Body Moldings - Remove Metal Backing Strip Before Re-install?

boostfrk · Oct 4, 2012

So I'm getting my car ready for paint and I removed the door moldings yesterday using a wide, sharp putty knife. The moldings came off without getting bent so I'm good there. However, the ends did curl up a little bit overnight.

I'm not going to spend $300+ on a new molding kit from one of the restoration companies; that's just too much.

I've read mixed reviews about removing the metal strip from the back so that the molding will lay completely flat again and can be installed on the car again perfectly flat. Some say that they've done this and the moldings went back on perfectly and look fantastic; no problems whatsoever. I've read others who say their moldings shrunk 1/2" - 1" after removing the metal strips because the 85+ moldings shrink more than the '79-'84 moldings do.

If I removed the metal strips it would probably be 2 weeks between when I removed the strip and when I re-installed the moldings back on the car.

Thoughts, opinions on removing the metal strip?

Noobz347 · Oct 4, 2012

Yep.... you will get both sides of that story here as well.

I would leave them on. If the ends are curling up past the molding, then removing strips will help a little but not much. It's better to reinstall the molding with the strip and apply a little heat (hair dryer or such) to the ends as you're sticking it back to the car.

Do NOT paint the flexible modlings... Use a vinyl or plastic dye if you're redoing them. Paint tends to crack where the dye will not.

For what it's worth, I've seen reapplied moldings that looked great with the strip removed and then reinstalled. It looks great for a while... then not so much (think year or more).

If the ends are sticking up BECAUSE of the metal strip then a couple of well placed taps with a small center punch should straighten them out.

boostfrk · Oct 4, 2012

Noobz347 said:
Do NOT paint the flexible modlings... Use a vinyl or plastic dye if you're redoing them. Paint tends to crack where the dye will not.

My plan was to drop the moldings off with the car when I get it painted; I want the color of the moldings to match the belt line trim on the bumpers. I figure the only way to accomplish that is to have the painter paint everything and use a flex agent.

Noobz347 · Oct 4, 2012

boostfrk said:
My plan was to drop the moldings off with the car when I get it painted; I want the color of the moldings to match the belt line trim on the bumpers. I figure the only way to accomplish that is to have the painter paint everything and use a flex agent.

If you're going to do that, I would mount them BEFORE they are painted and ensure they've using the additive that allows the paint to flex (like they do for bumper paint).

RacEoHolic330 · Oct 4, 2012

Just to add..if you do paint the moldings off the car (which is the way mine are getting done), make sure you put them on the door as soon as that paint cures. Don't let them sit in your basement for a month. The flexibilizer looses its flexing ability as time goes on, so the paint will crack if you wait too long. Same goes for any other urethane parts. Especially the side skirts. Those usually have to be 'torqued' a bit for them to fit back on the car properly.

boostfrk · Oct 4, 2012

Noobz347 said:
If you're going to do that, I would mount them BEFORE they are painted and ensure they've using the additive that allows the paint to flex (like they do for bumper paint).

The car is currently two tone; white above the moldings and everything from the molding down (including the moldings) is silver. I figured the moldings would have to be removed to ensure everything underneath and around the edges of the moldings was painted and no silver left behind.

boostfrk · Oct 4, 2012

Noobz347 said:
For what it's worth, I've seen reapplied moldings that looked great with the strip removed and then reinstalled. It looks great for a while... then not so much (think year or more).

I should have asked this before, but what starts to look bad about them after an extended period of time?

Noobz347 · Oct 4, 2012

boostfrk said:
I should have asked this before, but what starts to look bad about them after an extended period of time?

They move. Weather, changing seasons, whatever... They change shape over time and end up looking like they weren't installed quite right. Sometimes paint chipping occurs.

Gearbanger 101 · Oct 4, 2012

As I posted it in your other thread....

boostfrk said:
Now the question is about whether to remove the metal strips from the back.

The answer is yes. They'll never stick right again after removal. Remove the strips, clean the area with some solvent, lay a couple of rows of some 1" 3M tape in their place and stick them back on. You'll want to draw a line or something on the door with an erasable marker of some kind, as they won't be retain their straightness as they were when you re-install them after removing the aluminum strip from the back of them.

Mine held on for 6-years. They were still holding as well and looking great as the day I put them on 6-years-later when I sold the car.

