Review of Sportwing Door Molding
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Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Fontana, CA
Review of Sportwing Door Molding
This is my review of Sportwing Inc. molding for the F150.
This is the short version: I'm somewhat happy with the look, but I think I should have looked around more before buying this product. Pictures are below.
This is the long version. Read on if you want details:
I have a 2004 F-150 Supercab in Arizona biege. I ordered painted moldings, part number FT04SC-AQ-PNT, by phone from Sportwing Inc. I tried to order over the Internet, but at that time the order process was not working on their website. You can see the product at www.sportwing.com. I ordered on a Thursday, and it shipped out via UPS ground the next day. I received the moldings the following Thursday. Installation took me about one hour. I think I could do the second pickup in about 20 minutes.
The package arrived as a three inch mailing tube about five feet long enclosed in a cardboard tube. Each side molding has four pieces: front fender, front door, rear door and rear quarter panel. There is no piece for behind the rear wheel. The pieces were enclosed in a gauze sock. The parts were well protected and the finish of the product was excellent. The parts have peel and stick tape applied to the back. Also included was a single double-sided sheet of instructions, four alcohol wipes and two tiny vials of adhesive promoter. I used a bottle of isopropyl alcohol and an old t-shirt instead of the wipes provided to clean the mounting area.
The instructions say to lay a strip of masking tape along the top of the groove of the body panels and use that tape as a guide in positioning the molding. I tried applying the tape, but due to the curved edges of the body work, after several attempts, I could not get more than a few inches of tape on in a straight line.
Coincidently last week, my Significant Other had been watching a lot of those DIY remodeling programs on TV and decided to paint vertical stripes on two walls in the living room. This required my assistance in masking off the edges of the stripes. Rather than using a plum and chalk line to use as a guide to laying down the tape, I bought a Sears Laser Trac laser level for $49.99 for the painting project. The Laser Trac works quite well for that purpose.
Instead of using the masking tape as a guide for applying the molding I decided to try the laser level. Because my garage is full of cars, motorcycles and other stuff, I had to do this outside on the driveway. The laser line is not real bright outside so I had to wait for the sun to go down behind the neighbor's house across the street before starting. I set the laser up on a toolbox on top of a cooler to get the right height for the device.
The molding provided by Sportwing looks to have the same profile as the OEM molding that comes on the previous years F-150s. The molding on those models layed flat on the panels. The '04 molding has a rounded projection running length-wise down the back side of the molding. This projection fits into the groove in the '04 F-150 body panels leaving about 1/4 inch of vertical movement. This is all the play that is available for vertically aligning the molding. I set up the laser line just at the crease or break of the top edge of the area intended for molding on the body panels. Fortunately, this "break line" is lined up well on all the body panels on my pickup. I tested the placement of each piece putting the top edge of the molding along the laser line and it appeared that all would fit ok.
The only guidance for horizonal postioning provided by the instructions is to leave 1/4 inch of the front edge of the front door panel from front edge of the door. Leaving 1/4 inch at the front would leave too much of a gap at the rear of the door panel, so I decided to center the molding on the front door. As it turned out, I was not happy with this result. I'll explain this later.
The instructions say to mount the rear door molding next. I positioned this piece so that the back edge was at the break where the panel starts to curve around the back edge of the cab. This left a 5/16 inch gap at the front edge of the molding to the front edge of the rear door. At this same point the gap between the back edge of the front door and the back edge of the front door molding is 7/16 inch because it was centered on the front door. I feel that I am somewhat of a perfectionist and have been called **** more than a few times in my life, but for appearance, the gaps between the front and rear doors and their respective moldings should be the same. Ideally that should be about 1/4 inch. I discovered this too late for the right side, but I corrected this on the driver's side. Also, ideally, I think the front door molding should be about 1/4 inch longer.
Included in the shipment was two tiny vials of Pro-Bond Adhesive Promoter. The instructions say to apply the liquid to the metal under the molding. This vial appears to be a plastic tube with a cotton swab at the open end. Inside the tube is a glass vial that must be broken to allow the liquid to wet the swab. The vial might hold 2cc of liquid. I went through the motion of applying this stuff, but I'm not sure how effective it was. It did not appear to "wet" the surface, but when the job was completed the liquid was gone. I do not know if it just evaporated or if it went on the panels.
The leading edges of all the moldings do not seal the hole between the molding and the groove the molding rides in. I'm not concerned about this in southern California, but if I lived in colder climes with freezing weather I think I would caulk the leading edge to insure that water does not get in there.
The finish on the ends of each piece could have been better. I would have gladly paid an additional $10 or $20 to have had the ends smoothed out and rounded better before the molding was painted. Overall I am somewhat happy with the product and my installation, but if I were going to do it over I would look around for a nicer looking product and I would not buy until I had seen it in person.
