Body / Glass: How to remove front door moulding/trim stips WITHOUT breaking the clips????!!!

[bsrosell]

Well, looked everywhere in the the Stude manuals, the only reference I could find to the '57 K-body mouldings along the outside of the front windows (and assume rear-quarter pieces are the same) said to pop them off 'gently' just like the door moulding 'spears".......
So, I did that, and here is the result. Fortunately I dug out the tar/sealer on the front end in time to find the buried screw, and got that out (the rear one was missing already).
Two questions:
1) how SHOULD you remove these, without breaking those little pot-metal tabs?? I don't see you could get at them to pry without breaking them, even if I'd known they were 'different' type of clip than the spears...

2) how (or who?) do you repair these, now that they are broken off? Otherwise perfectly dent free and just need rechroming.
thanks!
Barry

[candbstudebakers]

Barry that's the name of the game, why should you think you should be any different?? just save the pieces, you can drill out the broken area some but be careful don't over do it, just enough that you can put some J-B weld in the hole and put the tab back on so the J-B squeezes through the holes and make a little dome like there was before, let it dry and your ready to install.

[Jeff_H]

Those door top strips are pot metal. Don't really get dents as they are thick enough. There is a tiny screw on each end and then those "riveted" on push clips that are now broken off. Those were originally attached thus:

The pot metal casting had bumps/pins/posts cast into it and the steel clip was placed over them. Then, the tips were smashed flat or perhaps even heated a bit. The stress to pull of the clip broke the mushroomed top off those posts.

I am not sure how to repair those. If the casting is thick enough, a blind hole could be carefully drilled into the spots were the clip was attached and then small (and short!) screws used.... It would have to be pretty shallow holes to avoid breaking through to the top side and ruining the surface finish.

The rear qty trims are similar. I think 2 clips and here is a vertical L angle with a screw hinding behind the rubber at the top of the door post.

I supplied the chrome plater with a rear qtr trim with that vertical L busted off and they were able to solder it to the casting. Perhaps those clips could be attached the same. But, it will require some skill to do it. Too much heat and the pot metal will melt and you are in REAL trouble then.

[bsrosell]

thanks! I don't feel quite so stupid or incompetent now. :-)

[E. Davis]

I broke some of mine of during removal. Tried to repeen the "rivet" to no avail. Finally used JBweld. Let it set over night and its held just fine. As a matter of fact I've removed them since and the JB held for reinstallation. Don't do the repair until after the rechroming however .

[bsrosell]

Thanks! that was actually my next question; do the prep before chroming, or wait until AFTER. :-) I suppose I should grind it out a little to give something for the epoxy to 'grip' into before I send it to the plater though.... Chrome in the little circular 'tabs' would be hard to work with (plus, why risk messing up your shiny new chrome plating by monkeying around with it at that point, right? :-)

[E. Davis]

I don't know...I just smeared the JBWeld on both sides and stuck the clip back over the pins. The epoxy squeezed through the holes around the pins. I used a liberal application and it seemed the surface was rough enough without sanding. I also applied a little white grease on the spring clips themselves so they slipped through the door holes a little easier. Helps getting them back out too and prevents rust building on them.