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Removing 65 belvedere roof rail trim?

Posted By: MrBelvedere2

Removing 65 belvedere roof rail trim? - 02/11/14 06:13 AM

Hey guys, I am trying to figure out how to remove the outside roof rail trim on my 1965 plymouth belvedere. I have almost all of the other trim off besides the back window and roof rail. I can't figure out how the clip attaches the trim to the body. I took apart the other trim, even the inside trim to peek behind the headliner to see if there is a way to it. But I keep coming up short. I removed the A pillar trim, and I can see a clip holding it onto the rain gutter, but all my trim removal tools have not worked so far. Any tips from you early B body guys?
Posted By: skicker

Re: Removing 65 belvedere roof rail trim? - 02/11/14 02:23 PM

They are a %$#@!!!!
I just took the passenger side off my 65 Coronet parts car Saturday.
The clip you see is probably 1 1/4" wide. The point were the tabs on the clip lock into the drip rail is about 5/8" left and right of the center of the clip. They are small tabs about 1/4" wide and are fragile. I don't think you want to break these as I have never seen them anywhere. Didn't think about it at the time but I wish I would have taken some pics.
Posted By: 67SATisfaction

Re: Removing 65 belvedere roof rail trim? - 02/11/14 06:01 PM

Quote:

Hey guys, I am trying to figure out how to remove the outside roof rail trim on my 1965 plymouth belvedere. I have almost all of the other trim off besides the back window and roof rail. I can't figure out how the clip attaches the trim to the body. I took apart the other trim, even the inside trim to peek behind the headliner to see if there is a way to it. But I keep coming up short. I removed the A pillar trim, and I can see a clip holding it onto the rain gutter, but all my trim removal tools have not worked so far. Any tips from you early B body guys?



Oh boy! Yes, those are nasty clips to get off. I have removed them on my '65 Satellite, learned from my mistakes, and then carefully removed replacements from a salvage yard '64 Fury hardtop....

Can you see the little "tooth" that grab the roof's drip rail? Each clip has two "teeth". One on each end. You need to pry those away. Going in, downwards from above-and-behind the trim. Carefully using a flat screwdriver.

Here's what I did. Use a thin putty knife and run it behind the trim piece until you hit one of the clips. Use a marker and mark on the face of the trim where the edge of the clip is and repeat for the other side so you know where the clips are and how wide they are.. about 1-1/2" is right.

Now get a stronger tool that will wedge down behind the trim with minimal warping.Like a medium flat screwdriver. Slide it down behind the trim and run it along the drip rail until it hits the clip where your mark is. (The clip's teeth are strong as #&%^$, so this is a total PITA). Then leverage the screwdriver's handle toward yourself and move the tip of the screwdriver so it's behind the tooth of the clip. Then carefully leverage the screwdriver's handle away from you (towards the roof of the car) to push the tooth off the drip rail. That takes care of one tooth. Repeat this of the other side of the clip for the other tooth. Repeat with the other clips.

A total PITA and I squashed my fingertips flat trying to handle the trim away from the roof sheet metal without bending the trim.

I'll see if I can find some pics from my resto.

Good luck!
- Art
Posted By: 67SATisfaction

Re: Removing 65 belvedere roof rail trim? - 02/11/14 06:06 PM

PS - Even with the teeth disengaged, the wide 90degree angle of the profile of that stainless trim as it folds down under the drip rail…. still holds it really tight onto the drip rail...

...Once the clips are disengaged, you just gotta say a little prayer and yank it off.

Re installation is easier: Inspect each 'Tooth" that you haven't flattened it too much. Place the trim against the drip rail, and smack it with a rubber mallet and "BANG!" it clips on. I forget how I managed to get the top A-pillar 3-way joiner trim to engage the A-pillar trim, windshield trim and drip rail trim at the same time, I may have blocked out that memory I recall it was a nightmare.

Best,
- Art
Posted By: 67SATisfaction

Re: Removing 65 belvedere roof rail trim? - 02/11/14 06:08 PM

Here are the parts we are talking about. The two 'dog leg' pieces on the left, right?

