Roof molding questions

S

stsimon65

New member
I am probably going to have to split the following into several posts since I have 5 questions regarding the same topic.
My roof moldings are faded and blotchy on my 2009 Nissan Altima sedan. I am not sure if it is due to the Sun or due to the products I used on them, i.e. Meguire’s Ultimate Protectant, Meguire’s Ultimate Detailer, Vinylex protectant (made by Lexol) and Bondo Restore Black, although the package label makes it seem like it is very harmless, I have since found that the ingredients are not that benign.
Questions:
#1- Does anyone have experience with any of the above products causing fading and blotching on the roof moldings and, if so which product or products above caused it?
#2- Can anyone tell me the composition of the roof moldings? I have been told my some sources that the roof moldings are aluminum coated with plastic or rubber while others say they are aluminum with a coat of plastic paint or some other type of paint.
#3- Has anyone has had experience with painting the moldings, and if so what kind of paint was used (flat black, glossy, some kind of plastic paint, etc.) how was the appearance? A collision repair shop has proposed two alternatives as follows. A.. Remove the moldings and replace them with new moldings. B. Remove the moldings and have the shop paint them with glossy paint which the shop rep said would have a clear coat and protect the finish from fading better than the factory finish.

#4- I am afraid that the finish on the roof moldings would clash with the windshield molding over the roof since it is flat black if I have the roof moldings painted glossy black. Does anyone have an opinion?
# 5- I posted some of these questions about the roof moldings on another Autopia forum, but did not receive many responses and not many suggestions. Please let me know if anyone has a recommendation on a good Autopia or other website to post these questions.
I also posted on the NissanClub.com forum with similar results. I am not planning to pose any of the above questions of Nissan USA. I have found they are only trying to sell cars – they could not even verify if my satellite radio was working properly or not.
 
Wow, that a lot of questions. I do my best to answer what I can.


1. I have not used any of those exact product but I have used similar. (Poorboys Trim Restorer, Black WOW, Ultima T&TG) All can be found in the store here.

2. I believe you are correct that it is aluminum coated with plastic or rubber but there are many different types out there. I'm not sure it matters in this case.

3. I have painted some trim pieces in the past and this may be an option but not one that I would choose at the moment. There are possibly some other solutions.

4. I agree.

5. The solution that I would look into before deciding to paint anything is a trim dye. There are a few options one is Forever Black which can be found on the store here, and another is Solution Finish which can be found on Autogeek.



At this time my suggestion would be to look into Solution Finish as it sounds like just what you are looking for.

Here is a link to a review on Solution Finish: http://www.autopiaforums.com/forums...ings-black-back-trim-restoration-product.html



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1. I have used Meguiar’s Ultimate Protectant many times and it's a quality product. I have not used the others you mention.

I would suggest you thoroughly clean the molding with some Optimum Power Clean diluted 3:1. Spray on and scrub with a mild scrub brush to enure what you may be seeing isn't product build up combined with dirt and dust.

2. Molding can be plastic / rubber, painted aluminum or just about anything decided by the car manufacturer.

3. It's really up to you and what you feel the desired look should be. Painting them black then clear, paint them the base color then clear....it's your choice.

4. I would match similar moldings for uniformity...

5. The bottom line is do what you feel gives you the look you desire.
 
IME roof racks fade on their own pretty quickly,a couple years even if the vehicle sits outside in the sun here in Ca .Especially the ones that are painted flat black.

My roof rack on my van is only 2 years old and starting to fade already, and I havent used anything on it.

So it may not be the products doing it .

It would be great to see some pictures.
 
stsimon65 said:
I am probably going to have to split the following into several posts since I have 5 questions regarding the same topic.
My roof moldings are faded and blotchy on my 2009 Nissan Altima sedan. I am not sure if it is due to the Sun or due to the products I used on them, i.e. Meguire’s Ultimate Protectant, Meguire’s Ultimate Detailer, Vinylex protectant (made by Lexol) and Bondo Restore Black, although the package label makes it seem like it is very harmless, I have since found that the ingredients are not that benign.
Questions:
#1- Does anyone have experience with any of the above products causing fading and blotching on the roof moldings and, if so which product or products above caused it?
Click to expand...

I have used all of the products you have mentioned above and I highly doubt that any of them led to your moldings 'fading'. The problem seems to be more in the quality of plastic (given that I am unfamililar with exactly what part you are talking about, some people call roof racks: roof moldings and I have heard drip rails referred to as the same) or lack of quality of plastic used by auto manufacturers.

I don't believe the issue you are facing is "user-error" but sadly normal.

#2- Can anyone tell me the composition of the roof moldings? I have been told my some sources that the roof moldings are aluminum coated with plastic or rubber while others say they are aluminum with a coat of plastic paint or some other type of paint.
Click to expand...

Again I am not sure exactly what piece you are referring to. I suppose I am just not familiar with your car. My Mazda has two strips (one on each side) that are made of a hard rubber, which I suppose could be called a roof molding.

#3- Has anyone has had experience with painting the moldings, and if so what kind of paint was used (flat black, glossy, some kind of plastic paint, etc.) how was the appearance? A collision repair shop has proposed two alternatives as follows. A.. Remove the moldings and replace them with new moldings. B. Remove the moldings and have the shop paint them with glossy paint which the shop rep said would have a clear coat and protect the finish from fading better than the factory finish.
Click to expand...

