Windshield molding kicked my a$$

well among other things, attempted to get the windshield molding back on the convertible this weekend... failed miserably. got the clips in place but could not even get the first bottom piece to fit right and stay on. if I would have pushed any harder I would have started to dent the piece so decided to walk away and try again later. I still have the old piece that I dented about 35 years ago when I put it back on the first time as a reminder... wtf is the secret to getting these things on right...

You need to "open up" the clips a bit as they are very tight as made new. Pre-bending them just a touch before installation makes it much easier. If already installed, you can CAREFULLY use a small screwdriver or such to wedge between the clip and the car body to pry them open a bit.

Thanks Terry. I did open the up a bit, maybe I opened them too much. I'd get one side on, the when I put the other end on, the 1st end would pop off. Was thinking about it I am going to try using a hard rubber sanding block, wrap in cloth and see if I can use that to put some force on it straight back into the clips, and start and the center and work my way out....