I know that it has been discussed on here before, but I have not been able to find an answer, so I'm attempting to find one here. I have an '81 F100 with upper side trim that I would like to remove during repainting. My problem is that this is attached to the body with clips and I do not know how to remove it without damaging the chrome. I would consider just ripping it all off and using reproductions except for the fact that I can't find any that applies to the doors. I've read before that someone just tapped on one end until it stated to slide off, but this just doesn't sould like the "correct" way to go about it. I may be wrong.

 

I replaced the driver's door on my '80 with the door off my old '83. Since the entire truck only had bottom trim, and the door only had top trim, I took it all off. I believe I just pryed on the trim close to the clips until they popped off the rivets in the door, and the trim came off cleanly with no bending, creasing, etc.

 

I don't know if you saw this before and thought it might help.

 

I have seen that before, but had forgoten. I am printing it now. It appears to me on the diagram that the trim will slide to the rear, off of most of the clips, in a perfect world anyway. Is that how you see it?

 

A "rep" to you, rbalsinger. This is what this forum is all about... sharing knowledge and experience!

 

A "rep" to you, rbalsinger. This is what this forum is all about... sharing knowledge and experience!

 

I have had that upper side trim on and off a few times without wrecking one yet. I have never managed to slide it off. Each piece is held on by those plastic clips, and one or more screw-down clamp/clip things. The nut must be undone from the backside of the clamp first, then the trim can be snapped off from the front. On the doors there are two nuts on the inside, so the interior door panel has to come off to get at them. Once the nuts are off, use something flat like a screwdriver (I use a butter knife!) to get under the trim from the bottom (close to a clip), then I put pressure down on the top side of the piece and pry sharply out with the tool. It takes quite a bit of force...and you've gotta be careful not to gouge the side of the truck while you're doing it.

If you are re-using the clips, be careful not to break off the thin wings on them that are supposed to keep the trim from pressing directly onto the paint.

Re-installing is easier. I hook the trim over the top part of the clip so it's at an angle, and then give it a good fist-thump to snap the bottom in. I've sometimes used a bit of wax or soap on the clip to make it easier.

To install the trim on a panel that doesn't have the factory stud-heads, I have used 1/8" pop rivets to fasten the clips down. Drilling the hole for the rivet in a brand new panel from Ford was a bit painful, but I got over it. I centred the hole 13mm above the body line, and it looks right.

I have some pics of the trim from the box. For the upper trim, access to the the nut is in behind the tail-light. That clip on mine looked pretty rough, but it held.

 

Thanks for that. I am getting ready to do some of this myself.

Rob
83 F250 2WD C6 460 Towing XLT