Successful Body Side Moldings Installation

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jesart @ Jan 26 2007, 11:12 PM) [snapback]381529[/snapback]</div>

I don't see that anyone's noticed the discrepancy between the Dawn Enterprises website and the enclosed instructions. The paperwork I got in the molding package says 13.5" and 13". However, today on their website the instructions say 16.75" and 16.25". In looking at the pictures posted here it looks like "Jesart" used the lower measure while "Charles Sitt" may have used the higher mark though it's hard to tell on the black car.

I guess I'll try both with blue tape first to see what suits my preference.

 

I tried both measurements and ended up with my own numbers based on looks: 16.25" at rear lowering to 15.75" in front. Sweet, easy and gives the horizontal lines a nicer flow.

By the way, after buying the kit, along with mud flaps, I called my local dealer, the biggest Toyota boys in the Denver area, to see what they would charge to install both. (This was back when our daytime temps were in the 50s. The molding instructions caution against installing at below 70.) They wanted $300!!!

To remove two tires, install 12 screws, and to glue on 4 strips of plastic. Obscene.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(philmo @ Jun 24 2007, 07:40 AM) [snapback]467224[/snapback]</div>

Anywhere between those marks will protect from most door dings by parking lot villians.

I just came from the CVS drug store. We parked with no one parked on either side of our parking space. When we came out a lady was reaching out of her door to open her pickup door from the out side (latch broken I guess). She banged her door into our right door getting out. I am sure she did not mean to but she never gave a second thought to what she hit. Fortunantly the side moldings take the bang better than the door skins. We had no damage.

Obscene dealers wonder why they don't get enough volume repete business, to stay in business. They have to find a new victim all the time. Many charge the same price when you don't have them furnish the parts. :blink:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(philmo @ Jun 23 2007, 03:45 PM) [snapback]466936[/snapback]</div>

I think you're right, that Charles Sitt must have used the higher mark of 16.75/16.25. In any event, this higher mark is, I believe, on the furthest protruding part of the car's doors. See, e.g., one of our Australian member's post and photos on the subject in another side moldings thread. I suspect that may be why Dawn Enterprises raised the mark.

I just received my moldings, and FYI the enclosed instructions now also state the higher mark of 16.75/16.25

I also just finished installing my moldings. If I had a chance for a do-over, I would probably install them with a more pronounced rake or angle --- I would probably go with a 1" differential between the measured points, rather than the 1/2" differential Dawn Enterprises now prescribes. I believe that on one of the other side moldings threads, at least one person has installed and posted photos of the moldings installed at an apparently more pronounced rake or angle. I think it looks better that way --- it's more reminiscent of the rake and flow of the overall lines of the car.

Finally, it personally took me a long time to install my moldings --- between the car's multiple angled lines and curves, deforming blue painter's tape, deforming moldings, cleaning the affected area, wiping down the affected area with alcohol, priming the affected area with the clear liquid that Dawn Enterpises supplies, measuring and re-measuring the marks, taping and re-taping the blue painter's tape, the super sticky nature of the 3M adhesive, etc. --- I spent more than 2 hours. I think you can do it in under an hour (as most of the other members who installed the moldings did), but it took me more than 2. If I had known of and had complete confidence in a good installer, I would have paid him or her to install them.

I will post photos later to show people how my Prius looks with the PriusChat side moldings and 2" wide, color-matched, full-width front and rear bumper guards from bumperdefender.com (which I highly highly recommend --- see my posts in the "bumper guards" threads).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Danny @ Jul 21 2007, 07:59 PM) [snapback]482946[/snapback]</div>

Hi Danny,

That's great. I couldn't recommend bumperdefender.com or their bumper guards more highly. And their price is terrific --- $80 all inclusive (bumper guards, cutting tool, shipping, rebate) price for 2" wide, color-matched, full-width, front and rear bumper guards. Plus, they give 3 free color samples so that you can try to match your car's color as closely as possible.

BTW, I know that another site sells these bumper guards --- Eurobumperguard.com. But I think bumperdefender.com may be the maker and/or primary seller, and Eurobumperguard.com is a re-seller (which, btw, charges $2.95 for one color sample, and I think doesn't have a rebate on the bumper guards). So I think you submitted your request to the right party.

Take care. And many thanks for starting and maintaining PriusChat!

--- Boo Radley

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Danny @ Jul 21 2007, 07:59 PM) [snapback]482946[/snapback]</div>

Hi Danny,

Thought you and others may be interested in seeing how my Prius looks with both the PriusChat Shop body side moldings, and the BumperDefender.com 2" wide, full width, color matched, front and rear bumper guard strips:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Boo @ Jul 22 2007, 11:11 PM) [snapback]483449[/snapback]</div>

They look great.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jesart @ Jan 26 2007, 04:18 PM) [snapback]381399[/snapback]</div>

Since approximately 6 months have passed since the original install, could you provide an update? Things like:
- Any problems with the adhesive on the strips loosening?
- Any dings happen that the strips were not able to protect against (because of the location of the ding relative to the strip)?

