I just picked up a stock 91 Si hatchback in awesome shape. It still has those rubber wheel well liner pieces on it. What is the consensus on keeping or removing those strips? I tried a search and couldn't come up with much info using various search terms. The car has been in Georgia all its life so I'm not to worried about any salty moisture being trapped up in there over the years, but if I barely pull them away for a look I can tell there is definitely some dirt and grit there.

Do most people remove these on principle or would you keep them in place living in a warmer climate? What was their original purpose anyhow? Was it an appearance piece or were they there to keep rock chips off that little strip of metal?

 

Keep them. They also help keep stuff from flinging up inside your engine bay from your tires.

 

the wheel well liner protects the lights and rock, dirt, anything from getting in beside your door and sometimes keep water out from lip around it.

they are suppose to be there for a reason i wouldn't take it out but it is not completely necessary to run... i am missing one of mine on passenger side i have another but don't really care to much about it because nothings gonna get broke with it not there

 

plus its easier to clean with them too

 

these are nice and protective but they can also cause rust from storing the water inside

 

Hi ... I joined specifically to warn you not to install these, much less keep them on. I saw a set of these on a Acura as I recall and ordered a set of four and they were installed on my MINT 1989 Mazda 626 Turbo. In two years I had cancer rust around all four wheel wells. When we pulled the rubber off we found that the metal inside the rubber had worked its way through and into the wheel well. So ... the paint abraded through, salt and water did their thing and I have never forgiven these things for destroying and otherwise awesome car. ....