Removing door molding.....

[tommy36]

I remember seeing somewhere that someone removed their door moldings from under the 2.3 emblem. I was wondering if anyone knows if they are adhesive or clipped on? and how you might take them off? I thought about it today and i think it would look better without. But thats if there is paint under them and if you could clean it could enough so that you would have any marks. If anyone has any info about this please reply, thanks.....

[majic]

they are held on with 3M tape

get some dental floss or a fishing line and on a hot day (it\'ll be easier or use a hair dryer to warm up the adhesive) get the string between the door moulding and the car\'s body and slowly in a see-saw motion saw it off along the body. once you get enough of the moulding free grab it with your fingers and slowly peel it back all the way. you might need to use goo-gone or similar to get rid of the remaining gunk/adhesive left on the doors. this should work :p but if someone who\'s done it confirm that would be great :)

take your time and enjoy!

[Zaku_4]

haha,
i just took 1 end and pulled. it all came off in less then 2 minutes.

lol =D

[Geologic]

Originally posted by Zaku_4


haha,
i just took 1 end and pulled. it all came off in less then 2 minutes.

lol =D

that\'s what I did.. didn\'t even need a blow dryer to heat it up.

[SwooshICE]

I did it a while ago too
but the paint underneath is messed up.. duno how it happened.

[Geologic]

Originally posted by SwooshICE


I did it a while ago too
but the paint underneath is messed up.. duno how it happened.

Thank god the paint was the same under the side molding. I polished and waxed the area right after I stripped it off.

Although I noticed a couple of minor scratches afterwards, either from a pebble being in the cloth or it was like that from the start. Pretty minor though.

[tommy36]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I did it yesterday, peeled off real easy. looked awesome after a cleaning and a little wax. After observation though i decided that the 2.3 badges weren\'t meshing so they had to go too. Now it looks fantastic though. Then i decided i wanted to debadge the whole thing, but ran into a snag. I got the 3 off the back, but the mazda and the mazda symbol are clipped in, so i could not eliminate them, o well. it still looks a lot better in my opinion. Next week will be the finishing touch, when i receive my JDM front grill and get it painted. Then everything will look amazing.....Anyways thanks for the help.....:)

[Junior]

Originally posted by tommy36 Thanks everyone for your advice. I did it yesterday, peeled off real easy. looked awesome after a cleaning and a little wax. After observation though i decided that the 2.3 badges weren\'t meshing so they had to go too. Now it looks fantastic though. Then i decided i wanted to debadge the whole thing, but ran into a snag. I got the 3 off the back, but the mazda and the mazda symbol are clipped in, so i could not eliminate them, o well. it still looks a lot better in my opinion. Next week will be the finishing touch, when i receive my JDM front grill and get it painted. Then everything will look amazing.....Anyways thanks for the help.....:)

if you\'re going to completely remove badges, and the rear ones are clipped in, my suggestion would be to get your trunk shaved ... since you\'ll be debadging the front .... completely debadged would look really pimp. (and clean)

good call on doing the side moldings

[b]

Took my molding off today. Took 20 mins from pulling it off. Removing any leftover stick tape. To washing and rewaxing the part of the door where it was. Looks mint. I love it. I was happy when the molding came off so clean that I could re-install it again in the future if I ever want to. It would just need new stick tape :)

[Jeff-TheBiz]

FYI

For a new set of 4, I think it is about $200 painted.

[Skarbro]

I removed mine the other day. I love it. Soooo much easier to clean and it looks better too.

[Broli]

i removed mine awhile ago,
it was getting cold by the end . . .
so it was annoying

the getting them off was easy
removing the leftover tape
was really hard, until i brought out the hairdryer
and then . . poof gone

a little go gone and she was done!!

[argos]

has anyone removed the molding on a Titanium Grey??

I want to remove it but don't want to see a strip of discolouration.

[Caz]

Looks awesome, have a look here:
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=17415

[bubba1983]

holy back from the dead.
search my vehicle in teh members rides, mine are gone!

[zoomette]

do you guys think I'll have any colour difference in the paint?? I have snowflake white and its almost 2 years old

[sp3GT]

I did mine a month ago when my car was 1 yr old, I have a black HB, at first you can tell, but after a few washes and wax. You can't tell at all.

[MattC]

mine are coming off tomorrow, and my car is about 8 months old now, so Ill make sure to take some pics.

[bubba1983]

did mine after 2+ years no diff at alll

[WhiteSpeed3]

my old car was white and took mine off after 1 and a half just one wash and came off

[Crimson]

I used the dental floss method as well. Worked great. I did it when it was really hot outside and the glue just slides off of it real easy.

[b]

I took mine off about 2 years after purchase and I couldn't see any fade. I have black tho.

[MattC]

I just did mine today, looks great imo.

i just used a hair dryer in my garage since it was uber hot out.

biggest PITA about the whole process was having to re-wax the doors.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k22/cjlee9/DSC_0006-4.jpg
Thanks to YOTR for the hot pic!

[WLS ZMZM]

man o man.. never even thought about this... the car would look really good, but I dunno kind of nervous to do this..... last time I did something like this... there was a nice difference in colour between the two areas.... which was kind of cool cuz it looked like a ghost line was painted into the car... now I understand why they look like they are starting to come off.. can't believe its just sticky tape.....

[Caz]

I just did mine today, looks great imo.

i just used a hair dryer in my garage since it was uber hot out.

biggest PITA about the whole process was having to re-wax the doors.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k22/cjlee9/DSC_0006-4.jpg
Thanks to YOTR for the hot pic!

The car looks super clean.

