Replacing a Side Moulding Strip

[axel]

The side vinyl molding strip/skirt, below the driver side doors, on my 2000 Legacy GT wagon were pulled off of their clips and is essentially secured by the clip at the rear, just in front of the rear wheel. The moulding is now hanging down a bit at the front.

Should the entire moulding pull off completely from the clip at the rear that's holding it to the car. I tried pulling it off but it doesn't seem to budge. Don't want to risk breaking the moulding.

Is there any trick to replacing the strip once I get some replacement clips/fasteners?

[gbhrps]

Axel,

 

Side skirts are usually have one of three methods to attach them to the car. Some are held on exclusively by double sided tape, others with screws or special clips, and I've even seen them with a combination of tape and clips or screws.

 

I had paint work done in our restoration shop on my last OBW, an 02. I had to remove the plastic moulding on the rear dogleg just in back of the rear door by the wheel well. There was one or two screws just inside the wheel well where the moulding wrapped around into the wheel well, but the rest of the panel was easily pried away from the side of the car to reveal 3 pop plugs. As I recall there were three holes in the body of the car where a plastic plug with a hole in its centre had been installed. The reverse side of the side panel had three plastic studs with a rounded ball end that just pushed into the aforementioned plugs in the body.

 

Your skirt most likely will have something similar. Look for screws at the ends where they enter the wheel wells (if they do) and plastic plugs for the rest of the skirt.

 

Having not had experience with the skirts on a Subie GT, I can't tell you what you'll find exactly, but I can give you some pointers. First, until you can get the repair done, use copious amounts of duct tape to adhere the skirt to the car so it receives no further damage or breaks off and is lost. A new one painted to match your car will be substantial dollars.

 

Get the car up on jack stands or a hoist, get under it with a trouble lamp and you should be able to see how it attaches, where the fasteners are, and how to get it off without damaging it. Sometimes, though, there is not much you can do but just force the issue by prying it off with a narrow putty knife (Taped up so as to not scratch the paint.), trying to do as little damage as possible.

 

Sometimes you can see the clips have just come undone and just pop the panel back on as it is, without having to remove it at all. Using the heel of your hand is the only tool needed here if the scenario fits.

Worst case is getting new plugs from Subaru, but you can usually fashion new hardware from the bubble packs you'll find in the autoparts store.

 

Hope this gets you started at least! Good Luck!