I added this post as I seen a few questions about the best way to remove the lower door strips from the Calais. I removed mine doing the following and will admit it would have been alot easier if one side wasnt glued to the door with extra Sikaflex. The tools I used; Long flat tip screwdriver, Plastic hammer and a medium width paint scraper There are other ways of doing it but this is what I found that worked well for me and I didnt break any of the trim and only had a few minor scratches on two of the doors. How I did it; I found it easier to start at the rear of the door as I opened the door for more room to start the removal and could slide the scraper into the gap between the door and trim easier. Tap or push the scraper in far enough so you can lift the trim away from the door and get further access deeper behind to lift away the adhesive. Work your way along slowly sliding the scraper along the top and bottom rows of adhesive removing the trim from the door. Lift away the door trim as you go along put DONT bend it. I got my hand behind the trim and lifted gently to pull it away from the door and to make room for the scraper to move in further. The strips can take a fair bit of bending but I advise to be careful when doing so! The way I used the scraper and plastic hammer was to form a "cutting wedge" and removed all 6 door trims in about 20-30 minutes.

Good work mate, thats how I got a strip off at the wreckers without breaking it, although it would be alot easier if you had a heat gun Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

i simply used a really sharp/long kitchen knife to slice through the stickaflex, it worked a treat. also try not to bend the plastic as they snap/crack pretty easily

Ohhhhhh is that how its done!! pictures really help!! Is that the same for VK's aswell? Thanks bud.

Trim is put on cars using either double sided tape or silkaflex or both from factory. When it gets old and lifts away, people usually put silicone or similar to hold it down. Alot of people go overboard and put heaps on thinking it will stick better. Thats true but a nice bead around the outside of the trim is sufficient. On the Commodores there are half a dozen flat spots of the trim to place the double sided tape (to hold the trim in place) and then use a small amount of silkaflex to fix the trim on the body / door etc. Its alot easier to remove panels that are put on this way compared to removing ones with 3 tubes of silicone per trim as I found with about half the ones I removed. Glad the pics helped Like others have said, BE CAREFULL when removing the trim not to bend it too far or youll be going to the wreckers looking for replacement trim! Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Hahaha I thought it was only my comy that has been covered with silicone!! the first owner, as siliconed, door rubbers, boot carpet, steering wheel, etc with it! ahh commodores !

you will find it to be much easier going from the top down or the bottom up, as the strip is strongest that way, its easier to do it that way as theres less chance of a brittle moulding snapping. But all in all your tech article was pretty damn good, nice work. Cheers Phill

this method works pretty well mate........ another way of doin it is usin fishing line.... run it between the doorskin and mould and it cuts through the adhesive (so i have been told. ill find out soon enough when i strip my car before paint)

the fishing line is a great trick for removing badges aswell

i found fishing line to be too dull, i use a putty knife ( the flat, flexible peice of metail with sharp edges) to cut them off, its better not to lift the strip at all and just run it through the stickaflex and double sided tape. Works great, even on the extremely brittle VT/VX/VY mouldings. Cheers Phill

Quote: Originally Posted by vlt-dreamer i simply used a really sharp/long kitchen knife to slice through the stickaflex, it worked a treat. Well how come you broke the front gaurd piece you were trying to sell to me Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

By teh way fishing wire usually snapps.. doesnt really cut into the tape or silicon! I used a real thin garden tool and used it to pry off my door moulds! Worked out much quicker then any other mould! Its very hard not to damage though doing it this way

AND if the sidm ould or panel has been there a long time.. it seems to bake itself onto the panel ittself and makes it very hard to come off without damage! So be careful!

How do you go about removing all of the black stikaflex? I was unlucki in the way that i had both stikaflex and double sided tape. So i now have the 2 stikaflex lines down my 4 doors. I removed all of the double sided tape. That was easy.

Quote: Originally Posted by SuperStar How do you go about removing all of the black stikaflex? I was unlucki in the way that i had both stikaflex and double sided tape. So i now have the 2 stikaflex lines down my 4 doors. I removed all of the double sided tape. That was easy. Do what i did and go grab a razor blade scraper.. use teh rectangle razors instead of the triangle ones though and always make sure the blade is sharp as youll slip if you rush it and have a blunt blade! Luckily for me itll covered by calais moulds Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

It makes it easier if youve already taken the top moulds off and you can cut with a sharpend paint scraper from the top as well,that black factory urethane is tuff **** and softens with a bit of heat.

ahh, thanks guys. ill give it a go tonight (if its not too cold).

i found using a couple of bog knifes and a very sharp chisel is the best way. use the knifes to get it to bend a bit and then use the chisel to cut the stickaflex. seriously the chisel will cut through it as if its hot butter. The chisel is also good to cut the stickaflex back to just a small amount without damaging the paint.

I used a big sharp knife from the kitchen, got them all off perfectly. started from the top, got that lot off, then removed bottom. be patient or else they'll snap.

Ok, i got the old razor blade out and cut through it... Now i have cut the bulk of the stikaflex off... BUT, (there is always a BUT) i am now to the point where the stikaflex is so thin that i cannot scrape anymore off. Am im sure if i kept going i'd be taking off paint. Its like paper think, but still not thin enough to run off. Any idea's for here on in??