Trim removal

[snocross1985]

I have a 1994 XLT and i want to remove the ugly black trim on the outside. How can I remove it without recking the paint underneath? If I remove it will the paint underneath look ugly and not match?

 

[MONMIX]

You need to be more specific as to which trim you are refering to.

 

[snocross1985]

I am talking about the trim that goes along the side of the doors that is a bout a quarter of the way up the truck. It has that chrome stip running throught he middle of it.

 

[emon]

I say paint over it with the same body color. Or if you really want to remove it, use heat gun and do it during the hottest summer afternoon so it'll come off easier.

Good Luck.

 

[MONMIX]

The body side moulding.
Emon knows the trick. A heat gun will do the trick.
It wont harm the paint. You might have some discoloration due to the age, some buffing should even that out.

Best of luck to ya.

 

[metalhed]

I read somewhere that you could use dental floss and just run that underneath the trim to make your life easier.

 

[Crankcase]

Dental floss isn't very strong. Fishing line is. Runs some in between the trim and the door, and take your time. it will come off.

 

[xplorerx1993]

I did it the hard way. I used a hairdryer and just peeled the trim, along with the double-sided tape off. My paint was still a perfect match. NO buffing, no problem!

 

[stretch]

Check Section525's thread for some good info on how to do it.

 

[have2goski]

just pull that stuff off with your bare hands. I did mine this past weekend. came off really easy on my old '91.

Maybe the tape was a little broken down from being so old or maybe that os just how the stuff is.

When i took mine off the tape kinda split, half onto the door and half on the trim. after you get the trim off just use a hair dryer to heat the tape up a little and work it off. I used a old puddy knife that had been dulled out around the edges and the left over tape came off pretty quick. Be carefully if you use a edgde of some kind, you could easily scratch the paint. It will come off using your fingers just might take a little longer.

After you get the tape off just clean it and you should be good to go.

I wasn't to concerned with what the paint was like under the trim when i took it off, so i may have gone a little faster than you want to. I am planning a complete repaint in a couple weeks once i wrap up school for the quarter.

i tried the fishing line thing when i started and i think it hurt my hands more than the tape holding the trim on. Thats when i decided to just grab it and start pulling it off. Make sure you move your hands along with the trim as you pull it. If you get to far away from the door with you hands the pull won't be as controlled and you might buckle your door or something. You will hear it before it goes.


Point is once you have it started it will come off easier than you think. Slower you go the easier it will be to keep everything underneath looking good. Clean it with some kind of solvent that won't hurt your paint once you get all the tape off and you should be all set

 

[snocross1985]

Well, i finally started it and after about an hour and 2 blisters later i managed to get the piece on th drivers side door off along with the sticky crap. I also took of the 2 little pieces of that are in front of those. I am out of school and am home by myself to day so probably try to tackle the rest of it.

 

[xplorerx1993]

You can use a heat gun or even a hairdryer. It's very easy, because most of the 1st gen X's have very weak tape. I did mine in 2 hours, and the paint matches perfectly.