Lower trim removal?

[84regalltd]

I've gotta remove the lower Stainless trim pieces from my regal to treat some door cancer on the bottoms of the doors. I want to reuse it when the repair is completed. So how do I remove it without destroying it?

 

[84regalltd]

My car is an 84 reglal ltd. It has removeable stainless or chrome panels on the bottoms of the doors. They are held on with some kind of clips. Wasn't sure if I was clear in the previous post. I need to remove these to get to the rust on the actual doors themselves. Plan is cut out bad metal and weld in patch panel or bondo it up and put trim back on there.

 

[CdnCutlass]

There are two speed nuts on either end inside the door. Remove those. Then push the trim up from the bottom. It will unhook from the top then you can lower it down and unhook the bottom from the plastic fingers that are on the clips. You will probably break some clips they get brittle with age.

 

[84regalltd]

Thanks. I'll make sure to go very easy with it.

 

[Kiko]

Here are some close-up pictures. This is from an 83 GP, but should be the same. Make sure that you slide the moulding out of the bracket and not just force it out because then you'll sure to break the fragile plastic brackets.

BTW, I don't think that the pieces are stainless but rather aluminum. Stainless costs too much, so GM just polished some aluminum and then applied a clearcoat over top to prevent the panels from tarnishing. I tried to polish mine and that's a no-no. To restore them properly, you either have to strip them to bare aluminum then polish, then re-apply a clearcoat, or get them re-chromed ($$). The first option is OK, but the shine won't last more than a few years, especially since these panels are low on the body and take much abuse from road grime, etc.

Hope it helps,
Andry