Technical Trim/Molding removal 1962 Pontiac

Im getting ready to do an at home DIY repsray of my 1962 Catalina Safari wagon. Not my first rodeo on that front, but this car utilizes two types of molding clips Ive never encountered. One seems like maybe it had a very short run in GMs usage. So Im just wondering if anyone has any tricks for removing them without damaging the trim and maybe even saving the clips. This is going to be a "medium" effort paint job, Im probably going to tape off some of the door window molding, but I would really like to remove the stuff on the body.

The upper molding uses clip 1. The mid belt molding uses Clip 2, which I've never seen ever before. Im used to the clips that have speed nuts on the back. I read on another board that these types of clips were used to allow install without needing access to the back. Which is great, but how do I get them out? Is there a special tool for either that makes the job better?

The trim over the cargo area is the particular issue in this case. The belt molding on the doors I can access the back by removing the door panels. But the stuff in the cargo area I don't know how to get access to the back of, or if its even possible at all.



Clip 1


Clip 2

 

The plastic were used several years at GM. We hit them from behind if we could are put a screw in and jerked the plastic out. The metal one was a pain. Get it from behind are push it on either side and bend it. They did hold good!

 

Yeah the metal ones are my big concern. Because I don't know how to get at them from behind in some places. Ill have to post some pictures of the inside of the wagon cargo area and see if someone can tell me how to get the metal side panels off. I reached up behind the tire well and the back of the studs were not exposed in there.

So with the plastic clips do you just pry the molding up first with a normal molding removal tool and then try to get the plastic clips out after?

 

Do you have a copies of the factory shop manuals for the car? (there were several volumes back then, one for the ch***is and engine and another one just for the body, plus one for HVAC and one for automatic transmissions.) My 1961 body manual covers trim removal and replacement, I ***ume the one for 1962 does as well.

 

Oddly enough I think I have a 61 manual but not a 62 but that's a good idea. I found one in PDF form for a tempest online, and it does include some direction but unfortunately it didn't cover the big cars. Clips arent the same

 

The hole is too small. Maybe I could pay a small child to do it lol.

Circling back on this a little. I did find a body manual, and it sound like the front and rear of each of the long belt trim is held on by a bolt. I can verify this on the p***enger side in the spare tire hump. The body manual images focused on the Bonneville trim which makes it a little harder to interpret.

But I cannot see how to access the back side of the ones further up on the p***enger side, or at all on the driver side.
Anyone with a wagon have any insight on how to remove these inner panels in the cargo area? I will consult the body manual in full when I have time but I didn't see anything obvious on it when I scanned it.

100% honestly, if there isn't any easy way to remove them, I'm just going to cut a couple of access portals in the same way you would in certain situations to be able to get at a fuel sending unit without dropping a tank. A bit hacky? yeah, but I can mig them back down or just seal them so I could reuse them later, and it goes behind upholstery anyway. I could get really ambitious, cut a hole, and flange it then put and make proper covers for any hole I make.

 

Some of the Pontiacs had a tapered plastic nut on both of the ends of the mldgs. The doors usually had small large head 10-32 screws. If it wasn’t possible to shoot a screw they would use a nut. Like the front of the rear door mldg.