All these little things are falling apart...

[Frumious B.]

My car is looking like hell, and I need to do something about it. All these little, cosmetic, age-related things are starting to happen. I need a few hints to get them fixed.

First, the roof lining is falling down on the passenger side. I tried tucking the edges back in, but it is beyond that point. How do I fasten it back up?
Second, my sunroof and hatch gaskets are going. Probably the door gaskets will go next. A few years ago, someone posted a source for custom gaskets for our cars. Can someone repost that source?
Third, the window trim is flaking. That black trim below the window is turning into white trim. Where can I buy some of that stuff?

And my AC went out, but that's a whole 'nother thread.

Thanks,
L

 

[Red_LX]

Heh, sounds like where my mustang was about the time I decided it was time to find another car.

If the headliner's falling in, you might try pulling it out and putting new adhesive under the fabric, but more than likely you're just gonna need a new headliner.

Weatherstripping, I dunno. I'd think you could get it at the parts store. The door weatherstripping is really just "universal fit" stuff, it comes in coils at the parts store. Costs about $30 to do one door, which hurts.

For the window trim, if you're talking about the plastic, why not just take it off, sand it down, and paint it?

 

[Dr_EluSivE]

get your weather stripping from 50resto.com. I have gotten door and truck rubber from them and been very satisfied. As for the window trim, i would just paint it flat black.

Dr.

 

[NakedRaygun]

just replace the headliner if you take off your pillar clips and clips around the ceiling there will be these 4 little black "nubs" that hold up the entire headliner, there is sound dampner behind there too, I can get you a picture if you need one.

 

[glowstang93]

I have been very happy with my door weatherstripping from Autozone, it has lasted nicely with the occasional siliconing to lengthen its life.

 

[StangGrrLy]

I have heard excellent things about 50resto.com's weatherstripping packages, no personal experience but I need to replace mine and that's likely where I'll get it from. I think they also sell replacement headliners IIRC. As for the fading trim, paint all of it flat black, all around the windows, the mirrors, the cowl where the windshield washer fluid sprays out of, the antenna and its little base, everything.....I did that to my car last year before a car show and it made it look like a zillion times better.

My car is starting to show it's age, It's really nothing to fret about unless it's real bad, taking good care of it can only go so far before the ageing process takes over lol. Just give it a good wash and wax, steam clean the interior and all that, and you will be surprised at how much better it will seem after.

 

[Red_LX]

Just an FYI...if you paint your trim flat black, be prepared to do it again in a year because for some reason flat black fades really bad. I kept painting my mirrors flat black and they would fade, so I painted them gloss black last time I painted them and they still look good even after 2 years. Plus the glossy paint looks a bit nicer.

 

[Frumious B.]

Thanks for all the tips!

so that door trim pops off, does it? how do I pop it off without breaking it? Do I just go for any old glossy black paint?

Stangrrly- did you use a can or a spray? if you used spray, what did you use to tape off the rest of the car? I've used both painter's tape and ordinary brown tape on my walls, and they both bleed. I don't want that happening on my car.

Anyone got any sanding tips? Man, my mirrors need work too. I tried to remove them once and couldn't get them off, though.

ok, headliner - the headliner doesn't look deteriorated, it's just falling off. I guess the adhesive is available at Austozone?

Thanks again,
L

 

[Dan P.]

When I painted my mirrors I just took them off of the car, its not that hard. I sanded them with some really fine sand paper to remove some pits that had formed over the years. Then I used a tree branch in the back yard to hang them on and did small light coats, then let them dry.

Dan

 

[glowstang93]

My first tip is don't paint anything while it is on the car unless u absolutely have to. The door belt molding comes off after u take one screw out that is at the end where u open the door, then it slides toward the back of the car off.
The cowl unscrews from the top and u have to take the nozzle screw out before pulling it off the car. To get the wipers off, raise the arm all the way up and then next to the knobs there is a clip that u slide outward that will release them.

The mirrors: take the interior triangle screw out. Then there are 2 nuts inside that come out and the mirror will be loose then. If u have power mirrors there will be a plug to undue also. Im not sure about the manual mirrors, never had any.

Antennae just unscrews and the cover unsnaps that is under the antennae.

I even painted the the headlight switch where it had lost the black from all the years of pushing it on.

Oh and lets not forget the gas tank straps that loose the paint and show the ugly galvanized aluminum.

The interior paint from 50resto worked great on the drivers side door armrest, but u have to do a whole section. There is no feathering it in.


Hope this helps some. If u need more specifics just ask on how to do or get something off, let me know.

I have taken other pieces off too, to get to stuff, like the instrument cluster and such. Matter of fact, I'm going to start work on making a template for an overlay (the opposite of white face gauges) soon and see if I can get some vinyl and make my own. Im hoping I can do it. Will post pics once I get it done.

 

[Frumious B.]

Dan, I remember when you first posted those pictures. That was what inspired me to try to get my mirrors off to paint them. Then I couldn't get them off.
L

 

[Dr_EluSivE]

Dan, I remember when you first posted those pictures. That was what inspired me to try to get my mirrors off to paint them. Then I couldn't get them off.
L

I painted mine On the car, I just taped them off real well makeing sure to cover all the class and any paint remotely close, then shot em with a spray can (flat black)

Dr.