The 2008 Civic Si sedan FA5 needed a simple but very visible exterior refresh: the window sill weatherstrip / belt molding had dried out, broken down, and was no longer doing much sealing. In this Brady Adventures video, the old belt moldings come off and a full aftermarket replacement set goes on all four doors.
This is not presented as a perfect factory-service-manual how-to. The video shows the real learning process: stubborn old trim, plastic clips that are basically designed to break, cheap pry tools that are not always strong enough, and the extra care needed if your paint is in better shape than this Civic's already-worn clear coat.
Parts And Tools
- Trim / panel removal tools: https://amzn.to/3TPsdhJ
- 2006-2011 sedan window sill weatherstrip / belt molding set: https://amzn.to/4zsU5sr
Part numbers referenced for the 2008 Civic Si sedan FA5:
- Front right/passenger window sill weatherstrip / belt molding: 72410-SNA-A01
- Front left/driver window sill weatherstrip / belt molding: 72450-SNA-A01
- Rear right/passenger window sill weatherstrip / belt molding: 72910-SNA-A01
- Rear left/driver window sill weatherstrip / belt molding: 72950-SNA-A01
Disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links that help support Brady Adventures at no extra cost to you.
What The Install Was Really Like
The old seals were in rough shape and came apart as they were removed. Masking tape helped protect the paint around the window line, but the job still takes patience because the retaining clips can stay stuck in the door or break away from the old molding.
The basic process was to work under the rubber and trim, pry upward, remove the leftover clip pieces, clean the channel, and then line up the new belt molding so the back seal and clips seated correctly. Gloves helped once the trim started coming apart, and a stronger set of plastic pry tools would make the job less frustrating.
The driver side improved quickly once the technique started to make sense. The passenger side went faster, but the same warning still applies: if your paint is nice, go slowly, use tape, and be careful around the glass and clear coat.
Final Verdict
For the money, the aftermarket set made the Civic look a lot cleaner. The fresh flat black window line is a big visual improvement over the worn-out old seals, and all four doors looked much better when the job was done.
The tradeoff is fit and finish. The inexpensive set used in the video was not perfectly precise, and one area did not lock in as cleanly as expected. OEM pieces would probably align better, but they cost much more per door. For a budget exterior refresh on an older FA5 Civic Si, the aftermarket set still made sense.