[zoomette]

hmm so has anyone taken them off a white car?? I'm kinda worried

[chinsterr]

I did it on my car , its white .. looks perfectly fine

[MattC]

Roy has no side mouldings, and his speed looks hawt.

[zoomette]

alright I'm probably trying on sunday........I'll let u know how it goes

[MattC]

Its Def worth it,

some people ate worried about getting doored, but if your car is lowered, the chances of the moulding actually helping is very slim.

[zoomette]

:chuckle I'm not lowered.....I just park away from everyone

[JPAV8S4U]

:chuckle I'm not lowered.....I just park away from everyone

Just do it Sabs!! Youll be fine!

[Jeff-TheBiz]

Even with them off 2 years, I think I have only repaired 4 or 5 dings... meh.. they would have happened with them there anyway.

[zoomette]

ok don't start scarying me with dings!!

[monty0501]

How about on Electric Blue Mica? Ive had it for about 7 months, planning to do it in a few weeks...

Is it hard to put back on? Im leasing...

[MattC]

took mine off my elecblue mica after 8 months.

driver side is mint, passenger side you can see a line if you look REALLY closely.

and yes they are easy to put back on if you don't ruin the tape when you take it off.

just wrap the back in baking paper once you take em off.

[monty0501]

Hi,

thanks for the tips!

Any pics of your ride I can see both sides? With and without the line?

Monty


took mine off my elecblue mica after 8 months.

driver side is mint, passenger side you can see a line if you look REALLY closely.

and yes they are easy to put back on if you don't ruin the tape when you take it off.

just wrap the back in baking paper once you take em off.

[EvilDeadFan]

Its Def worth it,

some people ate worried about getting doored, but if your car is lowered, the chances of the moulding actually helping is very slim.

what are your parking habits like?

[MattC]

i got doored tonight somehow and it was nowhere near where the mouldings were.

about a foot above.

i normally park away from people if I can but i usually dont care, i trust my compustar will alert me if they hit me. tonight it didnt though lol.

[zoomette]

so my mouldings are off.......yellow streak looks great :bang
I already used the clay bar and you can still kinda see it
what do i dooooooooooo
.....re-clay barring it

[yearoftherat]

so my mouldings are off.......yellow streak looks great :bang
I already used the clay bar and you can still kinda see it
what do i dooooooooooo
.....re-clay barring it

Get vlad to put the trim back on

[zoomette]

no no i luv em off
just gotta wait until my racing stripes fade lol

[zoomette]

alright so a couple times using the clay bar, polish, paint cleaner, WD40 and wax......looks awesome. Theres a little bit of discoloration but it should fade soon. Might just buff it out
.......no regrets, luv it

[Wild Weasel]

I find it's best to just show up to a meet when Vlad's there... :chuckle

[-RJ3-]

For the members who are scared to remove the mouldings, especially if you haven't after you bought the car:

I had my MZ3 for 3 years... I decided to remove them this year (big mark on the moulding.. It looked ugly so I removed it)

No imperfections just need to remove the 3m crap and wax the doors... The easiest and free mod ever....

Hope that eases alot of worries...

[Flagrum_3]

I find it's best to just show up to a meet when Vlad's there... :chuckle

I second that! thanks again Vlad...but make sure its a warm night or bring a heat gun with you:chuckle This may sound bizarre, but I used a cigarette lighter to help get that shit off, as I didn't have a heat gun;which is probably the best way...Then a simple quick clay job and wax and it looks great.



_3


.

[ParsM3GT]

Did mine last weekend had them on for 2 years and it looks great. You wouldn`t even know there were moldings on the car. Glad I removed them. :)

[boogie]

Man, I keep changing my mind about this...Can't decide if I want them on or off...

[KOKKINO]

Man, I keep changing my mind about this...Can't decide if I want them on or off...

Same......

[Flagrum_3]

You guys should just do it, you 'll love the way it changes the look and there are zero negatives as they are too low to prevent any door dings.Maybe you can set-up a 'Door moulding removal mini meet', just make sure someone has a heat gun, and don't forget to invite Vlad ;-)


_3


.



.

[Effin Itai]

Same......

Take em off! It looksa sexya! Just like my car.

[Victorious52]

had my car for 4 years almost ... just removed mine last weekend ... came off like a dream ... took me 30 min ... a good trick to use to get off some of the 3m crap is cold start ... its basically 100% alchohol ... it evapourates fast ... but it workes real well ... infact if you have anyother crap stuck to your car ... quick start takes alot of stuff off ... especially glue and tar ... no damage at all to paint either ...

[Tokic_o]

i took mine off last week....haha although my reason wasn't because of how it looks a lot better like many of you say...eventhough i must agree i like the new look without hte moldings....however i HAD to remove them becuase mine were changing colours!! my white ones were turning yellow!! how b/s haha

[plontoc]

I just removed mine yesterday and I love it. Blisters on my thumbs, but soooooo worth it. I can't believe I waited 13 months to do it.

Didn't wax it properly yet, but I did spary a little Nanowax and it looks amazing.

[b]

If anyone is afraid to do it incase they mess up.... I'll do it for them at an oakville meet. Now that I know where the meet has changed to lol... Let me know I'd have to bring some stuff.

[-RJ3-]

If anyone is afraid to do it incase they mess up.... I'll do it for them at an oakville meet. Now that I know where the meet has changed to lol... Let me know I'd have to bring some stuff.

+1~~
And bring goo gone and wax LOL!!!

[MattC]

For all the hesitant people...

if your car is stock height, then the mouldings may possibly serve a purpose, maybe 30% chance of them stopping a door ding, but if your car is lowered, you are toast either way, so unless you get doored by another lowered 3's front door, you will get marks.

Might as well take them off if you are dropped imo.

