Exterior window trim on door. Would this look tacky if..........

MustangLX-5.0

Founding Member
Dec 2, 2000
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Lehigh Acres Fla.
..... if I scuffed off all the peeling black finish and polished up the aluminum under it? It looks like crap and I can't afford new trim right now. Seriously, I thought about doing this but i'm not sure how well it would look. Opinions welcomed........

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i'd scuff it and paint it body color that is what i am doing with mine eventually but don't paint the rubber part that sits on the window.if your trim is all going to stay black then definately paint it black ford trim black to be exact.it won't cost you too much to do it yourself.
 
In a word, yes, it will look tacky. There is no other trim like that on the car and it wouldn't even flow with the trim that immediately follows it onto the 1/4 panel. I don't even like chrome door handles on these cars. Just remember that there isn't much that hasn't been done to these cars over the years so if there is an idea that has no real precedence, it probably isn't a great one. That being said, it's your car so if you like it then go for it, but it is less work and probably cheaper to scuff and re-paint them back to the original satin black.
 
The problem with repainting the is there is like an 1/8th inch lip on the bottom that is just pure rubber and if you sand all the rubber off the molding then you will lose the lip and then there will be a gap between the door and molding. Go and buy new ones and you'll be set!
 
Got it off in less than 30 seconds. Those fasteners look like rivets. I see what was mentioned about the rubber lip on the trim. I think its just part of the actual material that Ford sprayed on there. The bottom side would be fine to clear off, but the top portion would leave a gap.

I also noticed something on that small piece of trim behind the mirror. I had actually noticed this ages ago because this piece was coming off. Kept flappin up in the wind while driving. Theres some kind of rusted up stud sticking up. It's leaving a rust streak down the side of the door. There was also dried hot glue on the bottom side of this piece. I don't know if that was factory or if someone else put the glue on because something broke.
 

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Chrome only looks good on the 4 eye cars IMO...and that's only some of them that can pull it off. You'd have to do all the window trim to make it all look right and i still don't think it would. I'll second the buy new option..if you have the cash.
 
Those are riveted on. I just replaced mine from 5.0 resto (came bent btw, I was heated AND they just FORGOT to send my MM sub frame connectors...) and they sent the new plastic pieces but not the rivets. I drilled them out and replaced them, although I dont know why you would necessarily need to.

The new ones were only around 40 bucks I think, and a can of spray paint is what, 9-$10? Your call, but I would save up thirty more bucks and have at er, looks alot nicer when they are all rubber :nice:
 
Any idea what that metal stud is for? It appears to be attached to the door underneath somehow. Don't even look like it goes to anything on that plastic piece. Thinking about drilling it out or removing it some other way. It's all rusted and looks like part of it broke off the top.
 
I have no clue why that stud is on there. I have done two different mustangs door sills/window trim and have never seen that before. After making sure its not critical to anything on your car I would dump it asap like you're thinking.