I don't know about anyone else, but that clear strip on the tonneau cover has been bugging me since I bought the car a few weeks ago. Its got wax residue trapped under it, it's ragged and just generally looks like.....well, pooh.
I'm just taking mine offand not replacing it. The car never sees rain and the top is down 98%of the time. Ususally, the only tim ethe top goes up is if I run intothe store and want to lock the car. If I do have to put the top up when driving, I'll just throw one of the "cling wrap" style ones on there or maybe a temporary felt strip to protect the paint against excessive rubbing.
First, I tried a heat gun. That made it pull off easily, but it left behind the adhesive and the plastic got so soft and pliable it would just tear and shrink.
I ended up just working an edge up with one of my plastic interior tools and then it would peel:
You DO NOT want to use anything metal (IE: scraper, razor blade, etc) to remove the clear plastic, there's too much chance of putting a deep scratch in the paint. You want a soft (or mostly soft) plastic tool, thinner the better.
You have to go SSSLLLLOOOOOOOOOWWW when peeling.
The clear plastic is old and anywhere the top pressed on it with any real force will be "extra stuck". Remember, this thing has been stuck there for many years, if not a couple decades. It will occasionally rip in those "extra stuck" areas, or anywhere the plastic has gone so old it has cracked/deteriorated:
Just take your plastic tool and work the rip back up:
The worst spots will be around where the latches were as there was more pressure in those spots:
Once you get it off, there's still going to be lots of adhesive on the paint. I'm going to have to pick up a bottle of "goo gone" as my paint prep wipe won't even touch the adhesive. It will turn it soft, but it still won't move. Worst case scenario, I'll get the 3M eraser wheel out and make sort work of that old goo. The 3M wheel is fantasticand I've yet to have it even scratch a paint job, but I still find it a little too aggressive for my comfort.
Stand by for the next installment; removing the left over adhesive and do the paint correction.
I'm just taking mine offand not replacing it. The car never sees rain and the top is down 98%of the time. Ususally, the only tim ethe top goes up is if I run intothe store and want to lock the car. If I do have to put the top up when driving, I'll just throw one of the "cling wrap" style ones on there or maybe a temporary felt strip to protect the paint against excessive rubbing.
First, I tried a heat gun. That made it pull off easily, but it left behind the adhesive and the plastic got so soft and pliable it would just tear and shrink.
I ended up just working an edge up with one of my plastic interior tools and then it would peel:
You DO NOT want to use anything metal (IE: scraper, razor blade, etc) to remove the clear plastic, there's too much chance of putting a deep scratch in the paint. You want a soft (or mostly soft) plastic tool, thinner the better.
You have to go SSSLLLLOOOOOOOOOWWW when peeling.
The clear plastic is old and anywhere the top pressed on it with any real force will be "extra stuck". Remember, this thing has been stuck there for many years, if not a couple decades. It will occasionally rip in those "extra stuck" areas, or anywhere the plastic has gone so old it has cracked/deteriorated:
Just take your plastic tool and work the rip back up:
The worst spots will be around where the latches were as there was more pressure in those spots:
Once you get it off, there's still going to be lots of adhesive on the paint. I'm going to have to pick up a bottle of "goo gone" as my paint prep wipe won't even touch the adhesive. It will turn it soft, but it still won't move. Worst case scenario, I'll get the 3M eraser wheel out and make sort work of that old goo. The 3M wheel is fantasticand I've yet to have it even scratch a paint job, but I still find it a little too aggressive for my comfort.
Stand by for the next installment; removing the left over adhesive and do the paint correction.
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