Chrome trim removal question

[David]

G'day all,

First post...

I have a '59? FC and there is a bit of rust coming through the front left, and it goes under the chrome trim. I need to remove the trim to treat the panel. I have found all the nuts behind the panel, and thought that the trim should just come off. However, there seems to be some sort of thing under the trim holding it firmly in place. Is this normal? If so how do I get the trim off? If not normal...... I don't want to prise the trim off to hard in case I bent it !!

Any ideas?

[mcl1959]

These can be a real pain to get off. Especially the last one near the door edge. What you can feel under the guard is the head of a bolt which goes into a retaining plate. Try to find a ring spanner or flat spanner which is a very snug fit. Even try filing a spanner to make it a very tight fit.
Generally the best solution is the head breaks off the nut because new clips are available. DONT lever the chrome or bends will occur which are very hard to fix.
My best solution when I do this now is to take the guard off and then remove the trim, but I can understand your reluctance if you are only new to FCs

Ken

[fe350chev]

Apart from usual crc I tried that freeze spray stuff but hard to tell if it truly helped. Id spray crc night before then cold them then crc again if it's the ones I'm thinking. Depends how far your going with the repair u can get crc in front hole. Sucks either way. Ken, can't u put waxy stuff on them during assembly.

[mcl1959]

You can protect the new ones you put in, but David's problem is undoing what's rusted in after 50 odd years of service.

Ken

[David]

Thanks all.  I might not have been clear enough.

I've actually got all of the nuts off - at least as far as I can tell, so I thought the trim would then come off.  However, it seems to be solidly stuck on toward the middle of the trim.  By feel I find the holes where it seems to be stuck, and I can poke my screw driver into the holes (the middle three holes did have nuts and bolts).  When I push, the trim comes away from the body enough to allow me to put a butter knife into the gap, and there seems to be two spots where the knife will not pass.  They are sitting between holes, and seem to be about 3cm long, and firmly stuck to the body work.  Is it normal?  (I'm suspecting a previous owner may have "improved" things with regard to fixing the trim on).

I've borrowed a flexible camera to make sure there are no more nuts, and will suss it out over the weekend.

I am loathed to take to whole panel off at this stage, as I'm not confident with doing this, but.....

[JOX515]

David, maybe the previous owner "stuck" some areas of the trim on with sikaflex - use a sharp knife to cut it.  Otherwise if may be an accumulation of "crud" that has become solid over time - maybe a hacksaw blade (very carefully) and see if you can cut it.  Cheers, Graeme

[DJ]

I found silastic on mine, on the back of the moulds around the holes. It had spread with the mould pushed against the paint and had stuck very solidly.
I pushed the trim a little out as you describe, & used a razor sharp knife between the paintwork & the trim to slowly cut away the silastic until it let go. Then cleaned up with Prepsol.

[mcl1959]

Yes someone has fiddled. There are no nuts holding the trim on the front guards. Look for signs of sikaflex as suggested but also check to see if it is not a combination of original clips and new clips. The original clip only has a small bolt head which is easily missed. Take the wheel off and have a look inside.

Ken

[KFH]

To try and ease the trim away use a stainless steel puppy knife.  Some of the narrower ones are quite thin .  If the end is sharpened up a little it would help cut the Sikaflex or similar glue that may have been used.

Keith

[mcl1959]

 :D.   Auto correct cracks me up.   ;D

Ken

[zulu]

Is this FC a Special......... or is it a Standard a Ute or a panel van, as these only had the short guard spears

These were held on by a kind of flat nut / washer thingymebob

[David]

G'day All,

Thanks again for all the hints.  The culprit was sikaflex.  So as suggested, a knife in behind the strip did the trick.  Not having a "puppy" knife :-), I used a carving knife.

Just to answer a few other questions, the car is a special - sedan.  And my confession.  She is a bitsa.  It's got an HR front end, a Celica 5 speed on the floor, and what I'm told is a "stage 2" red motor (186), a lumpy cam, and a few other changes - I hope this doesn't get me kicked out of the forum :-)

[FireKraka]

Don't worry David everybody is welcome these are the things that make our cars individual.

Regards
Neil H

[fe350chev]

The important thing is that it's on the road and being enjoyed.