getting a good seal on sideskirt, 404 sideskirts Options

[netrata]

Okay, is it possible to heat up painted fiberglass in order to bend it so it goes a bit closer to the cars body? I was just wondering because I just got my car back today and there are a few gaps here and there whether it's double sided tape on bonding to well or the fiberglass doesn't get to where it suppose to be (And I want to be careful that I don't strip the paint from any of the panels). I mean overall the install looks okay, but I wanted to where I can kind of seal off the gaps more so it's less noticeable. Also, is it a good thing to just use a sharp blade to remove excessive double sided tape from the skirts and extensions? Any and all help will be appreciated so please give me some info on this, thanks guys. Also, i'll try and get a few pictures up tomorrow to show you guys what I mean.

This post has been edited by netrata: Feb 14, 2007 - 12:14 AM

[trdproven]

I know how you feel, same here. However, you can buy weatherstripping. You can get this anywhere, same way the corollas are with their skirts. Its a black piece that goes around the skirt. They prevent rain from going in between. Still you shouldnt worry, there are drain holes. I just deal with it cus mines white and I don't want that black line unless painted to show. Good example is a matrix with skirts.

[netrata]

Pictures Up. Anyway on closing up these gaps?

[creis]

exactly what mine looked like, tired a number of things but it ended up in the shop were they put urathane over it to hold it to the body and masaged it as best they could, involved cutting and stuff but as far as the front and back, kinda gata just live with it unless you got the money to have a shop rework it or you have the skill to rebuild the peace. can just fill it in and have a shop paint it.

sorry for the bad news maybe someone else has a better idea but thats how i dealt with it.

[vsideboy]

Basically NO you can't heat fibreglass to bend it, its created by mixing 2 chemicals together and a chemical reaction takes place, its not much like plastic that could be soften with heat.

The only think I can think that you could do would be to remove the kit, roughly sand about half inch to an inch of the inside face that comes close to touching the car, apply some tape to your car roughly where the kit touches, apply some vaseline or other petroleum jelly over this and replace your kit, then mix up some filler and push the filler in the gap, smoothing out as best you can. Then once it has hardened then you should be able to remove the kit, sand and respray. Once refitted the gap should be almost nothing.

The jelly is to stop the filler sticking to the car by the way. The tap is a backup for the jelly.

Hope it helps.

[netrata]

Hey guess what, you can actually use seam sealer or seam sealer tape for the gaps. It's paintable and would come out like the sealer you see on the Corolla S's sideskirts and extensions. Just need to smooth out paste seal or use a narrow sized tape to do the job.

[Nibbe]

Yes you can heat and bend up some sort of fc parts but the paint wont last cos it heats up too. Atleast in some of us parts. Basicly they only use little different rosin on it so it will bend when heated. We heated my invader backbumper to make it fit and its almost like plastic once you heat it up a little. Also heated up my friends whole shogun bodykit on his mx-6 to make it fit. Hope this helps even little. And i know it s*cks cos youve painted them already.

[celicomx]

u can use some krazy glue and bicarbonate to get them tight to the body.. but you need to be quickly cuz this glue with the bicarbonate will dry really really fast... 2-3secs aprox.

[doGGy]

you have to do Heating BEFORE painting - this is the main move.

AND YES fiberglass - then heated - it gets soft and it is posibloe to change shape of it before it gets cold again.

Ussualy - before fitting something on the car - its best to TEST fit everything and if the gaps are not huge - use a heatgun and once the Fiber gets soft place the piece on the car and try to shape it as much as posible.

Even then gluing splitters with double tape (even after paint) i recomend to heat them up after you put the double side tape, once they are heated they get soft and this way its easyer to get them to match the shape of the car perfectly. And once they get cold - double side will hold them in the shape you got them while they where hot.