Black rear window trim on my 81'
07-10-2004, 10:17 PM
#1
Burning Brakes
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Location: "Too Low, Too Fast, Too Loud" TX
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Black rear window trim on my 81'
Hi all,
I am going to have to redo the black back window trim on my vette. Would like to remove the trim if I can. What do I need to do this. If this can be accomplished, I would like to redo the black paint on trim, anyone done this or have paint i.d. to bring this back to factory spec. I also bought the "old style" 1 piece Crager aluminum louvers for the back window and will like to put these on. The forum member I bought them from kindly cleaned them up and painted them gloss black. I would like to go back and redo these to the "satin black" finish, as to match with the ext. trim paint finish on the rest of the car. Any info would be greatly appreciated...thanks again , Joe! peace ... <*)))><
I am going to have to redo the black back window trim on my vette. Would like to remove the trim if I can. What do I need to do this. If this can be accomplished, I would like to redo the black paint on trim, anyone done this or have paint i.d. to bring this back to factory spec. I also bought the "old style" 1 piece Crager aluminum louvers for the back window and will like to put these on. The forum member I bought them from kindly cleaned them up and painted them gloss black. I would like to go back and redo these to the "satin black" finish, as to match with the ext. trim paint finish on the rest of the car. Any info would be greatly appreciated...thanks again , Joe! peace ... <*)))><
07-10-2004, 10:52 PM
#2
Safety Car
I did mine while on car. Mine were black but worn from the SoCal sun.
I first lightly sanded and wiped with Xylene solvent to clean, taped if off with blue painters masking tape, and sprayed away. I used Mid America's "Black Anodize" spray paint. Its advertised to be able to stick to chrome. Did the front windsheild trim also and they still look like new 2 years later.
Brent...
I first lightly sanded and wiped with Xylene solvent to clean, taped if off with blue painters masking tape, and sprayed away. I used Mid America's "Black Anodize" spray paint. Its advertised to be able to stick to chrome. Did the front windsheild trim also and they still look like new 2 years later.
Brent...
07-11-2004, 01:05 AM
#4
Burning Brakes
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Sanding trim...
What grit sand paper did you guys use on the trim...thanks, think I will try on the car...argh, will have to tape off everything real good...don't want any overspray! Thanks, Joe!
07-11-2004, 01:19 AM
#5
Safety Car
I think I used a finer grit woodwookers sandpaper -maybe 400. I also taped before I sanded, and I used newspaper to prevent overspray in a closed garage.
Its easy and makes a huge difference in looks.
Also did the rocker panels with a black epoxy spray paint. Made them look better than new
Brent...
Its easy and makes a huge difference in looks.
Also did the rocker panels with a black epoxy spray paint. Made them look better than new
Brent...
07-11-2004, 02:23 AM
#6
Melting Slicks
Originally Posted by MN-Brent
I think I used a finer grit woodwookers sandpaper -maybe 400. I also taped before I sanded, and I used newspaper to prevent overspray in a closed garage.
Its easy and makes a huge difference in looks.
Also did the rocker panels with a black epoxy spray paint. Made them look better than new
Brent...
Its easy and makes a huge difference in looks.
Also did the rocker panels with a black epoxy spray paint. Made them look better than new
Brent...
This is EXACTLY what I did on my 81, made such a difference, I also did the same to the front windscreen surround. Well worth the effort, really adds the finishing touch. 
07-11-2004, 04:54 AM
#8
It's a pita to remove and get back in. There's a large number of "retainer tabs" around the windscreen that are pushed into a hole drilled in the fiberglass underneath. They are plastic and if they break you have to replace them, which is next to impossible with the windshield in place. I would leave the trim on, you do not want to remove it just to paint it.
07-12-2004, 07:24 AM
#9
Hi Joe,
Did this on my '81. I removed the trim, both front & rear, using a small screwdriver.... and I didn't break anything! There's a tool that you can buy to do the job which should be easily available in the US (the trim needs to be removed to change the glass). What I did was thoroughly wash all the years of dirt out from behind the trim using a hose & paintbrush & then opened up one clip by using a very small, flat blade screwdriver. Your best bet is to buy a clip to see how it works as I can't remember how I did it! Once you've lifted the trim out of one clip then gently slide it back & forth slightly through the adjacent clips. This frees it up of the years of crud that have accumulated & makes it a lot easier to unclip (WD40 sprayed behind the trim onto the clips also helps). Once you've got the 1st couple of clips off then it's plain sailing all the way & it comes apart real easy. I started by removing the clip nearest one of the corner pieces so that I could lift the trim enough to get the corner piece off. Then you've got the ends of 2 parts of the trim that you can lift slightly & use a tool/screwdriver to unhook the adjacent clips.
Then just use paint stripper on the trim & final clean with 400 wet-or-dry. Didn't bother painting mine & polished it up instead (as the '80 was). The metal, certainly on mine, is aluminum that's been polished & clear anodised. Then it was painted black (getting the anodising off by hand is a long & boring job, best done chemically by a metal finishers). The trim is very fragile & easily bent/damaged. I had to reshape mine & polish out some deep gouges (which is why I had to remove the anodising & polish it up).
The trim just clips back on once you've finished painting (or polishing) it.
Did this on my '81. I removed the trim, both front & rear, using a small screwdriver.... and I didn't break anything! There's a tool that you can buy to do the job which should be easily available in the US (the trim needs to be removed to change the glass). What I did was thoroughly wash all the years of dirt out from behind the trim using a hose & paintbrush & then opened up one clip by using a very small, flat blade screwdriver. Your best bet is to buy a clip to see how it works as I can't remember how I did it! Once you've lifted the trim out of one clip then gently slide it back & forth slightly through the adjacent clips. This frees it up of the years of crud that have accumulated & makes it a lot easier to unclip (WD40 sprayed behind the trim onto the clips also helps). Once you've got the 1st couple of clips off then it's plain sailing all the way & it comes apart real easy. I started by removing the clip nearest one of the corner pieces so that I could lift the trim enough to get the corner piece off. Then you've got the ends of 2 parts of the trim that you can lift slightly & use a tool/screwdriver to unhook the adjacent clips.
Then just use paint stripper on the trim & final clean with 400 wet-or-dry. Didn't bother painting mine & polished it up instead (as the '80 was). The metal, certainly on mine, is aluminum that's been polished & clear anodised. Then it was painted black (getting the anodising off by hand is a long & boring job, best done chemically by a metal finishers). The trim is very fragile & easily bent/damaged. I had to reshape mine & polish out some deep gouges (which is why I had to remove the anodising & polish it up).
The trim just clips back on once you've finished painting (or polishing) it.
