O.K. guys, here's how to do it. I don't have pictures available, but I'll talk you through it. If you are going to attempt this job, bear in mind that it will not be a one day project. Practice patience, take your time, relax a little on the way, and try not to take the sledge hammer to your car in frustration. J/K!
Step #1
Assemble all of the tools that you will need. These will include a pair of vise grips, small flathead screwdriver, cotton cloths, small propane torch, 1 inch stiff chisel putty knife, small can of lacquer thinner, and even a vise if you have one.
Step #2
Peel the molding off of the car, using the stiff chisel blade of the putty knife to help you. This will warp, twist, and make the rubber molding look like a piece of &$%#.
Step #3
After the rubber molding is off of the car, place it in a vise with folded over cotton cloths on either side to prevent the vise from making indents in the rubber. Next, take the small flathead screwdriver and pry up a corner of the two sided factory tape with the metal insert (there should be 2 of these per piece). You may need the torch to help soften the glue of the tape, therefore making it much easier to pry up. Once the tape's corner is pried up, attach the vise grips to it. Now, heat the tape up with the torch while pulling with the vise grips. It is important to NOT melt the rubber! You'll only need the heat to soften the adhesive of the tape enough so that you can separate it from the rubber molding. Continue with this step until all of the pieces are free from this tape and adhesive. This process is long and drawn out, but DON'T GIVE UP! Great results will come to those who have the patience.
Step #4
When done with step #3, you'll notice that all of the rubber molding is still bent and twisted to all hell. To rectify this, place them on a cellar or garage floor for 2 to 3 days with heavy materials such as boxes filled with goods, or books. The rubber will return to it's natural state of flatness. Trust me! :wink:
Step #5
After they've returned to flatness, you'll notice that the longer pieces from the doors will be flat, but wavy (like a pinstripe that's not straight). To fix this, I propped them up against the wall/floor like a piece of wooden baseboard and pushed those same boxes up against them to hold them in place. I left them there for another 2 to 3 days. When I uncovered them, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were flat AND straight!
Step #6
Flip them over and wipe any dirt/leftover adhesive off with some of that lacquer thinner on a clean rag. Do not soak them in this stuff, as it may eat away the rubber!
Step #7
What can I say, it's now painting time. Use what you will. At this point, I sent mine to the body shop so that they could be painted with the rest of the car.
Step #8
You're near the finish line, and now your hard work will soon pay off! It's now time to reinstall them. I used 3M's two sided tape. This comes in different widths. I believe that I used the 1 inch wide (1/8 inch thick?) stuff that I picked up at my local auto parts store. Since I'm not too sure, just bring a piece of the molding with you when you buy it. You'll then know what size to buy. I attached it to the back side of the molding on both the upper and lower sections. I then placed it up near the side of the car and with a steady hand, slowly pressed it onto the car. The longer door pieces are harder to get right, but if you're slow and careful, you shouldn't have a problem.
Step #9
Pinstripe time, and final step! Yee Haa! As we all know, the stripes were molded into the rubber on the side pieces and painted onto each bumper. Well, my body guy said that it would be easier for him to paint over those said stripes. He's right. I bought 2 rolls of 3M's pinstripe kit (I don't remember the size, but it's the same size that was molded into the rubber). This is easy to get straight because you can see the outline of the stripes in the rubber molding. On the bumpers, it's a little harder. I sprayed them with Glass Plus, and positioned the pinstripes in place. The glass cleaner will allow you to move them around until they're straight. When they're where you want them, gently dab the Glass Plus until it's dry.
Step #10
Final step, and it's the easiest one. Sit down in your lounge chair, open up a tall cool Budwieser, and marvel at your well done job!
Good luck everyone! By the way, I've posted the following picture to show you how mine came out. In this picture, you can't see the dual pinstripes. They are there, but the picture shows them as one. However, you can see the straightness to the rubber.
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