You can paint just about anything, provided you use the right type of paint and primer to make sure it adheres to the surface. I don't have any experience with your type of molding, but I assume you are going to want to use a paint with a flex agent in the primer and clear coat. If the bodyshop you spoke with is suggesting that they are going to clear the finish, I would ask specifically how long they are willing to guarantee the work.
#4- I am afraid that the finish on the roof moldings would clash with the windshield molding over the roof since it is flat black if I have the roof moldings painted glossy black. Does anyone have an opinion?
Click to expand...

I would have to see it first to give you an honest opinion.

# 5- I posted some of these questions about the roof moldings on another Autopia forum, but did not receive many responses and not many suggestions. Please let me know if anyone has a recommendation on a good Autopia or other website to post these questions.
I also posted on the NissanClub.com forum with similar results. I am not planning to pose any of the above questions of Nissan USA. I have found they are only trying to sell cars – they could not even verify if my satellite radio was working properly or not.
Click to expand...

Can you post pictures of the trim molding in question?
 
Before trying a trim dye I would verify that it is plastic you are dealing with. Even if it is plastic, some smooth hard plastics don't take well to dyes. If it is painted aluminum you will be wasting your money. Since you already are going to have to fix it, I would try scraping it in an inconspicuous area with a razor blade or key. You should be able to see any metal base. If you plan to paint, sand it down a little for a clean surface. Test the color on a scrap piece of metal to see if it will dry to a color that doesn't clash with the window trim. I think Plasti-Dip would be a good option; will work whether plastic or metal base and should be a pretty close match to the windshield trim.
 
While walking into work today I came across 2 Nissan Altima's but different years. Both had the molding you describe and both appear to be some sort of plastic so I defer to my recommendation of thoroughly cleaning and treatment application. :bigups
 
Thanks but I am not talking about "roof racks". I am talking about the roof moldings which fit into grooves in the roof on both sides and extend all the way down the windshield and across the entire length of the roof.

Unfortunately I do not have pictures. I do not have a digital camera or a camera phone, etc. although I have been planning to buy a digital camera.
 
Todd Helme said:
I have used all of the products you have mentioned above and I highly doubt that any of them led to your moldings 'fading'. The problem seems to be more in the quality of plastic (given that I am unfamililar with exactly what part you are talking about, some people call roof racks: roof moldings and I have heard drip rails referred to as the same) or lack of quality of plastic used by auto manufacturers.

I don't believe the issue you are facing is "user-error" but sadly normal.



Again I am not sure exactly what piece you are referring to. I suppose I am just not familiar with your car. My Mazda has two strips (one on each side) that are made of a hard rubber, which I suppose could be called a roof molding.



You can paint just about anything, provided you use the right type of paint and primer to make sure it adheres to the surface. I don't have any experience with your type of molding, but I assume you are going to want to use a paint with a flex agent in the primer and clear coat. If the bodyshop you spoke with is suggesting that they are going to clear the finish, I would ask specifically how long they are willing to guarantee the work.


I would have to see it first to give you an honest opinion.



Can you post pictures of the trim molding in question?
Click to expand...
Thanks for all the suggestions. The part I am talking about are the moldings that fit in a grooves across the entire length of the roof are attached to the roof by clips and extend on both sides of the windshield to the bottom of the windshield.

The reason that I do not believe that the fading and blotching is entirely normal is that I have checked other Altimas that are as old or older than my Altima and they do not show anywhere close to the damage I notice on mine.

Also, I do not have pictures. Unfortunately I do not have a digital camera or a camera phone. I may be able to borrow a camera and post pictures later.
 
detailchick said:
IME roof racks fade on their own pretty quickly,a couple years even if the vehicle sits outside in the sun here in Ca .Especially the ones that are painted flat black.

My roof rack on my van is only 2 years old and starting to fade already, and I havent used anything on it.

So it may not be the products doing it .

It would be great to see some pictures.
Click to expand...
DetailChick,
 
detailchick said:
IME roof racks fade on their own pretty quickly,a couple years even if the vehicle sits outside in the sun here in Ca .Especially the ones that are painted flat black.

My roof rack on my van is only 2 years old and starting to fade already, and I havent used anything on it.

So it may not be the products doing it .

It would be great to see some pictures.
Click to expand...
DetailChick,

I apologize. I just sent a “Quick Reply” to you with only your Autopia name. I neglected to copy and paste the rest of message which follows below.

I tried sent you a “Quick Reply” today but I am not sure if actually sent it to you since I did not check “Quote Message in Reply” so I am sending it again as follows:

As I have told others in messages, I am not talking about roof racks. I am talking about the roof moldings that fit in grooves on both side of the roof and extend across the entire length of the roof and run down both sides of the windshield.

Also, unfortunately I do not have pictures. I do not have a camera phone or a digital camera. I may be able to borrow a camera and post pictures later.

Please let me know if you received this reply directly. I am still learning how to navigate Forums.
 
stsimon65 said:
Thanks but I am not talking about "roof racks". I am talking about the roof moldings which fit into grooves in the roof on both sides and extend all the way down the windshield and across the entire length of the roof.

Unfortunately I do not have pictures. I do not have a digital camera or a camera phone, etc. although I have been planning to buy a digital camera.
Click to expand...
I see what your talking about now. Sorry for the confusion .

edit:I did not get a reply directly.
 
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