Method of mounting a body side molding

A method of mounting a body side molding on a motor vehicle body panel comprising the steps of:

• forming a face on the body side molding,
• adhesively bonding a first side of a strip of pressure sensitive tape to the face on the body side molding and covering a second side of the strip of pressure sensitive tape with a removable protective film,
• supporting the body side molding on the motor vehicle body for linear translation perpendicular to the motor vehicle body panel from a first position in which the face of the body side molding is separated from the motor vehicle body panel by a gap,
• removing the protective film from the second side of the pressure sensitive tape in the gap defined between the face of the body side molding and the motor vehicle body panel in the first position of the body side molding,
• linearly translating the body side molding perpendicular to the motor vehicle body panel from the first position thereof to a second position in which the face of the body side molding bears against the motor vehicle body panel with the strip of pressure sensitive tape trapped therebetween and adhesively bonded to each of the face of the body side molding and the motor vehicle body panel, and
• rigidly clamping the body side molding in the second position thereof to the motor vehicle body panel,
• wherein the body side molding is a wheel flare having a face generally parallel to a vertical panel of the motor vehicle body and overlapping a peripheral edge of an inverted U-shaped wheel well in the vertical panel,
• wherein the step of supporting the wheel flare on the motor vehicle body for linear translation perpendicular to the vertical panel of the motor vehicle body comprises the steps of:
• forming an inverted U-shaped mounting flange on the vertical panel of the motor vehicle body around a peripheral edge of the wheel well therein generally perpendicular to the vertical panel,
• forming an inverted U-shaped flange on the wheel flare generally perpendicular to the face of the wheel flare matching the inverted U-shape of the mounting flange on the vertical panel of the motor vehicle body,
• forming a pair of elongated slots in opposite sides of the inverted U-shaped flange on the wheel flare generally perpendicular to the vertical panel of the motor vehicle body, and
• attaching respective ones of a pair of fasteners to opposite sides of the inverted U-shaped mounting flange on the vertical panel of the motor vehicle body through corresponding ones of the pair of elongated slots in opposite sides of the inverted U-shaped flange on the wheel flare so that the elongated slots and the fasteners cooperate in supporting the wheel flare on the vertical panel for linear translation perpendicular to the vertical panel.