I am considering the strips for my car, but am wondering whether the location of the strips (and possibly the size of the strips) is sufficient protection from dings.

Thanks in advance.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(apriusfan @ Jul 23 2007, 12:28 PM) [snapback]483668[/snapback]</div>

I saw one person open into the mold on my right side, but I have had no dings. The adhesive is very good. I have not tried to pull them off, but I have been through car wash many times. They are just like when I put them on in January.

 

I am posting to this inactive? thread because after using the search tool to
dig out already posted information on mounting side moldings -- mine from
the PriusChat Shop -- this thread had what I found to be the most complete
and useful information.

For the record, my instructions have the 16-3/4 in. rear/16-1/4 in. front (1/2
inch) height differential above the bottom of the doors . After reading Boo's
posting about a 1 inch differential looking better, I looked at about 173
possible arrangements and decided that Boo was right. The wide
in-scoop at the bottom of the doors has a 1/2 inch rise from front to back.
I found that with a full inch differential for the side moldings, they didn't
appear to sag at the rear. I did use the manufacturer's 16-3/4 in.
recommendation for the height at the top of the moulding at the rear,
"Point A."

I have a very critical eye for lines, and before I started I knew that I'd have
to take extra efforts to insure that the line of the two mouldings on each
side was essentially perfectly straight. I made a 7 ft. long wooden batten,
1/4 in. thick and 3 in. wide. (This could be cut from a sheet of 1/4" ply on
a table saw. If you cut by hand, remember that the factory panel edge is
almost always dead-on straight.)

The batten is longer than the two moldings. I taped it to the car 1-1/4 in.
below the end heights I had chosen; 15-1/2 in. at the back and 14-1/2 in. at
the front -- the moldings are 1-1/4 in. wide. I followed the directions for
cleaning and using the crush-tube of accelerator. I made certain that I
applied the accelerator only where it would be covered by the moldings.

The batten made applying the molding pieces super-simple. The 1/4 in.
thickness made a little shelf to hold the moldings steady before I pressed
them in place. By keeping the molding tipped well out from the body at the
top, I could slide the molding fore-and-aft to the correct position. Then,
I just tipped the molding up vertically, and pressed it into place applying
even pressure along its length using a soft rag. I repeated with the other
piece, then moved on to the other side of the car. The line of the two pieces
on each side is dead-on straight.

Bingo! Another modding-accessorizing job successfully completed.

My sole, and quite minor complaint with the moldings is that I wish that the
rear pieces were about 4 in. longer to give more complete coverage for the
rear doors -- Take three deep cleansing breaths, and move on.

My thanks to all the previous posters, especially Boo, for the info you
provided way back when, in July '07. (Ain't the search tool the bomb?)

Merci buckets!

 

I'll be honest - I hate the look of the side moldings. However, they probably do look better than a door dings.

... Brad

 

Well sir, you are fully justified in what you think, especially on as trivial a
matter as this. I think we'll have to agree to disagree -- except about the dings,
I hate 'em too.

"Different people have different 'pinions.
Some like apples, some like inions." [sic, onions]
From a children's book I read often to my kids, now long in the misty past.

I feel quite confident that you will act, or not, on your opinion, just as I have on
mine.

 

Wow, thanks for the advice! We tried to go the tape route, but it was just looking way too uneven. So we decided to give it a rest and try again another day, but then I somehow lost the instructions. I really like the batten idea, pure genius. I'm gonna use your recommended measurements. Btw, gotta pic you can share?

 

Ailu,

I am a small boat builder by vocation and avocation. We use variously
dimensioned battens all the time to get "fair" lines; thin ones for curves, thick,
wide ones for straight lines. It only seemed "natural" to me, surely not genius.

The skies over Ballamer have gotten quite dark due threatening weather.
I'll get a pix up, probably tomorrow as clearing weather is forecast overnight.
(Jeez, I hope rain doesn't screw up the adhesion of the moldings. It was
80 deg. F when I put them on, so I'm pretty sure they're stuck on for good.)

 

Got some pics?
I would love to see the completed job.

 

we just added those to our 06 a couple of weeks ago.. I like the protection, but mostly I think it breaks up the expanse of the doors and make the car look a bit more sophisticated and sleeker.. and we just added tint to the windows last week! Looks great.. we took those wheel rings off months ago! wheels look much better without them

 

You asked for it; here's a pix I took today:

http://priuschat.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=9617&stc=1&d=1212459007

 

Wow, Rokeby, they look absolutely perfect. Like they were original to the car. Now what exactly were your measurements? 16-1/2 in. at the back of the car and 15-1/2 in. at the front? Wanna make sure we do it exactly as in your pic.

P.S. Nice shine on the car, btw. What do you use?

 

Looks great. That one inch front to rear differential seems perfect.