I only have a couple of recommendations for installation that differ from the instructions provided:
1. Use a laser to vertically align the molding.
2. Mount rear door molding first with 1/4 inch gap at front.
3. Mount front door molding with 1/4 inch gap at back.
As it turned out, use of the laser may not have been necessary in my case because the grooves were aligned on all of my body panels. I could have just mounted the molding all the way up in the grooves or all the way down in the grooves, but your mileage may vary.
Ray
This is during installation. If you look close you can see the red laser line above the molding.
Detail of the molding edge
Complete installation
This is the short version: I'm somewhat happy with the look, but I think I should have looked around more before buying this product. Pictures are below.
This is the long version. Read on if you want details:
I have a 2004 F-150 Supercab in Arizona biege. I ordered painted moldings, part number FT04SC-AQ-PNT, by phone from Sportwing Inc. I tried to order over the Internet, but at that time the order process was not working on their website. You can see the product at www.sportwing.com. I ordered on a Thursday, and it shipped out via UPS ground the next day. I received the moldings the following Thursday. Installation took me about one hour. I think I could do the second pickup in about 20 minutes.
The package arrived as a three inch mailing tube about five feet long enclosed in a cardboard tube. Each side molding has four pieces: front fender, front door, rear door and rear quarter panel. There is no piece for behind the rear wheel. The pieces were enclosed in a gauze sock. The parts were well protected and the finish of the product was excellent. The parts have peel and stick tape applied to the back. Also included was a single double-sided sheet of instructions, four alcohol wipes and two tiny vials of adhesive promoter. I used a bottle of isopropyl alcohol and an old t-shirt instead of the wipes provided to clean the mounting area.
The instructions say to lay a strip of masking tape along the top of the groove of the body panels and use that tape as a guide in positioning the molding. I tried applying the tape, but due to the curved edges of the body work, after several attempts, I could not get more than a few inches of tape on in a straight line.
Coincidently last week, my Significant Other had been watching a lot of those DIY remodeling programs on TV and decided to paint vertical stripes on two walls in the living room. This required my assistance in masking off the edges of the stripes. Rather than using a plum and chalk line to use as a guide to laying down the tape, I bought a Sears Laser Trac laser level for $49.99 for the painting project. The Laser Trac works quite well for that purpose.
Instead of using the masking tape as a guide for applying the molding I decided to try the laser level. Because my garage is full of cars, motorcycles and other stuff, I had to do this outside on the driveway. The laser line is not real bright outside so I had to wait for the sun to go down behind the neighbor's house across the street before starting. I set the laser up on a toolbox on top of a cooler to get the right height for the device.
The molding provided by Sportwing looks to have the same profile as the OEM molding that comes on the previous years F-150s. The molding on those models layed flat on the panels. The '04 molding has a rounded projection running length-wise down the back side of the molding. This projection fits into the groove in the '04 F-150 body panels leaving about 1/4 inch of vertical movement. This is all the play that is available for vertically aligning the molding. I set up the laser line just at the crease or break of the top edge of the area intended for molding on the body panels. Fortunately, this "break line" is lined up well on all the body panels on my pickup. I tested the placement of each piece putting the top edge of the molding along the laser line and it appeared that all would fit ok.
The only guidance for horizonal postioning provided by the instructions is to leave 1/4 inch of the front edge of the front door panel from front edge of the door. Leaving 1/4 inch at the front would leave too much of a gap at the rear of the door panel, so I decided to center the molding on the front door. As it turned out, I was not happy with this result. I'll explain this later.
The instructions say to mount the rear door molding next. I positioned this piece so that the back edge was at the break where the panel starts to curve around the back edge of the cab. This left a 5/16 inch gap at the front edge of the molding to the front edge of the rear door. At this same point the gap between the back edge of the front door and the back edge of the front door molding is 7/16 inch because it was centered on the front door. I feel that I am somewhat of a perfectionist and have been called **** more than a few times in my life, but for appearance, the gaps between the front and rear doors and their respective moldings should be the same. Ideally that should be about 1/4 inch. I discovered this too late for the right side, but I corrected this on the driver's side. Also, ideally, I think the front door molding should be about 1/4 inch longer.
Included in the shipment was two tiny vials of Pro-Bond Adhesive Promoter. The instructions say to apply the liquid to the metal under the molding. This vial appears to be a plastic tube with a cotton swab at the open end. Inside the tube is a glass vial that must be broken to allow the liquid to wet the swab. The vial might hold 2cc of liquid. I went through the motion of applying this stuff, but I'm not sure how effective it was. It did not appear to "wet" the surface, but when the job was completed the liquid was gone. I do not know if it just evaporated or if it went on the panels.
The leading edges of all the moldings do not seal the hole between the molding and the groove the molding rides in. I'm not concerned about this in southern California, but if I lived in colder climes with freezing weather I think I would caulk the leading edge to insure that water does not get in there.
The finish on the ends of each piece could have been better. I would have gladly paid an additional $10 or $20 to have had the ends smoothed out and rounded better before the molding was painted. Overall I am somewhat happy with the product and my installation, but if I were going to do it over I would look around for a nicer looking product and I would not buy until I had seen it in person.
