Drip rail chrome

[emc53]

I need to remove the chrome from the drip rail before I paint my car. Is there any does and don'ts that I need to know before I start.

[rockne10]

Try the "Advanced Search" in the upper right of this page. Type in "drip rail" or "drip rail removal". Should yield some results.

[sweetolbob]

You are about to embark on one of the more dangerous, to the trim, removals there are. I took mine off with a small hammer and a combination of hard plastic and oak wedges. Tap slowly and gently and it will come off. I know others have had less luck than I did. I guess mine came off ok because I didn't plan to reuse it. It's stored with other items I chose not use for the next owner. Remember, slow and gentle.

Bob

[railway]

It can be done BUT what a PIA, I've done it and bent the heck out of it putting it back, thinking back, I think I must have put too much paint back on the drip rail.

[mbstude]

Just leave it be. That trim is a real pain to restore..

[raoul5788]

I have found removing it from the bottom works best.

[Warren Webb]

I agree with leaving it on. Masking the mouldings carefully preferrably with a thin tape will prevent any damage to them & when all finished, will not show any possible misgivings. The upholstry shop that installed the vinyl top on my 66 removed them at that time & after seeing what they did to them then, I would have been alot better off removing them myself! Plus note what Matt said-if he recommends leaving them alone........

[Michidan]

I survived taking this trim off and reinstalling it after paint. Be aware there is a danger here besides ruining the trim.
If you get too crazy with your orbital sander you can ruin the thin metal across the front of the roof that the trim attaches on.
(this was a 52 hdtp). I knocked those edges down, and was quite worried the front trim would not even mount anymore. That's big trouble.

[Lark Parker]

On the relatively flat roofed cars, like a GT Hawk or station wagon, once you get it loose on the down leg you may be able to pull and slide it off the back of the straight length. The ability to do this will depend upon, repaint, rust, wax, dirt, dents, whatever. If you can do that it will get the piece off in good condition. Easy does it, even while pulling it off. Curvy car lengths are not as friendly to that method but it is worth a try if the clingyness factors aren't ruling the game. The front pieces of a C/K will sometimes cooperate.
Leaving it on may be the best course of action unless you are working with a body shop that has examples of their success. There are a few.
Much of the finished damage comes from the replacing action, apparently with a jackhammer, and not getting a good straightening and polishing job from a body shop that isn't accustomed to doing removal, straightening or replacement. I have seen a few good body shop jobs but they were more into restoration than the usual shop.
I have a hunch that Matthew Burnette has some fill in pieces if do you proceed and have a boo-boo. Shipping long curved pieces of this is a factor to consider. I usually "tie wrapped" it to stout cardboard and then sandwiched it with another cardboard for the trips.

LP

[Milaca]

This is a very good topic. My '63 Hawk was previously painted with the drip rail stainless in place and it appears the body shop got carried away with the orbital sander and scuffed it up aplenty. I will need to remove it when the time comes that I repaint it, and get the scuffs buffed out.

[Mike Sal]

I've had some success in removing the the trim using a "church key" bottle opener & a thin flat piece of metal (like from a putty knife). Lay the flat metal on top of the trim and then hook the bottle opener on the lower edge of the trim and gently start lifting the opener to pry the trim loose. The metal trim on top helps to distribute the impact of the top of the opener on the top of the trim.

Take your time, don't pull any spot all the way off. Just ease a little bit at a time & you'll be able to walk it off. The trim may develope a slight twist as it comes off, but it can be "untwisted" as you work it back on (just as slowly as you took it off).

I'll have to pull the drivers side off from my '66 commander, as there is rust in the roof, just inbound from the drip rail.

Lots-o-luck
Mike Sal