HOW-TO: Shave Side-Moldings/MS3 Emblem

[Equinox]

Hey guys I previously made a how to, to remove the side moldings way back when for the protege5, and figured I'd do it again for the Mazdaspeed3/Mazda3.

Here we go!

What you will need:

1 x 3M Adhesive Remover
1 x Bondo Putty Knife
1 x Paper Towel Roll
4 x Kitchen Garbage bags
1 x Awesome Meguiars Car Wax (Love the smell)
1 x Roll of Painters Tape
1 x Bottle of Windex

http://www.mazdas247.com/members/Equinox/shave/shave01.jpg

Note in this picture I forgot a couple things I have on the list, however, it does give you a good idea of what the 3M adhesive remover looks like, as well as the putty knife. I bought the 3M stuff in the paint section of a local automotive parts store, next to the rice parts aisle, lol.


First thing you want to do is take your 3M adhesive remover and make a small punture in it, so you can sprinkle the stuff, instead of pour it all over your car.

http://www.mazdas247.com/members/Equinox/shave/shave02.jpg

Now, you will need to run a length of painters tape along the bottom edge of your door guard. When you put it on, however, you want to leave the bottom edge of it not stuck against the car. Then take one of your garbage bags and rip it down along the seam on both sides, so you have a straight edge, and slide the edge up into the bottom edge of the tape, hanging it down like a curtain over your rocker panel/side skirts. The reason for this is so you don't let the adhesive remover drip down into the seam of your side skirts, possibly loosening them, as they are also held on by adhesive along the edges. Then, put about four inches of tape along the top edge of the door guard, at the tapered portion, so you have something to rest the putty knife on, when pulling up the guard.

http://www.mazdas247.com/members/Equinox/shave/shave03.jpg

Next, sprinkle your 3m adhesive remover along the top of the guard, letting it run down into the door guard, seaping into the double sided tape. I let the 3m stuff work for about 3 minutes before I started working on it again. Take your putty knife, and clean off any plastic burrs, that might cause small scratches in your clear. Then, take the tip of the knife and slip it up under the tapered edge of the door guard, and pull up the first inch, just enough to give you a handle to grab. Then, without the putty knife, grab the edge you pulled up, and pull it the rest of the way, pealing it off the car.

http://www.mazdas247.com/members/Equinox/shave/shave04.jpg

Majority of the doublesided tape should come off. My car was only a month old just about, when I did this, but it worked just as well on my protege5 when I had it for 6 months, before trying this. This is what wil be left behind.

http://www.mazdas247.com/members/Equinox/shave/shave05.jpg

Using your fingernail, scrape away the large excess adhesive, then, 8" sections at a time, take a square folded peice of paper towel, and sprinkle along 8" of remaining adhesive, wiping excess remover on your towel, then in small circles, 'wax off' the adhesive. If you work in 8" sections or smaller, with the remover, it should come away having done this routine once or twice.

http://www.mazdas247.com/members/Equinox/shave/shave06.jpg

Your tape may leave some adhesive behind, so I just used windex to do the final clean up.

http://www.mazdas247.com/members/Equinox/shave/shave07.jpg

All you have left to do is wax the panel, so the drying behavior matches the rest of the car, and there will be no trace it was ever there. You can apply this same tactic to the rear Mazdaspeed3 emblem. Unfortunately the Mazda3 emblem has holes behind it, so don't try this, with the Mazda3 emblem.

http://www.mazdas247.com/members/Equinox/shave/shave08.jpg
http://www.mazdas247.com/members/Equinox/shave/shave09.jpg

[Equinox]

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z153/TheRealEquinox/th_strip01.jpg (http://s195.photobucket.com/albums/z153/TheRealEquinox/?action=view&current=strip01.flv)

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z153/TheRealEquinox/th_strip02.jpg (http://s195.photobucket.com/albums/z153/TheRealEquinox/?action=view&current=strip02.flv)


Can someone verify that the mazda3 has the same side moldings as the mazdaspeed3?

[Euphorism]

Can someone verify that the mazda3 has the same side moldings as the mazdaspeed3?


in the last picture it looks like a blue 3 in the right missing the door moldings, so i would guess yes.

[BlackJack]

Do you know if you can take out the Flying M emblem in the middle?

