can epoxy them back on with epoxy for plastic like JB PlasticWeld as described (Need to roughed up both surfaces and can even mix in some tiny scissors clipping from fiberglass body repair fabric for strength.) WalMart has PlasticWeld in the hardware glue or automotive section. (Plastic can be hard to epoxy, and the different JB Plastic Bonder epoxy doesn't seem to adhere as well.)

Yes, you can paint them clear as people have said with a good paint for plastic (obviously that looks best and shiny if done by a pro shop), but you can also just remove the flaking clear coat as described and use the Novus Plastic Polish and then periodically Armor-All or 303 Automotive Protectant (better) and buff. Not super shiny, but OK for me.
Fix for Flaked-Off Clear Coat on Rear C-Pillars

If you don't want to take the risk of breaking the brackets off, you can just leave the covers in place to do all the the work of masking off all around. But pressing down hard on the covers while fine sanding the flaking clear coat or polishing in place could also break off the stupid nubs holding the brackets and then you have to wind up taking them off anyway, so I'd go ahed and try to take them off. In any case, don't press down hard on the covers when routine cleaning/polishing or you can break off the stupid nubs. Of course the plastic applique covers are silly and they should have just had sheet metal there like I believe on the Eagle Vision and other LH cars.

 

[EagleESI]

Open the back door, along the edge of the rear pillar are the screws, once removed the panel will slide basically straight forward to disengage the clips from the body of the car.

Jesus, seeing some of these names here just brings back a flood of memories. Nostalgia isn't fun. It's downright sad. Cause it'll never be like this again. Never. Even with newer forums just does not feel the same.

 

[pt500]

All we need to do is convince everyone that these are "classic cars" and then there will be permanent interest and and all the parts we ever need, and the book value will go to $40,000. You can still get anything you want for a 1968 Mustang or 1996 Chevelle. Photos (someone's Intrepid picture from the old site):

 

[pt500]

Correction: Obviously 1966 Chevelle. I was thinking 1996 Impala SS, the last of the Chevy V8 RWD muscle cars (excluding the 2014-2017 Chevy SS, which was an Australian Holden Commodore). There is one of those '96 Impalas always parked a few blocks down the street from me, just aging away in the sun.

 

[Ronbo]

Keep dreaming on "Collector" status/value. The LH cars were an average car produced. Not super high production numbers but the key indicator should be that wrecking yards are crushing them soon after they get them.

 

[pt500]

Keep dreaming on "Collector" status/value. The LH cars were an average car produced. Not super high production numbers but the key indicator should be that wrecking yards are crushing them soon after they get them.

Yeah, I know, just kidding. But the Intrepids/LH cars had a lot going for them in their day. YouTube has videos of many of the original TV ads for at least the 1st Gen Intrepid and Eagle Vision. I remember back in the mid '90s when the car mags really liked the cars - for a couple of years, until the annoying problems came up: inner tie rod ends, recall for frame reinforcement, fuel issue on the 3.5L, A/C problem, a few 42LE transmission issues, etc. All that could have been avoided with just some more reliability testing by Chrysler, but Lee Iacocca was really pushing the engineers hard to get the LH cars into production.

But I like the styling and design, especially of the 1st Gen (based on the Lambogini Portofino Concept) and the relative simplicity compared to all the electronic nonsense on the new cars these days (like the annoying "stop/start" systems that shut the car off at red lights). Local mechanics I've talked to don't like tracking down all the complicated electronic faults that come up on the new cars, and they get a lot of complaints about the high diagnostic charges from customers.

I used to have a 350 4bbl Rochester carb V8 '77 Impala, which was a super simple car, popular with police and cab drivers with the performance upgrades (also no classic). Other than the radio, the only "solid state" electronics was the ignition module in the distributor.
Portofino:

Guys do restore the V8 Chevy Malibus from that era since they are so easy to work on. Not really considered a collector classic either, but a poor man's muscle car. Wish I had one.