Posted By: 67SATisfaction

Re: Removing 65 belvedere roof rail trim? - 02/11/14 06:34 PM

Quote:

They are a %$#@!!!!
I just took the passenger side off my 65 Coronet parts car Saturday.
The clip you see is probably 1 1/4" wide. The point were the tabs on the clip lock into the drip rail is about 5/8" left and right of the center of the clip. They are small tabs about 1/4" wide and are fragile. I don't think you want to break these as I have never seen them anywhere. Didn't think about it at the time but I wish I would have taken some pics.



skicker is right about this. You might be happy to know this trim is the same as '64 Belv/Furies, which is what I took my replacements from after I dimpled the original ones getting them off..

Here is the best I could do drawing what it looks like in cross-section. Quint, do you agree? The teeth are right at the edge, so I just pushed them off the drip edge lip to get them to release their #&^$^% death-grip.

Posted By: skicker

Re: Removing 65 belvedere roof rail trim? - 02/12/14 12:49 AM

Quote:

Quote:

They are a %$#@!!!!
I just took the passenger side off my 65 Coronet parts car Saturday.
The clip you see is probably 1 1/4" wide. The point were the tabs on the clip lock into the drip rail is about 5/8" left and right of the center of the clip. They are small tabs about 1/4" wide and are fragile. I don't think you want to break these as I have never seen them anywhere. Didn't think about it at the time but I wish I would have taken some pics.



skicker is right about this. You might be happy to know this trim is the same as '64 Belv/Furies, which is what I took my replacements from after I dimpled the original ones getting them off..

Here is the best I could do drawing what it looks like in cross-section. Quint, do you agree? The teeth are right at the edge, so I just pushed them off the drip edge lip to get them to release their #&^$^% death-grip.





The sketches are dead on. I took the screws out of the vertical piece and disconnected the clip at the base of the B pillar first. The back clip of two I have found that you can pull the bottom loose a little and then start trying to locate the front clip. After getting the one off Saturday and talking about it I'm curious as to whether you could go at the bottom of the clip easier from the inside trying to tap it out off of the bottom of the driprail. I'm going to go see if that has any merit...
Posted By: skicker

Re: Removing 65 belvedere roof rail trim? - 02/12/14 01:18 AM

Roofrail trim for these is hardtop specific. 65 Satellite-Belvedere Coronet 64 Fury and Coronet etc.
Key thing here is PATIENCE!
I just tried something different than I did Saturday and it worked to release the front clip. Find the center of the clip by looking down in behind it. There is a small area that is raised up, that is the center. I had two small pry bars, really just glorified gasket scrapers, very flat and about 1" long across the blade. I used one on each side making sure I was all the way down tight to the bottom of the driprail. (right at the very bottom of the clip) I pulled both bars simultaneously and it popped off with very little effort. All of the phillip head screws in the trim for the inner stainless (where the rubber clips in) are rotted up. I need to go thru and remove all of those before I can get to the screws to loosen the piece at the B pillar. Too dark now and with snow coming tomorrow who knows when I'll mess with it again. These are tough to remove I'm fortunate in the fact that the ones I am removing are on a car so rotted up I could cut everything away and disect back to the clips to figure them out. I need to have 2 complete sets of unbent trim for my 65 Coronet and my 65 Bel II. Its difficult to remove the trim and save the clips. again PATIENCE!

Art that's a nice little chunk of change you have spread out on the sheet! Condition is everything....

Attached picture 8035914-Rollingagain.jpg
Posted By: 67SATisfaction

Re: Removing 65 belvedere roof rail trim? - 02/13/14 02:59 AM

Quote:

Roofrail trim for these is hardtop specific. 65 Satellite-Belvedere Coronet 64 Fury and Coronet etc.
Key thing here is PATIENCE!

…..I had two small pry bars, really just glorified gasket scrapers, very flat and about 1" long across the blade. I need to have 2 complete sets of unbent trim for my 65 Coronet and my 65 Bel II. Its difficult to remove the trim and save the clips. again PATIENCE!