[jeg0024]

in the last picture it looks like a blue 3 in the right missing the door moldings, so i would guess yes.

Looks like a MP3 to me?

[Equinox]

Do you know if you can take out the Flying M emblem in the middle?

Has two holes behind it, so I wouldn't suggest it. You'd have to weld in the holes then repaint the panel.

Also yes that's MP3Girly's MP3, not a blue mazda3. MP3s don't come with sidemoldings.

[MP3Architect]

Has two holes behind it, so I wouldn't suggest it. You'd have to weld in the holes then repaint the panel.

Also yes that's MP3Girly's MP3, not a blue mazda3. MP3s don't come with sidemoldings.
yeah i thought that dropped mp3 looked familiar. so your speed3 is here in h-town then eh? man better bring her out next time your in town.

[Equinox]

yeah i thought that dropped mp3 looked familiar. so your speed3 is here in h-town then eh? man better bring her out next time your in town.

I live on an Army base in Alabama, sorry :<
I deploy to Iraq in June as well, so I won't be back for a lil' while.

[Euphorism]

can you take a shot of the ms3 angled from the side with the entire car in the shot? i wanna see how it looks from a slight distance.

[Equinox]

Sure lemme wait til daylight

[maczter]

Nice How-to. I'm no longer scared to try it myself. :)

[Euphorism]

i removed my side moldings and speed badge.. but i didnt use any glue remover and it worked extremely well. all i did was get a piece of paper, slip it as far under what i was removing as possible and then took a pocket knife, got under it with the paper protecting the paint, pulled up till i could get my finger under it, and pulled. came right off without any tape left on the car. i think when you use the glue remover you actually separate some of it from the molding and thats why there was leftovers on the door. when i was done all i had were very think lines of dirt where the moldings use to be.. took some car wash concentrate on a rag and rubbed the sides down.. perfect.

[maczter]

Even better. I'll try that first and get down and dirty with the solvents only if needed. The fewer solvents I expose my black paint to, the better.

[Euphorism]

Even better. I'll try that first and get down and dirty with the solvents only if needed. The fewere solvents I expose my black paint to, the better.


http://www.icixsound.com/vb/icixnation/images/240_397.jpg
http://www.icixsound.com/vb/icixnation/images/240_396.jpg
http://www.icixsound.com/vb/icixnation/images/240_398.jpg
http://www.icixsound.com/vb/icixnation/images/240_395.jpg

[maczter]

(thumb)

[Equinox]

copy cat. Damn all of you for having black speeds as well.

[maczter]

copy cat. Damn all of you for having black speeds as well.

(p5black) (p5black) (p5black) (band2) (p5black)

[MAZDARacing2007]

okay soo this is really off subject but i have a ?......can you spray paint the plastic covers over the engine, and the battery and it be okay?....i dont want it too peel under heat...if anyone has tried it, or knows that it would be okay...please reply thanks?

[BLACKMS3]

I removed the side moldings the other day in about 48 seconds.

i grabbed a zip tie, made a loop, slipped it under the edge and pulled. then I grabbed it with my hand and ripped it off.... no glue, nothing.

Easy.

[Equinox]

Spray water on it tho and it will dry different than the rest of the car, make sure to wax the area

[tiny_riots]

Just finished. Took me two hours and nearly a whole bottle of Goo-gone! The first side was a breeze, but the second side was impossible! My dad backed into me last year AND a lady I babysit backed into me.. So I guess when they fixed my car they glued those moldings back on with something FIERCE.

[maczter]

okay soo this is really off subject but i have a ?......can you spray paint the plastic covers over the engine, and the battery and it be okay?....i dont want it too peel under heat...if anyone has tried it, or knows that it would be okay...please reply thanks?

Spray paint + Plastic + Under hood Temps = bad idea

Might work, but I sure wouldn't bother.

[speed3shon]

still not sure on this... i think it looks kinda, fat, without the moldings...

[Equinox]

okay soo this is really off subject but i have a ?......can you spray paint the plastic covers over the engine, and the battery and it be okay?....i dont want it too peel under heat...if anyone has tried it, or knows that it would be okay...please reply thanks?
high temp paint would work if you prepped the plastic correctly, but I just suggest getting rid of the plastic instead.

