Well, I can't offer to solve you problem except to say that if you can manage it, please tell me how. I'd like to polish both the outside and inside of the lens, but can find no way to remove the lens. Hell, I couldn't even figure out how to get the housing itself off, my Haynes manual only gives directions for post-98s. The directions do include removing the bumper cover though, as I recall.
I can say that there are clips on the bottom though, because my upper clips were broken off when I got my '97 and those lens covers refuse to even budge.