[Boris]

If anyone is afraid to do it incase they mess up.... I'll do it for them at an oakville meet. Now that I know where the meet has changed to lol... Let me know I'd have to bring some stuff.

do u mind helping me remove it if i drop by the meet next week??? the whole reason i dont' is afraid that i may **** it up and it might leave a mark...

[b]

do u mind helping me remove it if i drop by the meet next week??? the whole reason i dont' is afraid that i may **** it up and it might leave a mark...

Yep no problem. I am off work early for the next oakville meet.

[Boris]

i have a test from 6-8 next week, so i'll be a bit late. how long are u going to stay for tho??

[doughboyr6]

i can help out as well....i have a white sedan and i've had my car for 2.5 yrs and just finally took them off about a month ago....

i was really worried at first....but it wasn't hard/scary at all....

i have everything needed.....wd-40/goo-gone/old credit card or similar.

keep an eye out for the next oakville meet....andrew or i can help

[doughboyr6]

man boris' car and victorious' cars look very very similar.

[monty0501]

K, I did the passenger side haha, will do the drivers side tomorrow morning...makes a real difference!!!

[yearoftherat]

Finally broke down and did mine...thanks to MattC for the help!!

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k22/cjlee9/Miscellanous/IMG_0225.jpg

[monty0501]

Looking good man, gives it such a cleaner look!

[yearoftherat]

Yeah was so indecisive for the longest time but what the heck. Thanks to Matt and the heat gun the trim came off like butter.
A bit of goo gone and then some nu finish scratch remover voila !!!

[mleblond]

Took mine off today. Left it in the sun for 5 mins and it came right off. Used goo gone to remove traces of glue and did a quick wash and wax :) Looks amazing! sorry no pics...

[Soyabean]

i took mine off yesterday. goo gone and heat gun. Man those moldings are soft when hot. took off my 3 too

[-RJ3-]

I took mine off last year...

[LockOut]

Took mine off a few weekends ago. I agree, it looks a lot better without, and it's incredibly easy to do. I just used fingers, goo gone and a bit of patience. Looks great, no hassle.

[JiNuWiNe]

I had the car for 2 weeks now. Took it off yesterday and I have this yellowish stripe now.. :bang I call it the Asian Racing Stripe, it's pretty unique!

I've washed and waxed it, it's noticeable under broad daylight... help?

[huyzel]

I had the car for 2 weeks now. Took it off yesterday and I have this yellowish stripe now.. I call it the Asian Racing Stripe, it's pretty unique!

I've washed and waxed it, it's noticeable under broad daylight... help?

goo gone might help? though you probably already did that.

I dropped my bottle and cracked the bottom... leaked all over my garage :bang
Gonna have to buy some more and rip off the mouldings this weekend.
I'll bring the goo gone to the BBQ if anybody wants some

[JiNuWiNe]

goo gone might help? though you probably already did that.

I dropped my bottle and cracked the bottom... leaked all over my garage :bang
Gonna have to buy some more and rip off the mouldings this weekend.
I'll bring the goo gone to the BBQ if anybody wants some

Mine comes in a plastic spray bottle.

[mleblond]

lol we can have a door moldings competition :) See whos is the fastest :P

[huyzel]

Mine comes in a plastic spray bottle.

If you were in brampton... I'd ask to mooch some goo-gone from ya :chuckle
Save a couple bux --- spend it on a litre of gas instead... LOL :whoa


lol we can have a door moldings competition See whos is the fastest :P


Play for some prizes!
fastest one gets to keep all the unwanted mouldings and leftover burgers! hehe.

[bunchi]

i told myself, those mouldings are never going to be taken off the car. they're there for a reason. be practical...

then some voice told me, why not???? you guys won me over... they're off as of today :chuckle after owning the car for 4 months, i didn't like how the color have become a bit different from the cwp on the body.

[-RJ3-]

lots of waxing my friend.... it should blend soon..

[bunchi]

the color on the body was fine after the moulding was off.... it was the moulding itself that had turned off white.:) :bana

[JiNuWiNe]

the color on the body was fine after the moulding was off.... it was the moulding itself that had turned off white.:) :bana

Yeah, I noticed that too. One of the reasons why I wanted to remove them was because the molding started to turn off-whilte.. almost yellowish. Did NOT look like the cwp body colour. :loco

[theurgy]

White is one of those colours that is the most affected by sun fade.
One of our guys here just took off his mouldings on his 1 year old CWP MS3.
It ended up leaving an apparent line... a full clay, a few pases with some Poorboys SSR2.5 then a full seal fixed all those problems.

[bunchi]

this was after I clayed off those pesky rail dust on the car and some wax were stuck between the moulding and the body. that plus the discoloration of the moulding made we decide to just take it out. i think it's worth all the aching hands I have now after claying, waxing, removing the moulding, some adhesive left on the body and finally waxing again. result is smooth smooth

[theurgy]

Oh for sure.. not all you have to do is maintain it.
To remove the adhesive I use Goo Gone, works wonders.

[aris]

any one have any side view pics?

[mit-gee-mui]

any one have any side view pics?

