[ToonRboy]

Looking for a resonable facsimile for a drip rail. Mine both got tore up by hungry bats.

Looks part press-on and part 3M, but can't tell for sure. Probably Wouldn't hurt to pull off the old chewed-up one's & find out the hard way. They're so long and thin, I can't imagine how they would get shipped. So I'm thinking of trying a facsimile of some sort.

Any idea's or experience welcome.

 

[planetmojo]

I have yanked off a couple of those on FUBAR GTV6s. I think once you have them off, yer screwed. They become deformed and kinked even with a careful removal plan.

Part metal and part rubber. I've sold short sections to folks who need a little repair portion. But I don't see how you'd get a full length back on, once removed. Someone may know a trick that I don't. But you may be better off seeing if you can repair what's there... while still on the car.

Is that the car that got ball-peened from the hail storm?

 

[ToonRboy]

I suspect the fellers that have done full frame restore or at least removed all the trim prior to paint (like brookstrout) would know. Obviously, I won't suffer much by pulling-off what's there now.

Is that the car that got ball-peened from the hail storm?

Yup. $654.00 to replace the windshield. I bet if I could find the correct unmolested drip rail moulding, they'd be ~$150.00 each!

 

[ToonRboy]

'Took my own advice and stuck my head in there for a closer look (rained all day yesterday). Looks like three rivets under the door frame and perhaps 3M along the rail to the back. It gets really thin where it traverses the B pillar.

Kinda like this drip rail but 3M on other side of flange.

Maybe I could do a lip guard. We'll see.

 

[ghnl]

Could you fit this over the damaged edge?

 

[planetmojo]

Now that it seems you are bringing your car back to life... did you still need those dash eye-ball vents, and altitude compensation module, that I had set aside for you?

No wrong answer. Just wondering if I should put those back in the shop window.

Peter

 

[ToonRboy]

Planet - I think you have me confused with someone else. I was looking for these parts.

In our PM's back-n-forth, I think I explained what happened and why priorities had changed. Sorry bout that.

 

[planetmojo]

You are right... as usual, I am confused. Sorry.

I probably have the headlight ring and partial trunk liner still around, if that becomes a priority in the future.

 

[ToonRboy]

Could you fit this over the damaged edge?

Excellent idea ghnl! Got me thinking because this style would only be able to go over from the rear to the apex in the door due to the trim being flat against the a pillar in front.

I'm thinking same idea (cover it), only with this.

 

[bayalfagtv6]

Keep us posted on your final outcome. I have an 83 and an 85 and both have paint chipped on the stainless pieces, repainting them would be a pain. And what about the plasic cap, beginning to sunfade and erode. Really needs something to give it a nice finish.

 

[ToonRboy]

Turns-out trim Guard doesn't sell to John Q Public, so they gave me this distributor.

Planetmojo, I appreciate your time looking for that stuff. I wasn't trying to jerk your chain. ...Back then I was anticipating some suspension bu$hing work & getting some electricals wired & fini$hing the interior - till this little incident. I know, your items are not a lot of money, but right now, enough to buy my beer for a week. I hope to get to that soon.

 

[planetmojo]

ToonR, No worries. I wasn't thinking you were jerking me around. I understand, from the circumstances you had explained. Priorities change. When something like replacing a windshield or a mechanical problem pops up out of the blue (literally)... cosmetic details tend to get moved down the priority list.

Good luck with your rain gutter fix,
Peter

 

[Mark_toro]

I pulled mine off carefully for repainting. Yes three rivets at the front and then carefully pry of the rest. Of course i haven't put them back on yet, but looks to be no problem - maybe a little trim adhesive if issues do sprout up.

 

[Biba69]

Perhaps Mark_toro could elaborate on how he got his off. In my case I've removed a couple of sets of the stainless ones on Alfetta GT's - at least the early ones and installed one set. Drill out the pop rivets, then starting at the rear begin removing the rail. When you get to the front begin twisting the rail, but from two or three feet from the area yet to be removed. As I recall, I ended up twisting it 360 degrees from rear to front to get it off completely.

There is no glue on - at least noat on the early Alfetta GT's - except for some non-hardening 'calk' at the front.

When assembling, get it started making sure the pop rivet holes line up, then twist it as you work it around the fairly tight curve where the windwing meets the side glass.

If mine - and mostly because of the shipping hassle - I'd remove them, fill the divots with either JB-Weld or a flex type filler used for modern bumpers, sand, then apply a black SEM paint - either gloss or semi-matte black. If they've had any silicone applied to them, best of luck on the painting part.

 

[tpalfa]

I recently pulled mine off and recoated them and put them back on and it was pretty simple and they didn't kink. BUT. I had removed all of the rear window frames/pillars/trim which made it much easier at the rear which is where the problem is. You need to twist the railing as you pull it off and when you put it back on. With the lower rear window trim in place its pretty hard to do it without kinking the railing - there is very little clearance - I tried to take one off years ago without disassembling the rear windows and put a slight kink in it (and couldn't get it off but maybe I wasn't trying hard enough).

Mine had three screws at the front along the A-pillar and were a press/snap fit all the way to the rear.

 

[brookstroutr]

toonerboy,

It's not as hard as one thinks. Remove the fasteners from the drip rail. Then SLLLOOOWWWLLYYY start removing the rail from the rear towards the front. There should be no sealant as it's a pressure fit. You need to carefully pry the bottom flange upwards as the top lip clips over the bodywork. Work your way slowly (remember this word) towards the front easing the rail removal as you go. It helps if you have a couple of sober friends to keep it from twisting to hold it in shape or the deformation sets in leading to cussing, swearing, throwing shat and total overload of alcohol consumption and eventual low self esteem.

I removed mine solo but had a couple guys at the paint shop help install mine with a lead man aligning the rail, another sorta pushing it in place and the third guy taking a protected rubber mallet to lock 'er in. BTW, they had freshly re-sprayed them with the other 43 pieces of body trim. Yeah, I counted them as I removed and cleaned all of them. It was worth it!

Installation is reverse of removal. DON'T forget the fasteners.

 

[brookstroutr]

One missed note on the re-installation. Make sure the you start in the absolute correct starting position because once started; you're in! Ya want to sorta "roll" the drip rail away from/towards the car. I use a straight point dental pick for aligning a lot of parts prior to installing the screws, rivets and the like particularly with trim pieces, interior and exterior.

 

[Garland]

I've also taken mine off by myself for repainting and put it back on solo. Just go slow and it's not a problem.

 

[ToonRboy]

Thank fellas, lots of excellent info. Yeah, once I got off my butt and actually looked - I figured pretty-much what's being said. 'Cept because of the damage already there, I guesstimate more risk of breaking it during removal. Not sure how I could effectively repair it

I received the edge trim from Vinyl Graphics Saturday. Looks like it's going to work out pretty nicely.

...now I'm wondering if I should wait until after i get the body work done!...

 

[brookstroutr]

BTW, I used a painter's 5 in 1 scraper as it's wide and used the flat side (not the angled edge) which did a nice job of things.

Good Luck with yours.