I'm in the process of cleaning up my front mesh to respray it here and wondering how the hell I get these clips off without breaking them. This is the back side of the small rectangular mesh above the intercooler.





Any tips?

 

I would use a screwdriver to bend the blades back so they're not digging into the plastic. Then bend them back before reinstalling. I've never taken those off so I don't know how strong the metal is but that's how I would do it.

 

It just wants to bend one tooth and not the whole edge.

 

Use a flat head screwdriver to pry it up and off. That's how I've always done it and it never seemed to be an issue.