[ms6utah]

i'll be doing this tomorrow. i don't like the side moldings very much

[IAMHOLLYWOOD]

it wasnt quite as easy as i thought itd be, but mission accomplished, thanx for the how to

[utopia]

You can also use Goof Off instead of the 3M.

Just shaved mine yesterday, woo!

[mckraut]

Or...you could just get a hairdryer or something similar, warm up the glue underneath the strips and yank 'em off. I did this back in summer when it was about 80 degrees out. Came right off, zero sticky crap left on the car.

[FrancoNemo]

hey to you know if the regular 3 hatch has wholes on the back Mazda3 emblem?? i see that the Speed didnt i know the Mazda3 07 model does have wholes but idk if the hatch 08 does...

[Bravnik]

I removed the side moldings the other day in about 48 seconds.

i grabbed a zip tie, made a loop, slipped it under the edge and pulled. then I grabbed it with my hand and ripped it off.... no glue, nothing.

Easy.


Used this method myself. Worked like a champ and had my moldings off in about 1m. Was about 60degs outside and they came off. Couple spots stuck but you just roll it off really easy.

Thanks for the tip.

[justanothermp5]

Does any one kno if this would work for the p5 too? or did they secure it using something else? cuz i hate havin those dam side moldings there for no reason cept to catch dirt in the cracks

[IAMHOLLYWOOD]

Does any one kno if this would work for the p5 too? or did they secure it using something else? cuz i hate havin those dam side moldings there for no reason cept to catch dirt in the cracks

i did it the same way on my LX.. it just wasnt quite as easy, and it scratched the paint in some spots cuz my cars an 01 so hte double sided tape has been sittign there for a long time

[justanothermp5]

i did it the same way on my LX.. it just wasnt quite as easy, and it scratched the paint in some spots cuz my cars an 01 so hte double sided tape has been sittign there for a long time

ahhh yea my cars an 02 so ill prob do it later on close to when i paint it

[IAMHOLLYWOOD]

ahhh yea my cars an 02 so ill prob do it later on close to when i paint it

def a good idea to wait till ur gonna paint her. i gotta find a decent place to get that shit fixed up and get all the little nicks on my front end touched up.

ne one know a place in miami that'll do it well w/out raping me on the price??

[fourthmeal]

snip

[speedthree]

Looks nice but so naked without the side accents. I'm keeping mine on just in case some ass decides to ram my door with his door. But this is why I park in the back of parking lots...far far away from losers like that! :)

[Pondo]

Asthetics asided, why are you guys so keen on removing the side accents? any slam in the doors willl leave a mark. You know how stupid and careless people in parking lots is.

[robin2660]

Stetics asided, why are you guys so keen on removing the side accents? any slam in the doors willl leave a mark. You know how stupid and careless people in parking lots is.

Well, "stetically", people are right. The chances that someone's door is going to hit your door in the tiny area the mouldings cover are infinitessimally small. In other words, you're getting dinged regardless of the presence of the side mouldings. My girlfriend opened the passenger front door into a gas station island barrier. It was a tiny bump and no damage, apparently, until I removed my side mouldings, where I discovered the door edge had been slightly tweaked. Parking far away is your best bet.

I removed mine, not for asthetic reasons, but for practicality. It is harder to clean and wax with them in place, and I figure a good collecting place for corrosive elements. Does it look better? I don't know, or care.

[Bravnik]

Yah the truth is that that little strip will not save you a ding. The person who hits you would have to have a door that matched up perfectly to your lip and the odds of that are slim.

The car just looks better without it.....less wagon like and sporty. To me anyway :)

[mazdathree2.3s]

So I went at this task with a hair dryer today and after removing the driver's side strip I started taking off the little spots that had not come off. When I got to where the strip was under the 2.3 emblem I noticed a few little flakes of clear coat had come off with the adhesive. So best get that adhesive remover!

As for my door now, will I need to apply a new coat to the entire thing?! I somewhat regret my hasty decision(blowup)

[fourthmeal]

snip

[mazdathree2.3s]

I seriously want to go back in time right now and punch myself in the eyes so I won't be able to see this. I cleaned the area and rinsed with water and as the water went down, I could see a line of it all the way across:eek:

It hasn't lost it's shine or anything, but you can clearly see where the strip was. Almost looks as if the door was clear coated with the strip on there. I'll try to get some decent pics. But crap! That was amazingly the dumbest thing I've ever done.

