[Aaron65]

I plan to replace the beltline sealing strip on my '74 Firebird at some point this year. I looked at the Fisher Body manual, and it explains that the reveal molding is held on with a welded stud and plastic clip, but it doesn't really say how to take it off, other than that there might be some special tool for it. Does anyone have experience with an average garage tool taking these off? I've included a picture with an childishly drawn arrow to show what I'm talking about. Thanks!

[Navy Horn 16]

The tool looks like a small 2 pronged fork that pushes the plastic retainer off of the stud.

[Aaron65]

I'll have to see what I can make up to replicate the tool. Thank you...

[Grand73Am]

That door molding doesn't require a special tool. It just pops onto some plastic clips. I've been able to just lift it from the bottom with my fingers and pop it off the clips. Start at the rear end and lift up the bottom till it comes off the clip. Then go forward doing the same thing until it's free from all the clips. If you want a little help, you could take a plastic bondo spreader and slip it under the molding to help you get started.

The "tool" you mentioned is for removing the trim moldings from around the windshield and back glass, and is not suitable for those door moldings. That windshield trim tool is shaped like an arrowhead.

Your door moldings are part of the "Decor" option by the way, which adds those moldings to the tops of the doors that the standard trim cars don't have. "Decor" also added short moldings to the rear top of the fenders, and a molding on the rear of the hood.

[Grand73Am]

Also, this is what it looks like under the molding. This is one I needed to remove anyway, so I went ahead and did it this morning. I shoved a bondo spreader under it to get it started. The middle clips came loose first, before the ends. The ends are stubborn because they're curved. After loosening it from the middle clips, I got the rear end to pop loose first with more prying. That left the front clip still holding. Since the rest of the molding was free, I pulled the molding rearward a little bit, sliding it back and forth on the front clip to loosen it up a bit. A little WD40 on that front clip probably would've helped. But with a bit of prying and twisting, it came loose, and I removed the molding. Probably took about 10 minutes.

002 by grand73am, on Flickr

[Aaron65]

Thank you Steve! That'll be very helpful...I just ordered my new beltline weatherstrips, so I'll be able to knock this one out in a week or two. Now I just have to figure out the best way to reattach the new weatherstripping...rivets or screws?

[Grand73Am]

The outer door window sweeps are held on with small screws. You'll see when you take them off. So, you just re-use the original small screws for those. You'll probably have to lower the door window further down so you can get to those screws. There's a door bottoming rubber stop on the lower inside of the door and it's on a bracket that's held by a bolt. So, you loosen the bolt, and lower the bracket and window stop, so the window will roll down further. Then you can get to the screws for the sweep. Before lowering the bottoming stop bracket, make a mark of where it was so you can put it back to the same place when you're finished.

The inner window sweeps are originally stapled to the interior door upholstery panel. If I were replacing those, I'd remove the old staples, drill the staple holes open a bit with a small drill bit, like 1/16" diameter. Then make new staples from stainless paper clips, by cutting and bending them to the shape of staples, and re-"staple" them to the door panel. Insert them through the sweep and into the holes and bend the staples over on the backside. I'd probably add a little 3M 08008 black super weatherstrip adhesive to the staples where you bent them over, and some between the sweep and door panel to help further secure the sweeps to the door panel while doing this. Sometimes window sweeps will come with some staples for that, but in case they don't, that's what you can do.

Now, if you bought new assembled door upholstery panels...they already come with new sweeps attached, so you wouldn't have to install new sweeps on them.