Removing black side strips

[LuckyL]

Hello there,

What is involved in removing the DMC black side strips that some D's had put on by dealers?

Will the stainless be discoloured, messed up underneath once they are removed?

Thank you.

[DMCMW Dave]

Hello there,

What is involved in removing the DMC black side strips that some D's had put on by dealers?

Will the stainless be discoloured, messed up underneath once they are removed?

Thank you.

Use a heat gun to warm it up and it will peel right off. Don't go crazy, you are not trying to burn it off, just soften the glue. The rest of the glue will come off with 3M adhesive remover. The stainless under it will be BETTER (more shine, no scratches) than the rest of your car, so you'll generally have to blend or flap the whole lower side of the car to make it match.

[LuckyL]

Good to hear,

Thank You for the prompt response.

[DeLorean]

you dislike the sidestripe? I think they are pretty nice!

[Ron]

...so you'll generally have to blend or flap the whole lower side of the car to make it match.Curious...off the top of your head, what % of the time does it need the flap?

[Roman Legion]

Swap panels with someone that want's side stripes..lol That was 50% Joke/ 50% Serious..

[Iznodmad]

you dislike the sidestripe? I think they are pretty nice!

Pretty sure the OP is referencing the rub-strips on every production DeLorean, not dealer option or reproduction side stripEs. He actually spelled it strips instead of stripes (which is why I capitalized the E in the previous sentence). Of course I could be wrong, just going by the spelling.

[louielouie2000]

Pretty sure the OP is referencing the rub-strips on every production DeLorean, not dealer option or reproduction side stripEs. He actually spelled it strips instead of stripes (which is why I capitalized the E in the previous sentence). Of course I could be wrong, just going by the spelling.

Nope... the OP said dealer installed. So another side striped car is lost. :mecry:

[Iznodmad]

Nope... the OP said dealer installed. So another side striped car is lost. :mecry:

Well, I did get confused then. He didn't identify himself as an owner, so maybe another original isn't lost. Did I ever tell you that I have a spare original thick black stripe and thin grey one, with the original box and instructions. I picked those up a few months ago. I am a sucker for hoarding rare original parts.:yesss:

[LuckyL]

Hi

Yes I meant the dealer stripes.
Not an owner yet, just seeing what would be involved when the time comes.
Have always preferred it without... personal preference I guess

Actually what does 'Flap' mean?

Thanks!

[thirdmanj]

I IMPLORE YOU!! as "side stripe" owner I beg you!!!!! Let it be!!! They just look so AWESOME. Why would you want to do that? You can't love 304 THAT much!

Ok, I'm really not that upset about it, just genuinely confused. Assuming when you get the car that does have those stripes, and they're the original dealer option stripes, why would you want to erase part of that car's history?

[sdg3205]

if you remove them, please stick them to wax paper and I'll buy them!

[Chris 16409]

Aren't you less likely to find a car with original dealer side stripes anyway? Unless you already have a car in mind that has the stripes, more than likely, most cars you see come up for sale don't have them.

[DMCMW Dave]

Hi
Actually what does 'Flap' mean?
Thanks!

Use the flap-sanding tool to re-grain the stainless with 60-80-grit paper. It can be done by hand.

[Ron]

...so you'll generally have to blend or flap the whole lower side of the car to make it match.Curious...off the top of your head, what % of the time does it need the flap?Oh-Oh...how'd I get on your $hit list?

[David T]

When you remove the side stripes (even with a heat gun) you will stretch them and they will not be reusable. They will not stick well since the glue is so old but you can spray them with adhesive if you have to.
David Teitelbaum

[vin6635]

Expect this job to be a significant time investment. I removed my aged thin stripe a few years ago. At least eight hours in removing, cleaning, blending and polishing back to remove the leftover effects of the stripe. I'd imagine the black stripe is a much larger effort.

Heat gun is the way to go. Also used a plastic spatula from BBB. Gun and stainless do get warm.

[BladeBronson]

I did this job this afternoon on a 10 year old application of the aftermarket black stripe with the "DMC" cutout. I used a heat gun until discovering that far less adhesive was left behind by just peeling it off. It took a couple hours to get all the glue off. The stripe'S features are definitely still visible, but I'm having my car regrained on Friday.

[AirmanPika]

Man I wish I had never had to remove my stripes. Of course I had no choice seeing as I had to strip the car of paint and ultimately replace the doors and rear panels. I love them but the ones when my car was painted were in terrible shape...the replacement door ones were worse I don't get why no one can reproduce exact replicas.

http://reimuchan.com/delorean2/images/DSC06962_JPG.jpg