Those stupid chrome B-Pillar strips

Kumba

Kumba

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The previous owner stuck them on the car. While I had the car at the body shop they would not remove them as they cannot get replacements if the removal process screws them up. They are telling me the trim tape used was the good stuff.

So now my question is, has anyone successfully removed these things and still ended up with a nice shiny black panel when you were done? Or did you have to repaint the panel? or replace it?

I still think they might be full of :q:q:q:q, so I guess I will handle it myself since I don't seem to be able to pay anyone to do it for me.
 
Ive never taken those off but i have taken other similar items. I used to work at an auto auction and we used to restore cars and sometimes we needed to take off side trims and other items. We used to use a steam gun looking thing. All it did is shoot hot steam and it would release those damn 3M strips.

I have no clue where to get one or what its called, but it sure did work well.
 
FrankLS said:
Ive never taken those off but i have taken other similar items. I used to work at an auto auction and we used to restore cars and sometimes we needed to take off side trims and other items. We used to use a steam gun looking thing. All it did is shoot hot steam and it would release those damn 3M strips.

I have no clue where to get one or what its called, but it sure did work well.
Click to expand...

Did you shoot at it from the side or from the top? Or just all around trying not to burn the rubber pieces?
 
Kumba said:
Did you shoot at it from the side or from the top? Or just all around trying not to burn the rubber pieces?
Click to expand...

It had a 1" by 1/8" (about) nozzle on it. All we would do is pull th trim back slightly with any thin angled tool to create a small gap to allow the steam to enter. We would just keep tugging at the trim with the tool and after 15 to 20 seconds you could feel less tension on that area and tugging a little harder would release it. The tool itself had a small canister that would hold water.

Never worried about burning the rubber peices. It never happened to me but I'm sure its possible. A few years back I saw a infomercial on a steaming product for ironing clothing on their hangers and it somewhat resembled it.
 
The people at the body shop must be new at this.

The "good stuff" must be code for "We have no clue how to remove it".
So yeah they are full of shiet.


I've done it many times with 100% success rate.
Stick-On trim are extremely easy to remove without damage to the surface
they're attached to. Cost of removal tool is less than a dime and it does not involve
prying or steaming.

In the end, you could re-sell those stupid undamaged chrome pillar trim to
another LS owner.




Ren
 
97 Octane said:
The people at the body shop must be new at this.

The "good stuff" must be code for "We have no clue how to remove it".
So yeah they are full of shiet.


I've done it many times with 100% success rate.
Stick-On trim are extremely easy to remove without damage to the surface
they're attached to. Cost of removal tool is less than a dime and it does not involve
prying or steaming.


Ren
Click to expand...


I don't suppose you have any plans to finish your post in a way that brings closure? Or is this just the hook for a good infomercial?

And I am guessing your super-duper 100% success rate method is to use a piece of fishing line with knots in it to saw through the tape?

I thought about that, except that these trim pieces aren't flat. They are somewhat concave. Not sure the line would get through there with knots in it. Even if it did, still have to remove the tape that stuck. Then solvent for what glue didn't come up. By the time I buy the wheel and solvent from 3M, I am looking at around $75-100 for something I might use 1 time.
 
I see the concave you are talking about. The method I have used in the past
did not present any problems with concave shapes as shown in the picture.

pp40621_t.jpg



You will have better success using 2-1/2 feet of home construction
string. Fishing line is not recommended. To keep the string from pinching your
hand, you can use any material to tie the end of the sting to as a
handle. A pair of plastic tubes make excellent handles.

IMG_6166-1.jpg




Starting from the top, wiggle the string downwards in a back
and forth sawing motion. The job will be easier when it is warm outside. As
you get to the halfway point. Take a piece of tape and tape the top portion
of the chrome strip to the car to prevent it from falling to the ground once
you cut through.





Adhesive residue cleanup is pretty straightforward. Start out with a mild
solvent such as Purple Power. If the adhesive has dried, you can switch
to regular paint thinner. It is safe enough without scathing the paint on the
car.

IMG_6167-1.jpg





There are other methods besides mine to remove pillar strips, but like you said, it
could end up costing $75 or more. This is just about the cheapest way short
of ripping it out and possibly damaging both the chrome strip and/or the car.






Ren
 
so do they really not make factory replacement black panels then? i have a "dent" in one of mine and it bugs me like crazy.
 
bmxbang said:
so do they really not make factory replacement black panels then? i have a "dent" in one of mine and it bugs me like crazy.
Click to expand...

bondo it and repaint it black with a spraybomb.
Use an 8x12 painters plastic drop sheet and cut open the places where the pillars are to not get any overspray on the car.
You may have to do both so they look the same.
 
My car had those stupid chrome b-pillar covers too. One of the first things I did to the car was remove them. I just used a hot hair dryer and heated then up. I was able to get the top of them pulled back and then used the dryer working my way down a little at a time. The black paint underneath is still in great shape.
 
FrankLS said:
Ive never taken those off but i have taken other similar items. I used to work at an auto auction and we used to restore cars and sometimes we needed to take off side trims and other items. We used to use a steam gun looking thing. All it did is shoot hot steam and it would release those damn 3M strips.

I have no clue where to get one or what its called, but it sure did work well.
Click to expand...

you can buy one at walmart for like 25 bucks and it makes it pretty easy to take off window tint also
 
bmxbang said:
so do they really not make factory replacement black panels then? i have a "dent" in one of mine and it bugs me like crazy.
Click to expand...

they make replacemets leaser or how ever you spell it got them mine has a dent too thats my next job to replace all of them
 
Could just wrap them in gloss black vinyl. Worst case scenario, about $20 down the drain, no damage.
 
97 Octane said:
You will have better success using 2-1/2 feet of home construction
string. Fishing line is not recommended. To keep the string from pinching your
hand, you can use any material to tie the end of the sting to as a
handle. A pair of plastic tubes make excellent handles.

Adhesive residue cleanup is pretty straightforward. Start out with a mild
solvent such as Purple Power. If the adhesive has dried, you can switch
to regular paint thinner. It is safe enough without scathing the paint on the
car.
Click to expand...

Nylon string. I guess I can give that a shot. I can at least see it not scratching the car up like fishing line would should things go bad. Got a few hundred feet of the stuff in my cable bag.

LOL, purple power eh? I got a bottle of that at the office. We use it for "refurbishing" old equipment. Basically spray it on, let it sit for a few minutes, and then wipe it off. Works pretty good on enamel surfaces. Not that friendly with plastic though.

I'll give it a shot. If I can get the metal strips off without damaging the blocks under it, then I will be good to go. BTW, there was one strip that was half-off on the quarter-window on the rear that I removed. Holy damn was that tape stuck on there, and those metal strips had razor blade for edges! Ended up filleting my hand open! Kind of why I left them on there after that. :)
 
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