Need Advice Re: Door Side Moulding Removal on 2000 Mustang GT

[imported_SilverStallion]

I need advice from you guys regarding moving the stuck on door side mouldings that are on my 2000 Mustang GT.

The car has original paint and has been garage kept. It is now a show car and likely has roughly 75+ coats of Zaino, 7 or 8 Klasse AIO, and the same in Klasse SG. All products have been applied by hand.



The mouldings are in the middle of the door as shown in the following pics.:

http://images6.fotki.com/v91/photos/5/50728/1177036/DSC00453-vi.jpg

http://images6.fotki.com/v92/photos/5/50728/1177036/DSC00455-vi.jpg



My questions are:

1) Will there be an obvious mark where the moulding is if I remove it?



2) Will the paint be faded under the moulding?



3) In your professional opinions, do you think this would clean up the lines of the car by removing the moulding, and if so, how do I do it; dental floss?



Please keep in mind that this is a show car that does compete in shows that are judged on paint quality.

Any suggestions would be appreciated as there is a big show this weekend, and I was going to remove them tomorrow.

~Darren

[imported_SilverStallion]

For reference, here is a shot of a car with them removed, but he is running a slightly different body kit.

http://images6.fotki.com/v82/photos/5/50728/1177036/DSC00443-vi.jpg

~Darren

[Matt M, PA]

Those moldings can be removed.



Lots of the Viper guys use dental floss as a type of saw to work them off. Some gentle heat from a hair dryer will also help soften the adhesive in the tape that retains them.



But....you will most likely see where they were once removed. If you see a car that has had moldings or tape stripes, the paint is sometimes discolored underneath or even can have a slightly raised edge.



I`d suggest learning to live with `em...I think there is too much opportunity for trouble by removing them.

[imported_hss]

I removed mines..then i used my rotary to remove the sticky stuff and wetsanded the inperfections with the clear..

[imported_hss]

dental floss won`t be strong enought use fishing line..

[NeonLights]

You`re lucky, a silver car won`t show paint fogging or other marks from where the strips were as much as a dark car would. I`ve removed the side moldings from a black and dark green car (both Neons), and there was some mild paint fogging under both, but it would likely have not been visible on a silver car. I didn`t use fishing line or dental floss to remove the ones I did, just heat. One car had been sitting out in the hot summer sun for a few hours and they pulled right off, the other was at night so we used a heat gun. We then used 3M adhesive and tar remover to clean up any remaining residue.



-Keith

[hirosh]

1. unsure until you remove them.



2. unsure until you remove them.



3. yes, removing them would definitely clean up the car! they just look wrong. it might be too late since you have the car show this weekend, but maybe you could ask a body shop or detailer to remove them for you since they may have the tools and/or experience.



and nice stang! :)

[Aurora]

What`s up with crazy layering though? It looks great, but I think you`re wasting product there.

[imported_SilverStallion]

OK...Mouldings are off and it looks great! No marks or fading apparent at all.

The solution:

1) Dental Floss to start the corner.

2) Aerosol Window cleanerbeing sprayed under the edge as I pulled it off.

3) Chamois the glue to clean any dirt/dust so it would not cut.

4) Index finger rubbing off all the glue - yes, I have blisters now.

5) Meguires Fine Cut Cleaner, and then worked out from the strip. (2 coats)

6) 3 coats of Klasse AIO.

7) 3 Coats of Klasse SG.



***I will top in the morning with P21S before I go to the show.



Thanks for all the help guys...I am very pleased with the result...the side of the car looks like glass.



I will post pics shortly.

~Darren

[imported_SilverStallion]

Here are a couple shots of the final result:

http://images5.fotki.com/v72/photos/5/50728/1187039/DSC00462-vi.jpg

http://images6.fotki.com/v97/photos/5/50728/1187039/DSC00459-vi.jpg

http://images6.fotki.com/v74/photos/5/50728/1187039/DSC00465-vi.jpg



Thanks again for the assistance guys!

~Darren

[weswar]

Looks great!

[hirosh]

now that`s how a stang should look like! nice, very nice! :D