Taking her top off

by Damon23 Sun Dec 04, 2016 6:03 pm

I think I'm ready to commit. I've had the car up for sale now for almost a month and have shown it three times and everyone wants to pick it apart and try to get it cheap. Funny how that works, so much wrong with it but they want it. Anyhow, removing the window trim I've done a bunch of them and have the tool. The trim around the base of the vinyl, I have found only four studs with bolts. I'm going to assume I remove those and then it will slide off? What about the drip molding? The molding around the side windows looks like it will just pull out? Then heat it up a little and hold my breath? I can see a few bubbles here and there and when I press on them I cannot get them to sink and I've pressed on the roof in places with my hand and it feels solid so hopefully it will be some surface rust and pitting at the worst.

Am I missing anything?

by ant7377 Sun Dec 04, 2016 7:04 pm

The trim around the top of the door window you have to take weatherstripping off first then there are little Philips screws under the weather stripping. If that's what you are talking about but maybe that helps.

by Damon23 Sun Dec 04, 2016 7:29 pm

Ahh, that sucks cause the weatherstripping is in great shape. I bet it is glued and it will be ruined pulling it out.

by Mcarlo77 Sun Dec 04, 2016 8:21 pm

You might be able to save the w/strip if you modify/narrow a stiff-bladed putty knife and work it under it as you gently pull it away from the channel starting at one end.

As you've discovered, the lower vinyl trim does have just two retaining nuts in each corner area that need to be removed from inside the trunk. Once removed, you need to be careful prying up on the trim in those two areas to free them. The goal is to keep each side & connecting corner piece together as a single section of trim. There is a pot metal "tongue" on each corner piece that connects it to the side piece that is crimped so that it won't allow separation by just pulling them apart. Problem is, they have become brittle over the years and are easily snapped off. What I do is gently pry the section of trim that runs below the back window off the clips once I've removed the (4) corner nuts. Then, do the same on the side pieces. Lift each corner trim w/side piece attached straight up and off the car while sliding the other end off the trim that runs below the back window once the corner studs clear the qtr panel. Support the side/corner trim when removing it so as not to flex them at their junction. If you do this, you'll avoid breaking that pot metal "tongue".

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Taking her top off

Taking her top off

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