How to fix that nasty window trim problem
 

Everybody has seen the unsightly way that the trim pieces on the doors get old and start splitting and exposing rust underneath and all. At least I know every 2nd gen I have had and most I have seen were jacked up.
Here is an inexpensive and easy way to fix the problem. I held a RX7 meet earlier this year and one of the guys that came out told me how to do this. I looked for the materials and could not find them so I gave up and moved to other stuff.
There is a product called "Plasti-Dip" that has been around since man first started to walk upright that is a rubberizing compound usually used to dip pliers and stuff in to rubberize the handles and things of that nature.
Well he told me that they started making a sprayon version of the stuff.
Well now my AE is so close to being finished that I did the pitbull approach and set out to find it. I called the makers and asked them who had it and they ran off a list like Home Depot and all the other places that I had been to that did not have it or know that they ever did have it :( I told the lady that and she said to try NAPA because they buy tons from them.

NAPA is generally higher than everybody else on their stuff but I spent more time trying to find it that it did not matter.
She gave me the code number and NAPA dude pulled it up and did not have it.... but could have it in the morning for $7.19. Hell yes I was happy and went into my "little kid at Christmas mode" ;)
I picked it up this evening after work and went home popped off my mirrors and pulled the trim.
Using a razor and my fingers I peeled and flaked of as much of the funky crap I could get off.
I fired up Mr. Wirewheel on the grinder and cleaned it off BEING CAREFUL not to get into the wiper like part on the trim.
Since I am old school I took a pitcher of hot water (hot from the sink, not boiling because that would probably cost some appendages :( ) and I let the spray can sit in it to get the stuff good and warm.
Then I shook the hell out of it and laid the trim across my saw horses. I did not make anything off but I only aimed at the problem edge and did not do the back side.

It turned out absolutely awesome as did the guy that was at the meet. I wish I could remember his name. He was very cool and anybody willing to give you a GREAT tip is great in my book :D
So look at the pics, tell me what you think and how everybody knew how to do this but me. ;)

This is a before of the passenger side



http://scalliwag.com/window/DCP_3207.JPG

http://scalliwag.com/window/DCP_3207.JPG

This is after I started peeling the fugged up stuff off

http://scalliwag.com/window/DCP_3209.JPG


Here it is cleaned up and ready to spray

http://scalliwag.com/window/DCP_3210.JPG

And our hero of the day

http://scalliwag.com/window/DCP_3211.JPG

And the results are hard to see but I assure you they really look great. Once my wheels are powdercoated I will have a pretty clean AE :D

http://scalliwag.com/window/DCP_3212.JPG

http://scalliwag.com/window/DCP_3213.JPG

http://scalliwag.com/window/DCP_3214.JPG

http://scalliwag.com/window/DCP_3215.JPG

http://scalliwag.com/window/DCP_3216.JPG

good stuff buddy.....i think im gonna use that stuff for my windshield trim on my 1st gen.....can i paint over that stuff?

It is like rubber. If my 1st gen was here I would look at it to remind myself what the winshield trim is like so it is impossible to tell you an answer on that.
The stuff comes in black, red, blue, yellow, clear, and white.
As far as painting it I would bet that is not a problem.
Here is the mfg web site http://www.plastidip.com/consumer/products.html

After reading about how you can "thin" the Plasti-Dip that comes in a can with either naptha, xylene, or toluene I would bet you could get the can version and use it in an aerosol can like this http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/pho...1199/01102.gif

The reason that idea appeals to me and I wish I would have looked into it is because I already have a refillable aerosol can and you would be able to dip or spray with it.
I will get a can and try it. I am also going to spray the bottoms of all the drawers in my toolboxes. The vinyl always seems to slide around and piss me off so that seems like a great place to try the refillable aerosol project :D

Here is the link to the item at Harbor Freight http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=1102

lol good idea....i think i should do that to my box at the shop....it's gotten so scratched up and the vinyl is a real bitch

Scalliwag,
What is the NAPA part number for that stuff?

The black spray on is 0-75815-11203-3 That number works at more than just NAPA's though

GOOD INFO

I sure wish it would have been my idea though ;)

thanks 4 the tip,i did a temp fix w/rustoleum flat black spray paint (gatto luv the rattle can f/x)but will now redo w/ plasti-dip

I seen painted ones before and they just didn't look right. I am not sure if it is just knowing how they are supposed to be or what :confused:
The guy that show me had a awesome S5 white vert. He was showing it to me and going over what all he did on the restoration and he had just done the window trim. He was pretty jazzed with the results and went into details.
We all have him to thank if I could just remember his name.
I am thinking about having another meet before the end of the year. Technically it is a swapmeet but we all just got together and bullshitted and looked at each others cars. Only a few people sold anything and made a couple of trades.
Here is thread https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...5&pagenumber=1 I am sure the guy was one of the people that posted but it's hard to tell from user names :confused:

Do they make it in different colors? I was just thinking that they'd look awesome in white on a 10th AE.

Yep go to this link and click the PlastiDip to see a color chart http://www.plastidip.com/consumer/products.html
But I highly doubt that the white would look as good as you are thinking. It will look more like you tried to paint rubber white.
But I could be wrong and it may look great.