Restoring and mounting OEM 99-spec skirts
 

Hi :)
So i got my set of used 99-spec sideskirts in the main today. They where cheap, so i decided to take the chanse even if i head theya re a bit difficulrt to handle.
But i was not prepared for the actual extent of how "foamy" they are. I pictured a bumper like material, but this is nothing like that.

So my question is, have anyone successfully restored and mounted a set to their car?
If so, what paint did you use, and what kind of filler would work on them?

I have a set on my car. PM me your email address and I'll send the install manual, I have it at home somewhere.

Used they are a BIG pain. The big problem is the original paint was bonded or something to it in the mold, I'm not even sure if it's really paint. I had mine professionally painted after I mounted them on the car and the paint flaked off over time.

I like how they look, but they are quite heavy for what they are and a bitch to paint.

I would take one to some local body shops and see if they have any good ideas on painting them. If the paint is still good and not cracked, you're miles ahead.

Dale

You got PM :)
Yeah its a strange paint i must say. I like them too, i think, but im not so sure with how ass they probably will be to mount. Luckily i did not spend big bucks, and got them for around 400.
I will ask a paint shop what they think about it. Must be possible to get a soft type of paint.

They are unfortunatley quite cracked, and got some damage here and there but i can fix the damaged parts at least :)

Im having mine repainted right now. Yeah, its a PITA to paint, a few shops declined due to the level of effort to sand down the previous color.

As I've been told, the trick is adding a lot of flex agent during painting.

Are these kind of a soft urethane type of material, sort of like the mud guards?

Gentlemen. These are a pain in the ass to repair and paint. It is well documented. These sides used to sell for $600-700 USD. Once we came out with our version, which is 10x better, no one really wants to deal with the OEM ones anymore, which is why you can get them for "cheap." I have heard body shops quote $1000 USD to paint them and they will STILL eventually flake off. Just picture trying to paint a nerf ball, because that is essentially what the OE material is.

Its much softer, or a combination of several materials. I would best describe it as a form of dense rubber foam.

I got mine pretty cheap so i thought it was worth a shot, if nothing else than to "experience" them for myself.

Also I have a feeling the Shine version weighs a LOT less. The OEM skirts are pretty heavy.

Once it comes time to paint my car the OEM ones will be getting replaced with something like one of the Shine products.

The reason that many of the OEM skirts that are for sale are so damaged is they are SUPER attached to the car. Multiple bolts, 3M tape all around the perimeter, and GLUE spread on the inside of the skirt. A lot of this is necessary since again the skirts are damn heavy and need to stay on the car. When you remove them from the car you have to basically peel them off the car and bending the skirts at such an extreme angle cracks the paint.

IMHO these skirts are fine if you somehow got them NEW and attached them to the car.

Dale

Live with it.
 

It may become accepted that to stay OEM, you have to live with some apparent stress cracking.

Just like some collector cars are being restored to the extent of replicating "factory flaws".

I wonder if instead of painting, if "wrapping" might be the solution.

I think a vinyl wrap would work really well, the only problem would be getting something that's full gloss and matches the paint color. If you have black or red, probably not too hard, but you probably won't find Montego Blue wrap for example.

Dale

Grr, this thread has convinced me not to go with OEM side skirts. :icon_no2: Guess I'll be going with the shine auto ones once it comes time for body work.

Can't remember but I think 30lbs together, maybe each side ?

Either way, the infamous rumours of the OEM 99 skirt are true .

Need to add exactly the right amount of flex agent to the paint.

Have done it successfully with a pro body shop, and failed miserably with a "cheap" body shop.

Moral of the story is it can be done, but the reason they are so expensive when they are clean is that they are so hard to work on when they are "cheap", and clean sets in OEM colors are becoming unicorns, but they are the best of the best IMO. (full disclosure my car has them)