Can you just unbolt and remove the SS trim ground effects/stills on an '05 Monte or is there adhesive or something? And is it painted underneath?

 

The body itself should be painted beneath the ground effects and, other than the two screws or rivets at the ends, the ground effects are held on by retaining clips.

 

Where are these clips? I don't want to break anything.

 

They're basically tabs that stick through slits in the body and those are held on the back side with metal retaining clips. You can see in the image below. I'm not sure about how the side pieces are held on but the front and rear bumper pieces are held on this way.

This thread may be of help > https://montecarloforum.com/forum/pa...cts-kit-30036/

 

to get the clips out on the front and back, grap the highsport, lightly pull outwards (be sure not to pull too hard, but they'll fall eventually and you'll feel the let go point) and let go, the clips should fall right out.

There's 4 screws on the back and 4 on the front I believe.

 

In addition to the retaining clips, the front and rear ground effect pieces have plastic rivets at each end, in the wheel wells, that need to be drilled out to remove. The side pieces are screwed in place at each end, in the wheel wells.

I believe the side ground effect pieces are held in place down the side a bit differently than the front and rear pieces, i.e. they're not the same retaining clips that the front and rear use.

 

I've never had to drill anything out?

Screws in the wheel wells, two underneath and then the clips.

 

My 03 High Sport had plastic rivets securing the front and rear pieces at the ends. Was from the factory that way.

 

Yea I had few plastic rivets to drill out too luckily working at gm could replace them no problem, and I would never just pull on the skirt till the clips feel loose, holy mine were clipped in pretty tough I had to get under the car reach up in to force the clips off pulling would have just broke mine,

And the side skirts are a bit trickier there pull tab clips along the door you have to pull up lightly and underside there are sensitive clips you need to force down with a screwdriver slowly and pull the bumper towards yourself at the same time.

Unless your careful expect to break a clip or two just have ready replacements, we used to break these all the time on the line doing repairs

 

Yeah I agree. Pulling on it is flirting with breaking or warping the plastic. I'd undo the clips from behind as much as possible before starting to pull anything. May have to pry the retaining clips off. Something definitely worth taking your time and being patient with.

...and yes expect the possibility of having to buy more clips. Depending on the clip style, some of those damn things are only meant for a one time use.