Removing Side Molding

[KLF]

Thanks (once again) @KLF. I was already looking at the 3M 1080 (or 2080) vinyl in their Satin Pearl White, or maybe something equivalent from Vvivid...Amazon has a sample size of the 3M for $2.19 and the Avery you used for $2.49, so I'll add those to my next order to check them out in real sunlight.

I know that vinyl is OK to pretty good as a solution, but it's not perfect...but I'm not ready to spend the coin to have these pieces professionally repainted, so I'm leaning towards vinyl. I've seen the Plastidip implementations on the rear on various posts here, but I'm thinking that vinyl may be "better" for the side moldings. I have zero experience with Plastidip, so I'm hoping to learn more about it here, both with respect to body parts and wheels.

I had a new BMW sedan (lease) chrome-deleted using vinyl back in January - it was too tough for me to do with all of the complicated shapes and corners, but maybe these four moldings off the car will be something I can do myself.

Back on the subject of color: I have a Dr. ColorChip touch up kit sitting in the garage, ready to deal with the few scrapes I've found on my exterior when I've got some free time (read: never). For that process, when you click on the 070 Blizzard Pearl Tricoat option, you get this warning message:



Sounds like getting it close enough in vinyl or Plastidip is about as good as it's going to get.

Through search I found this thread in the GX section : OEM color matched vinyl wrap? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/oem-color-matched-vinyl-wrap.1186424/ No real / definitive answer there, either.

Looks like we might be close enough distance that we might be able to meet up to compare. I think I have one of those swatches of the Avery here somewhere. I had NO extra on my project, the 5' x 2' piece I bought just barely covered those 2 windows.

I also think the wrap is the best solution for the side trim, and it's not permanent if it goes bad. I was gonna do my own. Maybe a wrapping party? I have a heat gun and the special trim/squeegee kit for applying. PM if interested, we can compare locations, I don't mind the chance to take a trip, and need to make a run to the Rockler store in Salem anyway.

 

[Mdog97]

Looks like we might be close enough distance that we might be able to meet up to compare. I think I have one of those swatches of the Avery here somewhere. I had NO extra on my project, the 5' x 2' piece I bought just barely covered those 2 windows.

I also think the wrap is the best solution for the side trim, and it's not permanent if it goes bad. I was gonna do my own. Maybe a wrapping party? I have a heat gun and the special trim/squeegee kit for applying. PM if interested, we can compare locations, I don't mind the chance to take a trip, and need to make a run to the Rockler store in Salem anyway.

Yes - thanks very much - will hit you up on PM in a moment. All others - I realize this is a molding delete thread, so sorry for the thread drift I've caused - I'll cease and desist here. Please PM if you've got any experience with Plastidip or vinyl on these moldings (or maybe I'll start a new thread on this topic).

To close it off (for me, at least), this Eric Sarjeant build from his chrome delete thread here Chrome Delete Photos - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/chrome-delete-photos.1236671/ is probably the direction I'm heading - body color matched side moldings (vinyl for me, or maybe Plastidip), black window "belt" trim (I'll do vinyl through my local person, as I know it works), 18" TRD BBS (either matte black or Plastidip/painted bronze), add 35% tint to front windows, maybe body color matched rear chrome pieces (vinyl? Plastidip?)...but DEFINITELY adding a Hybrid badge just to troll the pearl clutching locals....

 

[Wafflroo]

For those of you who have gone the full bodyshop treatment (weld/ fill/ prep/ repaint) - how much did the job run you? I just got quoted $2100 per side ($4200) or ~$600 to do just the chrome molds to match body color. While I really love the look, I would also like to do some suspension fiddling.

That’s crazy! Haven’t had a chance to get a quote for mine. Also curious if anyone is willing to share what it cost.

 

[Zarchery]

Lots of good information in this thread - many thanks.

In my case (2018 stock LC, Blizzard Pearl Tricoat White over Black), I'm looking to keep the side moldings - they are 100% necessary in this parking environment unfortunately. So, I am potentially looking to do a chrome delete there and on the chrome "belt" that runs along the bottom of the windows. I'll look at what to do with the chrome on the rear and the front as I make my way there, but the sides are the most pressing issue now, as I'm in the midst of debating whether to go with matte black TRD BBS + HE center caps, or to get the TRDs painted or plastidipped bronze first.

Whether black or bronze wheels, I'm thinking white paint + dark windows + black "belt" trim under the windows + OEM faux chrome side moldings will look...stupid. I think changing the moldings to black (paint, vinyl or plastidip) will make the overall look too "Stormtrooper-ish", so that probably leaves trying to get a white color for the side moldings.

Has anyone already figured out (1) what brand & color of vinyl would match closest to our Toyota Pearl White, (2) same question for Plastidip, and/or (3) is there a rattle-can alternative for painting the moldings off the car, or is that a dumb idea?

I’ve got a lot of DIY experience with deleting chrome and experimenting with different options.

