2008 Subaru WRX STi
Body Side Molding

 

While waiting for the the coffee to perk, I went out and installed the color-matched body side molding that arrived for the STi last night.

The OEM Subaru kit came with positioning templates, instructions, and even the alcohol swabs needed to clean the surface before installation. All I needed was some masking tape and a rubber roller (to evenly press the molding down once it was placed). I had the masking tape (low stick blue) and used one of those spongy mini-paint rollers; both of which were left over from the last home painting project.

Total time, prep through cleanup, was about 30 minutes. As with anything like this, the time spent carefully aligning the templates affects the quality of the final results. It was so simply that there was no need to detail the steps. A couple of before and after photos and the money savings break down took more time than the installation.

 

Before

After

 

Cost savings ordering on-line: $46
Cost savings installing: 100% of between 0.5 to 1.0 hour of shop time ($45 to $90 locally)
Cost savings shipping v. local taxes: $5

Total savings: $96 - $141
(Plus it wasn't rolled into the financing of the car with the associated interest)

 

 

 

(C) 1995-Present Mark Johnson