View attachment 142990

gearheadboy · Oct 4, 2012

I've painted a ton of mouldings. I have painted them on the car if no color change and they were stuck well. I've painted them off the car and then installed them. Old mouldings that are removed the right way can be cleaned and re-taped and will stay on like they were new. I would not remove the metal insert provided you did not destroy it. A heat gun or direct sunlight is your friend. I remove them, clean the door and the moulding with a eraser wheel, razor blade some places but thats not for the novice, and prep-sol. Lay them on flat cardboard in the sun to get um flat, re-tape with good 3m tape and install. I use a piece of masking tape as a guide the length of the door. Keep them back from the front edge so they don't rub when opening the door, but not the whole way to the rear of the door.

boostfrk · Oct 4, 2012

gearheadboy said:
I've painted a ton of mouldings. I have painted them on the car if no color change and they were stuck well. I've painted them off the car and then installed them. Old mouldings that are removed the right way can be cleaned and re-taped and will stay on like they were new. I would not remove the metal insert provided you did not destroy it. A heat gun or direct sunlight is your friend. I remove them, clean the door and the moulding with a eraser wheel, razor blade some places but thats not for the novice, and prep-sol. Lay them on flat cardboard in the sun to get um flat, re-tape with good 3m tape and install. I use a piece of masking tape as a guide the length of the door. Keep them back from the front edge so they don't rub when opening the door, but not the whole way to the rear of the door.

Are there good local places to buy the eraser wheels, or is online best?

Any idea how many wheels I'll need to remove the adhesive tape from both sides of the car?

gearheadboy · Oct 4, 2012

I buy them online usually. They aren't cheap. If you use it right you can do the whole car with one, buy two. Don't get it real hot or you can burn the paint. If you use it correctly you can actually remove decals and stripes without paint damage and never know they were there. I use them on a straight die grinder.

gearheadboy · Oct 4, 2012

gearheadboy said:
I buy them online usually. They aren't cheap. If you use it right you can do the whole car with one, buy two. Don't get it real hot or you can burn the paint. If you use it correctly you can actually remove decals and stripes without paint damage and never know they were there. I use them on a straight die grinder.

Also it is best on the car. Be very careful on the mouldings, it will eat the moulding too.

Gearbanger 101 · Oct 4, 2012

gearheadboy said:
I buy them online usually. They aren't cheap. If you use it right you can do the whole car with one, buy two. Don't get it real hot or you can burn the paint. If you use it correctly you can actually remove decals and stripes without paint damage and never know they were there. I use them on a straight die grinder.

Never had luck with eraser wheels. I've found they work great until friction heats up the area....then the glue just gets soft and smears around.

I've always just used WD40 and a plastic scraper to loosen and remove the glue. A little solvent on a rag afterwards and you're in business. But to each their own.

gearheadboy · Oct 4, 2012

Gearbanger 101 said:
Never had luck with eraser wheels. I've found they work great until friction heats up the area....then the glue just gets soft and smears around.

I've always just used WD40 and a plastic scraper to loosen and remove the glue. A little solvent on a rag afterwards and you're in business. But to each their own.

Ya we don't use WD40 in a body shop environment much.

Gearbanger 101 · Oct 4, 2012

gearheadboy said:
Ya we don't use WD40 in a body shop environment much.

No, I can't imagine you would...paint doesn't stick very well, does it. For your average backyard mechanic though....it's a god send.

boostfrk · Oct 4, 2012

Hopefully WD40 works better for removing adhesive than it does for loosening bolts. I've never had good luck with it as a penetrating lubricant.

gearheadboy · Oct 4, 2012

Not a Mustang but a recent repair. Yes they all need done. I painted the door black trim as well.

boostfrk · Oct 13, 2012

Well I just got back last night from being gone for a week; the moldings had a pretty good curve to them and I test fitted one back on the side of the car. I didn't see how it was going to stay stuck even with a strong adhesive tape. Super glue, maybe.

So...I pulled the metal strips out tonight. I talked to the guy that's painting the car and he said he nearly always removes the metal strip unless the moldings come off looking nearly factory fresh, which mine were not.

Car gets dropped off for paint tomorrow.

Shakerhood · Oct 14, 2012

Good Luck.

Body Moldings - Remove Metal Backing Strip Before Re-install?

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