Chrome trim removal?

Car is getting ready for paint but I dont know how to remove trim around widows? Anyone know how to do this?

I can't find anything on the rear windows, but to remove the trim around the front windows you have to remove the garnish moldings and door sill trim, then the weatherstrip, then the weatherstrip retainer along the top half of the opening, and finally the chrome...

Eldo wrote:

I can't find anything on the rear windows, but to remove the trim around the front windows you have to remove the garnish moldings and door sill trim, then the weatherstrip, then the weatherstrip retainer along the top half of the opening, and finally the chrome...

wow sounds like a pita! should be fun tommorow!

Hopefully someone on here knows how to remove that trim around the quarter windows before I leave to go do it tommorow.

Be careful with those weatherstrips - I'm sure they're discontinued like everything else!

Also, I figured out that the computer geniuses that wrote my GM electronic manual linked the Rivi molding procedure to the Aurora weatherstrip procedure, so I'm copying the correct one here...


1. Remove the carpet retainer.
2. Remove the windshield pillar garnish molding.
3. Remove the body lock pillar trim panel.
(That's the whole rear armrest panel. Be gentle when prying it out, it uses push-clips. Also, be very careful with the extension at the bottom-front where it meets the door sill/carpet retainer... the 2 hidden screws like to break off the posts they screw into.)
4. Remove the top half of the weatherstrip from the retainer.
5. Remove the bottom half of the weatherstrip from the body flange.

Important:
If you reinstall the original weatherstrip, replace the 2 sealer patches (about halfway up each end - I imagine you'll have to re-glue them with black 3M...)
6. Clean off any residue from the 2 patches.


Installation Procedure
1. Install the upper rear corner in order to hold the weatherstrip.
2. Align the weatherstrip to the door opening.
3. Peel the backing tape from the front patch on the weatherstrip.
4. Press on the weatherstrip in order to adhere the patch to the body.
5. Butt the top of the transition to the bottom of the metal retainer. Install the weatherstrip into the metal retainer from the front to the upper rear corner.
6. Peel the backing from the rear patch on the weatherstrip.
7. Press on the weatherstrip in order to adhere the patch to the body.
8. Join the top of the transition to the bottom of the metal retainer. Install the weatherstrip into the metal retainer from the lower transition (at the rear patch) to the upper corner.
9. Install the lower portion of the weatherstrip onto the flange.
10. Start at the middle and brush the excess to the bottom. Install the door lock pillar trim panel.
11. Install the windshield pillar garnish molding trim cover.
12. Install the carpet retainers.

Hey Neb, good luck on painting your car. As far as the trim on 1/4 panel glass goes, it is only removeable with the glass. You will need a glass guy to cut those babies out. It shouldn't be all that expensive. Especially if you get the interior trim out of the way.

nebstewart07 wrote:

Car is getting ready for paint but I dont know how to remove trim around widows? Anyone know how to do this?

well ya heard it from the experts,I say go all the way and remove that glass!!

Ok eldo i will prolly work on the quarters today. Thanks.

As for the yellow lights on the bottom of the front bumper. How do those come out?

nebstewart07 wrote:

Ok eldo i will prolly work on the quarters today. Thanks.

As for the yellow lights on the bottom of the front bumper. How do those come out?

They are attached to the front bumper fascia (skin). One way is to take off the bumper skin... "by the book" you have to take off the front splash shield/air dam, wheel inner fenders, wheel opening moldings (the chrome), and there are 2 connectors each side (wires to the lites) some nuts and bolts to undo (obvious). And on my car, a strip of 3M doublesided foam trim tape under the front top edge of the skin (killed a rattle). Be careful to get a trim tool (looks kinda like a 2-prong fork) to take the pins out, it's way easier than a screwdriver. Also be careful of the stud plates on the corners of the skin where the studs go in the fender. Keep the plates away form the fender or you'll scratch it up something awwwful.

However before you do that check out the light housings behind the bumper. You will need to more the inner fenders to do this... point is you may be able to take the housings out by laying on the ground under the front bumper with the inner fenders off. Take a look at it and see what you think. I have not had to do that so I can't really say, but it's just that noce the inner fenders are out of the way the lights are kinda right there. The only headache I can think of is if they have screws or bolts in the tops that can't be reached. I don't remember.

bigdave wrote:

Hey Neb, good luck on painting your car. As far as the trim on 1/4 panel glass goes, it is only removeable with the glass. You will need a glass guy to cut those babies out. It shouldn't be all that expensive. Especially if you get the interior trim out of the way.

Ditto on the paint job Ben! As far as the trim goes, it really sucks that it is only removable with the glass, I thought for sure they would pop off like the long chrome trim piece that run along the top of the door. So, how is the trim on the 1/4 panel glass re-installed Dave?

There is lots of removal instructions with pictures from when I painted my Riv here:
https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t707-write-up-paint-job
Most of the removal instructions are on pages 4-6.

The Turn Signal Lamp removal is here:
https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t786-turn-signal-lense-removal?highlight=cornering+lamp

The Side Molding removal is here:
https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t6738-write-up-side-bumper-molding-removal

And if you want to go as far as I did, the Mirror Dis-assembly is here:
https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t6738-write-up-side-bumper-molding-removal

I'm sure there are more pictures on the forum from other items I removed but that is all I can think as of right now

Hope that is helpful

Forgot to mention, I removed my quarter windows myself, cut one of them bad enough I didn't want to put it back in, so that was a $350 lesson! And then I paid to have them professionally re-installed.
When EWolfe did his paint job I believe he paid a guy to remove and re-install them for right around $100 which sounded like a hell-of-a-deal after I had to replace one of mine. The guy removed them and then Eric called him when he was ready for them to go back in and he came and re-installed them.
Just a heads up on how much fun they can be to remove!

I painted mine while leaving the glass in (taped off) but I opted to paint just about everything black (goes with the theme). For you, I'd definitely do it right and remove everything for a professional look that lasts.

Well guys I got mostly everything off besides the two front yellow turn signals and the moldidg on top of the quarter window. seems to maybe be one piece with the window.

Pics are coming soon. By the way guys no one else is seeing pics or the car besides this site and my body shop guy so feel special.

nebstewart07 wrote:

Well guys I got mostly everything off besides the two front yellow turn signals and the moldidg on top of the quarter window. seems to maybe be one piece with the window. Pics are coming soon.


By the way guys no one else is seeing pics or the car besides this site and my body shop guy so feel special.

BTW, how did the instructions for the front trim/weatherstrip work out?

Well i didnt even need to remove the rear seat armrest panel to get to it. And i printed off the instruction but forgot them at home lol. But once I got started it was easy to figure out.

O yah to remove the chrome strip on doors up against the drivers and passengers side window.

1. Remove door panel
2. Remove black weatherstripping up against window on the door on the inside of the car by popping off like little black clips. That weatherstripping should then pull off
3. push out and up on chrome piece from inside car(should pop off pretty easy)

Here is a link to a new thread for my paint project with pictures:
https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t8057-project-number-2-paint-and-body#126209