Bye -Bye moldings

[LittleRedWagon5]

Took my door moldings off today because i was bored. It didn't do much for the boredom cuz it only took about 5 minutes and a little wax. But it does look alot better.

http://www.msprotege.com/members/LittleRedWagon5/moldings_01.JPG

http://www.msprotege.com/members/LittleRedWagon5/moldings_02.JPG

[UHATEIT]

hmmmmm very plain, the doors look very tall and long. To each his own. I personally like mine on but a lot of people like theirs off. Great work on the UN-install, looks clean :)

[Nokkers3]

Looks really clean. I'm scared to take mine off because it might leave a lot of residue behind, since mine is an 07 and I've had it for almost a year now.

[el_Don]

So you just yanked them off because you were bored? Awesome

[CWPspeed3]

I just took mine off the other day too, I like the clean look but unfortunately on a white car it left a yellowish chemical stain behind, all the tape and glue came off but theres a yellowish line and I've tried a clay bar, rubbing compound, pre wax cleaner, and wax and there is still a faint line left, kind of wishing I left them on.

[strytnyne]

it goes away after some exposure to the sun i took mines of the 2nd day i got it, left a stain washed it and everything next day, it dissapeard O_o

[CWPspeed3]

it goes away after some exposure to the sun i took mines of the 2nd day i got it, left a stain washed it and everything next day, it dissapeard O_o

I'm really hoping thats what mine does, I'm out of cleaning products to try. I've noticed the same thing with bug guts on my clear bra, the neon orange and yellow ones stain and they wont come off after i wash and use bug and tar remover but the next time i wash the car they are gone.

[TheMAN]

hmmmmm very plain, the doors look very tall and long. To each his own. I personally like mine on but a lot of people like theirs off. Great work on the UN-install, looks clean :)
yup, plain and flat doors and ding magnet... it's not "clean" when it's bland! (puke)

[ForceFed]

I disagree....Smooth and Clean FTW.

[ivanhoe]

very nice man i took mine off when i was at work bored. went outside it was hot as hell and they just peeled off without a problem. got some googone and thats it...very nice!

[controlo]

yup, plain and flat doors and ding magnet... it's not "clean" when it's bland! (puke)

yeah, i don't think i like them off either. it seperates the door really well.

[bjjer]

yeah, i don't think i like them off either. it seperates the door really well.

Cant agree more, looks better on the hatch,but off on the sedan.

[Hyun]

nice. I took it off after 1 year of ownership. I thought it would look too plain but i was mistaken!!

[kneedragger241]

Looks really clean. I'm scared to take mine off because it might leave a lot of residue behind, since mine is an 07 and I've had it for almost a year now.

I just took mine off of my 07 last month. On a hot day, I was able to start it with some fishing line, then pull the rest off with only a tiny amount of residue left behind.
Buffed the doors with 3M Fine Cut Clearcoat Compound and here's the result:



http://www.hotwasabi.com/ms3/volk003.jpg http://www.hotwasabi.com/ms3/volk004.jpg


I'm down with the clean.

[UHATEIT]

yup, plain and flat doors and ding magnet... it's not "clean" when it's bland! (puke)

thanks for agreeing. The door moldings are there to prevent dents, I bet if I took the effort to take them off, I'd get door dents left and right.

[ottawaP5]

thanks for agreeing. The door moldings are there to prevent dents, I bet if I took the effort to take them off, I'd get door dents left and right.


They don't work at all for preventing dents....most SUV's will hit the door right above the moulding.

[UHATEIT]

They don't work at all for preventing dents....most SUV's will hit the door right above the moulding.

haha i was thinking that the other day when i parked next to a gay suburban. fawking tall ass cars... Ah well. I just like how it gives some color to the door, otherwise the doors look too long/wide, almost like it needs something there to fill the void ;) but its cool everyone has their own oppinion and I do not hate on anyone for taking them off, its up to them.

[ottawaP5]

haha i was thinking that the other day when i parked next to a gay suburban. fawking tall ass cars... Ah well. I just like how it gives some color to the door, otherwise the doors look too long/wide, almost like it needs something there to fill the void ;) but its cool everyone has their own oppinion and I do not hate on anyone for taking them off, its up to them.

