Anyone know how to remove the window trim on the coupe?

I believe they're called the drip moulding (attached to the roof) and the belt moudling (attached to the door).

I couldn't find it in the workshop manual.

TIA

 

BUMP - anyone know how to do this? Thinking of painting mine gloss black.

 

I've pulled from an X350 but not the X150. Found this from another forum, but can't speak to it's accuracy.


The chrome trim is held onto the car by screws, you have to remove the rear quarter window by pulling the seal out the way on the pillar just inside of the door. This reveals a bolt, undo it and the window slides out. Pull out the seal that goes the entire length of the chrome trim, there is a plastic clip that holds the seal in place at the base of the a pillar. Underneath is all the screws that hold in the actual trim.

The door chrome trim just lifts up, then angle it out away from the door mirror.

 

If it's just to paint, I don't think the juice is worth the squeeze. A good body man should be able to tape it and paint it in place. I was looking at mine to do it in a darker shade of gray. It looks like anodized aluminum and I'd be afraid I couldn't R+R it without damaging it.

 

I pulled them from the X350 and by the description above, the x350 is much harder but was easily done without damaging it. You're correct that it's anodized aluminum with a clear coat on top but the clear coat is ridiculously hard to remove (not standard automotive clear coat for certain). I had to sand it off. The clear coat gets cloudy on a lot of Jags, especially ones near the sun and sand like Florida. Once off, you can polish with aluminum polish or wipe with tranny fluid every couple of months or clear coat it again.

I have the problem on my XK. Just bought a 3M light restore kit with drill adapter. I'm going to try to polish as a member in france used a cutting compound and said it worked for him. If that doesn't work, I will prolly remove it and sand it down.

To your point, if you're just going to paint it, then yes, no need to remove it.

 

I have used a couple of different metal polishes and home remedies for my aluminum trim its starting to look faded had the same problem with a BMW once but I used a German polish called Autosol that did the trick but nothing is working on the Jag I thought about getting it painted but I think I'm going to try a vinyl cover first like the ones made by this company

http://shadowlinetrim.com/

 

Hard anodizing is a PITA to try and rub through. Lye works well to dissolve it but the meth heads have made finding straight lye difficult. Ford did the same thing on the 70's pickups I play with. Once the anodizing is gone the base metal polishes up nice but needs kept after or it'll look worse than the anodizing.

 

So are the meth heads using it as part of their process or just throwing over the bodies as they pile up? OK please don't answer that.

I've read drain cleaner works well too (on the aluminum, not the bodies). I have an old piece from an x350 I might try it on when I'm not feeling lazy. Then you just have to have it re-anodized I presume.

i might also give a shot at a light sand and clear coat. I did a 1 inch test spot last year and it's still holding up (though I orange peeled the hell out of it). I'll use my air sprayer if I tackle it that way.

Speaking of lazy, I'm enjoying your thread bringing back that XK from the dead, but it does make me feel lazy.

 

here's the instructions for the quarter glass, found it in the service manual