[PattyVW]

Sorry regular posters, this is not about a hot rod but my 98 VW Jetta which keeps losing it's "stick on" molding. So far, I've been successful in getting the guys at the old dealership to replace it for a batch of my infamous cookies, but now I've moved to a new city, and hey wouldn't you know it, the molding has fallen off again. I have both pieces but my question is, other than buying some of the $70 roll of double stick tape which will probably get loose again, got any suggestions as to an epoxy or mastic or something I could use?

I appreciate your help! Thank you.

[MARTINSR]

I hate when I can't remember details like this when I work on these cars all the time, but I seem to remember those "side protect" mouldings having some clips.


Anyway, I have to tell you, properly applied, those glue on mouldings WILL stay on. I have to assume they were not properly applied.


If they were new, without a doubt, if the paint is cleaned with wax and grease remover (standard procedure) and applied, they will NOT fall off.

If you plan on applying used ones, well, that makes things a little harder, but it still can be done. First, you have to remove ALL the glue residue off the paint. There are many ways to do it, I use a tool that "erases" it off. You then use some compound used to polish paint (NOT a wax) to clean it to a shine. Then clean it WELL with wax and grease remover.

If the tape doesn't come off the moulding clean, you have to "shave" it off with a nice, new, sharpe single edge razor blade. You will go thru many of them on the typical moulding as you need NICE, NEW, SHARP blades to cut it clean off the moulding.

Once it is pretty well removed and as SMOOTH as possible, you apply an "adhesion promotor" like 3M's 06396. Just wipe it over the moulding where the tape goes and let dry.

Now, you use GOOD attachment tape like 3M's 06380. It is not cheap, but it WORKS. Stick it to the moulding and you are ready to rock.

Now, personally, when applying a used moulding, I go for a little "safety belt", I put a dollop of urethane adhesive at each end of the moulding, but if the rest is correctly done this is just a "feels good, does nothing" step.


Brian

[malc]

I spent hours removing that stuff from my car.

[sevt_chevelle]

I think Brian is right, those VW have a built in clip along with the double sided tape.
Brian, am not good with part numbers but is that 3M adhesion promoter you use those tiny yellow sponge things?
They come in a pack of 25 individually wrapped in a silver/chrome package. I find those to be top notch. Ive never had a comeback using those sponge pads. I just run a blade over the moulding to remove the excess glue then run my eraser wheel over the moulding. Blow it off with air apply that adhesion promotor and then tape.

[PattyVW]

Thanks for the responses.

I have had this molding replaced by the VW Auto Body shop at least twice before. I expected that it was replaced correctly. There are no clips, sad to say. I've seen this molding off, on, and in the state of falling off. No clips, as I surely would have seen them and when I inquired, three different auto body shops have said "no clips".

If you look at 98 VW Jetta's you'll see a lot of these cars with missing molding. It's a design flaw: the molding is too wide thus too heavy to be held by the small strips of tape.

In the past the molding was applied with double stick tape at the top and bottom. This stuff is less than 1/4 inch wide! Amazing!

There is no residue on my car. This tape holds so poorly that even the glue peels right off. There is no residue on my used molding. So this is a non-issue.

Where do I buy the 3-M tape you recommended?

(please remember, I am a girl and I've never done anything like this before. I just get sick when I think of $70 a side to replace this molding...maybe I'm too much of a DIY'er but this seems ridiculously high for the body shop to do this...and even more so when in about a year it falls off again)

Thanks for your help and any other help anyone wants to give.

Patty

[MARTINSR]

Patty, get the tape and the adhesion promotor at an autopaint and body store. They have some smaller retail packages but even the full roll is only about $35.00 which is a lot cheaper than paying someone to do it. You can many different widths, even if you have to stick it on and the cut it little narrower, get the widest you can on there. Stick it along the outer edge and then cut the inner side if you have to so the outer one will stay nice.


The adhesion promotor is clear and if you run it along the body (after you apply a strip of masking tape as a guide) you can easily wipe it off before it drys.

I have to tell you, it may be a "design flaw" but if you do it as we have explained it WILL stay there.

Brian

[milo]

I've seen and worked with thses VW mouldings as well. It seems to be the quarter moulding (behind the door) that gets worked lose from clothing catching on it of all things. What happens is clothing catches on the corner and slowly but surely works it lose.

Use Foam tape ... http://www.levineautoparts.com/3mautgrayacp.html

[PattyVW]

There is no molding on the quarter panels!
It's the front doors. The molding is so darned heavy, due to the length of the molding, for the tape. If you notice the 98's are the only year made like this (bad bad bad design).

Brian, I'll try what you said. Now I just need to find an auto body shop that will sell me these products or I guess order from online.

[PattyVW]

I'll buy the wider tape. It's 1/2 inch wide and if I need to, I'll cut it down. I just hope the thickness isn't so much that it makes the molding protrude.

What the heck, $20 vs. $140 every year, it's worth a shot.

[MARTINSR]

Patty, I have to disagree with Milos recommendation. 6377 is a low strength tape and as the 3m catalog says "not recommended for medium to heavy weight trim attachment". You want the 6380 that I recommended.

You could mount your fenders using the procedure I outlined, no kidding.

Brian

[adtkart]

Brian is right. The tape that he is talking about is a real bear to get off if applied right. If the moldings are coming off and not leaving tape on the door, the door has not been cleaned properly. If it is staying on the door and not the molding, then the molding is not being cleaned properly. I have seen guys actually bend doors trying to just pull moldings off that were mounted that way.

[MARTINSR]

Yep, if I am repairing a door skin that has a glue on moulding, I will use the pulling of the moulding as part of the repair process. The dent will usually come out to some degree (sometimes almost completely) by using the mouldings glue as a "tool".

Brian

[PattyVW]

I'll try to locate that other product. Glad I posted this question.

[ckucia]

Here's a 1998 Jetta from ebay (hope it will post)



Here's a place that sells the 3M 06380 tape online, and the adhesion promotor (disclaimer: I've never used this company - it just popped up on a Google search)

You can get both for under $25 (plus shipping)

http://www.levineautoparts.com/3mauatta06wh.html