There is a junk yard with a hardtop GS in it and I'm wondering how to get the chrome Rain gutter pieces off w/ o damaging the Chrome? Any Ideas? Thanks
Ahhhhhhhh I did a search here and found out how to do it: http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=70019&highlight=Rain+gutter+chrome+removal
You can really mess it up if not carefull. Tougher to put it on. i had so called pro shop replace vinyl years back and they ruined it. They would not stand behind what they did. SSO I burned the palce down. :af: Just kidding but I wanted to.
Dave's not kidding. Even with tape put over the bottle opener it's still possible to put minute "divots" on the face of the drip rail stainless where the pressure is applied. Anything you can do to put more of the pressure along the underside edge of the stainless (vs. pressure on the face of the piece) will help. But then you have to watch the underside edge...the tab on the bottle opener can distort that also. Once you get the A-pillar "V" connector piece off many times you can remove the shorter piece that runs down the A-pillar (next to the windshield ends) by hand. Try that first on those two pieces.
I ruined the piece on my passenger side the first time I did it, but I managed to get the drivers side piece off next without any damage. If you have a parts car to experiment on, it may be worth it.
Ive heard a heat gun or a torch on low works well on the sealing tape on the underside to losen it up.
I cringe everytime I hear bottle opener when associated with removing trim. Drip rail moldings dent very easily and I can assure everyone who wants to try the bottle opener method that it's much faster and easier to just rip the trim off, throw it away and replace it later because the end result will be the same. That stuff can be stubborn but it's not impossible to get off. Start from the rear on the roof pieces and the bottom on the A-pillar pieces. If you have to can sharpen a putty knife to stick under the lower lip to get it started, after that you should be able to work it off with your fingers, all it takes is a little patience. Remember that it hooks over the top first, then snaps down on the bottom so it's essential that it comes off from the bottom first. Pull the bottom out as far along the molding as you can, then push up on it to relieve it from the top, then continue until it comes right off. And most importantly, resist the urge to pry on it anywhere. I know this can be done because I have removed dozens of them without the use of tools at all. Patience!!!
The bottle opener can work....but you guys with earlier cars (pre-68) have a different challenge I think. The 68+ cars have STAINLESS STEEL drip rail mouldings. I think everything prior to that has ALUMINUM mouldings....quite a bit softer and A LOT easier to damage. I'd probably stay far away from the earlier aluminum mouldings with the bottle opener.
There's supposed to be sealing tape under them? Mine must have really rotted away and fell out over time.
OK I got it off and that was pretty easy! I used a spring hook tool, you may not know what that is. The vehicle was a 1968 Buick Skylark. (See Video) I come to find out there was some kind of tape underneath. Almost looked like it might be part of a vinyl roof material however this was not a vinyl top at all. So, it is one piece (The 1968 Buick Skylark rain gutter Drip Chrome) and I got the both of them.... My 1971 is not one piece on each side like these... Hence when I got home, My 1971 chrome was different, so I'll just put the chrome rain pieces on EBAY anyway. Thanks! <object width="700" height="600" ><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.facebook.com/v/10150417675405534" /><embed src="http://www.facebook.com/v/10150417675405534" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="700" height="600"></embed></object>
I got mine off the 67 Skylark by gently tapping the lower lip with a block of wood (end-grain of a 2x4) along the entire length. The right angle of the face to end-grain works good. You have to go slow and pay attention to what you're doing! If the crisp wood edge wears away, rotate it to get a new crisp edge. Both came off perfectly with no damage.
Re: Rain gutter chrome removal Hard top 68 Buick GS Turns out I don't need them so if anyone needs Chrome rain drip sills for their 1968 Buick Skylark give a shout.
