Door Protectors or Not

[ohdearme]

Hi All

When I bought my 1991 ES Auto it had black rubber door protectors down one side. Rubbers are in three pieces front wing, door and rear wing.

Like this car
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=es+au ... MD0bnqM%3A

The other side had no protectors and was in a real state. After lots of cleaning it ended up looking good. This side has a channel (recess) now along the whole side (no holes though). I have pictures but don't know how to upload.

This will be a nice looking car when it is finished but will never be concourse, so I may have to accept some sympathetic alternative parts or restoration options.

Questions:

Shall I remove the other side trim and have it trimless on both sides? The side that is cleaned up looks ok, but a bit more angular than a normal 480 and a bit strange as it has the large front and rear bumpers but the sides look as if the are missing something (which they are of course)

Shall I try and find some replacement trim for both sides (the good side is cracked and faded) either in the original black rubber or in the black with the red strip. This is of course subject to being able to find some.

Or shall I try and find some aftermarket exterior protectors, which may not be a like for like replacement, but may be an alternative.

Happy to hear your thoughts on the subject
Trevor

[ohdearme]

Ok I think I have worked out how to upload some photos. Colour variance is the photo not the car

The grubby door missing the trim is how it was when I bought it
The shiney door, no trim, was after hours of very gentle cleaning
The side with the trim is only trim on the car and although this looks good there are cracks and it has become unstuck and a little warped.

http://s36.photobucket.com/user/Datos_M ... ent&page=1

Thanks for viewing these and sharing your opinion

Trevor

[Martin Mc]

Hello there,

You should be able to pick up some protector strips fairly easily from a scrapper, or possibly from a regular poster on here. I removed them on a previous car I had, to clean up the paintwork underneath, and was able to refit them easily enough using industrial strenght double sided tape bought on Amazon.

Now you have over 10 posts you should be able to get pictures up. You'll need to upload them first to a general file hosting site (I use Photobucket.com) and then it is a simple process of clicking on the Img icon when composing a post, then copying and pasting a file reference from the file hosting site for each image you wish to add. It will look something like this below (edited to avoid posting yet another pic of my jalopy!)

Alternatively, if you pm me your email address, I'd be happy to correspond and post some pics for you
[img]http://i1###.photobucket.com/albums/w63 ... weas21.jpg[/img]

All the best!

Martin

[jifflemon]

If it were me, I'd remove them; Sure you're going to be a little more susceptible to parking dinks, but if you're already conceded to it never being concourse, whip 'em off.

Nothing stopping you adding them back in later if you find a decent set, of course. Plus it also means you can check for hidden grot behind them.

[jamescarruthers]

If it helps you decide, here are some pictures of a freshly painted 480 I had years ago without door protectors:

[jamescarruthers]

[jamescarruthers]

[jamescarruthers]

[ohdearme]

What a lovely looking car and a great colour.

Mine has the black bumpers so would never look quite as stylish, but you have reassured me that the body still looks attractive enough minus the door protectors.

Thanks

[ohdearme]

If it were me, I'd remove them; Sure you're going to be a little more susceptible to parking dinks, but if you're already conceded to it never being concourse, whip 'em off.

Nothing stopping you adding them back in later if you find a decent set, of course. Plus it also means you can check for hidden grot behind them.

Ah yes the grit - good point. When I washed the side with the trims on, after buying the car, there was more grit fell out where the bond had failed than our council spreads each winter

[cranna21]

I have a white es with black bumpers and no side strips, I love it! Was sceptical at the start when they came off but I really like it now!

If you think its too bare along the aide you could always look into a nice retro pinstripe

[Alan 480]

I have a white es with black bumpers and no side strips, I love it! Was sceptical at the start when they came off but I really like it now!

If you think its too bare along the aide you could always look into a nice retro pinstripe

aye but you have rather 'bling' wheels!

to be honest they do look OK without the 'rubbing strakes' depends on how easy they are to remove . . . . . . .

[cranna21]

i guess so Alan haha!

they come off pretty eash if you've got the black rubber ones, i'd use a hair dryer to soften up the glue/tape and they should just peel off, then get some nice tar remover and leave that on a wee whiley to take off any sticky residue!