Remove T-Top trim then paint?

[Wayne B.]

I'm going to start painting the LT-1 on Monday. My T-tops are the only thing left with chrome on them. Would it be better to go ahead and take the chrome trim surrounding them off before painting them put new trim back on or, would i have a better chance of messing up the new paint trying to put the trim back on later? I'm leaning toward hard to new trim later but if that process is a bear that can damage maybe not.

[Gene M.]

Re: Remove T-Top trim then paint?

You will need to remove the ss trim if you want to flight judge the car. Paint build up along the edges of stainless trim is not pretty. Removal is quite easy. It's putting them back on that is time consuming. I assume you are replacing the weather striping also as they are fastened with the trim. Combination of screws and rivets to reassemble, it is a bit tricky to get the rivets to bite.

[Wayne B.]

Re: Remove T-Top trim then paint?

Thanks, I had this sneaky feeling that the trim was one of those "have to destroy to remove" kind of parts. Mine are in great shape as they are, would have hated to "waste" them.

[Paul J.]

Re: Remove T-Top trim then paint?

Always remove the trim before you paint. It can really detract from a good paint job if you don't.

[Warren F.]

Re: Remove T-Top trim then paint?

Removing the trim is not hard. Drilling the center portion of the rivet out and then having no way to remove it from inside the fiberglass hollow cavity, is the problem. The trim pieces are not easily obtained either. The front piece is a tight crimped piece that just slides on. The small joint piece uses a rivet. The side piece uses rivets and screws. The weatherstripping is a separate entity and not difficult to remove or install. Just be careful when pulling the nylon tabs built into the weatherstripping that you don't break them, as they are somewhat brittle with age. If you break them off, a portion will be encased inside the hollow section of the tops, just like a portion of the rivets, never to come out unless you drill a hole large enough to shake them out.

[Tom L.]

Re: Remove T-Top trim then paint?

When I had my car painted the trim was removed an re-used. Someone may be able to give you advice on removal without destroying them.

My rivits are in my tops. Everytime I take them off I get annoyed by the sound. Fortunately the frown turns to a smile shortly after start-up!!!