When doing my window belt trim on my LX, I completely removed, taped off, sanded the chrome, laid paint, and then shot it with clear. I mainly took away cons. The belt moldings are really challenging to remove without damaging. I did a good job overall, but they were defiantly not perfect anymore after I removed them. Slight bending/dents in them for example. It was very hard to tape off and get a good line for the paint to adhere to the surface of the come and not hit the rubber or plastic bits.

On my 200 the very back glass has a chrome belt molding on the bottom as well. Seemed a lot more challenging to remove so i decided to try my hand at vinyl wrapping it. I won’t lie, it took more than a few tries to get the result I was looking for. But once I got it dialed in, I was more than happy with the outcome. I highly recommend vinyl wrapping. I used a wrap I found on Amazon. It was a 2” x 25ft roll in matte black for a small amount of money. I can take some pictures tomorrow and show you if you’d like.

 

[Mdog97]

Thanks @Zarchery. I think removal of the parts for vinyl wrapping makes all the difference. As I wrote to @KLF in a private message, the vinyl wrap project for the moldings sounds like one I could actually tackle…unlike the window trim on the LC, as it's just like the BMW window trim that I tried earlier this year. Removing the parts would totally change the difficulty, and thanks to this thread I think I can safely remove and replace the moldings for vinyl wrapping.

The billions of YouTube videos make vinyl wrap look easy, but there’s a real art to how much heat to use, how much to stretch, how to attack corners and odd shapes, etc. Experience is a big advantage…and I have almost none. I’m only a partial idiot, and I wasted a lot of material and nearly sliced the weather stripping on the BMW several times before I gave up.

The BMW was/is a 4 door sedan, so there were only 5 “simple” silver/chrome pieces per side to wrap, but I didn’t want to try to take them off the car for the risks/reasons you cited, so the difficulty level was pretty high. I ended up finding a new local wrap/detail guy who was hungry for business and who gave me a good price ($300) relative to the range of chrome delete quotes I received ($180-$750+). There was a hiccup with him getting the material from his supplier, but his work was pretty good. I’ll probably go back to him for the “belt” under the windows, as those (well, the rearmost ones at least) don’t come off (according to Eric Sargeant) and I know he can do it.

 

[VentoGT]

I paid to have my door molding holes filled and the doors repainted.
View attachment 2170272

Did you custom finish those TRD wheels? The Heritage ones are bronze and the black ones are on my Sequoia and the Tundra from recent years. Looks awesome

 

[dnh1]

Did you custom finish those TRD wheels? The Heritage ones are bronze and the black ones are on my Sequoia and the Tundra from recent years. Looks awesome

Yes. Thanks. They were powder coated that color.

 

[chriscosta416]

Has anyone removed them from a 2011 LX? Mine are separating and is probably just acting as a collection point for dirt and sand.

 

[lx200inAR]

Has anyone removed them from a 2011 LX? Mine are separating and is probably just acting as a collection point for dirt and sand.

08-11 LX are glued on. You can rip them off. I used a plastic trim tool (for interior pieces) and wedged up one corner and then peeled it back and off. Then there is the crappy job of getting all the glue off. I found a heat gun helps, but it was still laborious. I can still slightly see lines. I suspect a polish would take out the rest of the remnants. My truck is pretty much always dirty enough, it doesn't really matter.

 

[chriscosta416]

08-11 LX are just glued on. You can just rip them off. I used a plastic trim tool (for interior pieces) and wedged up one corner and then peeled it back and off. Then there is the crappy job of getting all the glue off. I found a heat gun helps, but it was still laborious. I can still slightly see lines. I suspect a polish would take out the rest of the remnants. My truck is pretty much always dirty enough, it doesn't really matter.

View attachment 3087495

looks like I got a new weekend task to do! It looks good! I am not kean on removing it but I did some dune driving this weekend and sand got up in it.

 

[BeachCruzer]

Just had this done at local body shop for 2019 LC200. The shop owner initially turned me down bc they have a certain reputation for quality but changed his mind when I sent him dnh1 video from Ed Martin.

It was pricey but they did it in a way to maximize the chances of no corrosion or issues in the future. They welded the holes with metal, put in body filler, and painted over. Looks much slicker now.

View attachment 2664791

What is and where can I find the dnh1 video you mention from Ed Martin?

 

[lx200inAR]

What is and where can I find the dnh1 video you mention from Ed Martin?

He's probably referring to his, but the video appears to not be hosted anymore.

Removal of door chrome protector strips?

Has anyone removed the chrome protector strip bumper things from their doors? I don't know how they're attached, so if there are holes behind them, I need to be ready to fill them with something. If it's just tape, that would also be good to know.

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[BeachCruzer]

He's probably referring to his, but the video appears to not be hosted anymore.

Removal of door chrome protector strips?

Has anyone removed the chrome protector strip bumper things from their doors? I don't know how they're attached, so if there are holes behind them, I need to be ready to fill them with something. If it's just tape, that would also be good to know.

forum.ih8mud.com

TYVM

 

[shanko]

Bringing this thread back to life. Can one of you that have had the door holes welded and doors repainted provide a little bit of insight into how much it cost you please?
Thanks,
-Sean