I only have a couple of recommendations for installation that differ from the instructions provided:
1. Use a laser to vertically align the molding.
2. Mount rear door molding first with 1/4 inch gap at front.
3. Mount front door molding with 1/4 inch gap at back.
As it turned out, use of the laser may not have been necessary in my case because the grooves were aligned on all of my body panels. I could have just mounted the molding all the way up in the grooves or all the way down in the grooves, but your mileage may vary.
Ray
This is during installation. If you look close you can see the red laser line above the molding.
Detail of the molding edge
Complete installation
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,142
Likes: 0
From: Elverson, PA
Razor249,
That is one of the best product reviews I've seen at this site. It seems like you are being very objective, too. It should be very helpful for anyone researching side molding/moulding for their 2004 or 2005 F150.
It looks good. It looks like the pieces in front of the rear wheels should be longer, though.
Good job!
That is one of the best product reviews I've seen at this site. It seems like you are being very objective, too. It should be very helpful for anyone researching side molding/moulding for their 2004 or 2005 F150.
It looks good. It looks like the pieces in front of the rear wheels should be longer, though.
Good job!
Member
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
From: Houston Texas
Originally posted by JohnAndDar
It looks good. It looks like the pieces in front of the rear wheels should be longer, though.
Good job!
It looks good. It looks like the pieces in front of the rear wheels should be longer, though.
Good job!
The product does look good tho..
Great write up.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 1999
Posts: 593
Likes: 2
From: Spearfish SD
Outstanding article! My molding arrived a few days ago. I think it is going to look good. (luckily the molding will cover up the door ding that some jerk left in the right front door)
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Senior Member
Joined: Jan 1999
Posts: 593
Likes: 2
From: Spearfish SD
I just finished installing the body side molding. All went well, and I think it looks pretty sharp. Sportwing did an excellant job of matching the paint.
I tried using the masking tape trick like they said to do in the instructions......it is a waste of time. You can't make a straight line with that stuff no matter how many times you try.
It's a worthwhile mod, and hopefully the molding will prevent additional door dings. Heres a few pictures.
I tried using the masking tape trick like they said to do in the instructions......it is a waste of time. You can't make a straight line with that stuff no matter how many times you try.
It's a worthwhile mod, and hopefully the molding will prevent additional door dings. Heres a few pictures.
Last edited by Neil; Mar 5, 2005 at 07:46 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 1999
Posts: 593
Likes: 2
From: Spearfish SD
Re: moldings
Originally posted by nightranger
my truck is ariz. beige do you think black molding would look good on it since the only color on the truck is black and what may i ask was the total cost.
my truck is ariz. beige do you think black molding would look good on it since the only color on the truck is black and what may i ask was the total cost.
Total cost (including delivery) $162.20. If you decide to order try entering PR-000004 in the promotion code box. If it works, it is supposed to be good for 5% off.
Last edited by Neil; Mar 6, 2005 at 12:29 AM.
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 295
Likes: 0
From: tennessee
Re: Re: moldings
Originally posted by Neil
Black usually goes with any color. I think it would look just fine, but everybody like different things.
Total cost (including delivery) $162.20. If you decide to order try entering 000004 in the promotion code box. If it works, it is supposed to be good for 5% off.
Black usually goes with any color. I think it would look just fine, but everybody like different things.
Total cost (including delivery) $162.20. If you decide to order try entering 000004 in the promotion code box. If it works, it is supposed to be good for 5% off.
scott
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Sportwing Body Molding for '05 XLT SuperCab
Razor,
Great article. Also, truck looks good.
I received my dark grey body molding from Sportwing last week and hopefully will install this week. I too have spent a lot of time determining how much space to leave between the door edges and the molding. I think your recommendations for installing the rear door piece and front door piece
is the way to go. These two door pieces are the focal point of the body and should be equal distances apart from where the two doors open.
I am planning on mounting the molding all the way down in the grooves. I'm thinking that might just be the easiest way to install. I'll keep you posted on how things turn out. I'll even try to get some pics posted.
Great article. Also, truck looks good.
I received my dark grey body molding from Sportwing last week and hopefully will install this week. I too have spent a lot of time determining how much space to leave between the door edges and the molding. I think your recommendations for installing the rear door piece and front door piece
is the way to go. These two door pieces are the focal point of the body and should be equal distances apart from where the two doors open.
I am planning on mounting the molding all the way down in the grooves. I'm thinking that might just be the easiest way to install. I'll keep you posted on how things turn out. I'll even try to get some pics posted.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,494
Likes: 1
From: Northern CA
Where did you get these clearance/running board lights. I plan to install some on top of my cab. It looks beefier and will let me know what kind of obstacles like drive-thru's I can clear when it's lifted. Did they come with the running boards? I don't like the F150 eyebrow that comes with clearance lights but it may be my only choice. Chopping up my roof is a big cost if I mess up.