I am ASSUMING the stainless is removed the same as it is on my 41 sedan. Generally, a combination of fasteners/clips are used to hold stainless in place, although some areas of the car like the hood/grill have stainless that is held in place by tabs that bend. Some fasteners are screwed in place others are pressed, some have screw/nut combinations. Stainless is best removed with observation, caution, patience, and gentleness. The same techniques you use in the courting process.
My choice of tools is a thin bladed 3" long putty knife (a wider size could be used if it doesn't feel too clumsy, a thicker 1 1/2" putty knife, and a set of 1/4" ratchets with 6 sided sockets. With a really uncooperative clip I may use 2 thin 3" putty knifes and sandwich between them my thick bladed 1 1/2" putty knife for prying.
Stainless is usually held in place with clips spaced about every 6 inches. You may want to take a felt permanent marker and mark where they might be. This will help you know where you will need to pry UP on the stainless. Always assume that there will be a clip about 1" from the end of the stainless. I always pry up from the bottom of the stainless not the top. If you damage the stainless in the prying process you do not want it to show.
Generally, you will pry up by sliding a large thin putty knife under the stainless as close to the fastener as you can without hitting it. Your goal is to remove the stainless with out bending it, it is not to worry about salvaging every clip. Most clips will survive if they are not badly rusted. It is not uncommon to have a variety of clips used so caution is necessary. You want to slip a thin bladed putty knife under the stainless and pry up less than 1/8th." You are just trying to break the tight seal between the body surface and the stainless.
Start from one end of the stainless and go to the other. If you can not pry up on an area then look for a fastener behind it that may be held by a nut. Most fasteners do not require any interior panel removal except in the trunk. Failing to lift the stainless easily just move about 6 inches left or right where the next clip should reside and pry, eventually you should find an area where the putty knife can penetrate under the stainless and move it slightly. Locating a loose area means you are doing things the right way. From this loose area try to move to the left or right and loosen more of the stainless.
Eventually, you should be able to slide the putty knife easily under the entire bottom of the stainless, With this accomplished you can now work at lifting up the stainless 1/8" to 1/4" along the bottom prying with your three putty knives sandwiched together. The goal is to pry without bending the edge of the stainless or denting/scratching the body paint under it. Once you have established the space under the entire length of stainless just keep enlarging it until the stainless pops off.
Never try to run your putty knife under the entire width of the stainless unless you are planning on painting the car. The process of lifting up on the stainless might scratch the paint surface, bend the clip, and dent the stainless where the clip resides. Most clips are designed to be pried up from the bottom or top not pried straight out.
Different styles of fasteners are removed differently and are used in different body areas. I assume the factory may have even interchanged some. Door fasteners might be different from quarter panel fasteners, hood fasteners different than grill, and likewise rocker panel stainless will have its own style.
Time to have breakfast. Will take some pictures and cover each style of fastener.
Good luck, Mike
P.S. I'll edit this later