Check the member rides section here. You will find a whole bunch of them.
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=126

I will start you off.
http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/9317/picture065xo8.jpg
Source: http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showpost.php?p=290321&postcount=1

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/3088/oliviaseasterphotoshoot023ai2.jpg
Source: http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showpost.php?p=121947&postcount=1

:)

[aris]

i am defently going to remove mine..it looks way better with out. Thanks for pu tpics up:)

[EvilDeadFan]

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h105/dansfotos/Eibach%20Pro-Kit/IMG_0015-1.jpg

[aris]

i justy removed mine today...and i can't belevie how easy it was to remove. Also the amount of dirt behind it...i could not beleive it..the car is only one mounth old and it had so much dirt behind the moldings

[bj21]

ok - i'm leasing a CWP in a couple of weeks and I want the mouldings off for sure....

i asked the lease pre-return inspection guy today (my current 3 is going back in 10 days) if he would notice if i was returning the car without the door mouldings and he said absolutely

so my questions are:

1) does the process of removing the moulding wreck them so that they cannot be put back on the car

2) has anyone stuck these things back on after removing them

i mean - i really want to do it but if its going to cost me $200+ in three years when i return the vehicle then that would most likely prohibit me from doing it

thanks in advance

bj21

[bunchi]

if the car is new, which means the moulding have just been put on, you should be able to take it off with all the adhesive in one piece. not sure if the moulding's been there for a while. if you keep the exposed adhesive clean you should still be able to put them back on. if not, you can always buy the double sided tape they use and put it back on. :) the mouldings are not hard plastic but still be careful not to bend them to much.

adding my pic to the list hihi

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn315/bunchibunchi/IMG_6625.jpg

[theurgy]

I traded in my car without the moulding and there was no issues...
I know some of the GX models come with no mouldings at all... just claim it came like that.

[aris]

apply a little bit of heat (heat gun or blow dryer) and they will come off so easy....then when you are ready to reinstall them when you are returning the car just go get 3m tape and reinstall.

[06Touring3]

has anyone had any bad experiences with just pulling off the molding WITHOUT heat??? I am thinking about doing this when i get home

[LockOut]

I haven't.... I did it on a semi warm day, it wasn't even hot out.... Kinda chilly, in hind sight... but I had no problems at all.

[06Touring3]

haha alright cool that's reassuring considering it's supposed to get up to 30 today

[bj21]

I haven't.... I did it on a semi warm day, it wasn't even hot out.... Kinda chilly, in hind sight... but I had no problems at all.

Lockout - when you did it, did the adhesive tape remain intact?? do you think that if you put waxed paper etc on the adhesive that you would be able to stick them back on in a couple of years? - as long as i could stick them back on long enough so that it passed the inspection, i would be happy with that

mine is going to be new so i am thinking that they should come off pretty easy

bj21

[bunchi]

i did mine when the car was 4 months old... on a cold day in april, inside the garage, no heat gun, everything came off, didn't even have to clean up the doors after, well, ok, i had to clean up some salt and mud that were stuck in there during the winter.

[LockOut]

Lockout - when you did it, did the adhesive tape remain intact?? do you think that if you put waxed paper etc on the adhesive that you would be able to stick them back on in a couple of years? - as long as i could stick them back on long enough so that it passed the inspection, i would be happy with that

mine is going to be new so i am thinking that they should come off pretty easy

bj21
No, my adhesive didn't stay together. Had a lot to clean off the car, and if I want to put them back on, I'll have to clean it off the moldings and put on new 2-sided tape. That being said, when I did it, my car was 4 years old... So there was a LOT of mileage on the adhesive...

[Newlook]

What about spray some WD40 along the top of it, soak it for 5min then pull it off? Anyone tried?

[aris]

What about spray some WD40 along the top of it, soak it for 5min then pull it off? Anyone tried?

Honestly for how easy they are to take off...just heat them and they will come off with out any effort.

[theurgy]

Yeah why do you want to use a petroleum based product on your paint?
It's easy enough to pull off on a hot sunny day.... just pull it off slowly and consistently and it'll leave little to no glue on the paint.. if any is left.. Goo Gone takes it right off.

[Newlook]

I heard goo gone would eat thru the clear coat if you use too much.

Polishing compound/scratch remover actually works like a charm to remove the glue and the ugly outline of it! Just make sure the surface is clean, use a well damp cloth and work it in!

[theurgy]

Goo Gone is paint safe (as far as clearcoat is concerned). It will remove wax however so that is expected.

[bluemazda3]

I did half mine today and it was a pain in the ass.... I got the moulding off easy but the adhesive was a bee$#@!.. plus it was raining so I couldnt finish.. I guess I should use the hair dryer tomorrow to get all the gunk off of it! (1 hour to get the goo off) I used Goo Gone (in the black spray bottle)

[aris]

I did half mine today and it was a pain in the ass.... I got the moulding off easy but the adhesive was a bee$#@!.. plus it was raining so I couldnt finish.. I guess I should use the hair dryer tomorrow to get all the gunk off of it! (1 hour to get the goo off) I used Goo Gone (in the black spray bottle)

If you heated it..it would have came right off with no problems

[bluemazda3]

I'll remember that tomorrow.. thanks!

[ziegs2020]

Has anyone with carbon grey tried it? I've gone through so many different forums and I haven't been able to find a carbon grey owner who has done it. I'm just worried about the paint excessively sucking or fading.

[aris]

Has anyone with carbon grey tried it? I've gone through so many different forums and I haven't been able to find a carbon grey owner who has done it. I'm just worried about the paint excessively sucking or fading.

wax it when you are done taking it off and it will be like brand new.

[aris]

I'll remember that tomorrow.. thanks!

When you use the heat gun or blow dryer you will see how easy it is to take off..their will be a little dirt in behind but all the glue should come off when you heat it!

[bluemazda3]

When you use the heat gun or blow dryer you will see how easy it is to take off..their will be a little dirt in behind but all the glue should come off when you heat it!


