well i have a 83 GSL. I just restored all the black trim that was faded...I took mothers FX tire shine rubbed it on with a buffer then heated up the plastic with a heat gun and it came out awesome. Im just wondering what other ways you guys have fixed up all the plastic and rubber trim on your car. Or did you just completely remove it all? And if so some pictures

 

I took my side molding off and shaved the side marker lights. I dont have a pic right now, but one warning is that underneath my pass side door molding was a ton of surface rust that needed fixed. Be careful what you get yourself into.

 

the side marker light takes up a hole in the molding right? how did you fill it???

 

When I shaved my side markers, I used the expanded alumimun metal, bonded to the back side with a kevlar reiforced body filler. Expensive stuff at 18 bucks for a 16 oz. tube, but it is the toughest stuff you will find. If you wait overnight to sand it, you need to start with 24 grit paper. Then used a fiberglass short hair putty for smoothing on the outside, followed by glazing putty for final smoothing and pinholes.

As far as refubishing the rub strips, if they are off the car, start with 0000 steel wool and lacquer thinner. On the car use mineral spirits and mask off the paint. Then use the appropriate dressing, staying away from the silicones.

 

I just JB welded a spare chunk of fender behind the hole and filled the hole with fine hair bondo glass and then used bondo extreme cut down with a little resin I had to make it really creamy.

 

I painted mine to match the body color. No more fading rubber problems and I think it's an improvement in the looks.

 

It's real easy to maintain these rubber strips by rubbing them with Vasoline. The fading completely goes away and they look like new. This works with the bumper strips too, which are actually plastic painted black, not rubber. The vasoline treatment lasts a long time, it seems to me I only have to do this every couple years. Here's what they look like on my White One after I did the vasoline treatment.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/479957/16

It takes about 20 minutes to go around the whole car. Works well on tire sidewalls too!

Ray

 

wow that looks pretty good....let see how long the tire shine works...

 

Here's a photo I just took to show you what the tire looks like after five weeks and about 2500 miles on I85.

 

my light holes area welded solid with sheetmetal. no body filler to crack or bust. looks like they were never there.

 

Ditto,mine have been shaved for years.
I hate the stock rub strip and I never understood the need for side marker lights when the stock turn signals are wrap around/illuminated.

 

im in the middle of repainting all the black trim on mine, as well as all the black around the windows and door handles.

I used krylons fusion paint for plastics and metal, actually looks real good so far, ill post some pics when im done

 

i used bumper paint on my trim before when it was really messed, wont keep a great luster but its better than weirdo white patches. later i just removed it all-together.

 

purple82, what specific color is that? I LIKE IT!

 

Thanks. GM Radar Blue Metallic

 

I love it! Almost looks like Mystic. I also went monochromatic w/ my Z car & widebody 7.

 

I like the black molding. I think it complements the wheels, tires, mirrors and windshield trim.

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I personally think it depends on the color of your FB. I think on mine since it is white and my rims are black centered, the molding really stands out and it compliments the car's extierior.
It just really depends on the color of your car. Here is my FB......

 

I thought about painting the molding alot before I did it. If you think about what manufacturers do to differenciate the high end version of a body style, they often color the trim to match the body color. The turbo 2nd gen MR2, the 10AE and S5, and the GSR 2nd gen Integra were all better looking than the other versions of the body style, in my opinion, so I figured, my FB is special enough to get the same treatment. I think it looks much better now than it did with the black trim, and I had it both ways.

 

The black trim looks real good on the light colors and pretty good on the dark colors, it adds a touch of class to that metallic blue, nice car!