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Auto Detailing and AppearanceShare tips and tricks on how to make your Third Gen shine! Get opinions on products or how something tasteful looks on your Chevrolet Camaro or Pontiac Firebird.
The molding on my 91 TA needs serious help so I was planning on getting a new set to install. After watching some videos on how to remove them, I think I like how they look without. Has anyone else done this? What do you all think about it?
GM put that strip on to help prevent door dings and they do work since our doors are angled outward and they are on the outermost aspect. But who daily drives these cars anymore to where they need to worry about that? I took mine off over a decade ago and they look much better removed. Just don't park by other cars.
You CAN take them off, repaint them, and reinstall them. It's not a big deal and I have done it several times. Are they all gouged up or something??
I think these cars kinda look naked without them. Usually when you saw a third gen without the trim it was the first indication that it was a cheaply optioned car. I would definitely keep them on.
The only exception for me is unless it's a car like Tibo's. When it's a custom car it doesn't bother me at all to not see them, but a stock appearing car just NEEDS them.
Also, I'd about put money on it that they will pull a little bit of the factory paint when you remove them, so you will want to put them back on to cover that up.
You CAN take them off, repaint them, and reinstall them. It's not a big deal and I have done it several times. Are they all gouged up or something??
I think these cars kinda look naked without them. Usually when you saw a third gen without the trim it was the first indication that it was a cheaply optioned car. I would definitely keep them on.
The only exception for me is unless it's a car like Tibo's. When it's a custom car it doesn't bother me at all to not see them, but a stock appearing car just NEEDS them.
Also, I'd about put money on it that they will pull a little bit of the factory paint when you remove them, so you will want to put them back on to cover that up.
Agree on all points. My last couple of Thirdgens were highly modified and both had custom paint so I removed them. On my stock Iroc, they're getting removed, repainted and reinstalled.
I think they are out of place and remind me of a cheap stick-on car accessory. The side of the car aesthetically flows much better with them removed. Just like I think the pre 91 gfx flow much better and look more at home then do the 91-92 gfx.
I think they are out of place and remind me of a cheap stick-on car accessory. The side of the car aesthetically flows much better with them removed.
I mean no disrespect...there is no right or wrong answer. I understand what you are saying, but I think the cars look utterly nude and bland without them. So I'm totally the opposite on this one.
When I had my 1988 Lincoln Mark VII LSC painted, I followed the paint shop's recommendation, and removed the polymer body side moldings (BSM) . They painted them to match the new paint, and re-installed them. The paint job and BSM's turned out beautiful! Single stage , metallic, Polyurethane
paint. I just had my 1966 AMC Marlin painted with the same type paint. Yous be the judge!
I am not sure if I will do this, when I have my IROC Z painted, or just have them paint the BSM's in place.
they are there to keep the sides straight, too many morons don't give a f k if they ding up another car. if yer never outa sight of yer car, the car was styled without them.
I would vote to keep them, I also think an original car looks naked without them. I almost didn’t restore the paint on my IROC because I was really worried about the body side moldings. The guy that painted my car does concourse restorations and did not want to use any aftermarket “crap” as he put it, but he also said when you remove the moldings with the metal strip they never look right again. Maybe that’s just because in the 80s they could throw them out and get a new set from a dealer for $10 and didn’t take time to save that stuff...
anyhow he was skeptical about the Hawks reproductions, but ended up saying they were better to work with than the factory moldings and he liked that they came ready to paint based on your paint code. He mentioned how the originals were injected with the paint color and didn’t always perfectly match. I parked next to a 5.7L IROC at a show yesterday with factory moldings and you can’t tell the difference unless you get really close and look for the metal strip. These are good reproductions... Why they don’t make the 85-87 style is beyond me...
I agree, on a custom car I wouldn’t look for them, but on a stock looking car it would appear to me like something is missing. It’s like when you see an IROC with a really nice paint job but the guy didn’t put the emblems back on so there’s just empty spots where they should be. Or a steering wheel without the horn button... It looks unfinished to me...
08-01-2020, 06:58 PM
I mean no disrespect...there is no right or wrong answer. I understand what you are saying, but I think the cars look utterly nude and bland without them. So I'm totally the opposite on this one.
I do. Every day, and have been since 1996.