That was a little easier.. but the goo gone sucked... so I sprayed and got it off with my finger.. came off easy but now I got blister!! :flaming

[aris]

That was a little easier.. but the goo gone sucked... so I sprayed and got it off with my finger.. came off easy but now I got blister!! :flaming

lol...ya i bet your fingers are blistered now...i have had many times removing stickers and i know its a bitch when using fingers to remove the left over glue

[bluemazda3]

lol...ya i bet your fingers are blistered now...i have had many times removing stickers and i know its a bitch when using fingers to remove the left over glue


But it was definetly worth it.. it looks CLEAN!!! I love it! thanks for the advices.. :bana2

[FONZ]

Has anyone with carbon grey tried it? I've gone through so many different forums and I haven't been able to find a carbon grey owner who has done it. I'm just worried about the paint excessively sucking or fading.


Car on the left.


http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f100/djchinaman/mazda3/07_28_2008/IMG_3514_copy.jpg

[FLIPDADY]

I had a customer come in today looking for side moldings. Then I thought about this thread. For $100 for the set I'd rather have them off.

[All-Star]

I had a customer come in today looking for side moldings. Then I thought about this thread. For $100 for the set I'd rather have them off.

Who knows, maybe the customer wanted to double up mouldings on each side.... :hawt :loco

[FLIPDADY]

Who knows, maybe the customer wanted to double up mouldings on each side.... :hawt :loco
Nah Ed he just bought and 08.5 without side moldings.

[theurgy]

That's stupid....

[06Touring3]

lol (<-- actually!)

[3GFX]

I am currently VERY FRUSTRATED!!!! I finally decided to remove my door moldings because I have some up coming plans for the final stages of the look of my car. UNFORTUNATLY things are not going smoothly.

I managed to take off the drivers side molding just fine. I got to the last door which happened to be the rear passenger side door. Only to find some missing clearcoat on the door underneath the strip. I took it to a local paint guy. It turns out that door was repainted then the strip was put on, then the door was cleared!!! No clearcoat under the strip at all!!!! Needless to say I'm very frustrated. I'm looking into some procedures to get it fixed ranging from $75 - $300 for a full repaint.

This was never on my carfax, or dealer report or anything. This just goes to show. ALWAYS BE CAREFUL with what you change, modify or buy, and be aware that things may come up unexpectedly.

[bubba1983]

shitty buzz mang
i got a can of clear here, hahah wanna do a spray bomb job? lol

[3GFX]

Ummm, I'm thinkin that's a no. :p

[M3Nick]

Black looks better with the moldings IMHO.... It's the only colour that does, though.

[aris]

I am currently VERY FRUSTRATED!!!! I finally decided to remove my door moldings because I have some up coming plans for the final stages of the look of my car. UNFORTUNATLY things are not going smoothly.

I managed to take off the drivers side molding just fine. I got to the last door which happened to be the rear passenger side door. Only to find some missing clearcoat on the door underneath the strip. I took it to a local paint guy. It turns out that door was repainted then the strip was put on, then the door was cleared!!! No clearcoat under the strip at all!!!! Needless to say I'm very frustrated. I'm looking into some procedures to get it fixed ranging from $75 - $300 for a full repaint.

This was never on my carfax, or dealer report or anything. This just goes to show. ALWAYS BE CAREFUL with what you change, modify or buy, and be aware that things may come up unexpectedly.
That sucks that they did that...i know i would be pissed to:flaming

[FLIPDADY]

Still debating on removing my moldings.

[cwp_sedan]

Still debating on removing my moldings.

I did the same then ended up ripping them off in MOT parking lot last week. :chuckle

Wait a bit and then decide. The colour won't change that quick. Yours actually look ok on that colour. Mine were changing colour so I decided to rip them off. I'm happy with the clean look now.

[3GFX]

Other than the one door the others didn't have any colour change after 4 years!!!

Overall it looks awesome and was so easy to do. The only problem was it cost me $300 to repaint my door :(

[cwp_sedan]

Other than the one door the others didn't have any colour change after 4 years!!!

Overall it looks awesome and was so easy to do. The only problem was it cost me $300 to repaint my door :(

That does suck. So much for a $0 mod... :(

[FLIPDADY]

Just pulled mine off today with no issues at all. Wow what a difference!

[cwp_sedan]

Just pulled mine off today with no issues at all. Wow what a difference!

I should have went and had a look at it while I was there! :bang

[aris]

Does anyone know how much new mouldings cost? i am thinking about puting them back on my car....

[3GFX]

I have some black ones....you can have em :p

[aris]

I just got back from dealer and they are $60.81 for the set...and they come in your own colour code. I ordered mine it will be in tomorrow morning.

Now what is the best method to put these on straight???

[bluemazda3]

u could have mine.. they are 34J electric blue :)

[aris]

u could have mine.. they are 34J electric blue :)

I still have my old ones...they are way out of shape from sitting in my garge...and i will take for ever to clean off all the tape and then retape it...its easier to buy new ones since they are not very expensive

[aris]

Does anyone know how much the dealer would charge to out the door mouldings on?

[Noisy Crow]

Does anyone know how much the dealer would charge to out the door mouldings on?

They are peel-n-stick. I would have a body shop to the work rather than the dealer... they will have a lot more experience sticking them on straight! As a guess... an hour's labour or less. Say ½ hour, $40.

That said... you could do it yourself very easily. Use green painters tape to make off the correct height and the distance from the edge of the door, use the green tape to hold the trim in place, then start at one end and pull the backing off, pressing the trim in place as you go.

[aris]

They are peel-n-stick. I would have a body shop to the work rather than the dealer... they will have a lot more experience sticking them on straight! As a guess... an hour's labour or less. Say ½ hour, $40.

That said... you could do it yourself very easily. Use green painters tape to make off the correct height and the distance from the edge of the door, use the green tape to hold the trim in place, then start at one end and pull the backing off, pressing the trim in place as you go.