I hear ya...sometimes i feel like I should have kept them on..the doors do look too tall. Oh well, it's much easier to wax :)

[hectik1]

So much cleaner!(headbang)

[controlo]

I hear ya...sometimes i feel like I should have kept them on..the doors do look too tall. Oh well, it's much easier to wax :)

yeah. i like them on or off, i just personally want mine on. it probably is a lot smoother to wash and wax.

[CWPspeed3]

I had a hard time making up my mind because it looks good both ways but they hold dirt and make it a pain to clean and wax so I pulled them off by hand without any effort on a warm day.

[onie]

I just took mine off the other day too, I like the clean look but unfortunately on a white car it left a yellowish chemical stain behind, all the tape and glue came off but theres a yellowish line and I've tried a clay bar, rubbing compound, pre wax cleaner, and wax and there is still a faint line left, kind of wishing I left them on.

Mine had the same yellow lines. It's been over a week now since i took them off and it also has disappeared.

[punch]

I HATE the moldings, so cheap looking. Took mine off in the first 15 minutes I had the car in my garage.

[neox.286]

looks good! I like it!

and I love the little driveway floormat you have for your car haha

[CWPspeed3]

The main problem I had with the white moldings is they didnt match the color properly and they were a shade darker than the rest of the car thats one of the main reasons I took them off.

[ForceFed]

and I love the little driveway floormat you have for your car haha
I didn't even notice that..I had to go back and look again.

That thing is sweet.

[phillyb]

I HATE the moldings, so cheap looking. Took mine off in the first 15 minutes I had the car in my garage.


hahaa, i waited about a day, but srsly, the molding removal was the first thing i did to my car.

I didn't even notice that..I had to go back and look again.

That thing is sweet.


hahaha, i had to go back and look as well

[Hyun]

haha just noticed the floor mat. nICE

[onie]

The doors does look tall and long without the moldings. I thought about putting it back on but the adhesive that's on the molding is a pita to remove. Has to be removed completely or it will not stick properly. Oh well guess have to like it now without the moldings

[skylar2ups]

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e337/skylar2ups/mazda004.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e337/skylar2ups/mazda005.jpg

I think it makes the sedan doors look almost like a BMW 3's thats just me though... I like them on most hatchs but I must say yours does look nice and the silver one with them off looks good too. I have seen one around where I live it has been painted PINK *VOMIT* and the moldings is off and I think it death to the Mazda.

[robin2660]

Something many don't consider besides cosmetics is that stuff accumulates underneath the moulding, which might include caustic or other material that could degrade the paint and cause future corrosion issues. At the minimum, it makes washing and waxing alot easier.

[strytnyne]

the key to preventing dents and dings is choosing where u park imo.

[1speed3]

looks good. one question where did you get ur light tint from ?

[nbarsotti]

So I just removed my moldings yesterday and I have run into a bit of a problem and wondering on advice. All 4 came off very easily and I got all the sticky residue removed with goo gone. After a quick wash I am left with outlines of where the molding was. In some spots the outline is whiteish and in others its very dark. My MS3 is a 2007 with 6K miles that I just bought used. Do you think this outline can be removed with a clay bar, mild polish and elbow grease or will I need to get an orbital polisher involved?

[neox.286]

you should be able to get it off with a clay bar and some elbow grease

[brunoxmatoss]

i always thought it looked wierd on pictures... but after i grew the balls to do it, the looks grew on me. it looks WAAAYYYY better in person. =D alot cleaner too.
before...
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a230/dial3lo3388/100_1616.jpg
after..
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a230/dial3lo3388/HDR1.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a230/dial3lo3388/IMG_8895_3_4copy.jpg

[neox.286]

^^^
looks hawt bro!

[iredremix]

u just pulled off the moldings?

[neox.286]

well, you have to finess it a bit lol
a heat gun usually works pretty good to soften up the glue so you can pull it off (at least, thats what I did on my old car...dunno if there's any screws in these ones)

[brunoxmatoss]

i just pulled mines right off. if you pull them at an angle (dont bend them trying to pull it directly out) it came off and left almost no glue on the car at all.