I've heard of people taking off the trims on there Maximas. I was wondering if anyone could tell me how big of a project it is to take them off. My max looks like new except for the trim on the back door of the passenger's side. It is all rusted and looks like ****. I've seen this kind of thing on other Maximas too. I thought about getting it painted back, but I just wanted to know how hard it would be to just take the trim off. Is it already painted under the trim? Or will I have to paint where the trim used to be once I take them off? If someone could help me out with some info, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Are you talking about the plastic trim piece that is on the door sill? If you are then it should already be painted underneath.

 

they're plastic? how do they get rusty then? the driver side molding on mine is COVERED in rust, and the passenger side one is beginning to get rusty. i was talking to an auto paint guy today about the best way to go about painting it, and he asked if they were plastic or metal or rubber or whatnot and i didn't know. anyway, he gave me some adhesion promotor so the paint would stick, no matter what kind of meterial it is.

 

i removed mine and it looks a lot better. BUT, it will take you forever to get the glue off that holds them on. i spent hours scrubbing on my car to get that crap off!!! it looks a lot better, but i probably would not do it again because it is a pain to get all that freakin adhesive off.

 

it will take you 2 days... a day per side because it is a big project. but it make your ride look a lot better. just use a hair drier to work the begining of the molding off. then just pull the damn thing off your door. then go to a hardware store and use GOO GONE. not goof off. that will take the paint right off. any way then spray it on just keep spraying it every minute for like 10 minutes. a total of 10 times. then the fun part comes. just use a rag and rub the cr@p out of it. then apply more GOO GONE. just keep do this. your arms WILL hurt after this. IF YOU CAN NOT FIND GOO GONE USE A CITRUS CLEANER. good luck peeps.

Patrick

 

Hey..you guys talking about the metal trim around the doors and windows? If it is i wanted to take them off too.

 

if you are talking about the trim pieces that surround the windows, then yes.. they are removable. its still a project though.

the trim pieces that i am referring to are often used to differentiate from GXE to SE. on the SE, they are all black, but on the GXE, they are chrome. this trim surrounds the front and rear side windows, the front windshield, and the rear windshield.

i recently did a SE to GXE door conversion, and let me tell you.. its a pain in the ****.. but it is possible.

all i can help you with are the front doors. for the rear, you are on your own, but im sure its very similar. this is going to be real hard to explaion without pcitures, but here goes.

to remove the bottom trim piece first, you should roll down your window. there is one screw holding it in place. it is at the end of the door near the handle assembly. there should be a round disc covering the hole for the screw. its only an adhessive disc and not a pop rivet. remove that and the screw is exposed. remove the screw. once the screw is removed, there are only 4 white clips connecting the trim piece. you basically have to snap the piece out. let me warn you, the clips are way too easy to break. im lucky i had 2 doors to work with, or else id be outta luck.

to remove the top piece, once again you have to take out a screw. this time you have to take the weather stripping out from the top corner of the door. behind the weather stripping is a screw, remove it. with that screw removed, the trim piece is simply pressed on, as it is METAL and not plastic.you have to pry it from behind very gently. work to hard and it will bend.

to make it easier, i think you should remove the power window assembly and maybe the interior weather stripping for the window so that you can get to the top trim piece.

hope this helps,
walka