Rear Panel Trim Strip

[Neil-yaj396]

What's the best way to remove the strip that runs the width of the car above the number plate (immediately below the boot lid) without breaking it? I can see plastic lugs through the appertures in the double skin section but can't see what is holding them in place?

[MattNoVAT]

There is a captive bolt at either end of the chrome strip, 6mm or 8mm IIRC, undo these from inside the boot and then it slides off the plastic lugs very very carefully.

Hopefully the captive bolts are not rusted and sheer off - so go gentle.  My cars both had a good dose of rustproof on them luckily.

The plastic lugs go very brittle, so I can't stress enough how gentle you need to be!

[Neil-yaj396]

Being a 1300 the strip on my car is black plastic rather than chrome so will no doubt need even more care so as not to break that as well!

[MattNoVAT]

Maybe do it on a warm day and have a watering can full of hot water to help things along?

[Neil-yaj396]

It came off fairly easily in the end (7mm captive bolts on mine), largely because whoever took it off last time had broken three of the clips doing it. They hid their crime by using something akin to plasticine to sick/hold the broken clips in place!
Bizarrely the strip is metal with a black plastic covering, which must have cost more to make than using the chrome strips for all the other models? It appears that Lancia put some effort into making the 1300 look cheap!