So you finally got that new car or truck. Congratulations! I really don’t want to be the one to blow out the candles on your cake, but have you got your first tooth yet? Perhaps a door slam in a parking lot? If not, I’m sure you already know that you’re likely to get at least a few as long as you have that car. So how do you defend against this? Is there any way to protect my car?
The best way to protect your car or truck from dents and door dings is by installing a professional quality body side molding. You can also protect other areas of the vehicle in the same way with wheel moldings and door edge protectors.
Body side moldings These are usually rubber or vinyl strips that stick horizontally to the side of your vehicle. By installing them in the center of the door, this rubber strip usually protects you from another door hitting yours. The trim will usually protrude more than the body of the vehicle, so if someone opens the door against the side of your car, they will hit the body side trim first. They usually come in black, chrome and some colors are available as well.
The body side molding is easy to install. Nearly all car trim fasteners use 3M automotive grade fastening tape, which is the same way automakers use to attach factory body side moldings. If installed correctly, the trim should never come loose. There are other areas of your car that need to be protected as well. These areas are the wheel well area and the door edge areas.
wheel trim fasteners in the same way with a 3M tape. These moldings will nicely trim the wheel area with a thin bead of rubber that will protect this exposed area. You can also use this molding to cover an existing tooth in this area. Once it’s applied to the dent or scratch, you’ll never know the damage was there. This truck is used in car dealerships all the time. Sometimes he used to adorn the vehicle with chrome or black trim.
door edge protectors protect just that: the edge of your car door. They also protect what you hit with your door. Due to the soft rubber edge, if you were to open your car door into another car, the chance of damaging either car is minimal. Door edge protectors will act as shock absorbers and help prevent any damage that would otherwise occur.
For most of us, buying a new car or truck is one of the biggest investments we’ll ever make. We are proud of what we drive. It doesn’t matter if we’re driving a Hyundai or a Porsche (ok, maybe we are, but follow me here for a second). We like to drive in clean, shiny, toothless cars. Spending a few dollars now on trim protection now will undoubtedly save you potentially hundreds of dollars down the road repairing and repainting your new car or truck.
