Molding - something every 'Bird or T/A owner should ditch...

[Dan Vincent]

...including me. :D After seeing a few cars with this done, I couldn't believe how tacky the molding is, not to mention how useless it is (since there's a bulge at the top of the door that is most likely to hit something before the molding does!).

For comparison, here's my car "before":

http://homepage.mac.com/kefkafloyd/bird4.jpg

And After:
http://homepage.mac.com/kefkafloyd/....s/molding1.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/kefkafloyd/....s/molding2.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/kefkafloyd/....s/molding3.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/kefkafloyd/....s/molding4.jpg

I spent an hour or so getting it done today, man does it make my car look sleeker. I left the badging on, as some day I'll get 98+ badges and replace these.

A while ago I picked up a set of seat covers at the auto parts store, and man do they make a difference. I've been having trouble taking pics of my interior that don't come out overexposed, but I think this one gives the general idea:

http://homepage.mac.com/kefkafloyd/.Pictures/covers.jpg

Now to just work on getting interior bits painted red... Always something new to do with the car.

[fabolous24]

how much did those seat cover cost and where did u get them?

[Dan Vincent]

I got them for $20 per cover at Advance Auto Parts. Finding red and black low-back bucket covers without Ford or Chevrolet emblems on them was a challenege.

[94TeaL]

I like it, but i dont like the idea of someone else's door hittin my door dead on.

[Dan Vincent]

Originally posted by 94TeaL:
I like it, but i dont like the idea of someone else's door hittin my door dead on.

People hit my door all the time - I've got the scratches to prove it. The molding is probably more useful in the less curvaceous Camaros... the upper part of the door on Firebirds bulges out past the molding, making it pretty useless.

[DarkEcho]

took mine off too but i got scratches from taking it off.... oh well hardly noticable, my cars paint seems to be HORRIBLe... most swirlmarks ever seen in my life... hopefully zaino scratch remover can fix it, otherwise its a completely new paintjob one day when i can afford it (haha yea right) maybe peices at a time.... just gotta make sure it matches... hood/bumper, then doors and roof then hatch and rear bumper... maybe itll work [img]smile.gif[/img]

[hawgs]

Originally posted by 94TeaL:
I like it, but i dont like the idea of someone else's door hittin my door dead on.

The door molding wont stop most doors. Lools 10000xs better. Just be careful if your car's been repainted... it will look like poo if it has.

[Loochy88]

i still refuse to take mine off. i know several occasions when i saw doors fly open to my molding thus saving my doors. ive also seen a bird that took off the molding and the clearcoat underneath came right off with it.

['94firebirdv6]

how did u take those off?
did u just rip them off or put some goo gone on there or what....i'm a little nervous about doing it since Loochy said somebodys clearcoat came off w/ the moldings

[Dan Vincent]

Clearcoat won't come off if you do it properly.

You need the following things:

Fishing wire
Blowdryer/heat gun
Goo-Gone/Bug n Tar remover
Rag
Elbow grease

Optional things:

Plastic scraper

First, heat up the modlding and the glued area. Then work your fishing wire in an up and down "sawing" motion - it'll go pretty quick. This'll get the molding off and leave most of the double sided tape. Use your heat gun or blowdryer to heat this up a bit, and work it off with your fingers or your scraper. Once you get the glue off, use the goo gone/bug n tar remover to get most of the crud off. There may be some black outlines or high spots left over; mineral spirits, claybaring and good buffing will take care of this. It took me about an hour and a half since I spent a lot of time cleaning up.

[Loochy88]

Originally posted by Dan Vincent:
Clearcoat won't come off if you do it properly.

You need the following things:

Fishing wire
Blowdryer/heat gun
Goo-Gone/Bug n Tar remover
Rag
Elbow grease

Optional things:

Plastic scraper

First, heat up the modlding and the glued area. Then work your fishing wire in an up and down "sawing" motion - it'll go pretty quick. This'll get the molding off and leave most of the double sided tape. Use your heat gun or blowdryer to heat this up a bit, and work it off with your fingers or your scraper. Once you get the glue off, use the goo gone/bug n tar remover to get most of the crud off. There may be some black outlines or high spots left over; mineral spirits, claybaring and good buffing will take care of this. It took me about an hour and a half since I spent a lot of time cleaning up.

well i cant vouch for that but it definitely sounds like it would work better than the rip it off and cross your fingers approach.

also, the car i saw the clear come off of was either a 93 or 94, so it was a bit older.

[Dan Vincent]

Originally posted by Loochy88:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Dan Vincent:
Clearcoat won't come off if you do it properly.

You need the following things:

Fishing wire
Blowdryer/heat gun
Goo-Gone/Bug n Tar remover
Rag
Elbow grease

Optional things:

Plastic scraper

First, heat up the modlding and the glued area. Then work your fishing wire in an up and down "sawing" motion - it'll go pretty quick. This'll get the molding off and leave most of the double sided tape. Use your heat gun or blowdryer to heat this up a bit, and work it off with your fingers or your scraper. Once you get the glue off, use the goo gone/bug n tar remover to get most of the crud off. There may be some black outlines or high spots left over; mineral spirits, claybaring and good buffing will take care of this. It took me about an hour and a half since I spent a lot of time cleaning up.

well i cant vouch for that but it definitely sounds like it would work better than the rip it off and cross your fingers approach.

also, the car i saw the clear come off of was either a 93 or 94, so it was a bit older. </font>[/QUOTE]I should emphasize that YOU WILL pull off your clear or other nasty things if you just go and pull them off. Be gentle, use heat and your goo-gone and the glue will come off like easy street.

The method I listed works on most any badging or molding fairly effectively, so if you're up for taking off dealer badges, this method works pretty effectively.

[Predator Bird]

i want to take mine off, but my clear coat is starting to peel on the front passenger fender part. i'm scared how it will turn out if i take it off. the seat covers look pretty good too.