My exterior windshield trim was removed and repainted in 2006 - in conjunction with total car repaint.
All the windshield trim (and also the above-the-door rain channels) have become badly chipped and need to be repainted

Can all the exterior windshield trim be removed without removing the windshield?

How can the above-the-door rain channels be removed and re-installed?

All help greatly appreciated -

Ron

 

It can be removed without removing the windshield but the clips will get destroyed. Most I've seen just leave the trim in-place and tape everything off and paint while on the car. As for the drip rail above the door, yes it can be removed but there is a big risk it will mess things up just trying to get it off. Most drip rails slide off. My fear is that they will bend and hurt the surrounding paint. There's also probably seam sealer in that joint.

 

When I Just had my car repainted they took the lower trim in front of the windshield off and the A-pillar trim. They left the drip rails and upper windshield trim on and taped them off.

The clips holding the A-pillar trim all broke removing the trim and about half of the lower windshield clips broke off. I had a set already from the prior owner but they were still available on ebay shipped from Australia. Not sure if they are available other places still but at least they are still available.

 

Thanks for the above info. Clips from Australia just got here today. Think I'm now ready for a fall project!