Soarer Central: Chrome Window Trims

Soarer Central Bodywork and Exterior Chrome Window Trims - Successfully fitted.

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Michael Mockiewicz
TryHard
Victoria
1JZGTE

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Wednesday, November 24, 2010 - 02:59 pm, by: Michael Mockiewicz (Mikez30)

To cut a long story short, I've replaced my Black exterior window trims with a chrome set I bought from Daniel Savage at a bargain price.
This isn't a walk through as I didn't take pictures of the removal, but just some reassurance that it is possible to remove the rear quarter window trim, & with ease.

Here is a link for the front window trim removal in case you are not sure, which is even easier than the back: http://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-400-300/537631-diy-painting-your-chrome-window-trim.html

Despite some of the stories you hear, turns out removing this trim was one of the easiest things I've had to do. You DO NOT have to remove the glass to do this, you simply just need a flat head screw driver with the end of it wrapped in a cloth so that you can pry the trim & not damage your paint.

Don't mind the dodgy picture, but start prying the edge of the trim where I circled in Red, even if you have to slightly bend the trim, it reforms it's shape very well if you bend it back. Once you have made a starting point, where I've made a Red line this is where I had the flat head between the body & trim, & gently pryed the flat head towards me to lift the trim & have the first clip pop out of under the sealant where it sits.

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To make life even easier, once the first clip has come out, (in my experience today) I was able to grab hold of the trim & gently pull it away from the car & have the rest of the clips come out as I got to them. Here is a picture of the clips & double sided tape which on my trims had no stick left, so you know what your are working with here !!

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There are 5 of these clips, & they CAN come off from the trim when you are in the process, but as you can see they fit back into the two little studs.

And here is a picture of the bottom of the trim, there is 4 permanent clips. So once you get the 5th clip out (it's situated on the corner/bend of the trim), I found these 4 bottom clips needed a little force to come away from the window, but nothing drastic !

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Okay, so now here is the last bit. The only thing that I had keeping the trim on was this part circled in Red. There is two clips in this section, top & bottom & some more double sided tape which was actually still holding very well on this part compared to the rest of my trim. Now obviously you'll have the trim freely moving around, so move the trim out towards you so that the section circled in Red has the tape bending/lifting, you can get a stanley knife & cut it.

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Once the whole trim is removed, you can try & fit your new trim with the 5 clips attached, but I found it very awkward, & instead used some Sikaflex on the top half of the trim from where the first clip down to the 5th were. (As you can see in the photo I have wedged a stick where I glued the corner for the 5th clip)
As the 4 clips that run along the bottom of the trim & the 2 clips that I have circled above fit & hold the trim perfectly once they are placed back in their positions.

I would like to thank Daniel S for answering some of my questions on how he removed the trim.

And hopefully to anyone out there wanting to do this, my crappy explained steps can help you out haha.

Cheers,
Mike

Sebastian Grant
Goo Roo
nsw
soarer TT

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Wednesday, November 24, 2010 - 06:40 pm, by: Sebastian Grant (Saabg)

At the very least you have given me the confidence to attempt this myself so thank you very much for that. I've been driving around with just the front chrome trims in for around a year.

Do you think it would be possible to install them with all the clips in place?

Michael Mockiewicz
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Victoria
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Wednesday, November 24, 2010 - 06:55 pm, by: Michael Mockiewicz (Mikez30)

No worries at all, if it didn't work out for me I think I would of been driving around with just the front chrome trims myself as well.

I think it is totally possible to re-install the trims with all of the clips in place, though it would be a delicate process making sure the clips don't come off when you are positioning them, that would be the only problem, but do-able.

Natasha D'Abreo
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Victoria
TT

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Tuesday, December 07, 2010 - 10:00 pm, by: Natasha D'Abreo (Natashad)

did it take you a long time? I hope my window dosnt break when mine gets put on.

Michael Mockiewicz
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Tuesday, December 07, 2010 - 11:20 pm, by: Michael Mockiewicz (Mikez30)

Nah it didn't take long at all, if I had to do it a second time it wouldn't be longer than an hour, the door trims take up a lot of the time.

