disassemble drip rail doorchrome

[cquisuila]

Hello

So, as not to break this part of chrome door, how to disassemble this part please :

 

I did not see any screws...is it glue holding it?

Ii prefer to remove this part to need to paint the car well!

 

- I have of course already removed the metal part of the ROOF RAIL SEAL which is screwed

 

Thank you for your help !

Philippe

 

[EmTee]

It is simply crimped to the drip-rail.  I think it needs to be carefully 'rolled' off the drip-rail starting from the bottom (just above the window opening).

[JZRIV]

Philippe,

Here is one method. 

 

I'll spray WD40 all along the underside edge (use a rag to keep it from splattering everywhere) and let it soak for a few hours or a day. There are various ways to do this but the general concept in video works. I used a 1-1/2" wide x 1/8" thick piece steel flat stock in place of the pry bar to distribute the force over a larger area. This stainless will ding and deform very easily so care must be taken. Never let any tool touch the show surface. I really think the key is using penetrating fluid to free it up so less force is needed.

[NTX5467]

It just snaps on, which is easy to do, but removal takes a good bit more finesses.  Using the penetrating oil to help things along is a good move.  Especially as, while the base stainless steel trim might not rust, I highly suspect the painted surface under it probably has some on it,  Spreading out the removal/installation force is a very great orientation, too!  

 

Be sure to hold your mouth right!

NTX5467

Edited April 7, 2023 by NTX5467 (see edit history)

[Riviera63]

I saw a tip on this forum posted by one of the members that he used a paint can opener to remove the drip rail. I have used this method and it worked very well. You do have to be careful and pay attention as has been mentioned as it is very easy to damage. The WD-40 idea seems like a good thing that will make this go more smoothly.

 

Bill

 

 

[60FlatTop]

I would mask it and sand very carefully near it.

 

Two of the most dangerous words in the English language can come come from attempts to remove it, "I thought".

 

Of course not far behind is "He said".

 

The blue household masking tape is a little heavier. I like that type.

[cquisuila]

 

oil here (see picture) but it is very difficult to insert...

AND on the side B (under) it looks like it's glued ! 🙃

[cquisuila]

7 minutes ago, 60FlatTop said:

I would mask it and sand very carefully near it.

Yes we can't remove it but there is a seal that is damaged all along this chrome part so to redo it properly you have to remove this chrome part

or i paint without removing chrome and add a silicon seal after all along this chrome

 

Edited April 7, 2023 by cquisuila (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

I am still here reading. My '64 Riviera drip molding has quite a wide lip on the horizontal part. I have spent some time looking closely and making some judicious prods with a few prying tools. My body shop friend who comes for coffee on Tuesday mornings looked at it too. Neither of us was comfortable.

 

I have removed moldings with a smaller lip with a beer can opener but the width of the seal side surface concerns me. If I did decide to try it I would consider buying something like a rectangular mason's trowel, maybe a couple, in the 6-8" length to spread my leverage area out as much as possible and try to avoid concentrating the prying in a smaller area.

 

Maybe I will try that and see how it feels.

[Seafoam65]

Leave the drip rails on!!!!!!!!!!!!! No need to remove them in order to [paint the car......just mask them off!!!!!!!!!!

My car was painted this way and the roof looks beautiful 48 years later.

[65VerdeGS]

I'm with Winston - leave those drip rails on the car!

 

My very experienced body man told me there was no need to remove the drip rails unless there was obvious rust to repair underneath.  He totally stripped my Riviera of all chrome trim and sanded off all the old finish down to bare metal.  That was 21 years ago.  The only bits of chrome left on the car were the two drip rails.  Nobody will be able to tell what you did when the car is refinished.

[JZRIV]

On 4/7/2023 at 10:19 AM, cquisuila said:

Nice image! B-side under. Not glued. I have also made a tool by heating and bending a flatblade screwdriver on a 90 degree and used that to carefully work under the stainless. After you do it successfully you will realize its not hard. Just have to use care as the stainless is damaged easily....but that goes for any of the stainless trim. Easily damaged - not easily fixed.

 

On 4/7/2023 at 10:19 AM, cquisuila said:

oil here (see picture) but it is very difficult to insert...

AND on the side B (under) it looks like it's glued ! 🙃

 

[cquisuila]

On 4/8/2023 at 2:01 AM, 65VerdeGS said:

I'm with Winston - leave those drip rails on the car!

 

i think to leave this part

but the seal (silicone type ?) crumbles (see picture)

so i have to remove the old seal and replace with a white e light silicone seal

 

[JZRIV]

Not silicone. Originally the factory used automotive seam sealer which is still readily available. This is superior to silicone for filling seams. If yours is all cracked and dried out the best method is to dig out the bad down to metal and apply new seam sealer. For that you need to remove the stainless trim. Or you could just try sealing over the old which I don't recommend... but everyone has different goals.

[cquisuila]

9 minutes ago, JZRIV said:

Not silicone. Originally the factory used automotive seam sealer which is still readily available. This is superior to silicone for filling seams. If yours is all cracked and dried out the best method is to dig out the bad down to metal and apply new seam sealer. For that you need to remove the stainless trim. Or you could just try sealing over the old which I don't recommend... but everyone has different goals.

yes but it is very difficult to remove the chrome....

[EmTee]

56 minutes ago, cquisuila said:

but it is very difficult to remove the chrome....

Agree.  If it were my car, I would probably mask the stainless trim with two layers of good quality (e.g. "3M" brand) masking tape.  Then carefully start digging-out the dried sealer in the channel.  You may be able to use a Dremel tool or small cutoff wheel to clean the area down to the steel.  When digging-out the old sealer I might leave any pieces that are still stuck hard to the metal and just remove the loose chunks.  Then fill-in the gaps with new sealer before applying a skim coat over the entire length.

[cquisuila]

2 hours ago, EmTee said:

Agree.  If it were my car, I would probably mask the stainless trim with two layers of good quality (e.g. "3M" brand) masking tape.  Then carefully start digging-out the dried sealer in the channel.  You may be able to use a Dremel tool or small cutoff wheel to clean the area down to the steel.  When digging-out the old sealer I might leave any pieces that are still stuck hard to the metal and just remove the loose chunks.  Then fill-in the gaps with new sealer before applying a skim coat over the entire length.

yes  it is the more simple job without removing the chrome

[RivNut]

5 hours ago, cquisuila said:

yes but it is very difficult to remove the chrome....

In your original post you asked how to do it, are you now telling us that you are changing your mind?

[cquisuila]

16 minutes ago, RivNut said:

In your original post you asked how to do it, are you now telling us that you are changing your mind?

i thought that it would be an easy issue but it is not the case, according to people here

 

the game is not worth the candle

[EmTee]

Or, "the juice isn't worth the squeeze". 

[cquisuila]

5 minutes ago, EmTee said:

Or, "the juice isn't worth the squeeze". 

😁thank you for this expression !!

[telriv]

I can't off the top of my head remembered how many of the drip rail moldings I have removed & replaced with NO damage.

Once you learn it's fairly easy.

Go to a scrap yard/recycling center & do a little practice 1st.

Just my thoughts for the subject at hand.

 

Tom T. 

[60FlatTop]

Management seminar quotes for the boss to begin back and annoy the working people.

 

The worst one I ever heard was "Perception is reality."