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Knauberized...not sure if I dig it?

T

teamSVTour

Hard-core CEG'er
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Jun 7, 2005
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Pittsburgh
So i was bored and I decided to knauberize my SF SVT. I did the one side of my car, only took about 30mins to remove, goo-gone, claybar, and detail spray it to make them look like they were never there.

The thing is now I just cant get over the feeling that it just looks like something is missing now. While I agree the blank face does show off the paint a little better is just looks kind of...i dunno...plain. I noticed almost all of the newer cars are going for this look with no ding guards and for some reason those cars really seem to pull the look of better. Maybe it's because I am so used to seeing them there or b/c I have the better looking of the 2 models of ding guards so I really did not have a dislike for them to begin with. Just wanted to try something different.

So here my car stands half knauberized half not...still trying to decide. I guess I can always put them back on.

Anyone else feel unsure if they liked it once they did it?? It kind of reminds me of a cavalier for some weird reason. I'm looking for some opinions to help sway me one way or the other :laugh:
 
Post some pictures of each side so we can see before/after?

Wow, I actually just looked out the window at my car to see what I thought of them on mine... turns out I don't have any?! Had the car two weeks now and never realized it was knuaberized. Great, now mine is looking plain... looked fine before I noticed that.
 
Haha. See what I mean. Maybe it's just b/c I know what it looked like before I took them off.

Maybe I'll try and get some pics up.
 
lol i did the same thing, its sitting there half done, and I'm asking people opinions. I like mine without the strips so the other side is coming off no matter what the people say lol.
 
i think i'm going to leave the strips on the silver car. i agree that the car looks too plain without them
 
i think I'm going to leave one side knauberized and the other side with them still on for a week to decide which I like better
 
Thats what I did with my mirror mounts. Painted one black and one black with clear coat (they were silver before) and left them for a week to decide which I liked more. The problem is I'm too lazy to go through all the work to repaint one of them and they are still unfinished, haha.

I think mostly stock SVT's look better with the side mouldings, but the modified ones look a lot cleaner/sleaker without them.
 
just washed it and made it all pretty. The Knauberized side is growing on me. They both look good it their own ways.

Going to have to wait it out to decide I guess.
 
i think they look cheapened w/out the ding gaurds..make the side of the car look tall and flat:shrug:
 
The ding strips were changed in 98.5. They became flat, ugly, and worst of all, useless. The pre98 and 98 ones were thicker, which can complement the car's curves.

It's all personal opinion. I think the car looks cleaner without any ding strips, but I dislike the 99+ ones especially. If my car was not partially repainted, it would have been Knauberized the week I bought it.
 
ub3rduck said:
Seeing as you like both, which would be easier to do? Remove the other or try and put the one you took off back on? Haha
Click to expand...

well either is just as easy I mean it only took like 30 mins to remove clean and wax.

rouar said:
The ding strips were changed in 98.5. They became flat, ugly, and worst of all, useless. The pre98 and 98 ones were thicker, which can complement the car's curves.

It's all personal opinion. I think the car looks cleaner without any ding strips, but I dislike the 99+ ones especially. If my car was not partially repainted, it would have been Knauberized the week I bought it.
Click to expand...

Yea thats what I mean. I have the 98 ones. They are beefier and have a nice aerodynamic look/shape to them. If I had the ugly ones they would definately be removed but these ones are actually nice. I'm just trying to decide which look i like better.
 
I have mixed feelings about them as well. My 98 ding guards are still on and I have no plans to remove them. To me the car would look very cheap without them. If I repaint the car, I might have them removed and stay off for good, but until then, it's not worth my time to remove them.

My brothers 95 Mystique has the same ones and I think they just flow perfectly.
 
CSVT1214 said:
I have mixed feelings about them as well. My 98 ding guards are still on and I have no plans to remove them. To me the car would look very cheap without them. If I repaint the car, I might have them removed and stay off for good, but until then, it's not worth my time to remove them.

My brothers 95 Mystique has the same ones and I think they just flow perfectly.
Click to expand...


I have to agree, but then again thats because they are the early style and look much better than the later style that looked like an after thought.
 
Justin, rip 'em off!!! If you want, I can get my brother to drink some beer and then pull your's off, that's how we did mine! :laugh:

Seriously, your car is so clean looking, I think knauberized would look better. :cool:
 
getsum111 said:
Justin, rip 'em off!!! If you want, I can get my brother to drink some beer and then pull your's off, that's how we did mine! :laugh:

Seriously, your car is so clean looking, I think knauberized would look better. :cool:
Click to expand...


haha...thanks Scott :eek:

I was checking it out in the parking lot today at work and the Knueberized side is really starting to grow on me! I do like how it has a newer look to it since most new cars are doing away with the guards. Plus it makes washing so much easier...i can bet buffing and waxing is going to be a lot better/easier too. I think I have enough aftermarket aesthetic mods to pull the look off. Either way I'm going to take the other side off to give it a good claybar-ing, buff and wax....by then I'll know if I want to put them back on again.
 
Just left the office for a "break" and took another glance while I was outside. I think the kneuberized side has won me over. I'd say I'm 90% sure I'm going to keep it.
 
teamSVTour said:
So i was bored and I decided to knauberize my SF SVT. I did the one side of my car, only took about 30mins to remove, goo-gone, claybar, and detail spray it to make them look like they were never there.

The thing is now I just cant get over the feeling that it just looks like something is missing now. While I agree the blank face does show off the paint a little better is just looks kind of...i dunno...plain. I noticed almost all of the newer cars are going for this look with no ding guards and for some reason those cars really seem to pull the look of better. Maybe it's because I am so used to seeing them there or b/c I have the better looking of the 2 models of ding guards so I really did not have a dislike for them to begin with. Just wanted to try something different.

So here my car stands half knauberized half not...still trying to decide. I guess I can always put them back on.

Anyone else feel unsure if they liked it once they did it?? It kind of reminds me of a cavalier for some weird reason. I'm looking for some opinions to help sway me one way or the other :laugh:
Click to expand...

i would never knauberize mine, they look so plain without it. and there is 2 different types of ding guards???? anyone have pics of the differences?
 
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