How to remove side moulding on 88 LX-i coupe

[derolph]

I'm delving into some rust repair and would like to remove the moulding just in front of the right rear wheel well. I don't know how to properly remove it.

[oldschool3g]

I think they are removed just like the hatch. When i removed mine i took out the rear seat, and the interior lower plastic panels on each side then u have access to the clips from the inside. The i just pinched them and removed then without breaking them. Any coupes wanna confirm if this is done the same way as the hatch?

[derolph]

So, they can't be removed from outside?

[89HatchbackLxi]

I removed the ones on my hatch from the outside without damaging anything (Clips included!). Unfortunately, that's probably the hardest piece of the side trim to remove, and luck plays a large factor in whether or not you can remove it successfully.

I removed the ones on my hatch before doing some rust repair, but I think it's the same panel on the coupe as well. I'm assuming that since the patch panel I used when repairing my hatch's rear wheel rust problem was the coupe version accord, but it was an exact fit on my hatch, so I believe the coupe and hatch have an identical panel in that area.

Anyways, the piece can be removed from the outside, but it depends on the condition the trim is in. The ones in the junkyard almost ALWAYS start ripping in two when I have tried to remove them from the outside. The ones on my own car however, came off pretty easy, and I didn't even break a single clip.

The reason why it's the most difficult piece to remove is because it's practically a 2 piece molding, If you try to pull it off incorrectly (or even correctly if it's weathered enough), it'll begin to bend and rip apart over the fold. The area circled in the pic below is where the trim can rip if you aren't extremely careful.



You can use that image as a guide to see where the clip holes are. Keep in mind this was from my 89 hatch, but I'm almost positive the panels there are the same for the coupe and the hatch.

Notice that the hole closest to the rear tire is smaller than the other two. I think this is why the trim rips easily, the clip doesn't come out as easy for that hole as it does on the other two.

If you're going to be doing some rust repair, I'm guessing there's probably a chance you're going to be doing some repainting there also, so, you may want to consider using a flat head screwdriver, or something else that can help you push the clip together to slide it out of the hole, while at the cost of easily scratching the paint a bit if you aren't careful.

[derolph]

Thanks for the replies. I just now got around to removing that molding. I was mistakenly under the impression that the section of molding from the door to the wheel well was two peices due to the visible seam about 3 inches from the rear end of the molding. Now, I know that it's all once peice. I pried it off, starting from the back, and broke all three clips. Bummer. I hope the clips can be replaced without replacing the whole molding.

[derolph]

I just got my side molding remounted yesterday. For months, I assumed I would need to use double-side tape or some type of glue-like binder to attach the molding because I would not be able to find any source from which to buy clips. But, about 2 weeks ago, I found some on eBay. They are apparently made by a company in the UK named Toppier. You can see the clips at 20 X Nylon Fastener Rivet Retainer Clips Door Lock Honda Accord 1986~ (10 x 10.5) Their website seems to indicate they will ship to the U.S. So, you can buy from them or find them on eBay, or perhaps find them elsewhere by doing a search on the right key words.

[mint89]

try here as well

25 Body Side Moulding Clip Honda 91534 SE0 000 Accord | eBay

[ADSA20]

I was planning on repainting or dyeing all of the mouldings on my car to get rid of some scratches, fading, discolouring etc. I figured it would be easier to remove them to do so, just wondering what you guys would recommend since you've all obviously had experiences with them. ( Basically weighing up potential damage to mouldings against how much of a pain removing all that interior trim might be )