We really love our new xA, but I've got to be honest and tell ya that I'm extremely concerned about some a-hole banging the doors. I think about it way to much. I probably need professional help.

It doesn't seem to matter that you park your car in the corner spot, as close to the curb as possible and as far away from others as the parking lot allows, there's always some dumb "A" who has to park their car right next to your car and then open their door as wide as they can.

Anyway, I'm considering installing painted body colored door molding. I hate the idea of changing the look of the car, but I hate even more the inevitable dinged and scraped doors. sigh!

Anybody else installed or considered installing door moulding?

 

my obsession with avoiding door dings drives my wife insane. i don't know why EVERY car maker has stopped using side body moldings. if done correctly (from the factory) they look fine

 

It doesn't matter how hard you try someone will DING it. My 02 tacoma had a 3" lift kit and NERF bars. I was amazed I got a door ding.

Just park at the end of the parking lot, most people are too lazy to walk a few more steps.

 

Deacon and Bozz Man, I feel the same way about door dings and decided to do something about it as soon as I got my xA. Neither Scion nor my dealer offered any bodyside moldings as an option, so I ordered a set from Sportwing.com. They have them for all Scion models in all the OEM colors. They look great, and have a 5 year warranty. They have 3M adhesive and you can install them yourself. They have pics on their site so you can see what they look like on the car. I have been pleased with the appearence and protection they offer. I hope this helps.

 

how about I make some sheetmetal spikes that jut out from the car and that way nobody will want to even park near it. Hmmmm and flamethrowers too just incase someone is stupid enough to get close.

 

jpjxa: Thanks. The molding from Sportwing.com is exactly the molding I was looking at. Do you have any photos of your car with the molding installed? I'm mostly interested in seeing what it looks like, and the optimal placement on the doors.

 

The sportwing.com moldings are generic but if you want somethintg with a perfect OEM fit then you can get the iST molding. It can be ordered OEM body colour and fits perfectly. I'm ordering a set for my car when it comes in.

 

Nuvolari: That sounds even better. Can you provide a source?

Thanks

 

Deacon, I have some 35mm pics of my xA with the sportwing bodyside moldings. I have not yet moved into the digital era, nor do I have much experience with cameras. I think, however, these pics would be decent enough for you to get an idea of how the moldings look, as well as where they are placed on the doors. If this would be helpful, just PM me your mailing address and I will get them in the mail ASAP.

 

Silly me I should have posted a link:

http://www.newscionparts.com/product/?id=1170

This is the best and only picture I have been able to find ANYWHERE on this part. Belive me I have looked.

 

jpjxa: Thanks for the kind offer. No need to go through all that trouble. Much appreciated!

 

Thanks Nuvolari!

 

I think myautofashion.com sells them too. Why wouldn't they? They sell everything else JDM.

 

I'm still trying to decide on this door molding issue.

I would like to get opinions (especially xA owners) on installing the body side molding found on the 2005 Rav4? You've probably seen it. Some Rav4's have a contrasting color, while others have the molding matching the color of the body.

The molding is about 7" or 8" wide on the rear door then it narrows as it reaches its end point at the front door where its about 3" wide.

I think that if painted the same color as my xA it might look quite nice. However, I need to find a discounted source. The dealer wants approx. $800 for all 4 pieces (front doors & rear doors).

 

It may be a wait however today I ordered the iST molding for my xA. The molding is due to take 4 weeks and the car is probably the same time off from arriving. Once here I'll be sure to post photos and a DIY. Realistically however this is about 6 weeks off.

 

From the iST Japan thread here is a pic of the JDM side molding on an xA. This is the molding I have on order and is the OEM part in Japan:

 

That's not bad at all! Thanks for the photo.

 

Hey that looks pretty good. Yeah I've found myself being obsessed over dings & scratches. I use to not care at all but that was because I had a crappy 97 Neon, now it's a totally different matter.