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Alright guys I have googled all morning and cant find anything. Does anybody have a step by step "hopefully w/ pics" of shaving the side molding on a car. I'm going to be shaving a friends 97 civic this weekend. I need to know some things like do you cut out the side moldings just like you would a door handle or something. Like cut out a square around it and then weld a piece in or do you just pull off the plastic and just weld it to that without cutting it?? Basically I really need all the info I can get on the side moldings, I understand the process on door handles but need some info on this. Thanks guys realitycheck.

 
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I am not sure whether you are talking about removing the "civic" logos or removing the side moldings along the sides of the car. If that is what your talking about, I am pretty sure they are held in by clips, and if you remove it, you will have small squares down the length of your car where the clips went in that would have to be filed. If you are talking about the logos, those you just pull off and use some goo gone or something to get the sticky crap off with. If you search around on here, there should be a few threads about others removing side moldings.

 
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why would yo even cut your door handles off? THats what bondo's for... To fill them in.

This is where common sense comes into play, do you really think it would be smart to cut a hole all the way down the length of the car to remove the side molding? How do you think honda attaches it? Clips like everything else they put on their cars. Pull it off them fill it in.

 
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Because the bondo will crack. So you weld in a patch of sheet metal, its not likely going to crack. Bondo is not strong at all. It is very weak, its only made to be a filler for small things.

 
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Oh... I see. So thats why there's a cheap way some people do it, then the right way.

 
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You got it!

 
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Well then in this case, if you want to get rid of the indent from the molding (not the clip holes) you'll need to cut and weld. Cause you'd need too much bondo and it wouldn't work. But if you can deal with the little dip there, just bondo over the clip holes and paint, and it should be alright.

Or you could always get the jdm molding.

 
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Yeah I want to get rid of the indent. He wants the whole thing gone, nice and smooth like ours are. I guess I'll just have to cut it. I'm assuming the skin wont just come apart when I cut it away?

 
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Anybody else got some advice?

 
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did a friends one using bondo 3 years ago and it still has hold up since.. no problems.. but when you do door handles then i suggest you weld a plate first since the hole is big then fill it with bondo.. other than that its all up to you

 
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just take it to the body shop...it shouldnt be more than $300-$400...

 
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damn u can do that for a hellofa lot cheaper....

get the doors take off the interior panels and behind each door should be where u can see the little clips holding the side molding on...undo them and take off the sidemoldings
than u are left with little holes and just take them to any community college where they have an auto shop they should have welding equipement and if u know someone they could prolly patch up the holes for really cheap with little bits of sheet metal...than u fill with bondo until its level with the dip there u go no more sidemoldings but u needa prime and paint it...if u want to get rid of the whole side thing than u can use a strip of sheet metal the size of the area than tack it on than level it off with bondo
than prime/sand/paint it

 
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This is what we're doing. He wants the side molding gone. Should I cut out a square of the door then tack it, just like you would when doing door handles? This is really what I need to know. I'll be doing the welding and everything.

 
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yes just tack it in place slightly underneath the highest level of the dip than grind the tacks down low than fill with bondo...make sure a good area has paint ground off so the bondo will stick to it... than sand the bondo level and prime/sand again/paint...its like shaving handles but u might need a little bit more welding but thats about it

 
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So dont cut out that area? Im misunderstanding whether or not you cut out the length of the molding or just start going? Im thinking its going to fit better if I cut it out.

 
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make it barely smaller than the opening...dont cut it out it'll lose structural stability in the door skin...just cut a peice a sheet metal slightly smaller than that area and put it on top and tack it in place...u can go from the back to remove the molding

 
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Shaving the side mouldings is way more labor intensive than shaving the door handles. There is an indentation in the sheet metal down the entire length of the car where the moulding sat in. Before you break out the welder and warp every panel on the car, listen up!

You could weld up long pieces of metal to "fill" the indentation, but you will run the risk of warping the panels, remember the metal is very thin. You will have to stagger your spot welds so you don't build up heat and use .023 wire on a low setting on the welder. "Do not try to stitch weld them, YOU WILL WARP THE SH*T OUT OF THE CAR.

your best bet it to grind out all the paint from the indentation and use a fiberglass reinforced filler such as Duraglass or Marglass. It can be put on thicker than "bondo" and is much stronger and less prone to cracking when you open and shut those doors and hit those potholes that jar the whole car.