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Beware, using a clear wrap it will discolor over time and would need to be removed and or re-applied. Those are intended for common 'chip' areas.
roof help
can someone point me in the right direction as far as removing the rubber strips as well as the antenna (from the base)? i am looking in wrapping the entire car myself in clear bra wrap and besides the bumpers which i can handle i figured i would ask you fine folks before i did something stupid by trying to just pry them off. anyone have experience? any help would be appreciated
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Have you thought about using plastidip rubber dip spray?
https://www.dipyourcar.com/pages/videos-tutorials
With plastidip, you can just peel and it should cut at any hard edge. Rubber edges like near the windows will need to be taped and peeled while wet. Those rubber strips on the roof should pry right out with a plastic putty knife. The antenna can even be dipped as it shouldn't affect transmission/reception.
https://www.dipyourcar.com/pages/videos-tutorials
With plastidip, you can just peel and it should cut at any hard edge. Rubber edges like near the windows will need to be taped and peeled while wet. Those rubber strips on the roof should pry right out with a plastic putty knife. The antenna can even be dipped as it shouldn't affect transmission/reception.
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Who would plastidip an entire vehicle?
I'm SURE it's been done.
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Many things have been done, but should they?
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Certainly not with individual cans. But gallon cans and an Erlang dip sprayer makes this task easier. Plus with the new glossy top coat and dip pearls you can do some amazing stuff. Small flying debris bounces right off. No worries about road salt, but the new worry is accidentally dripping gasoline on the plastidip, as it degrades quickly if you overflow your tank.
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guys i need help to remove the rubber rails. yes i have heard of plastidip and im planning on doing the entire car with it but want the roof shiny black as well as the trunk and mirrors to match the door inserts. i chose to go the wrap route and im sticking with it because im looking for the gloss finish.
this can be done with a thing called AUTOFLEX or HALO EFX. they are grown up plastidips that look like OEM paint. they can be sanded buffed waxed resist to gas spills and are easily peeled back off. (google each one) they are meant for ENTIRE car projects and not just patches as they are a lot more than regular dip and only sell in gallons. (this makes it incomvenient for me.)
so this still leaves me with a need to know on how to pry off those rubber strips.
this can be done with a thing called AUTOFLEX or HALO EFX. they are grown up plastidips that look like OEM paint. they can be sanded buffed waxed resist to gas spills and are easily peeled back off. (google each one) they are meant for ENTIRE car projects and not just patches as they are a lot more than regular dip and only sell in gallons. (this makes it incomvenient for me.)
so this still leaves me with a need to know on how to pry off those rubber strips.
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thanks for the heads up but i gotta correct you and let others know youre actually wrong on that info. clear wrap USED to turn yellow in its first generation. the glue would react to UV light and change chemical structure tinting it. the ones they sell today are guaranteed for life to stay 100% clear and see through...they even have a few that self heal. im not a sales rep but ive been doing my homework on them for the better part of 5 or so months in a quest to figure out what im protecting my newly bought volt with.
Masking them off isn't an option? Also, how often do you get gas spills on your roof?
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LOL.
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1. Begin at the rear edge of the roof panel joint finish moulding and carefully pry the moulding from the roof ditch clip.
2. Pull the moulding forward out of the ditch.
3. Carefully lift the front edge from the second roof ditch clip.
4. Clean any adhesive residue from the ditch using a 50 / 50 mixture by volume of isopropyl alcohol and clean drinkable water.
5. Dry the ditch with a lint free cotton towel.
Antenna:
1.Lower the rear of the headlining trim panel
2. Remove Radio Antenna Base Fastener (use a new on to re-install)
3. Remove Electrical Connectors
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The gas spills are for the side of the car next to the fuel filler. Gasoline pretty much dissolves plastidip. So does WD40.
This technology is advancing faster than smartphones. Just 3 years ago, the had interesting colors. Then they added pearls and chameleon flakes. Then a glossy top coat that is almost like a clearcoat. Soon you won;t be able to tell the difference between a dip job and a paint job. A DYIer can get started with a dip sprayer and enough dip for a whole car for about $500. The entire car is then protected from small rocks and other flying debris that would normally scuff of the car. I wish I could turn back time and dip my entire volt before the front end got dinged up.
Then when you are bored, another $200-300 in dip gallons and pearls gets you a new look, either by spraying more or peeling and starting over. Had I not found a full time gig after my previous job moved to Texas, getting into the dipping business was one of my possible directions. I dabbled enough to be dangerous and my first project would have been to dip my wife's CTS to look like the 2003/4 CTS race car, then drive it around to get attention and new business. The business plan is in place, I have the funding for seed money, but the new job was substantial enough pay to cause me to pause this entrepreneurial endeavor. I might still do it, but nights and weekend will cause me to slow down the pace.
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They don't anymore. They are much better than they used to be.
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Exactly what I was thinking........
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