Art that's a nice little chunk of change you have spread out on the sheet! Condition is everything....



Yeah, Patience - and you are right to explore easier tools to use, I tried my gasket-scraper too. I couldn't find a way to use, glad you did!

We are just a wealth of information on this topic aren't we? If we joined forces we could corner the market on this kinda info… and maybe parts…


Another interesting piece of '64-'65 B-body trim trivia - Rich Ehrenberg stated in Mopar Action a few years ago that this drip rail trim is specific to vinyl-top vs non-vinyl top cars. I believe he claimed there is upwards of 1/16" larger difference in cross-sectional profile in vinyl-top cars. Mine is vinyl, so I spent tremendous effort tracking down vinyl-specific trim. In the end I pulled a mint piece from a '64 Fury non-vinyl hardtop - put the pieces next to each other and - NO DIFFERENCE.

I polished it all up and it's what's on my car today…






Here's how it came out last summer, after 6 years of resto… super happy with it!

Posted By: therocks

Re: Removing 65 belvedere roof rail trim? - 02/13/14 05:13 AM

Nice 65.I wish mnie looked 1/2 as good.My trim is dull also.My clips around the back window are gone.at the bottom.I have teh piece around somewhere.Maybe one day Ill put it back on.The pieces under the doors are 65 only also.IIRC the wheel well stainless is also.Only Satellites got them.I have fronts but lost my rears.Rocky
Posted By: MrBelvedere2

Re: Removing 65 belvedere roof rail trim? - 02/13/14 05:48 AM

Hey guys thanks for posting the helpful tips....a big for sure!
Posted By: HemiSportFury

Re: Removing 65 belvedere roof rail trim? - 02/13/14 07:01 AM

The best way I have found to remove the roof rail is to remove all the other pieces first and then use a long 1/4" or 3/8" dowl rod to tap the clips to one end, then pull the trim off lengthwise. Works pretty easy and no chance of bending the trim.

Don't forget the stud with a nut at the bottom of the C pillar.
Unless you plan on replacing the headliner it is a pain to get too.
Posted By: 67SATisfaction

Re: Removing 65 belvedere roof rail trim? - 02/13/14 03:49 PM

Quote:

The best way I have found to remove the roof rail is to remove all the other pieces first and then use a long 1/4" or 3/8" dowl rod to tap the clips to one end, then pull the trim off lengthwise. Works pretty easy and no chance of bending the trim.

Don't forget the stud with a nut at the bottom of the C pillar.
Unless you plan on replacing the headliner it is a pain to get too.



I bet that would work well, especially if you pushed the clips out the forward end of the drip trail trim.

And yes! that stud at the base of the C-pillar can mess you up - it's not a clip that pops out, there's a nut behind the headliner below the courtesy light.

Picture time…..
Here is the stud pulled away after removing the nut from the inside.


Don't be fooled by the obvious hole in the sheet metal, this is for a push-in clip at the end of the Satellite-specific window sill trim that goes all the way back. The stud is behind the drip rail trim on the C-pillar..
Posted By: HemiSportFury

Re: Removing 65 belvedere roof rail trim? - 02/14/14 05:14 AM

Hopefully this is not too late to help the OP but if it is perhaps it will help someone in the future. Here is a picture of the C-pillar clip with the stud and nut. The nut is a pain to get too unless you plan on replacing the headliner.

Attached picture 8038920-rsz_phone_2-14_081.jpg
Posted By: HemiSportFury

Re: Removing 65 belvedere roof rail trim? - 02/14/14 05:16 AM

Here is a picture of the roof trim clips. There are three on each side. Do not try to pry the trim off or you will bend it. Use the dowel method I described above and it will come off pretty easy.

Attached picture 8038922-rsz_1phone_2-14_083.jpg
Posted By: MrBelvedere2

Re: Removing 65 belvedere roof rail trim? - 02/14/14 06:18 AM

Hey Hemisportfury, it's not too late to help me out....thanks for the info!! should make removal way easier this weekend.
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