Plastic roof rails....

[Neil L. 0]

Noticed on my 94 VR that the plastic roof rails are knackered - do i get new ones from stealers? Are they hard to fit? Theres also a some wet getting on the drivers side carpet - near the right footrest! Are these spent roof rails to blame?

[RW1 0]

Dealer item but you try GPC to see it they will source.

 

Wet carpet, I look at the door and the inner membrane. If not obvious, make sure the speaker polythene cone where the wire are points downwards into the door bottom. Check the rest of the membrane is in good condition.

 

If the outer window seal is in poor condition, this will allow more water in than normal and if may be getting in somewhere. The seal does weep water past but not a leak.

 

The roof is welded under the roof seals but that is very rare in failing. Certainly wouldn't expect a 1995 C to have problems.

 

New window screen recently??? May not have been sealed fully.

 

It's a matter of observation and checks.

 

.

[g60griff 0]

i think you might have a shock at the price of the plastic gutter covers. i rang up the stealers for a price and it was around the hundred pound mark. if i remember rightly.

[Andy665 0]

I don't think there is any European stock of these - I believe JMR bought the last couple of sets available anywhere

[VEEDUBBED 0]

I bought a set of roof strips for 60euro each whilst restoring my corrado.

[g60bv 0]

if you take them off. cut the perished bit off, stick back on. you can even spray them nice new black, then lacure. make look like new.i had my roof plated. nice and smooth.

[g60griff 0]

does it not matter if you dont have the rubber bits on. how do you take them out of the gutters?

[Supercharged 2]

just pull carefully from one end and make sure you don't kink em if you \plan to put them back on...

[VDUBBER 0]

I have just bought a pair from local vdub garage £84 in total just got to get them fited there were plenty of them about ten sets left about two weeks ago

[mattyd_splat 0]

hello guys.

please help.

i have a 1990 1.8 16v, the roof seals look manky as hell and have all broken down. please give me advice on prices and where i can get them from, numbers would be gratefully appreciated.

thanks

matt..

[Roger Blassberg 0]

I bought a set from GPC in Luton last week. £81 for the pair including the rear hinge covers and VAT. Tel 01582 728892

 

They are quite easy to fit.

 

Lever the rear end (!!) off the pin fixture with a wide screwdriver against the hatch-back hinge cover (put a cloth under the lever to save scratching the cover if you are not replacing it), then peel the trim out of its recess towards the front where it is located onto another pin with a slotted hole in the underside of the trim.

 

Clean the recess of dirt and the remains of the old adhesive strip; I used a plastic scraper and a rag soaked in white spirit. It's a tedious job.

 

Now give the roof a really good waxing - it's so much easier when the strips are out of the way - but don't wax into the recesses as this will inhibit the adhesion of the new strips.

 

Take the protective foil off of the adhesive strip, and thoroughly heat it up with either a hair dryer on full heat setting or even a hot air paint stripper gun (be CAREFUL not to burn yourself or to scorch the strip) to make the glue tacky along its whole length.

 

Push the slotted front fixture fully onto its pin and locate the back cap onto the back pin. Now press the trim into the recess, starting at the back and working forward, making sure that the lip is outside of the recess, facing towards the centre of the car. Don't press it firmly and fully down just yet, but make sure that the trim is completely accommodated into the recess throughout its whole length with no bulges; the sliding conector at the front should allow the length to adjust. Now, progressively press the trim down fully so that the adhesive sticks it into the bottom of the recess and spreads the lip flat against the roof.

 

Finally, lift the hinge cover caps off and replace with nice shiny new ones.

 

Result; a very smart roof. You will now be overwhelmed by the desire to give all the rest of the black trim a complete going over with a suitable cleaner.

 

Takes a couple of hours and is a bit of a fiddle. I think that the secret is very scrupulously to clean out the remains of the old adhesive and to get the new glue strip really hot and tacky.

 

Best wishes

 

RB