roskinc

not sure what this is called, roof trim? im going to wrap my roof in matte black vinyl and want to remove this piece to make things easier, but cant find any info on removing it. all i found was a photo someone posted of theirs missing, so any ideas of removal?

tonyb635

Very simple, just start in the back and lift the rubber seal, take a plastic tool so you don't scratch the paint and pry up and then just work it towards the front. It's held in by clips.

tonyb635

roskinc

thanks! i figured might be as simple as lifting it up, but i wanted to make sure, dont want to break anything. im ready to lay down the matte vinvl...just waiting on my seals to come in!

tonyb635

Are you planning to wrap the rails that you're removing? I think you should. It makes the color flow symetrical with the windshield and lines.

roskinc

yeah i plan to wrap those rails too. i always think it looks off when people matte black their roof and don't do the rails. them removed makes things a whole lot easier.

SD5Series

let me know how you went about going around the Fin (antenna) when your done.

tonyb635

I thought long and hard about wrapping and eventually decided to just paint it black. I was just too unsure of the unknown of wrapping in general. My concerns were that I would cut something short and still be able to see the original color below, or an edge some where deciding that it didn't want to hang on the the film and start slightly peeling, or even perhaps shirking properties of the film or time. I guess these things are less likely when you have experience behind you, which I didn't. Don't forget to post up some pics when you are finished!

roskinc

this will be my first time wrapping the roof, all those things you mentioned that concerned you also in my head. which is why im going to remove all the seals, even the antenna to avoid having to worry about getting the vinyl underneath the seals. plus i needed to replace my seals anyways, their all eaten up. antenna just gonna remove, and reattach. worst scenario i paint it. i just want to be able to remove it if possible.

tonyb635

The antenna will come off but I've never personally tried it. I've heard it it a PITAx10! Perhaps a little heat gun on it? Maybe ask Chris (umnichris) what he thinks about getting up close to the seal area and final prepping to get best adhesion. Chances are you have used RainX or something similar and this stuff is very difficult to get rid of. If you've put it on your windshield more than likely its also gotten on you roof by transfer. You can find a pre-clean solution at NAPA that sells car paints. You can wipe it on and wipe it off with a clean new towel a couple of times. Or, even ask them what they have. That was my main fear to put this on and a few months down the road discover that its starting to peel! I wanted the carbon fiber look and when I finally decide to go with gloss black just decided to paint it. Don't forget to post up the pics and maybe some from your process...