Your quarter windows will be fine

Like I said in the write up, the trim around them comes off easily once you make a starting point with the prying.

Natasha D'Abreo
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Victoria
TT

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Thursday, December 09, 2010 - 08:25 pm, by: Natasha D'Abreo (Natashad)

Ok i tried this myself an hour ago and failed miserably, most of the time i was removing something for no reason... try again tommorow, i think its something you need to be patient for, thats something im not.

Aaron Casey
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nsw
'94 jzz30 gttl, 2 mini's one supercharged :-)

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Thursday, December 09, 2010 - 09:14 pm, by: Aaron Casey (Blownminiturbo)

i tried pulling one off a wreck it started coming off then the window just shattered and i got a small shard of glass in my finger hahaha... damn you chrome trim i will get you if its the last thing i do!!! haha

Michael Mockiewicz
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Thursday, December 09, 2010 - 09:30 pm, by: Michael Mockiewicz (Mikez30)

Hey Natasha, yeah a bit of patience you'll need for sure with that trim haha, but like I said in the first post, once you can get a flat head screwdriver wedged in between the roof & the trim & pop the first clip out, the rest is easy. I pulled the rest of the clips away from the seal with my hands & both sides came off unexpectedly easy ! I would offer some help, but I'd hate to accidentally break something on someone else's car !

Aaron, man am I glad my glass didn't shatter ! I would of been spewin'.

Natasha D'Abreo
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TT

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Thursday, December 09, 2010 - 11:16 pm, by: Natasha D'Abreo (Natashad)

ok great, well hopefully all goes well tomorrow, i really dont want to stuff up my paint or window, i think id cry. Yay il try tomorrow! Ok so, use a Screw driver with a cloth... Pop clip, pull huh... The stupid trim wouldnt come off,im assuming id have to take off the seat belt right? Did u have some wire under there, mine does not sure what thats for. Thanks!

Michael Mockiewicz
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Thursday, December 09, 2010 - 11:29 pm, by: Michael Mockiewicz (Mikez30)

Yeah it should be all good ! If you take it slow & carefully you shouldn't have any drama's. But yes get a cloth & put the end of the flat headed screw driver in it & as you can see where I circled where to start in the first photo, that's where you want to put the screw driver to pry the trim towards you, you have to apply SOME force, so that the first clip comes out of the sealant.

And it's all done from outside, you don't have to remove anything from the inside of the car for the rear quarter window trims

If you really get stuck tomorrow, send me a PM & I'll take a few more photo's with detailed steps.

Natasha D'Abreo
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Victoria
TT

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Thursday, December 09, 2010 - 11:35 pm, by: Natasha D'Abreo (Natashad)

ok cool thanks, knowing my luck something will stuff up, im going to print all this. So nothing from the inside at all... Ohh haha what the hell was i doing. I hope it works the chrome trims Have just been sitting there for ages, i called heaps of places no one puts them on for some reason. Thanks for your help.

Michael Mockiewicz
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Thursday, December 09, 2010 - 11:45 pm, by: Michael Mockiewicz (Mikez30)

Ha ha don't worry, when I decided I was going to fit them, I said to myself, if I screw my paint or shatter some glass again like I have done before, it's my own fault ! Originally I took the trim around the rear windows out inside the car, thinking I had to undo some nuts, so you could say what the hell was I doing ha ha.

Anyways no worries, you should be right, it's really not hard at all just delicate, once you get one clip out the rest is eassyyy

Natasha D'Abreo
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Thursday, December 09, 2010 - 11:51 pm, by: Natasha D'Abreo (Natashad)

you've screw your paint and shattered a window before haha, your poor car! At least you got it on! Im excited to do it. Better be easy!

Joshua Rao
Goo Roo
WA
JZZ30 vvti auto GT-L (for sale $9.8k ono), TT (for sale $5.2k), 06 Hyundai Elantra (for sale $9.2k), 97 Blk UZZ31, 97 JZZ30 vvti turbo blk manual ($14k), Legnum VR4, Alfa 156

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Thursday, December 09, 2010 - 11:58 pm, by: Joshua Rao (Soaren1)

Im selling some of the chrome trims off a uzz31 if anyone wants. $200