Plastic trim re-do.

Several lengths of trim on the wagon are pealing. I want to get it done quickly with out removing the trim.
I ended up scraping the plastic finish off with a utility knife blade (no handle).  Sanded it with 100 & 210 grit by hand and using a Krylon paint.  It looks respectable. From 20 feet it is imperceptible.







The back section, all preped.




The other side needs the same front and rear section done.
Should kee me busy for the next couple of nights.

Very Nice job! Did you spray some clear coat over it? It will help the finish last longer.

You should have put a coat of zinc chromate primer on the aluminum before the finish coat. Zinc chromate is one of the few paints that will stick reliably to aluminum. It is a hideous green, but it sticks, and you can not see it after the finish coat.

Fred Kiehl wrote:

You should have put a coat of zinc chromate primer on the aluminum before the finish coat. Zinc chromate is one of the few paints that will stick reliably to aluminum. It is a hideous green, but it sticks, and you can not see it after the finish coat.

There is no Aluminum. My '96 has plastic trim covered in a faux wood stick-on wood pattern.

The upper trim is aluminum. There is no plastic except on the beltline trim of the sedan.

Fred Kiehl wrote:

The upper trim is aluminum. There is no plastic except on the beltline trim of the sedan.

All the bits I have sanded and painted in this thread are plastic.  I wish they were aluminum. I would be doing a brushed finish if it were.

On to the rear...

There is a 96 RMW in the local yard. I will go check the trim on the quarter panels. If it is all plastic, I will agree with you, but I do not know why they would make a separate end, instead of molding it in one piece.

Fred Kiehl wrote:

The upper trim is aluminum. There is no plastic except on the beltline trim of the sedan.

VT Wagon wrote:

All the bits I have sanded and painted in this thread are plastic.  I wish they were aluminum. I would be doing a brushed finish if it were.

Fred speaks the truth. The end caps are plastic, but the trim itself is a pre-coated aluminum sheet that was then cut & formed into the trim sections.

Again, the “Search Google” button is your friend. There is no shortage of threads showing the construction of the upper trim and how it can be polished out:

https://gmlongroof.4umer.com/t508-trim-removal-and-polish-from-other-site?

https://gmlongroof.4umer.com/t2270-one-set-of-polished-woody-trim-for-sale-1995-96-roadmaster-wagon

https://gmlongroof.4umer.com/t1258-my-lame-dcm

https://gmlongroof.4umer.com/t8906p20-new-roadmaster-is-coming-along-slowly-but-surely

Take a real good look down the length of the strips, there will almost assuredly be some dents you hadn’t noticed before. Just finding faded and/or peeling, but not dented upper trim to paint, polish or rewrap is a lot harder than you might imagine.

-  J

Well ok. I have scraped and sanded the 'wood' off and never got to the aluminum.

I pulled one off of a 96 RMW in the yard today, and it is aluminum, except for the end caps.

What was the color name you used there?

Is this still holding up well?

I had thought they were plastic as well, but when I saw Rutledge Woods RM on TV with polished trim, I contacted him and he said he polished the stock trim...interesting.

looks great no matter what it is made of. Nice job VT!!!

Looks great! My front spears are the only area beginning to peel. I have a spare pair--hoping there is a way to match the rest of the trim. That would also require faux wood graining. Any ideas?

Dry brush light brown on top of the tan paint and make it streaky, then clearcoat.