Side moldings?

[American ricer 28]

I have a 99 rs and their is a dent going down the door behind the side molding I was wondering if I remove them is their holes in the doors or quarter panels or just adhesived on? I go to school for body work and was wanting to do some on my car but don't want to have to do alot of paint work cause moneys not there right now an I think by removing these side moldings it will give it a more agresive look plz help

[Beamer]

should just be adhesive

[blucavvy]

it is just adheasive, anything on our car's that looks like it might just be glued on.....probably is.

badges, bowties, moldings, all 3m double sided adhesive tape

[Just visiting]

Use an industrial heat gun (hair driers can't produce enough heat) to soften the adhesive (which is applied to the part in the form of a double faced tape) and pull the trim off the car.

Auto body suppliers sell the adhesive remover/cleaner which wipes on/wipes off. If you don't remove the gummy adhesive it will ruin any paint you may (need to) apply to the area. DO NOT USE ACETONE as it thins and spreads the glue! Been there (last night), done that!

New adhesive tape will have to be applied to put the trim back in place.

[blucavvy]

if you've never used a heat gun on a car before i wouldn't recommend it.

it's not that hard to get them off without heat.

second goo gone works just fine to remove the adhesive and is cheaper.

[Just visiting]

Pray tell WHY you believe someone SHOULD NOT use the equipment that is called for for this operation???

Yes, some idiot might hold the gun on the paint until the paint caught on fire, but there are not idiots reading this, right?

Using the heat gun save lotsa time, helps remove some of the adhesive.

And yes, Goo Gojne is a weak version of the liquid sold in body shop supplies. On a newer car it will work, but on a car like mine where someone over applied mastic when setting the trim, by the time you bought enough Goo Gone to get the body clean you could have spent less using the proper material/saved time.

Okay, I'm bias as I had connections to the auto industry on the manufacturing side (tool maker, R & D machinist) but I've also built two vehicles from the ground up/modified several vehicles during my lifetime and have first hand knowledge that using the correct equipment pays for itself.

It's like th epeople on these boards that don't have the slighest idea of how to repaint a car and go to Lowe's, Home Depot and buy sandpaper thinking they saved money. In that case if you are repainting furniture, okay, but why not go to an auto body supplier/connect with companies like Eastwood via the internet and buy the correct material in the first place?

Answer: "Because I don't want to spend the money but demand the final result ook professional in spite of my lack of knowledge".

If that was possible people couldn't find employment doing that sort of work.
Think about it.

If there is fear in regards to buying an industrial strength heat gun, they have MANY uses besides removing applied mouldings on automobiles. I use one to shrink "shrink tubing" when doing electrical repairs, have loaned it out to people removing paint from their house, etc.

When it comes to auto body related work you ARE what you own and KNOW how to use properly. Otherwise you are a fool...

[blucavvy]

wow, don't get so defensive guy.

i KNOW people that have used a heat gun to remove adhesive and it doesn't always turn out pretty. like i said it's not that difficult to remove the stuff without heat. it's really not.

and yes i'm all for using the proper tools/material's. but there's also some exceptions to that rule. obviously.

goo gone work's just fine.

don't get your pantie's into such a bunch next time, simply stating my opinions on this FREE mod. if someone doesn't own a heat gun and has no need for it, y buy it to do something that can be done without it? that's all i was trying to say.

[Just visiting]

Sir, the last thing your reply reads is: "If you don't have one don't go out and buy one", It reads: "You shouldn't be using one of these".

If you are going to do the job do it right, USE a heat gun.

Pulling the side moulding off without the use of heat DOES stretch the plastic to some extent. If you are not going to reinstall the mouldings take them off whatever way you want. BUT if you intend to put them back on the car don't stretch the mouldings, don't cause yourself more problems.

Goo Gone is NOT the product to use if you intend to repaint the vehicle. Most of the people on this board have not heard that paint applications require some knowledge of the "system" the paint manufacture intended to be used for the painting. Goo Gone is NOT a part of any system that I have come across. If you don't know how it effects the system, don't cause yourself more problems.

Bad advice leads to bad feelings.

Yes, I have used the product, but I have experience and know which rules can be broken. I know the paint system also contains various removes (wax, oil, etc.) that will counter the effect of Goo Gone smeared over the surface to be repainted/side moulding to be reapplied. At one time my income depended upon me knowing what I could and could not do in order to earn money through my employment. The majority of the people on this board will never gain that experience since it is outside their employment needs. Learn from the experience of others!

If all this moulding removial/repainting were REALLY so simple I'd tell everyone to hook up the paint gun that came (used to) with your canister vacuum cleaner, go out on the gravel drive, and spray oil based enamel on your car during a wind storm. Worked back in the 40's and 50's.

But those days are long gone, you can't buy the oil based enamels anymore (Fed law) and people do longer overlook dust in the paint.

Do the job RIGHT. If the cost of a heat gun is too much to bear all you are really saying is you don't want to remove the side mouldings.

[Beamer]

I have taken moldings off and badges, never had use to a heat source though it could help. Heck I took my badges off my brand new cobalt using just my fingers. I used 3m adhesive remover though as I had already had some. Spray that on, let it sit for a few seconds and just peeled off the badging. Fiishing line works pretty good aswell.

Job is much easier if the car is old, as the adhesive has broken down over the years and weather. I could literally use my pinky finger and thumb to pull of my side molding on the cavalier if I so wished but than the kit that is on it would not flow lol. So I am going to be using the reverse on that.