The trim is stainless steel and work-hardens rapidly if deformed,

so it is a LOT harder to straighten than to bend initially.

You can sometimes wiggle it off the plastic clips without breaking

them by working it up and down and twisting it a bit to get first

the bottom and then the top to let go. I made some wooden blocks

to straighten it with where the door frame had crushed it. Also it

is sometimes good to narrow it just a it where it goes over the

plastic clips. Makes it grip them tighter.

Sunlight DESTROYS the plastic clips. If you can get new ones you will

be doing yourself a favor. Be sure your door checks don't allow the

door to open far enough to flatten or bend the trim. Sometimes the checks

can be repaired - I put a bolt through one of mine years ago to replace

a tubular rivet that was falling out.

You can do what I did with my 145, if you don't care about it being orignal, and that is to install 1980 260 wagon trim on the car. Actually looks nicer and easier to remove/install, compared to the aluminium stuff.

-J

Usually what I do is take a sharp thin knife, get it behind the trim, parralel to the door skin and whack it with a rubber hammer cutting the plastic clips from the door skin. No bent trim. the trim usually falls off anyway if you try to reuse the clips, and I can't be bothered to try to salvage them

I then replace the clips with new ones when I refit the trim

Regards

/// I have a 73 144 and the trim is just pops off the plastic holders. The holders are removed with that center nylon pin but I don't believe I have ever pushed the nylon pin out with the trim still on.

Be careful whatever you do. The trim is hard to straighten out if you damage the bends at the nylon holders. You should be able to work the trim off. If the rear of the nylon holder is unaccessable you can drill a starter hole in the pin, screw in a sheetmetal screw and pull the center pin.

As I remember it the trouble was keeping the trim on.

If you remove the inside panel, you'll see the little clips coming through the door skin. They're round, about 1/8" in diameter, and right in the center there is a little pin. Take a small punch and push the pin (towards the exterior of the car) and that will relax the grip that the clip has on the door skin. You may have to "persuade" the punch with a small hammer.

To re-install, put the clip back in it's hole, and tap the pin inward to expand the clip. Install all the clips, then snap the chrome onto them.