I was just wondering why so many people remove the bumper molding in the middle of the doors? I have had some say they thought it looked cleaner but I think it makes the side of the car look bland without them

 

here is one without

 

I think they look better with.

 

I agree....it's too empty.

 

im not sure really...either looks good

 

I think it looks better with the moulding. It kinda accents the lines of the car. It looks too flat and plain without it to me.

 

I think without looks better. But I'm a fan of clean and simple.

 

i dont like em at all, heres your car with a ps. Now you can decide.

 

still liked it with better

 

I dunno, I took mine off a few years ago and havent looked back.

 

I can go either way but I decided to get rid of mine after seeing how much dirt actually got trapped behind it.....

 

i like the photoshop without so much better on your type of car. On a camaro it kind of fits but on a car that has completly curvey lines a straight bar down the door totally disrupts the line of the car.

 

i like it with...looks kind of naked with it not being there....still looks alright with it gone....but I think it shows the lines of the car better....

 

I like it with and without them... Depends on the car... I kinda like it better without though...

 

my car stays in a dorm parking lot.... it is essential they stay on for me.... i dont think it looks too bad...

 

I like thirdgens much better without the door ding strips. That said, the late-model ones aren't too bad. The really ugly ones are the early thirdgen style (narrower top-to-bottom but they are thicker and stick out farther from the door). That's what my '83 had on it when I got it. I took them off the first day.

I'm sure many will disagree, but I think they're useless. Here's why: If someone swings their door into your car hard, it will still dent the door right through the door ding strip. Look at almost any daily-driven thirdgen and you'll see waves in the body above and below the strips.

So they're really only good for situations where someone barely nicks your door with theirs. However, when that happens it usually damages the paint on the trim piece anyway. What's the difference in having a nick in the paint on the trim and having a nick in the paint on the actual door? If you're really concerned about your car you won't park where you can get door dings anyway.

<Firebird 383 gets off soapbox>

 

wow that is one small dorm parking lot you must get dings in there al the time :lala:

haha just giving you a hard time

i like them off, but my car was painted before i bought it and i dont know if they were removed when painted or not so i do not want to take them off and have it be all crappy paint uner it and then have ruined mouldings

 

Firebird 383, you're right. if someone really swings open a door hard, it'll go through the ding strip and still dent the door. the thing is, some of the force will be absorbed by the strip and you'll most likely end up with a dent that is repairable without doing paint work. yes, the paint on the strip will be fvcked, but hey, you can just peel it off and get another one, or get it painted again.

if you rewind and perform this scenario without the trim, the door is gonna get a sharper dent along with a nice fat chip in the paint...

nevertheless, i agree that thirdgens look cleaner without the trim, but i'd rather trade that for some protection of my doors.

white91formula,
that was at 82firebirdta's house after i washed/waxed it for a cruise the next day

 

I am another fan of without.

 

Now that's a sexy car!

 

 

I don't think they look too bad with it, but I think if I ever repaint my car mine are coming off. I suppose if it was still a daily driver or if I lived in an apartment and had to park next to people on a daily basis I would leave them on though.

 

I deleted it on the bird and thought it looked super slick. I keep debating on wether or not to take it off on the rs. The clear is starting to peel up around the edges and i'm afraid it might look worse without it. It's coming off for paint but i dont know if i should do it now or wait. It's easy to pull off and if you don't liek it just get some 3m adhesive and put it back on. Or you can find a body place and just get brand new stuff. My dad did that with the 81 got the original door strip at this b and d trim place and it was under 25 bucks.

I say go for it on oyur car it jsut looks right

 

I don't think cars without it look bad, but I prefer it on there.

 

either way,

 

I like them without but some cars do look better with them.

 

Mine has em... I like them also.. it does offer some protection.. But each to their own.. If mine didn't have them I wouldn't rush out and put them on.. but since it has em.. I'll keep em..