how to remove door moulds (and sikaflex) the Joe Blow way.

[esca_ByDesign]

ok after reading almost every thread on how to remove the moulds on my car i decided to give it a crack on my VY commodore.
i decided on using wax and grease remover as it seemed the safest, couldnt get my hands on a caramel wheel and even the panel beater said it wouldnt work but suppose ill never know cause i didnt try it.

just a story before i start, pulling off my last door trim after being at it for almost a whole 9 hours, all was going well until the last bit came off and lifted off all my paint! this is because the people who had the car before me used a dodge painter to repaint the door, so now i have to respray my whole door!.

anyway this is how i got mine off.

Used:
- 1L wax and grease remover
- few rags
- plastic scraper
- metal scraper
- hairdryer
- long fingernails that havent been cut in a week
- radio (to keep you sane during the process)

first i heated up the panel to melt the glue on the back. there is a line of double sided tape which is the easy part to get off and 2 lines of sikaflex which is the stuff that takes a while to get off. by sliding the plastic scraper behind the panel and lifting it up while still heating it up, the panel comes off quiet easy.

after cleaning up the dirt and getting all the tape off (using my thumb just sliding it across it lifts straight up), you can pull the line of sikaflex off quiet easily, it just leaves some behind but thats ok. i started using the wax and grease remover on a rag just rubbing it off, after 4 hours on one door i decided this cant be the best way as some people on here have said as the left over is just too thick for the wax and grease remover to dissolve.

long story short i found that once you have pulled the bulk of the sikaflex off, wet it with the wax and grease remover then use your finger nails to get under it and get the bulk of it off. this is great as you wont scratch the paint and it comes off pretty easily once its wet. after you have got most of it off with your fingernail, rub the rest of it with a rag covered in wax and grease remover and it should come straight off.

i first tried it with a plastic scraper as they said but the tip of it is too soft and just bends. i then was game enough to try a metal scraper under a rag and by being careful it worked well but it made a whole in the rag a couple of times and left some (not) nice little scratches in my car. the metal scraper didnt work as well as my fingernails and it was surprisingly easy. make sure the sikaflex is wet with wax and grease remover as it helps a lot to get it off.

After taking 4 hours to do one door it took me anouther 4 to do the rest of the car! as i said reading all over these forums pages, i couldnt find anyone explaining how to do it in detail, just to use a caramel wheel or rub it off.

let me know how you guys go doing it this way, it worked great for me and hopefully it does for you too.

for me? im off to the panel shop to get my door re sprayed (not my fault) and calling up the people i bought the car off to get some money back

cheers,
jason.

[esca_ByDesign]

anyone know a better way that doesnt involve a carmel wheel? i feel sorry for people with a VN-VS as i know they caked on the sikaflex to keep them on, would take forever to get all of that off.

[bandidoben]

heat gun wax and grease removed eucaliptus (spelling) oil the strength of 15 men in your arm and alot of painteance and swearing should do it.

[Bring-da-Ruckus]

i didnt have the patience...just used a razor blade then painted it.

[dingdong555]

If it does take some paint off, do you have to get the WHOLE door resprayed?

[Cpt Awesome]

well if ya dont mind respraying you door then use a blow torch on the sikaflex then a metal scraper. Paint comes stright off and leaves the finest bare metal surface that could possibly be achieved. i know from experience

[kyriacandro]

I reckon the person who owned mine before me tried to take my rear passenger one off cause mine fell off the other day and the door is damaged underneath. Is there a better way then just double sided tape to put them back on ?

[VKCOMMO]

If it does take some paint off, do you have to get the WHOLE door resprayed?

My shop said he'll just do it between the lines in the door, But it depends on the painter

[kyriacandro]

so there is no good way of sticking them back on other then double sided tape

[DarkEnvy]

so there is no good way of sticking them back on other then double sided tape

happened to me too. $20 at my local holden dealership.

[kyriacandro]

happened to me too. $20 at my local holden dealership.

did you get them back on ? really i would prefer them off but as i can see the guy before me has damaged the door underneath obviously trying to take them off thats why i want them back on


also does any one know can you put door moulds say from a vy or vz on a vx i reckon they look heaps better

[Mavericks Choice]

Dam mess stuff that go they use to hold those shields on with struck this a few times now.