Ya i am probaly going to do it my self...i am just worreid that i will put them on croked....hell i think i even put my 2.0L badges croked..:chuckle

[FONZ]

Um...What was the point of taking them off in the first place, if you're going to put them back on? :S

[aris]

Um...What was the point of taking them off in the first place, if you're going to put them back on? :S

I put on my 2.0L badges on a while ago and i find that they look way out of place...so i am hoping that puting the mouldings back on way make the 2.0L badges look better.

I get bored easy....i have always been the same way...i do someting today...and a while later i go back to the way it was until i get bored again etc...i have alway been this was....when i had my blue truck you should have seen how many times i changed things and then wnet back to the way it was.....i can't help it..:chuckle

[jcutner]

sorry to revive this thread from the grave - but i was thinking about doing this to my 3

its a 2005, with very light usage - and i just got it a few weeks ago - (carbon grey)

should i have any problems getting the mouldings off with heat, even if it's 4 years old?

[cwp_sedan]

sorry to revive this thread from the grave - but i was thinking about doing this to my 3

its a 2005, with very light usage - and i just got it a few weeks ago - (carbon grey)

should i have any problems getting the mouldings off with heat, even if it's 4 years old?

You might have some fading but as long as you are 110% sure that your car hasn't been in an accident or even repainted at all, then you should be fine. There have been a few members that have fallen victim to this as they didn't know there car was repainted by the previous owner.

[3_SoMe]

Just pull them off using a heat gun and you should be fine. Then polish the metal out with 3M compound if there is a little fading. Won't even notice it. everyone said watch out for yellow bleed through on white cars.....I pulled mine after a year and a half and just polished it out. No probs!!

[theurgy]

No heat gun... a hair dryer is better and safer.
Heat guns damage paint if used improperly.

[bluemazda3]

yes sir..very easy mod... heat it up n pull

[Donutz]

I can't believe this thread is 6 pages long :chuckle

[bunchi]

I can't believe this thread is 6 pages long :chuckle

it's 6 pages long and here we are adding to it :chuckle should've been just 1 page at most... just yank the damn thing and clean the paint after :chuckle

[Whosit]

I am thinking of removing mine but wont my 2.3 emblem look out of place then?

[bunchi]

I am thinking of removing mine but wont my 2.3 emblem look out of place then?


might even look cleaner without it :)

[Whosit]

yeah maybe.....

[jcutner]

it's 6 pages long and here we are adding to it :chuckle should've been just 1 page at most... just yank the damn thing and clean the paint after :chuckle

the cleaning the paint part worries me... i've never waxed a car before - wouldn't wanna ruin the paint being inexperienced

[Speedy2008]

Removed from my car a few days ago. All of the adhesive on both sides remained glued to the paint because I didn't use a hair dryer while I was prying them off. Like everyone who has had a quick removal without lingering residue says, it's very important to use dental floss/fishing line and a hair dryer. I bought Goo-Gone and borrowed a hair dryer to remove the stubborn double-sided tape with my fingers. It's a very long painful process.

For me, it wasn't worth doing because it's hard to notice a difference either way since the door molding is a subtle part of the factory car.

Keeps me busy I guess. Like someone said of the mazda3forums, door molding removal is so last year...I couldn't resist.

[bunchi]

the cleaning the paint part worries me... i've never waxed a car before - wouldn't wanna ruin the paint being inexperienced

just make sure it's clean and get gid of any dirt, salt that's stuck in there before rubbing and waxing. you'll be fine. there's always a first time :)

[omalak]

I just got my molding taken off at a body shop (family friend, did a quick job with a heat gun)

He was so busy though that he didnt compund or wax the area.


what should i do? do i need to buy compund or wax, or goo gone?

There tape is all gone, the car is mica black, but i can see (at certain angles) a grayish residue.. i'm sure its residue left over from paint.


Thanks:)

[Donutz]

If the residue is tacky use the goo gone. Otherwise, claybar then wax.

*... scratches head...* how did this thread end up being 7 pages? :chuckle

[x_o_k_x]

So finanlly I got around and decided to take side mouldings off. I read, did some research, even youtube videos.. Sounds simple, heat it up then pull it off. Ok, I started doing that on a very hot day I think it was +30 here.. I started pulling and tape was left on the car:flaming so Im like wtf.. I heat it some more, to the point it was very hot and still tape left on the other side.. Took me 8 hours, to scratch that thing off, bought some Goo Gone, cuz I heard it works.. Didnt help at all!!:bang I had to use gasoline, worked pretty well. Just left it to soak for a minute and was then easy to sratch it off with a towel..
=Finally I took everything off then waxed my whole car and polished it off, and pretty much nothing is visible.

But seriously, If I knew that its going to be that hard, I wouldnt even touch it:flaming:complain:bang:loco

[cwp_sedan]

So finanlly I got around and decided to take side mouldings off. I read, did some research, even youtube videos.. Sounds simple, heat it up then pull it off. Ok, I started doing that on a very hot day I think it was +30 here.. I started pulling and tape was left on the car:flaming so Im like wtf.. I heat it some more, to the point it was very hot and still tape left on the other side.. Took me 8 hours, to scratch that thing off, bought some Goo Gone, cuz I heard it works.. Didnt help at all!!:bang I had to use gasoline, worked pretty well. Just left it to soak for a minute and was then easy to sratch it off with a towel..
=Finally I took everything off then waxed my whole car and polished it off, and pretty much nothing is visible.

But seriously, If I knew that its going to be that hard, I wouldnt even touch it:flaming:complain:bang:loco

Really? That's messed it was that hard for you. I did it during a summers day by hand. Decided on the spot I was going to take them off in a parking lot and just did it. I think it took a total of 10 min max for all 4 and there was barely and residue left. Wash and clayed and waxed and that was it.

