Installing Wings West Side Skirts- Need Advice

Joined
7 August 2015
Messages
572
Location
Princeton, NJ
Hey all, need some advice.

My side skirts are held on both fender walls by two screws each side, and 3M mounting tape for attaching to the body. So after my side skirts started coming off I decided to re-mount them. I did this last year and because I did not prep the material properly, it started coming off immediately and looked terrible (embarrassed to share the pic, if I can find one). So I did some research and came to the conclusion:

1. Using only authentic 3M automotive tape (1" width)
2. Prep all surfaces by cleaning them with eraser wheel, rubbing alcohol, then plasti-dip pre-spray cleaner (I had some spare).
3. Heat all tape before application.
4. The side skirts were sagging/warped from heat etc. They would not fit on perfectly unless someone would straighten them.

Removed from car. The tape lines the inside of the side skirt under the door and the topside of the skirt under the side vent:
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Bought 3x #18 from Home Depot I think for reinforcement as told by forums. Prices have gone up by 2.5x since the post from years ago. It is an L shaped aluminum bar.
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Used this to remove tape from everything. It's pretty awesome and I would highly recommend it. Only $10 on amazon. Don't need to buy the 3M version. Don't bother with plastic scrapers or wood chisels. Just get this and use a drill:
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Random pic of my workspace in the kitchen:
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Had to cut the aluminum with a dremel, which I would NOT recommend. I didn't have any other power tools though:
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How clean the edges were after the eraser wheel:
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Cut and lined the bottom with aluminum L bar. 3M moulding tape is currently holding it to the skirt. I heated it just prior to attaching. I also used alcohol and plasti-dip pre-spray to clean the surfaces.:
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Look how straight that is:
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Screwed sheet metal screws with pilot holes to keep the thing on the skirts:
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The upper portion was also taped to an aluminum L bar but no screws obviously. This was to keep the upper part straight as well. I am not sure how effective this was. Having LOTS of mini plastic clamps from amazon helped. In this picture it is kind of confusing.... there is an L bar under the clamps taped to the top of the side skirt. The most visible L bars are being used now to secure one side of the tape to the side skirt.
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Where I went wrong (kinda hard to see). Because the passenger's side was wavy, the upper part stuck up a little and you can see it rises above the trim of the car. Because of this the sill plates don't sit properly on it. If I put the sill plates on, the door won't close. I think I was too concerned with getting the tape near the door handle tight, the skirt wasn't aligned right at the door and hence this problem. It's better on the driver's side but the plate still doesn't fit.
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My last minute ugly solution, use professional gaffer's tape (won't leave residue or lift paint) to seal it temporarily:
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But hey, at least it looks great from outside:
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I will likely do this a third time, but I just don't know how I would make it all fit. I don't mind missing door sill plates but I would like a better looking solution. As I was taking it off I was considering just taking it to a professional, but as I was able to take this as my winter project the pace was enjoyable. It just wasn't cheap and took a lot of time. Any suggestions on attaching these the right way or covering the gap between the skirt and the car?
 
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