Remove The Side Molding?

[lsvtec]

That is the question. My paint job sucks. I made the mistake of letting Maaco paint my car 18 months ago and now the paint is flaking off, the clear coat is peeling, and I have some rust on the roof. So this summer I am going to do some serious sanding and primer the car, mabye leave it flat white, I haven't decided there yet. My question is should I (I hate the term "shave" but I can't think of a better one for this instance) shave the side moldings? I have pictures to help with the decision. (The lip is coming off this summer as well, going back to a stock front bumper)
With moldings:

Without: (Thank you photochop)

You are welcome rip into the car, but your comments will be ignored. I am just looking for suggestions on side molding and if I should leave it flat white or actually have someone spray it Championship White with a clear coat.

 

[posol]

toss the side, but leave the lip. it looks godo

 

[lsvtec]

It does like good in that pic, but I think it looks goofy without the rest of the kit (I am not going to spend several hundered dollars to complete it, that is almost a set of Skunk2 cams).

From the side:

The lip just doesn't flow with the rest of the body. And it sits a little too low now that I am on Konis and H&R Race Springs.

 

[phunky.buddha]

Shave it and pull the lip, then repaint/blend. It'll look really nice and clean. Make sure you actually shave the side moldings and not just remove them- you want that smooth look, not some ditches running down the sides of your car.

 

[lsvtec]

Yeah, I think I am going to have a local body shop weld the holes shut then fill the trenches with bondo. You think I should keep the lip and blend it into the bumper?

 

[phunky.buddha]

The best way to do it is to fill (weld in) the molding spots with new pieces of steel. Bondo will still crack over time, trust me. You only want to use it to fill small dings here and there, not build up an area that may be prone to stress in day to day use.

I think the lip doesn't flow all that well, but if you mold it in it might be better. You said it was too low now with the new drop, so why not just remove it altogether? You could sell it to recover some cash.

 

[sake]

yeah u should get rid of the lip ... expecially since ur not going to finish it. on the side moldings ... u have to get it welded for it to last without stress cracks ... because its the door ... bu tits always best to get metal welded in ... bondo really sucks .. they make this new stuff .. with aluminum and fiberglasss inside it thats much better ..but not even close to welding metal in nice car though

 

[B16]

i say toss the side moldings and keep the lip, i like that lip on that car. if you need any tips on painting your car with rattle cans, ask me or paragus

 

[Tonyd0821]

not a big fan of that year integra, but it looks nice nonetheless.

keep it as it is. i like the front lip.

oh ya, and ditch the clear corners

 

[lsvtec]

The clear bumper markers came on the car and the stock ones look just as ghetto. I want a pair that are colored like the 96+ Integra. Here is a pic of the stock bumper markers:

The corners next to the headlights are stuck as they are the 1 piece lights.
I like the lip as well, but I think that is looks goofy without the rest of the kit. And as the rest of the kit costs almost as much as a pair of Skunk2 Stage 1 cams, I am going to pass. The lip will be up for sale when I get my stock replacement if anyone here wants it. This picture is old. There is no damage to the urethane, but the paint has started to flake off (see earlier for explanation of ghettotastic Maaco paint job).

 

[ventolin5]

I dont like side moldings that are black and dont match the car, Painted ones are not too bad though.

I would say shave em if you got the time and money.

Nice ride by the way!

 

[BigJ]

I like the front lip and would say leave it or maybe mold it, and yeah if you are going to repaint you might as well shave the moldings because it looks hella clean, you could probably just get a cheap lip kit or something to match and yeah it looks real good if its all painted and installed properly.

 

[brian11to1]

Leave em eric, it's an awesoem car, just get it repainted either or Champion White or Flat White... I love your car...

 

[lsvtec]

Thanks for the compliment. I think I like the car better sans side molding, I guess it will come down to what it will cost me to have the trenches left by the molding filled the right way. If it is going to cost me a lot then I will just leave them.

For anyone out there that does body work, what do you think it will cost to have the trenches filled after I remove the side molding? For that matter what would it cost to have someone spray the car if I did all the prep, priming, and masking?

 

[dohcvtec_accord]

I ALMOST voted "Fuck you you goddamed ricer" but I decided to be nice.

Get rid of em. I think it'll look pretty good if you can afford to fill the holes ([Beavis]Hehehehehehe[/[Beavis]).

 

[endlesszeal]

i have a DA integra too, same color .. i have all the moldings removed except the front badge. i was going to post the picture but i dont know how .. you if want to see an example just aim me at heavenxnxearth on aol aim, or just tell me how to post it..

 

[lsvtec]

To post a pic upload it to a gallery of yours (the link at the top of the page that says "--> The Gallery is Now Open!"). Then after you post it, goto "View My Galleries". Click the picture you uploaded. Right above the pic there will be a URL in bold. Highlight that URL and copy it (Ctrl-c) then come post a reply in this thread. Click the IMG button above the text box and paste (Ctrl-v) the URL you copied into the Script Prompt that pops up. Click okay and post that reply.

 

[sportlinecrx]

i would keep the side moldings on. dealing with the holes it would leave sounds like its not worth it.

 

[BodyDroppedNikes]

shaving+primering=

shave em off. i would also suggest shaving the emblems too while you are it

 

[endlesszeal]

Dont be pissed but i dont know how to post pictures on this site and this is the first time.. Also, sorry if its big, dont know how to resize it .. anyway, its pretty funky looking but by the end of the summer i would most likely have sold the front bumper (urethane fitches a pretty penny ) and get a wings west one that looks close to stock minus the rubber black moldings (eww..) I'm diffinately dropping it when i have some more money, saving for a decent setup and not wacked ass cut springs or matrix coilovers.. and get a nitrous kit.. but heres what itll look like shaved LSVTEC
https://hondaswap.com/gallery/images/s3...bc39382bf2d.jpg