Body / Glass: 53 C /K quarter top trim removal

[Kdancy]

I am slowly changing the painted trims and chrome pieces the prier owner did, back to polished stainless and chrome. It has been so long since I took any quarter top trims off, do you have to unbolt the trim retainers or does the trim "pop" off the retainers?

[sals54]

If we're talking about the stainless on the top of the rear quarter panels, then I'm in... I use my palm and push the stainless from the outside toward the centerline of the car, and using a plastic pry tool, pop the stainless off the clips. I do this for each clip as there is a very small amount of play in the stainless over the clip. Relieving some of the clamping over the clip allows it to come off without bending or crimping the stainless. These plastic prybars can be bought at Harbor Freight Tools for cheap. I've had to use WD40 sprayed under the stainless on some very stubborn ones. Just don't use a raggedy screwdriver or your paint and stainless will laugh at you as they chip and bend.

[Kdancy]

Thanks guys, I used my plastic bars and gently tried from the inside to start with. Feeling more resistence than I was comfortable with, I then tried the outside edge and starting popping the molding up. Got it all up and then not wanting to screw anything up, I left the clips the way they had put them in and installed the molding, hooking it on the inside and then popped them in place.

[sals54]

Wise move to be patient. And good catch on the reversed clips. Are they all pointed in the same direction at least? That makes it a bit easier anyhoo.

[Kdancy]

Wise move to be patient. And good catch on the reversed clips. Are they all pointed in the same direction at least? That makes it a bit easier anyhoo.

They were all pointed the same way on the first one I replaced. I will do the other side today. You guys were a great help as it gave me a feel for what to expect.

[junior]

Thanks guys, I used my plastic bars and gently tried from the inside to start with. Feeling more resistence than I was comfortable with, I then tried the outside edge and starting popping the molding up. Got it all up and then not wanting to screw anything up, I left the clips the way they had put them in and installed the molding, hooking it on the inside and then popped them in place.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]78001[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]78002[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]78003[/ATTACH]

Nice! great photos showing why C/K's look so much better with the stainless NOT painted. cheers, junior

[Kdancy]

Update-
This is what I found when doing the second one. I took one of the clips off that I wasn't happy with. It has down facing hooks on one side. This is the inner side as they place the clip over the fender mount hole. So, If I have this right, the moldings do slip up on the inner side and then you pop them on to the outer side.


Junior, this Stude was built in the late 90's when the rage was dechroming and going mono paint look. I never understood why on these cars as the 53-54 studes do not have excessive chrome to begin with. I even like the side moldings on the 55's. There was some quality work done on the build, but also some head scratchers. I have been slowly going thru it and re-doing stuff I am not happy with. Overall it is a really nice car.

[sals54]

Its funny... the monochrome look is great, to a point. Painted bumpers, OK. Painted headlights, OK. Painted grill surrounds, OK. But the grill bars offset the surrounds well, and the stainless rear fender trim really sets off the rear end look. Even if you just did those two pieces, it stands out nicely. Very nice car, btw.

[345 DeSoto]

The curved edges on MY clips are to the outside of the fender and the straight edges are facing the trunk. The car has 17,000 miles and appears to have never been re-painted. As Gary told me, I tried to pop the trim from the trunk side...no go. I tried removing it from the fender side and it popped right off...go figure.

[Kdancy]

The curved edges on MY clips are to the outside of the fender and the straight edges are facing the trunk. The car has 17,000 miles and appears to have never been re-painted. As Gary told me, I tried to pop the trim from the trunk side...no go. I tried removing it from the fender side and it popped right off...go figure.

This is exactly what I was describing and showing. Popped off from the outside (fender side).

[tsenecal]

Great looking car! Happy to see that you have the clips figured out, and that you are making the car more how YOU like it.

[Kdancy]

Thanks! Next project is some interior (front seat) changes----
At some point I will do the door handles, like the no handle look, but it is a pain to live with. I may experiment with some electric poppers first.