I suggest you spend the next 45 minutes banging your head against a wall.  I can
guarantee it'll make you completely forget all about your fixation with
something as trivial as moldings on a crap civic.

Same problem with my 95 Accord. I removed them with a nylon stick (from
an autoglass shop) the clips stayed in place so I had to remove them
after the molding was off. I did this on a warm day so the moldings
were "soft".

I see no way to remove the clips and molding at the same time unless it
is done from the inside because the clips have to be "squeezed" to
remove them. Impossible from the outside of the car.

This would require removing the door panels, the interior panels next
to the rear seat and inner wheel wells on the front. PIA, just to
remove moldings!

The clips slide into a slot in the molding which some of them cracked
when I removed them but not enough so the clip won't slide back into
place. That's why it needs to be done on a warm or even hot day so that
the moldings will flex.

That's all I've done so far.

My plan is to wet sand the moldings with "probably" 400 grit (I will
test a small area and make sure that isn't too coarse) wet-dry
sandpaper, clean them with rubbing alcohol, then paint them with black
"Plasti-Kote". (paint made for plastic)

What about buying replacement moldings? I would suspect that for a car
as popular as the various Hondas have been there is a good market for
them.

Thanks guys. But I know someone out there has a secret method that will
work.  I picked a molding up at a salvage yard and treated it twice a
week, kept it inside for weeks and it just kept absorbing the treatments
and getting no better.  Painting them or replacing may be my only option.
What's strange is the small molding on the front fender (both sides) still
look like new and yes they are originals.