take off side molding
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Just use a hair dryer to soften the tape, then a fishing line to saw though the tape. Might want to have a friend help - an extra set of hands to pull up gently on the molding as you get it loose will help with the removal. Any residue left can be taken off with Goof Off or WD-40.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Houston Tx
Just use a hair dryer to soften the tape, then a fishing line to saw though the tape. Might want to have a friend help - an extra set of hands to pull up gently on the molding as you get it loose will help with the removal. Any residue left can be taken off with Goof Off or WD-40.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,770
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From: Dallas Texas
Here is a link....I've been considering this myself, but have'nt got around to doing it. To be honest, I'm still a little nervous about removing them since mine have been on the car for >8 years!!
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...ht=bsm+removal
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
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From: Kelso Washington
St. Jude Donor '09, '13, '15
Just use a hair dryer to soften the tape, then a fishing line to saw though the tape. Might want to have a friend help - an extra set of hands to pull up gently on the molding as you get it loose will help with the removal. Any residue left can be taken off with Goof Off or WD-40.
If your pic is correct, the color of the car indicates you may not have much color fade around where the "spears" are mounted.
There are some colors where removal of the spears would show up big time.
While they provide good "door slam" protection, and are kind of stylish, I don't like them as a styling feature.
good luck and let us know if you are successful.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 261
Likes: 4
From: NC
I just did mine a couple of months ago. I used 30lb test fishing line, two wooden dowels cut short to fit inside my hand. I drilled a small hole in each dowel centered. I threaded, knotted, then wrapped the fishing line around one, and knotted the threaded end in the other. Slowly "sawed" the line from one end to the other, rolling it off like dental floss as I rolled the other dowel wrapping the used line. Fishing line broke a couple of times if I tried to hurry it. I knotted it again and continued. Molding came off both sides in about 15 minutes. It took about 2 hours to clean the glue residue. My thumbs and fingers were sore from rolling and scraping. I finished with some cleaner, swirl remover, glaze, and wax. Can't tell they were ever there.
Last edited by serotta; Mar 11, 2008 at 09:07 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Central Ma
Just use a hair dryer to soften the tape, then a fishing line to saw though the tape. Might want to have a friend help - an extra set of hands to pull up gently on the molding as you get it loose will help with the removal. Any residue left can be taken off with Goof Off or WD-40.
This will do it.I don't think fading is a big concern, but with black??
You may want to ask specifically about people who have done it to black cars.
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Race Director
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Lake Mary Florida
I just did mine a couple of months ago. I used 30lb test fishing line, two wooden dowels cut short to fit inside my hand. I drilled a small whole in each dowel centered. I threaded, knotted, then wrapped the fishing line around one, and knotted the threaded end in the other. Slowly "sawed" the line from one end to the other, rolling it off like dental floss as I rolled the other dowel wrapping the used line. Fishing line broke a couple of times if I tried to hurry it. I knotted it again and continued. Molding came off both sides in about 15 minutes. It took about 2 hours to clean the glue residue. My thumbs and fingers were sore from rolling and scraping. I finished with some cleaner, swirl remover, glaze, and wax. Can't tell they were ever there.
I would advise not to pull them off, if for some reason when you get to the end they don't come completely free, run the fishing line back through from end to end. I would not put a pulling motion on the painted surface.
Rarely the sun fades the sides of a vehicle. Mostly the tops of the panels, so you should not see a color differential under most circumstances.
I would heat and roll the remaining tape off which is where the gloves came in handy and you remove about 90%. Then use a cleaner product like goo gone, 3M adhesive cleaner, etc to remove any residue. I'd recommend polishing afterwards, if your a Zaino person even a light application of ZPC then polish.
The tape that holds them on is about 3x the thickness of the fishing line, so what your doing is softening it up with light heat and using the fishing line to slice the softened tape in half - freeing the body moulding from the door.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,787
Likes: 139
From: center of Kalifornia
I took off just the fender mlds and sort of like it.
Be careful if your car has had a repaint, you could pull off the paint as the mlds have some real sticky tape, for sure factory paint will be no problem.
Be careful if your car has had a repaint, you could pull off the paint as the mlds have some real sticky tape, for sure factory paint will be no problem.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 930
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From: Lawrenceville GA
Ditto...
By the way, I used the braided type fishing line. I suspect it will work better than monofilament - more of a sawing action.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 435
Likes: 0
From: Northern California
yep took them off.... but now i have this lovely ring and a little bit of fade. althought the faded part was undernieth the molding. how does that happen? and how do i get ride of this ring thing
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Lake Mary Florida
You mean like an edge that goes all around where the moulding was?
If so, that is still adhesive there. If goo-gone or 3M Adhesive Remover doesn't work, then it will need to be buffed. You can do it by hand but that takes elbow grease. A porter cable PC2734 works great. I would get a bottle of 3M Perfect-It for dark colors. That is a compound used to remove swirl marks and for dark colors. OR if you are a Zaino user I would highly recommend using a buffer mentioned above with ZPC which in my opinion would produce the best results. Buffing will also diminish the fade affect you see.
If so, that is still adhesive there. If goo-gone or 3M Adhesive Remover doesn't work, then it will need to be buffed. You can do it by hand but that takes elbow grease. A porter cable PC2734 works great. I would get a bottle of 3M Perfect-It for dark colors. That is a compound used to remove swirl marks and for dark colors. OR if you are a Zaino user I would highly recommend using a buffer mentioned above with ZPC which in my opinion would produce the best results. Buffing will also diminish the fade affect you see.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Not on either liberal coast.
You'll need a PHOTOBUCKET or similar account to host your images. Then follow the procedure(s) shown on the Help Forum (main menu page towards the bottom) to post them here.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=31
It sounds like your car had some body/paint work done to it at some point in it's past life.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=31
It sounds like your car had some body/paint work done to it at some point in it's past life.