1970s '75 eldo vinal top trim

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Needing to remove the trim that goes around my vinal top so i can remove the whole vinal itself.
anyone with any previous experience with this who can describe how to properly do it without damaging the chrome?

as far as i can tell through a little part of it that has already come off it works off of small pins, but that's as far as i can see without pulling more back.

[J. Skelly]

On my Biarritz, there are a few nuts on each side that are accessed from the trunk area to remove the trim pieces along the top of the quarter panel.  The horizontal trim below the window area has studs mounted in the body that hold the plastic clips that the trim pieces snap onto.  You likely have to remove the moldings surrounding the rear window and opera windows since the vinyl is usually glued in those areas prior to the trim being attached.  The trim surrounding the opera windows is probably quite fragile.  On the interior, expect to have to carefully remove the headliner and side pieces surrounding the opera windows.  If your car has a sunroof, that complicates the job.  GM used this method on many vehicles to attach trim.  If you don't have the special tool(s) needed to remove the trim, you need to get them or have a good trim shop do the job since they have the experience not to damage anything.  Good luck with however you decide to handle this job.

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@J.Skelly
would i have to remove the headliner to just take the outermost trim off, as in, is it bolted through the roof to your knowledge?

[J. Skelly]

I don't know if it is bolted in.  Hopefully someone else can answer that.  Or maybe go to a junkyard and look at a few if there are any there.  On my Biarritz, it was bolted in according to the shop doing the work.  In my case, the sunroof headliner assembly had to be removed.  I had the shop change the fasteners so the trim you mentioned could be removed from the outside in case I or a subsequent owner ever decide to paint it.  Keep in mind that the Biarritz trim was done by American Sunroof Corporation (ASC) and may differ a bit from a regular Eldorado.     

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alright thanks, there is a 78 eldo near by that is trashed up in a junk yard, wouldn't hurt to cut into that and see how its mounted
it also doesn't have a sun roof so it should be similar

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

While you are at the yard, don't forget to see if there are any small things that you might need for the rest of the car.

There are always little things that you mightn't need now, but better getting stuff whilst it is available.   

Bruce.

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UPDATE

So according to the 78 eldo in the junk yard the trim is in 4 basic pieces, the top most pieces on both sides attach through 2 main points. The part of the trim that goes on the side of the car is pushed onto a large clip, it can be popped off of it by using a small plastic tool to get under the chrome (The colored vinal around the trim is not part of it).  Once you have the side part undone, undo the center clip on the roof, connecting the trim pieces, from there, the top part of the trim can be pulled or pushed of by moving it away from the center outward, and then lifting up once the sliding clips have left the studs. There is no bolts that go through the roof

The bottom most trim piece toward the back is similar. Firstly undo the center piece connecting the two rear trim pieces, then undo the bolt holding the pieces down, access to this is given through the trunk (one bolt per piece)
The the rest of it is held in by the same type of plastic clips that slide onto studs, the best way i can think of undoing the rear without damaging the plastic clips is to try and lift the trim off of the rearmost area near the trunk first, and then slide the whole piece back to undo the side mounts

[Big Fins]

That sound complicated, but I doubt as complicated as replacing a convertible top.

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@Big Fins
Hope you wont have to replace yours for a while, at least not the mechanism

[J. Skelly]

I would put cardboard on the painted surfaces and use a plastic scraper to avoid scratching the moldings or paint while pulling/prying the moldings off.   

[Big Fins]

@Big Fins
Hope you wont have to replace yours for a while, at least not the mechanism

Nah, the mechanism is fine. I look after it all the time and keep it lubed properly. The top is going on 15 years old now and it's still like new too. I'm sure that will be a bite when it comes due.

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Forgot to pose the pictures of where the trim mounts
on picture shoes the mounting for the roof and the other shows the large push on clip for the side of the front most trim
The front most trim should all just snap and slide into place and out of place