Just did the same thing with the stainless surround on my 1936 Pickup grille. Get a piece of 1x4 pine about 12 long. The clips should not matter if they are slid in with the curve one way or the other. Take a rubber hammer and with the first clip over the hole, place the pine board (long ways) over the stainless where the clip is and give it a pound. Scary-- yes, but the clips go in with minimal damage to the paint. If you are sliding in more that one clip at a time, make sure the others are over the holes that they will be going in before pounding the first one. As they say -- It worked for me.
With the spring clip installed as in picture #1, move it to one side or the other.Thank you for y’all’s input and help this far. I think part of my dilemma is figuring out how the clips go into the trim itself (orientation). Are the clips to be installed “parallel” to the trim, as in the first photo? Or, are they to be installed in the trim perpendicular to the trim, as in the second photo?
When I slide the clip in oriented parallel to the trim, it’s very loose. When I tried to squeeze a clip enough to fit it in perpendicular to the trim, it kinda mangles up the clip.
Thanks, again, for the help!