Are they reusable?

john87442

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Mar 9, 2021
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Good morning, I hoped to get some knowledge from the group as to if the side molding on my car was reusable, eventually it will go in for paint and I wanted to see what it looks like without it but I might want it put back on and I am not sure if I will need new molding or if they can reuse mine that’s in good shape. As always thanks in advance.
 

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Streetbu

Know it all, that doesn't
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May 22, 2011
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Possibly... if they are damaged when taken off then no. If not removed properly they will most likely be damaged and you may not even know it. They will stretch and not look right, or be straight.
 
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ck80

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Good morning, I hoped to get some knowledge from the group as to if the side molding on my car was reusable, eventually it will go in for paint and I wanted to see what it looks like without it but I might want it put back on and I am not sure if I will need new molding or if they can reuse mine that’s in good shape. As always thanks in advance.
Streetbu has it, if they start to stretch not only do they deform and no longer be straight, but, the laminated vacuum plated chrome edging cracks and flakes off.

Factory had a thin glue layer it attached to car. Best way I know how is sometimes you can get it off well with a good bit of gentle back and forth Heat gun treatment to soften the glue, and, piano wire drug downwards against the door itself, not upwards against the strip. To separate the sort of softened glue.

Some other here may have other suggestions.
 
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ck80

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Ok thanks I wasn’t sure if the self adhesive backer would be destroyed when it comes off
Sometimes no. Sometimes yes. The adhesive is against the strip, odds are you will damage the glue in the removal, it's just a surface layer not an adhesive layer of any thickness that's sticky throughout
 

Ribbedroof

Comic Book Super Hero
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Jan 4, 2009
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3M makes a glorified spatula for an air hammer designed to remove adhesive moldings. Often you can then use automatic trim attachment tape after cleaning the old adhesive off. However, concerns about the mylar bright part delaminating are very valid. 3M 08978
 
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69hurstolds

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Jan 2, 2006
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It's held on with 3M double sided tape. You would need to saw through the sticky tape WITHOUT bending, or pulling outward, on the trim. Keep it straight as possible. The danger zone is the door strips. If you're careful, you can separate them from the body, and use some masking tape to hold it up against the body on the part you've already done. Just keep working down the side slowly and tape it up as you go so it doesn't bend and crack that mylar chrome. Cleaning off the old tape from the back would be a huge PITA, but new ones are prehistoric and probably getting transformed into crude oil.

It'll take some luck to get them off without any damage. Since yours is an 87, yours will be black. The body side molding was the same color as the upper body for 86 and 87. In 1985, all 442 cars had body side molding with lower body color, which the closest color was gunmetal gray molding, regardless of upper body color. I have done a test that SEM black vinyl dye holds up in the weather just fine over gunmetal gray.

There are some "almost" correct body side moldings out there with a bit of texture and a hair narrower at 5/8" (factory stuff is 3/4"). But unless you're ok with that, and absolutely have to have the GM stuff, that junk evaporated years ago. You will need 16 feet total. Plus a super-sharp trimming knife (larger x-acto or similar) and the ability to cut and make birdmouths to emulate the original. If you have to go this route, keep all your old molding you pull off to use as templates. That's the best advice I can give you.

Here's an ad for two 10 foot pieces of the black/chrome 5/8" molding. Again, it's slightly different than the original but it's all what you want and can live with.


I made a "chart" for myself for installing new body side molding. The most interesting part is that the molding only has finished ends on the most forward piece and the most rearward piece, and on either side of the rear wheelwell. Otherwise it's just cut in place. If you have door edge moldings, you need to trim 1/8" off the length of the door molding. If not, you don't. There's also an angle cut on the front of the door pieces. Should look like this, looking down on top of the driver door front.

Body Side Moldings Picture of FRONT DOOR angle cut.JPG


Body Side Moldings Cut Pattern Layout Diagram.jpg



I'm ready with some gunmetal ones for my 85. Or, I may end up having to sell this junk one day.

85bodysidemolding.jpg
 
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69hurstolds

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Would dental floss work
It might, but it better be strong and the molding tape should be warm. It ain't like sawing through a trunk or sail emblem. That 3M stuff sticks better than one would think.
 
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