i popped mine out just fine w/ a flathead, be careful not to scratch the paint. if you dont want to risk that, use either a heat gun or a hair dryer to heat the adhesive up and it should come right out. i had no problems with the pegs. my mistake is i didnt heat it when replacing it so its not on all the way.
when you paint it, be sure to sand it w/ very fine sand paper, do a few coats of your color of choice, waiting for it to be completely dry in between coats, then do a few coats of clear and let it sit for a while, i'd say atleast an hour, to make sure its completely dry as you may put fingerprints in the paint when putting it back on your car
hope this helps!