[fourthmeal]

snip

[mazdathree2.3s]

Here are some pics in both small and large format so you can see the detail:
small:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/Deathsblade/Picture003-2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/Deathsblade/Picture004-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/Deathsblade/Picture005-1.jpg


Seems like there is a lighter/whiter area beginning to surround the "damaged" areas. QQ

Edit: I just finished spraying down the area so there is some water/water spots on there
2nd Edit: Large pictures turned out the same:P No use for them

[fourthmeal]

snip

[mazdathree2.3s]

Only body work I've ever had done was to the front end after my accident. None of the damage made it anywhere near the door.
I just don't understand. I'm guessing there's no cheap way out of this one eh? A kick in the a$$ right there for me lol, but that's life!

[fourthmeal]

snip

[mllaneta]

I bet you right now that they blended the front paintwork that they did to the doors to match the front end, and what you see there is a clearcoat thrown over the door moldings. At this point, you've got yourself a dilemma...either try to buff that all out so it looks good, peel off the rest of the moldings and re-spray clear, or put the moldings back on and try your best to forget about it.

Gaaaahhhh.. I agree with fourthmeal's assumption. If it were me, I'd just put the trim back on.. In your case this easy and cheap appreance mod isn't so cheap if you choose to keep the shaved look.. IMO..

[knowledge007]

Looks nice but so naked without the side accents. I'm keeping mine on just in case some ass decides to ram my door with his door. But this is why I park in the back of parking lots...far far away from losers like that! :)

One of the reasons I took mine off was b/c the moldings are not even high enough to protect you. So just wanted to get that idea out of your head. They are there for no reason. They are too low.

I did it the right way BTW, like fourthmeal mentioned, I took them off and gave the car a full detail.

[naddie]

I bet you right now that they blended the front paintwork that they did to the doors to match the front end, and what you see there is a clearcoat thrown over the door moldings. At this point, you've got yourself a dilemma...either try to buff that all out so it looks good, peel off the rest of the moldings and re-spray clear, or put the moldings back on and try your best to forget about it.

Yup - I believe you're right. If you had body work done to your car, they usually blend the paint to the rest of your body. If, for example, you start to rip it from the rear, you may not see it since they might not have touched the rear doors at all. But since they had to paint the front, I am betting that's what they did - blended the paint.

Can you go back to the paint shop and see if they can do anything for you though? Seems like an oversight on their part if you ask me. Shouldn't have to paint AROUND the plastic molding especially if there is painted metal beneath it.

I'm kinda sad this happened to you, but glad that the only case where this "mod" didn't have a good outcome is because of a previous body repair, not a virgin painted car. I plan on doing this within a month of taking delivery of my MS3.

[driver311]

this how too was way over done. Ill give you guys the DRIVER311 HOW TO!@!!!

Get a pitcher of hot water.
Pour it onto the molding.
use small screw driver and pry one end up.
Pull it off
Will come off very very easy with all adhesive
Take some wax and clean the area up.
DONE! TOOK ME LITERALLY 5 MINUTES TO DO THIS. (dunno)

[marko 18]

this how too was way over done. Ill give you guys the DRIVER311 HOW TO!@!!!

Get a pitcher of hot water.
Pour it onto the molding.
use small screw driver and pry one end up.
Pull it off
Will come off very very easy with all adhesive
Take some wax and clean the area up.
DONE! TOOK ME LITERALLY 5 MINUTES TO DO THIS. (dunno)

you've gotta be careful if you use a screw driver though not to scratch the paint.

[knowledge007]

I used a plastic bag. Just grabbed one end stuck the plastic between the end and the door lifted a little and wa la. Pulled it all off. Then drove to the paint and body shop for nice full detail.

[driver311]

it wasnt that big of a deal. i didnt even get close to the paint. Lets pretend I said credit card or something. LOL

[Speed3Sleeper]

Nylon string works even easier (jerkit)

[Equinox]

bumpenstein

[buttdart]

i wouldn't have posted my vid had i seen this.