Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Aesthetics How-to: Paint Windshield Side Strips

By CEGer Goonz SVT
Edited and suggestions added by GTO Pete

Purpose:
To bring back the black color to your faded windsheild side strips. It's fast and easy and will require you to leave them overnight for the paint to dry.

Tools/Materials:
- flat head screw driver or anything you use to pry off things
- spray paint
- sandpaper
Added
- primer
- clearcoat
- large piece of cardboard to work on or newspaper

1. Take the strips off
The strips are snapped in by clips, so you will need some force to pry them out. Just use your hands to kind of pull them out as much as you can and the rest can be done by the screw driver. Once you see whats happening, you'll get what to do.

2. Sand
Sand the strips down as much as you can, make sure its not all the way to where you can see the metal. You want it scuffed thoroughly. Wash thoroughly and dry.

3. Primer
Lay the strips down on the cardboard or newspaper (careful with newspaper and wind) and apply 2-3 light coats of primer down. Just follow the directions on the can.

4. Paint
For Paint I used the Krylon Fusion Paint (black) cause thats what they are suppose to look like but you guys may be creative and try a different color.

Apply light even coats. 2-4 coats. Just follow the direcitons on the can.

5. Clearcoat - optional
If you want your strips to have added protection and/or a glossy look apply 2-3 coats of clearcoat. Just follow the direcitons on the can.

6. Reinstall
Let the strips dry overnight and reinstall.

=How-to Prevent strip fading=
Treat them like you treat your paint! Wax them with a good sealant. Use quick detailing spray after every wash. 6+ years doing this on my now sold SVT and they looked brand new.

Good sticky!

I soooo need to do this, mine look like arse. Damn cheap materials used by Ford.

oh my, I made this like LOOOONG time ago..

I must do this as well... screw back to black.

Can we get some pics of how this looks when painted body color on SF, T-Red, or Green.

How close does the Krylon black match the Ford factory black? Ie. would it be possable to do the front grill and rear reflector in Krylon Black? I'm dying to get them done.

actually GTOPete / Goonz, uh what I wanna ask you. If we "FORCE" or "PRY" these off, won't we technically break things off here and there and need to apply some sort of adhesive to reapply them? Also would a picture of a before/after be available so we can see the final results? Finally, is there a specific grit sand paper we should use?