Hi guys, Can someone tell me how to remove the piece of metal trim below the rear window on a '68 Riviera? It's the louvered part that is painted to look like the vinyl top, but is metal. Previous owner(s) nicely removed the 5 or so screws that run along the base of it inside the trunk, but it won't pull out from under the rear glass stainless trim. Please tell me I'm not gonna have to remove all of the rear glass stainless (because of how it's layered) just to get to the front edge of this part. If I could just pull off its own single stainless trim strip, I could paint it on the car. What's the secret?
Hi Gary, I'm afraid your going to have to remove the stainless trim in order to get the louvered piece off. There's 5 more screws underneath the trim at the base of the glass. I've got a spare valance/louvered trim that I took pics of to show you where the screws are and trim clips to give you some insight on it. Good news is as long as the guy who put the window in didn't go buck nutty with sealant you shouldn't have to remove the back glass. If you need anymore pics let me know. Best of luck my friend!
Oy. Okay, thanks. Can you tell me how that single strip of stainless trim is attached to the part? Clips that I might release from the top, or screws/nuts from the back? If I could remove that while on the car, I would paint the metal without removing it.
It's got two speed nuts, one on each corner holding it on. You could probably pry up the trim, wedge a block of wood in there and with a shallow (think3/8") socket unbolt the trim. HeresH some pics.
Very kind of you to respond and take pics - thanks! But no, I don't think I'll risk tweaking the stainless strip by trying to remove those speed nuts in situ. Worse, getting them back on... Pulling the window stainless is a PITA, but it looks like that's my only option. Maybe I can just pull the lower couple of clips on the verticals to get the lower strip off. Besides, after removing the windshield trim to re-seal the glass I'm a virtual expert with those clips.
Pros and cons of what I've found out about this louvered trim/valance piece for anyone interested in the future: (1) Yes, 5 screws hold it down on the trunk lid side. Do you know what these screws look like? Mine were missing. (2) Yes, there are 5 more screws underneath the lower window stainless trim - BUT, the valance has slots for these screws, so you only need to loosen them (not completely remove them) and pull the valance rearward to set it free. (3) Getting to these screws under the trim is a BEETCH! Once you get the trim off (of five, I think, trim clips that attach to pins on the valance - and they're the weird-shaped "shallow" trim clips unlike the windshield clips...), the valance screws are partially buried under the window sealant. So I cut away as much/little as I could to get to the screws, but even then they're partially hidden under the edge of the window glass (they were obviously installed before the rear window at the factory). So once I was able to clean out the seal/trim channel, and then twist away the rusted and broken trim clips, and squirt some PB Blaster on the screws, I was only able to get the left 3 screws loosened. But because of superficial rust "thinning" the metal lip of the valance, I was able to pull it loose from all 5 screws without too much effort. I figure it's very possible to get ahold of the screw(s) with needle-nosed Vise-Grips and turn them 180* or so if you can't get a Phillips-head screwdriver in them. (4) The single stainless trim strip on the valance itself isn't just held on with two speed nuts on the ends. Those nuts screw onto some kind of twist-lock trim clips; so unscrewing the speed nuts only "un-turns" the clips, and the ends of the stainless strip come free. However... there are an additional 3-4 clips along the underside of the stainless strip, and they don't go through the sheet metal, so you can't unhook them from the back side. No idea what these clips look like and wasn't inclined to screw around with them too much. Ultimately, I just re-tightened the end speed-nutted clips and masked off the whole strip for paint. I used Rustoleum satin black, but I think it's not matte enough to match the vinyl top. Once the new paint fades a bit in the hot sun, I'll see if it bugs me enough to repaint it. And now I have to order and wait for new trim clips so I can re-install the lower window molding/trim. All in all, it was good to get this trim/sealant channel cleaned out after 50 years - lots of dirt and rust. After learning alot about trim clips from my windshield seal and trim replacement, I'm confident the rear trim won't be a hassle.
