Best Way to Remove Aluminum Body Trim

[phebbler]

I am preparing to begin body sanding in prep for paint. I would like to know if anyone knows how to get the side trim off of the body and the bed. I don't want to just start prying because I am afraid I'll bend it. I can't see how to access the inside of the bed side panels. I guess I can remove the door panels to get to the side trim on the doors. This is on a 1973 Ford F100. I know it's not a 72' but any help would be appreciated.

[jor]

The trim is bolted on. Just locate all the mounting points and remove the nuts. You can break them with a wrench or socket, then spin them off with a nut driver or whatever. If yours is like mine, the plastic mounting clips will be trashed so you might have to snip them off as in the attached photo. The arrows show the clips on the trim.
jor

[Big D's 69]

I just removed my trim off of my 69 FOrd. It had nuts on the front and rear of each piece and then plastic clips all along the middle of each piece which you just had to push up or down on each piece and it would unsnap off the clip. Didn't bend any of it and broke none of the clips. Took about 2 hours to get off upper and lower molding on my truck. Good luck!