olds70supreme

What's the best way to install the backing plate that goes behind the armrest? It attaches to the door panel via metal clips - is it best to...
1. install the (loose) clips into the door panel from the rear, than push the backing plate into them? Or,
2. install the clips onto the backing plate, than install to the door panel by reaching through the holes from the rear of the panel and squeezing the clips together to fit them through.

If the best way is to get the clips loose (option 1), any suggestions on how to get them off the backing plate w/o breaking the plastic tabs? Or is there a source for these clips new so I could cut the clips off of the tabs (mine don't want to move, and I'm afraid of busting the tabs).

Thanks.

rcorrigan5

I don't believe there is a source for those clips and they are truly a pain to remove without breaking off the plastic tab. I was able to remove the metal clips off of my '68 & '69 cars without breaking the tabs, but only with extreme patience. I didn't use the metal clips when I re-installed the backing plates. Instead, I filed a small notch into each side of the plastic tab, put a paper clip over the tab and then turned the paper clip so it would fit into the notch on each side. All that did was hold the backing plate in place, which is what I wanted it to do, until I installed the door panel. Then, I installed the arm rest with the three large screws that hold both the arm rest and the backing plate up close to the door panel.

The metal clips are a pain and I wanted to save the backing plate (especially for the '68 as they are not reproduced) if I ever needed to remove it again so that's the reason for the paper clip idea. If I had it to do again, I believe I would just cut each end of the metal clip and remove the backing plate that way.

Randy C.