Side Window Trim Removal

[8716valver]

So I'm getting ready to prep my wife's B5 for paint and removing the metal trim that surrounds the side windows has me worried. Does anyone know if there's a good to remove the metal trim without causing damage? This includes the lower metal trim on each door.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[jaychen]

Are you talking about the upper chrome/metal piece that runs up the a pillar all the way down to the back of the 1/4 glass?

If so, you need to cut the 1/4 window out to remove it properly.

Remove brittle, very easily broken interior pieces that are the back covering the 1/4 glass.
Use extendo knife or windscreen glass cutter to cut the 1/4 windows out (mix of both is what i used)
Remove the door seals (and maybe even interior b trim pieces - cant remember if they need to come out or not)
Remove the black trim piece that's pressed into the rail (this piece hides the rivets that secure the metal trim to the body). Take note of the bent tab that you have to unfold right near the side mirror location at the a frame where it meets the fender. If you dont bent it out before trying to remove the trim, you'll tear that trim piece.
Drill rivets out.
Remove trim piece.

Obviously you need to glue the window back in on reinstall and the only way i could get that black trim piece back in was with a rubber mallet and tapping (pretty forcefully) it in.

As for the lower trim, also been a while but im pretty sure i had to remove the window frame to get access to the lower metal trims. The one under the 1/4 glass slides off. I can check tomorrow for you on my parts car before you fuck yours up if you want.

[8716valver]

Are you talking about the upper chrome/metal piece that runs up the a pillar all the way down to the back of the 1/4 glass?

If so, you need to cut the 1/4 window out to remove it properly.

Remove brittle, very easily broken interior pieces that are the back covering the 1/4 glass.
Use extendo knife or windscreen glass cutter to cut the 1/4 windows out (mix of both is what i used)
Remove the door seals (and maybe even interior b trim pieces - cant remember if they need to come out or not)
Remove the black trim piece that's pressed into the rail (this piece hides the rivets that secure the metal trim to the body). Take note of the bent tab that you have to unfold right near the side mirror location at the a frame where it meets the fender. If you dont bent it out before trying to remove the trim, you'll tear that trim piece.
Drill rivets out.
Remove trim piece.

Obviously you need to glue the window back in on reinstall and the only way i could get that black trim piece back in was with a rubber mallet and tapping (pretty forcefully) it in.

As for the lower trim, also been a while but im pretty sure i had to remove the window frame to get access to the lower metal trims. The one under the 1/4 glass slides off. I can check tomorrow for you on my parts car before you fuck yours up if you want.

Yes the upper chrome trim piece running the length of the doors. So you're saying start by removing the rear triangle glass to expose the rivets holding the trim? Do I then slide or pull up on the chrome trim piece?

[rdcyclist]

For painting, you could also remove the door window assemblies (you're going to need to do that to get the top of door trim off) and then loosen the trim from the opening and mask it. Taking out the quarter windows is ... challenging. I have no idea how I didn't break both of them when I did it.

[8716valver]

For painting, you could also remove the door window assemblies (you're going to need to do that to get the top of door trim off) and then loosen the trim from the opening and mask it. Taking out the quarter windows is ... challenging. I have no idea how I didn't break both of them when I did it.

Scary. This should be interesting!

[jaychen]

Yes the upper chrome trim piece running the length of the doors. So you're saying start by removing the rear triangle glass to expose the rivets holding the trim? Do I then slide or pull up on the chrome trim piece?

You dont need to do anything after the rivets are drilled out. It will just fall off the body of the car.

It's held on by the rivets with a bit of double sided tape (that's almost 20yrs old and doing nothing).