Replacing WS Trim and clips w/pictures

[93 525 Paul]

Shogun did such a great job on the door handle gasket installation, I thought I'd reciprocate. I hope someone finds this useful (although I'm limited to just four pictures (why?)
The clips gave way on my sun-baked '93. While garage-kept, the desert climate gets to the car anyway. I decided to replace the crusty trim which I purchased from BMA for $100 a side, plus 14 clips, plus the center trim piece.
Here's how it went.
Marked the old clip where it was to make it easier to get the new clips in.
I used an exacto knife to cut the very strong double stick tape. Then I used a hardwood wedge (like you get with an ax handle) to push the old clip off. Pushing toward the windshield perimeter gets it out. You need to clean the tape goo left behind.

With the tape residue cleaned it is ready for the new clip. Look for the voids left by the legs of the clips. The trick is to get the new clip legs precisely in those voids, or the clip wants to back out.
Pushing the old one off breaks the legs. Unless you are willing to pull the windshield (I wasn't) I figured you'd have to make the new ones look like the old ones.

So I did. Old one on the left and the new one on the right. A couple of snips with the diagonals and the new clips looked like the old. The double stick tape on the underside of the new clips will grab the WS before you have the clip installed, so I jury rigged some release tapes. You can use more than two release tapes as I did toward the end of the install. It's a bear when one of them tears.

Showing the steep angle you have to start them, particularly along the roof line. Start them steeply, then push the legs under the WS with a plastic or wood instrument. A toothbrush with the head cut off works well.
Keep the pressure against them with your finger or a tool to work the legs into the voids left by the old legs. You want the clip flush to the perimeter of the WS.

Flush and ready to pull the release tapes
Ended up in a cleanly installed window trim for me.

[gale]

Great write-up & pic's. Definitely one to bookmark, Thanks! I bet release strips cut from one of those Kevlar mailing pouches would hold up under tension while sliding them out & probably wouldn't hang up & stick to the tape.

[93 525 Paul]

I appreciate your compliment. It would be a bit better if I could have used more of my photos.
I like the mailing pouch release strip idea. I didn't consider that. I used the original wax backed stuff because I didn't want to cut any of the stickiness of the tape.

[Qube]

EXCELLENT WORK! Printed it out and added to the 'scrapbook' part of my Bentley's THANKS!

[Bill R.]

be. Thats a keeper for me.

[Qube]

be. Thats a keeper for me.

Why why why do you start your post in the title? When I read the email summary, I only get half the story, and most of the time it doesn't make sense (emails don't get the title text)

[Bill R.]

because i wasn't aware of it. I don't use email for my digest.

Why why why do you start your post in the title? When I read the email summary, I only get half the story, and most of the time it doesn't make sense (emails don't get the title text)

[Qube]

because i wasn't aware of it. I don't use email for my digest.

Bah!

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be. Thats a keeper for me.
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[93 525 Paul]

Thanks Qube, and thank you Bill R. It's satisfying to help the community. I've learned much from coming here over the last couple of years and recently used Shogun's how to for the door handle gasket R&R. Great stuff these technical boards. Thanks to all of you who have helped me through the fuel pump replacement, finding BMA and Autohausaz.com, the "front end flush" and countless other things.

[93 525 Paul]

Guess I could have double posted...
Cutting the old tape from under the old clip

Forcing the old clip out and off

New clip installed and flush to the windshield

New trim installed and looking great