Getting ready for paint prep after some chips appeared, how do you get the belt line trim off front fender? Also what about aft of door any tricks? Not taking glass out. Thanks for your help/ AL
From under the dash. There are studs with nut’s on them. Lift moldings and pull them away from lower corner molding. That will in return expose the retainer for the corners. The remaining windshield molding is sandwiched in the gasket. So if you want the two upper halves out as well, you’ll have to pull the windshield. Or are you asking about the two remaining trim moldings on the fender?
Johnny, thanks for the reply, yes the two remaining trim moldings on the fender? Do you have to remove the fenders?
@allanjon - I'm open to be corrected, but my understanding is that 'beltline' refers to the trim at the top of the doors, at the base of the windows. HT's & Sedans have different trim there, but still use that term for that location. I think you are talking about the 'side trim' or 'side moulding'. I only mention it, that if my understanding is fairly universally used, then your thread title may be confusing to some folks. From one '56 fan to another, let's see/hear some more about your car! Gotta56forme/Scott
Sometimes you can slide them off the retainers, other times, if you are careful, you can pop the bottom of them loose first and then remove them. But that might require you to get new clips. Otherwise, you need to get behind it and unbolt them. I was able to pop most of mine loose when I redid my 56. But I replaced almost all of the clips that were rusted.
56don, seems if I can slide them off then I would have to cut them off with high speed. Does it mess up the stainless when you did this? Or is there a push pin for the new clip? Also what is the black goop to hold them in place? Thanks for your help seems it will be slow process, how long did it take you to remove your trim?
It was about 30 years ago when I built mine and I had 3 cars to utilize parts from so my memory has faded. But my car started out as a 210 and I removed Bel air trim off of parts cars to put on mine. I remember sliding some straight pieces like the door trim off. Some pieces I was able to pop off by gently lifting up the bottom with a plastic spatula like tool near the clip, you can kinda tell if its going to pop off easy enough and not bend. You have to be very careful about it. Most of my trim clips were rusty so I ordered some new ones from someplace that I don't recall. The pieces behind the door had to be unscrewed from the inside. I don't recall how long it took but it must not have taken long or I would have remembered it. Hope this helps.
If the original clips are in the moldings. The first two at the firewall are spring clips. Then the rest forward are held by nuts. Just installed moldings like those today
On the 57 side trim, the first and last trim clip is with a nut on all panels. The rest are pried off gently. My car was built at Tonawanda, NY. Hope this helps
On the first two clips on the fender molding you use spring clips. Any other way you have to loosen the fender to get the fender moldings loose. The repop trim clip sets give you three spring clips. On the 1/4 panel the first four are five are spring clips the ones after the rear seat you can get from inside the trunk
Got the trim removed from the ftont fender and door, now I now have removed armrest, side trim under side window, and the panel held on with 6 screws, is this the only access to the trim nuts under the window? How is the divider removed as you cannot get to it.
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