Hey just wondering how to go about replacing a spolier, the paint on mine was all cracked and was starting to rust where the water got inbetween the bodywork and the spolier. So just wondering if it's cheaper to get a flat skin to go over the top or a new spoiler? Also wondering how to go about repairing the black strip around the front and rear windscreens. The plastic has corroded off the top. Any thanks appreciated.
It's not rusting; the OEM series one spoiler is a solid lump of rubber (go and press on it! it's soft) that deforms with moisture absorption/evaporation over age. Go to zToy and order a fiberglass spoiler. It'll never bubble or deform, and weighs around 8 kilograms less than the stock one - your hatch will never fall on your head. About the trim - I was told at the Sydney tech day today about how you can mask off the rubber trim areas and go over them with boot polish. Leave it to soak in and it'll recolour any imperfections caused by weathering (though I don't know if it'll help any small leaks, though they do say polishing your shoes helps keep them waterproof). I plan on doing it sometime this week.
Boot polish.... Sir, that's a brilliant idea! Masking will definitely be required though. I shall also be doing that this week now. Consider yourself thanked.
Sounds like a theory from "Worlds Fastest Indian" Boot polish the tires and cracks while you're at it too On a serious note though, it sounds like it should work. Be good to see yours once its done Tom-bhoy.
Just reading the OPs Q's again. If the black plastic coating has come off the trim that goes on either side of the front windscreen and over the roof line. For the life of me i cant think of the real name. Der! Boot polish wont want anything of it. As there is no substance for it to soak into. Its stainless steel under neath. All you can do is paint it, or replace with new ones. The polish trick may work on the rubber seal surrounding the hatch glass, but that's about all.
Isnt there a piece of metal that runs through the rear spoiler? Also the rust might be where the spoiler screws to the hatch.
I was thinking more the trim down at the bottom of the windows to start with. About the masking, I was thinking - so long as you don't leave it in the sun for 20 minutes, getting boot polish off good condition paint won't be hard, so he masking doesn't have to be perfect. All credit goes to Steven who was a wealth of information yesterday.
You are correct sir! That is the first thing I got fixed up when I took mine off. It was rusting around the screw holes.
your wrong...the boot spoiler does have steel reinforcing inside of it. When water gets to the metal and rusts, the result is a warped and cracked spoiler...you need to remove the spoiler to see the rust that will almost definitely be on the underside of the spoiler...Im speaking from experience.