You will love the look though so it was worth it. :)

[x_o_k_x]

I love the look, and couldnt back down, so had to finish it off.. But 8 hours!!:flaming

At one point I was gonna glue it back on:complain:bang
My car is only 1 year old..

[STeeLy]

I took them off my car in about an hour and a half maybe. It wasn't exactly a warm day either. I had Gabby help me out and we just used a heat gun and pulled it off slowly, no damage to paint, just a big of goo gone with shop towels... Didn't even clay or wax until like a week after...

[Gods Son]

Really? That's messed it was that hard for you. I did it during a summers day by hand. Decided on the spot I was going to take them off in a parking lot and just did it. I think it took a total of 10 min max for all 4 and there was barely and residue left. Wash and clayed and waxed and that was it.

You will love the look though so it was worth it. :)

+1
I was coming back from lunch and I looked back at the car and decided I'd try it out. Whipped out my credit card to wedge in between the door and the moulding and the whole process took me no more than 15 mins. Granted it was a hot summer day.

[Donutz]

I'm thinking you may have had a problem because you heated up the molding / tape first. It was like 20 deg. when I took mine off. I just started it with fishing line, pulled off the molding slow and steady, then rolled my finger over the remaining tape so it balled up and it came right off. I had absolutely no issues with residue.

Btw, here's bumpin this ridiculously long thread to 8 pages!

[Speed 3 Demon]

Well i've done some reading, looks like on the next warm day i'll give it a go. hopefully it'll go better than trying to peel off the stupid dealership bumper sticker! those jerks.... i don't advertise. I'll post again after it's done.

[insaini]

i took my molding off on a day that it was only 22 degrees outside .... let it sit in the sun for about half an hour .. pulled it right off ... no glue / tape / sticky stuff left under .. peeled right off .. had some dirt under it .. wiped it off with terry cloth ....

you dont need a really hot day to peel it off ... just need a lot of sun .....

[aris]

Heat gun works the best..and it faster then leaving it out in the sun..my $.02

[insaini]

heat gun cost $ and not everyone has it .... sun is free ...everyone has sun in their lives :chuckle

[Noisy Crow]

Heat gun works the best..and it faster then leaving it out in the sun..my $.02

I would recommend a hair-dryer.... heat gun gets hot enough to remove the paint if you aren't careful...

[Cozwell]

i did mine with some fishing line and goo gone - simple

[aris]

heat gun cost $ and not everyone has it .... sun is free ...everyone has sun in their lives :chuckle

Actualy i bought my heat gun at canadian tire for $9.99..(with gas coupon:chuckle)

I would recommend a hair-dryer.... heat gun gets hot enough to remove the paint if you aren't careful...

Ya i guess if someone don't know how to use a heat gun then maybe they should use a hair dryer:chuckle

[jeff192]

i think it looks good
might do it on mine

[Speed 3 Demon]

Well i've done some reading, looks like on the next warm day i'll give it a go. hopefully it'll go better than trying to peel off the stupid dealership bumper sticker! those jerks.... i don't advertise. I'll post again after it's done.

I pulled my door molding's yesterday and love the results. It was about 17 degrees C and sunny out. Started it with a hair dryer and they came right off! No residue, just a little built up dirt. My friend pulled his off as well from an 06 mz3, again no issue. For those not sure cause it leaves mess or whatever, no worries. :bana

[Nova 3 GT]

I removed mine last month and it went without a hitch. Klasse AIO and NXT 2.0 and it looks dam good! :chuckle

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/novabus/IMG_0023.jpg

[yearoftherat]

OMIGOD..HUGE PIKTAR!!!
PS. looks good !!

[Nova 3 GT]

Eek!! Sorry for the oversized pic...:blush Repaired!:)

[Donutz]

I hate to keep adding to this thread as it seems excessively long for such a simple mod, but I just saw something on Trucks that is intended to remove glue without damaging paint. They referred to it as an 'eraser wheel', which fits any drill or grinder. It's a soft rubber wheel that just buffs any leftover glue off without damaging the paint.

[Riftler]

Sorry to bump such an old thread but I just did this, everything was smooth but on the LAST DOOR (passenger door) the paint came off!!!:rant:flaming What do I do!??! :complain

[S.F.W.]

Sorry to bump such an old thread but I just did this, everything was smooth but on the LAST DOOR (passenger door) the paint came off!!!:rant:flaming What do I do!??! :complain
yikes! I would clean/clay the area, then try polishing compound.

[mazdabetty]

yeesh... that's exactly why I'm not takin mine off... you never know with a used car :\ You'll have to get those spots repainted or put the moldings back on..

[Riftler]

yikes! I would clean/clay the area, then try polishing compound.

but paints already missing :bang i think i need to repaint...


yeesh... that's exactly why I'm not takin mine off... you never know with a used car :\ You'll have to get those spots repainted or put the moldings back on..

the molding from that door came off in pieces...no chance of putting it back on...


this is what im dealing with :'(

http://i27.tinypic.com/2a99tsk.jpg

[mazdabetty]

holayy.... uhhh I'd say it's cheaper to just buy a molding from a dealer and put it back on :whoa

That really sucks dude sorry to see that kind of damage.....

[Riftler]

holayy.... uhhh I'd say it's cheaper to just buy a molding from a dealer and put it back on :whoa

That really sucks dude sorry to see that kind of damage.....

but the other side looks SOO NICEE with it off...and i just got a quote from karen at AM that it might be around 300....sigh

[erratic]

looks like your door was maybe repainted at one time. Thats why paint came off. Usually the molding go on, after the paint.

