stainless trim removal on rain drip rail

[kfnut]

Can anyone tell me how to remove the ss trim on the drip rail over the doors on a 54 ?
Thanks in advance for your help .

[vettelang]

I used an old fashioned church key with tape wrapped around it to protect the stainless. go slow and wiggle it off. good luck!

[joefrazer]

Many years ago I attended a KF retirees luncheon with Ken and Blanche Mericle and I bounced from table to table talking with the folks who worked on the assembly line. I recall talking to one fellow whose job it was to assemble the dash in the 54s. He hated it due to its complexity. Another guy was part of a small team that hung the dog house...front end...on the 51-5 cars. I recall speaking with a group who handled trim installation and that included the drip rail. The guy told me they had one shot at getting it on the car in the right spot because removal would put a twist in it that was hard to mask if it was then reinstalled. I'm sure it can be done with patience, but these guys didn't have that luxury on a moving assembly line.

The church key idea would work...slow and steady will win that race!

[kfnut]

THANKS FOR THE INFO . COULD YOU GIVE A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON HOW TO USE THE CHURCH KEY .
THANK YOU .

[Weaz]

It has been a while, but when I removed the trim from a junker Dragon, I seem to remember using a flathead screwdriver wrapped with electrical tape. I only remember a couple minor bends in the trim during removal. I wasn't concerned with damaging the junker's drip rails, though. Time, patience and something to pry with that won't scratch up the trim or car is the best answer I can give. Good luck.

[Doc]

A church key is a type of bottle opener, the type you use to pry up on the bottle cap. Google church key and you will see two or three different types.  The roof rail trim on one of my '51 Frazers was removed and we were able to snap it back on ok but I don't know what was used to remove it as it was done by an individual doing body work on the car. But it can be done. Seems I remember some U-tube type demonstration of the technique.

Google "drip rail trim removal tool" to see the tool and You-Tube demo.

[kfnut]

When removing the trim ,did you start at the top or bottom and which way did you pry it so it would come loose from the drip rail ?

[kfnut]

Doc , it seems we were posting at the same time so i didn't see your post until i went back to the thread . When i was a young lad my Dad would request a cold beverage from the fridge and my sister and i would race to see who would get to open it . I used a " church key " a lot but we didn't know it by that name way back then . How long has it been since you saw a beverage can that was opened that way ? If i found one it would be on the display shelve now , not in the fridge .

[Fid]

Not to high-jack the topic, but Iron City beer was the first can with a "pull-tab" opened top in 1962. It took a while for all other company's to catch on but I definitely remember opening the cans with a "church key." I know when I was in first grade (1966/67) sometimes my parents would be generous and give me a dime so I could stop at the store on my way home from school and get a can of Shasta.  I used to have to have the guy at the store open it for me if I wanted to drink it on my way home - you needed an opener to do so. The Holiday stores actually used "flat top" cans which required an opener all the way into the 1980s.  Beer can collecting was a big craze in the 1970s, some people still do it, and I remember it was quite a find if you could locate the old gold Budweiser cans which had instructions on how to use a "church key" on the side of the can. So did the first Pabst, Hamms and several other companies cans.  I have a couple of them but none are in great shape.

Here's a nice Bud on ebay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Odd-Variation-1930s-Budweiser-Beer-Can-Tavern-Trove-58-A-0-/191103990726?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c7eaf7bc6

[superk226]

The way to remove the stainless steel trim on the drip rail is to use a small block of wood and tap the wood with a hammer. When putting it back on, coat the drip rail with light oil and press it in place with your fingers.

[joefrazer]

Dishwashing liquid is a good lubricant as well. And, when you're done it simply washes off!

[Doc]

Doc , it seems we were posting at the same time so i didn't see your post until i went back to the thread . When i was a young lad my Dad would request a cold beverage from the fridge and my sister and i would race to see who would get to open it . I used a " church key " a lot but we didn't know it by that name way back then . How long has it been since you saw a beverage can that was opened that way ? If i found one it would be on the display shelve now , not in the fridge .

I had never heard of these bottle openers referred to as a church key until the posting.

[kfnut]

Thanks to Doc's advice to google ''drip rail trim removal tool'' i found several sites with several tool ideas . The one i liked best was a Ford Mustang site with a video showing a guy actually removing the trim and gave good suggestions on things to do before and after removal .
   I decided on the " church key " method and it works fine . Just go slow and easy . I can see if you are going to polish it , do it before removing it . It not ,it would be hard to hold and not bend it .