It's the little things that count -- that goes for birthday cards, acne and loose vehicle moldings alike. It doesn't matter how good the rest of your car looks, it takes only one little piece of loose trim to make it look like a complete beater. Gluing on new trim -- or re-gluing old trim -- is a fairly straightforward endeavor; but doing it right is, as you might expect, also a matter of having and doing all the right little things.
Dampen a clean rag with the adhesive remover. Use the adhesive remover to strip away the old adhesive on the car door. Rub the adhesive with the damp rag until it becomes soft and pliable. Scrape away the softened adhesive using the plastic putty knife, taking care not to scratch the door paint.
Wet a second rag with the denatured alcohol and go over the area where the adhesive was to remove any remaining residue. Use the same process to remove the adhesive from the old molding strip, if the old strip is being reattached.
Place strips of the double-sided molding tape to the molding mounting area. Peel the protective covering from the molding tape to expose the sticky surface for molding attachment.
Measure the molding area on the car door and then cut new molding to fit the car door. Use an anvil pruner to make a straight cut through the molding. Cut the molding 1/8 inch shorter than the length of the door or car section to allow for unobstructed opening of the car door.
Place the molding onto the strip of tape to secure it to the side of the car. Press the molding to the tape beginning at one end of the molding and working along the molding to the other end. Press firmly on the placed molding with a rag until it is securely mounted against the door side.
Wait three hours or overnight and then pressure-rub the molding into place again. The adhesive securing the molding in place should set completely in three to five days in warm climates, longer in colder climates.