[aris]

but the other side looks SOO NICEE with it off...and i just got a quote from karen at AM that it might be around 300....sigh

Did you use a heat gun to take them off or did you rip them off?

[Riftler]

Did you use a heat gun to take them off or did you rip them off?

It sat in the sun all day so I just ripped them off

[Karen Lee-McNair]

don't quote me yet, let me see if I can work some magic ;)

but the other side looks SOO NICEE with it off...and i just got a quote from karen at AM that it might be around 300....sigh

[Riftler]

don't quote me yet, let me see if I can work some magic ;)

:) I like the sound of that

[Karen Lee-McNair]

ARe you still able to stop in tomorrow? I will PM you if there are any complications with the body shop schedule

[Riftler]

ARe you still able to stop in tomorrow? I will PM you if there are any complications with the body shop schedule

Ya I can stop by around 1?

[aris]

It sat in the sun all day so I just ripped them off

YOu should always use a heat gun and go very slow


Good Luck:)

[Karen Lee-McNair]

:) I like the sound of that

Sure! Do you mind caking me before you make the trek, I want to make my estimator will be around..416-283-6207

have them page me, I will be on the floor all day tomorrow, not in my office
the hawk never gets a break! Geez! Lol!

[Karen Lee-McNair]

YOu should always use a heat gun and go very slow


Good Luck:)

+1
I would recommend the method

[Riftler]

Sure! Do you mind caking me before you make the trek, I want to make my estimator will be around..416-283-6207

have them page me, I will be on the floor all day tomorrow, not in my office
the hawk never gets a break! Geez! Lol!

lol haha sure and thanks

[rab33]

I have an 05 Mica as well and I am now having second thoughts about this. Thanks for taking one for the team Riftler :whoa

[Riftler]

I have an 05 Mica as well and I am now having second thoughts about this. Thanks for taking one for the team Riftler :whoa

Lol, no problem!...but seriously, this stupid "easy mod" has made me now need to repaint my door, pretty cheezed.

[JSI]

I bet you were doing some serious :bang after that.
Hindsight is always 20/20.

Jeremy

[rab33]

Has anyone done this mod on a 4-year old car?

[Riftler]

I bet you were doing some serious :bang after that.
Hindsight is always 20/20.

Jeremy

Pretty much...

[S.F.W.]

Has anyone done this mod on a 4-year old car?
I did, pulled them off my '04 about 18 months ago. Doing it in the usmmer is best, leave the car outside on a hot day, they should peel right off, and paint should be fine. If the car door and molding isn't hot/warm that is when you could have issues.

[pkaczmar]

Im really sorry for reviving this thread but looking for help.
Finally did this on an 05' and there is a BIIG difference in paint colour when i took them off. Someone told me to use turtle wax rubbing compound but the more i read about it the more scared i am because it is very abrasive material. I read that a claybar and wax are the best but i have no idea what a clay bar is. If anyone could please direct me to the right PRODUCTS to buy to help blend this paint together i would greatly appreciate it.
Sorry again for bringing this back from the dead

[Donutz]

Go to Canadian Tire or Partsource and buy a claybar kit. Look it up on the CDN Tire website. Use the search feature on this forum to find info on how to claybar your car; search the Meguiar's forum; or read the instructions that come with the kit. Clay your car, either entirely or just where the strips were. Then wax at least once where you clayed. Or you could come to the winter detailing meet that appears to be shaping up. BTW, your paint will fade over time, so the colour 'might' normalize.

And thank you for bringing this epic thread back to life. :p

[aris]

Im really sorry for reviving this thread but looking for help.
Finally did this on an 05' and there is a BIIG difference in paint colour when i took them off. Someone told me to use turtle wax rubbing compound but the more i read about it the more scared i am because it is very abrasive material. I read that a claybar and wax are the best but i have no idea what a clay bar is. If anyone could please direct me to the right PRODUCTS to buy to help blend this paint together i would greatly appreciate it.
Sorry again for bringing this back from the dead

You will have to our many coats of wax to bring back the shine where its faded..if you go to canadian tire you can pick up muigers.

either this
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/CarWashingCleaning/CarPaintCare/PRD~0392714P/Meguiar%2527s%253F%2BGold%2BLiquid%2BWax.jsp
or this
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/CarWashingCleaning/CarPaintCare/PRD~0392861P/Meguiar%2527s%2BNXT%2BGeneration%2BTech%2BWax.jsp
just rember that your going to have to put many coats of wax to bring back the shine from the faded part


Good luck

[pkaczmar]

You will have to our many coats of wax to bring back the shine where its faded..if you go to canadian tire you can pick up muigers.

either this
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/CarWashingCleaning/CarPaintCare/PRD~0392714P/Meguiar%2527s%253F%2BGold%2BLiquid%2BWax.jsp
or this
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/CarWashingCleaning/CarPaintCare/PRD~0392861P/Meguiar%2527s%2BNXT%2BGeneration%2BTech%2BWax.jsp
just rember that your going to have to put many coats of wax to bring back the shine from the faded part


Good luck

thanks for the help but its not the shine im lookin to bring back its that the paint underneath the molding is a lot darker because it has not faded from the sun. So i have a strip of the original winning blue surrounded by faded winning blue lol.

[aris]

thanks for the help but its not the shine im lookin to bring back its that the paint underneath the molding is a lot darker because it has not faded from the sun. So i have a strip of the original winning blue surrounded by faded winning blue lol.

yes and by doing what i said will bring back the paint like it is under the moldings

[marvin24k]

Has anyone done this mod on a 4-year old car?

I took them off of my '05 this summer. No heatguy / No hairdryer. I think it was the only hot day we had this past summer. They came right off. zero issues.